Isolating the consumer determinants of choice when making a purchasing decision in a supplier company
- Authors: Williams, Rita Christine
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Customer relations , Customer services -- Management Consumer satisfaction -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/36048 , vital:33885
- Description: The objective of this research was to establish the determinants of purchase choice by customers and to establish the modality of their decision-making process. The study was conducted at PerkinElmer a scientific equipment supplier company. PerkinElmer South Africa supplies equipment to industrial laboratories, academic laboratories and laboratories in government institutions. It has become clear to the researcher that understanding the customer and what their perceptions are is the key to business success. These insights would give the researcher the knowledge of important factors in the customer modality of purchase decisions. The literature review revealed that there are numerous factors that influences a customer buying decision namely: Customer relationships management, Unique selling proposition, the importance of salespeople, customer satisfaction levels, the brand name, Brand awareness, brand perception, brand loyalty, price, the service levels that the company provides after sale. The customer decision-making process and the various stages involved, an empirical study was conducted utilising in-depth interviews. The five main themes that were investigated through in-depth interviews were the following: Customer relationship management, brand, customer satisfaction levels, price, service. The factors were probed, analysed and compared and each customer’s preference was noted. The study employs a qualitative approach as this stance supports the researcher’s interest in the customer views and perceptions. A small sample was utilised from the scientific sector in the Eastern Cape and the Gauteng area. The empirical results indicated the importance of service support and if this is not in place it can mean the loss of future business. The customers in academia had the common view that the price is most important. The university policy forces the lowest priced equipment to be purchased. The respondents unanimously voiced their concerns regarding the expensiveness of PerkinElmer consumables.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Perceptions and practices of small-scale piggery farmers towards animal welfare in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole
- Authors: Maqhajana, Mzwanele
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Animal welfare -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8079 , vital:24719
- Description: There has been an increasing concern about animal welfare in small-scale farming as the farmers' agricultural practices shift towards intensive agriculture. It has become important to comprehend how small-scale farmers perceive and practice animal welfare relative to production and market integration. To solve the research problem, the research emphasis was on assessing the following practices; procedures adopted by the small-scale farmers, welfare levels verses industry equirements for market integration; determinants affecting small-scale perceptions and attitudes towards animal welfare and how has animal welfare affected farm development and production. The research focus for this study was to investigate the linkage between perceptions and this process. In order to achieve a more in-depth understanding of the study while also ensuring its validity and correctness a triangulation research method was applied, which consisted of a quantitative and qualitative method approach. The focus groups and structured research interview questions were used as the main data collections instruments. The study consisted of sixty-two piggery small-scale farmers from three areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole. The study found that there was a disparity between the perceptions and practice of small-scale farmers. Farmers perceived their practices as acceptable. However, on most of the farms the pigs were farmed in an unhygienic environment, had limited handling facilities, the farmers had unconventional methods to handle the pigs; there was poor support from technical services, many of the farmers never administered animal welfare evaluations and applied questionable feeding practices. The study also indicated that less than 15% had suitable facilities to accommodate suitable reproduction and piglet care. The researcher recommended the following interventions to improve animal welfare approaches with small-scale farmers in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole: Training and information campaigns to improve small-scale piggery farmers' perception and knowledge of animal welfare, as well as market standards and requirements. Strengthening the relationship between the small-scale piggery farmers and animal welfare stakeholders. Including active engagement between small scale piggery farmers and the Department of Rural Development, Agrarian Reform and Urban Agriculture Unit of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Encouraging farmers to strive for stronger markets to facilitate better income and care of animals.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Students' perceptions of service quality levels of students housing at the large metropolitan university
- Authors: Elie, Sammy Abraham
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: SERVQUAL (Service quality framework) , Student housing -- Resident satisfaction -- South Africa , Consumer satisfaction -- South Africa , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University -- Student housing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020297
- Description: The increasing attention to the provision of accessible, decent, safe and academically appropriate student housing in South Africa has led to a closer investigation of the nature and levels of quality in both on-campus and off-campus student accommodation. Nationwide, student housing management recognises that quality student housing is of great importance to both the quality of the higher education system and the success of students. In recent years, many studies in the field of service quality have been conducted within higher education. However, fewer studies have focused specifically on service quality in student housing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of students with regard to service quality levels in on-campus and off-campus student housing at NMMU, and to identify those service quality dimensions that need attention. A literature review was conducted to explore the meaning and nature of service and quality in student housing. It was concluded that from the different facets of service that quality, customer expectations, customer perception and customer satisfaction are important constructs in evaluating fully the levels of service quality. An amended SERVQUAL instrument comprising 41 items was used for students, in order to evaluate the service quality at on-campus and accredited off-campus student housing at NMMU. The results showed that there are significant differences in the service quality dimensions of on-campus student housing and off-campus student housing. Oncampus student housing gleaned a positive assessment for the dimensions of reliability, responsiveness, empathy and assurance. However, negative perceptions prevail with regard to on-campus infrastructural/tangible issues. The off-campus student housing fell short in a number of service-quality dimensions, including reliability, empathy, responsiveness and infrastructural/tangible issues. The assurance dimension received positive assessments for both on-campus and off-campus student housing. The study proposes that the NMMU student housing management pay attention to the shortcomings and make the desired improvements. The findings of this treatise have practical implications for student-housing managers, as they could direct their resources to improving poor service dimensions, and similarly refine marketing strategies, so that students’ needs are met in an exceptional and satisfactory manner.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Investigating the challenges faced by educators in implementing arts and culture in the RNCS in Libode schools
- Authors: Nobanda, Vusumzi Zwelandile
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Arts and culture -- Teachers -- Rural schools
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:18460 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1008211
- Description: The dawning of democracy in South Africa necessitated some changes in many spheres of government including education. There was a dire need for educational transformation from the apartheid education system, which favoured white South Africans, to an inclusive education system. This transformation was crucial to address and/or redress the neglect and/or exclusion of other learning areas in the school curriculum especially in South African rural schools. One of the learning areas that were neglected was Arts and Culture mostly in the rural schools. There is, however, overwhelming evidence that the inclusion of Arts and Culture learning area in the school curriculum lacks proper planning and preparation. Educators responsible for this learning area, therefore, experience enormous challenges in the implementation of Arts and Culture, especially in rural schools. This study endeavoured to investigate the prevailing challenges faced by educators in the implementation of Arts and Culture in the rural schools of the Libode Mega-District in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The investigation of these challenges was conducted through the exploration of this main research question: What challenges do educators face in implementing Arts and Culture as a learning area in the new curriculum? Other subsidiary questions were also derived from the above main research question. Ten schools from the population of schools in the Libode Mega-District were randomly sampled from which participants in the study had been selected. All data in the study were obtained from these participants. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews were the instruments used to collect data. In-depth interviews were done on the day I collected the questionnaires on all participants. Data collected through the use of questionnaires was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Data collected through interviews was first coded to form units according to similarities and/or differences among units. Units were thereafter grouped into clusters to form domains in order to discover relationships between domains. Challenges faced by educators, as per the findings of this study, were; inadequate teacher training, lack of infrastructure, lack of adequate support from other stakeholders and lack of teaching and learning material relating, mostly, to the practical side of this learning area.
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- Date Issued: 2012