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Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/14

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    Examining the utilisation of virtual engagement by eThekwini pharmaceutical representatives during COVID-19 restrictions
    (2024-05) Gumede, Thabisile; Dlamini, B I
    Customer relationship management (CRM) across all platforms is crucial for pharmaceutical companies to fully maximise and implement in meeting customer needs. During the COVID-19 lockdown, pharmaceutical companies were unable to fulfil their obligations of sharing critical education-related clinical information due to strict lockdown measures that were government imposed. The healthcare providers’ (HCPs) engagement and products offered by the pharmaceutical industry are regulated by the government. Almost all pharmaceutical companies were forced to re-evaluate and implement different methods of engaging with HCPs. During the COVID-19 period, pharmaceutical companies reviewed how they engage with HCPs. Pharmaceutical representatives’ role are crucial in ensuring that relevant product-related information is shared to the HCPs. The correct product information is cascaded from pharmaceutical representatives to the patients via their HCPs. It was expected that pharmaceutical representatives continue to engage with HCPs irrespective of lockdown restrictions. This gave a rise to virtual engagement as a method of engaging with HCPs. This study examined of utilising virtual engagement by eThekwini-based pharmaceutical representatives in meeting their targets and key performance indicators while engaging with HCPs. A quantitative study method using seventy-one respondents was employed to collect data related to virtual engagement by administering a questionnaire to the targeted respondents. The respondents completed the questionnaires which were purposely sent to a specific WhatsApp group consisting of eThekwini-based pharmaceutical representatives. Data was statistically analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. The research questions focused on understanding: the influence of COVID-19 lockdown in successfully marketing products and services virtually; whether virtual engagements are an effective method for pharmaceutical representatives to interact with healthcare professionals, and marketing tools are successful in engaging with healthcare professionals. The results indicate that 68% of respondents engaged both virtually and in-person during the COVID-19 lockdown either 5 – 6 times or more than 8 times a week. Furthermore, there is a significant agreement that the representatives successfully utilised virtual engagement using Teams, WhatsApp and phone call. The results indicate a 53,5% positive effect of virtual engagement on the marketing of products to HCPs. This study concludes that the results concurred with other studies in the world and present an insight into eThekwini-based representative in utilising virtual engagements. Perception of pharmaceutical representative in utilising these marketing tools provided insight for virtual engagement post COVID-19. It is recommended that companies may re-adjust their state of preparedness in adopting virtual engagement where face-to-face interactions are limited and when investigating newer ways of implementing and migrating towards virtual customer engagements post- COVID-19.
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    Factors influencing the adoption and implementation of customer relationship management strategies by small and medium enterprises in KwaZulu-Natal
    (2020-11) Garatsa, Cletos; Dlamini, Bongani Innocent
    Purpose The aim of this study is to identify and investigate the factors that influence the adoption and implementation of CRM strategies by SMEs in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa. Background Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the development of economies both in the developed and developing countries. SMEs face many obstacles in their path to survival and much has been discussed in terms of helping the small enterprises to survive and grow to fulfil their economic potential and derive the benefits that come with it. However, there is limited literature when it comes to the use of CRM as a tool for survival. This study suggested that CRM can also be used to help SMEs to grow and thrive. It was within this scope that this study examined the factors that influence the adoption of CRM by SMEs in KZN. The goal was to move away from the misconception that CRM is a technology but gravitate towards treating CRM as a holistic strategy that should diffuse within the whole organisation. Technology is thus viewed as an enabler of the CRM strategy. Organisational, environmental, technological and information culture factors should all be integrated and help the firm to make a well-informed decision when it comes to adopting CRM strategies. CRM adoption and implementation are not without their problems, but the promises are too good to ignore; and, indeed, the future prosperity of SMEs may lie in CRM adoption and implementation. Methodology The research used a quantitative research approach to evaluate the major factors affecting KwaZulu Natal SMEs in the process of adopting and implementing CRM programs. A questionnaire that was divided into owner-specific and organisational profile demographics and CRM factors was used as the survey instrument to collect the data. The statistical package, SPSS version 25 was utilised to analyse the accumulated data. Logistic regression and t-tests were used to assess validity and reliability Findings The study outcomes revealed that technological, environmental, organisational contexts and information culture factors play an important role in the adoption and implementation of CRM innovations by SMEs in KZN. The study identified education and technological factors like security and complexity as the major drivers of innovation adoption among the SMEs that were investigated. It must, however, be noted that successful adoption can only be realised when all the factors are combined. Recommendations The TOE can be used by managers and practitioners as a guideline for the adoption and implementation of CRM innovations. The outcomes of this study revealed that all the interrelations of the framework are very important when deciding to adopt and implement CRM projects. Adoption of CRM in an incremental manner is needed to allow integration between the innovation and the current needs and culture of the enterprise. Simple technology can be used in the adoption and effective implementation of CRM strategies. Future Research Future research can test the TOE framework on the wider KZN SME population including those not under incubation programmes. This study examined the whole SME sector. It would be interesting to examine one sector and also post adoption research studies can be undertaken. A study can also be commissioned to examine the success and failure of the adopted strategies.
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    Customer centricity in enhancing organisational objectives at a selected government parastatal
    (2021-10) Swartbooi, Angelique; Bayat, Mohamed Saheed
    The selected Government Parastatal is an operating division of a State-Owned Entity, wholly-owned by the South African Government. The parastatal operates 3 800 km of pipeline throughout South Africa, transporting refined petroleum products, crude oil and methane rich gas. The focus of the parastatal is to provide an integrated pipeline service offering to customers, by maximising product volumes, while minimising logistical costs. The parastatal services six of the leading petroleum and gas companies in South Africa through its pipeline service offering. With the assistance of an external service provider, the parastatal conducted a customer satisfaction survey in the financial year 2018/19, with results indicating 70 percent customer dissatisfaction with their current service. The results highlighted areas of concern such as clear and proactive communication, operations and service delivery and delivery on contractual agreements. It is held that being customer-centric means being involved and invested in the organisation, knowing and helping customers to satisfy their needs. Nonetheless, organisations need to develop a new set of operating beliefs that are customer-focussed, with literature proposing customer-centricity as an important factor in the long-term growth and sustainability of an organisation. The parastatal selected for study is a service-driven organisation and its business depends on its customers, thus, it is important to consistently ensure a high-level of customer service. Organisations that focus on a customer-centric perspective have been shown as able to address customer needs. This research project will, therefore, focus on the role of customer-centricity and how it can enhance organisational objectives within a selected parastatal, through an evaluation of the need for a customer centric culture and the significance of employee participation in customer-centricity, in addition to an analysis of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as a tool in evolving the Government Parastatal as a customer centric organisation. The study will employ a quantitative research design, with a 5-point Likert scaled questionnaire, comprised of closed-ended questions that will be distributed to the targeted population of 400 and a sample size of 199. A web-based survey will be used to distribute the questionnaire and a link emailed to participants, while hand delivering to those without email acces. Responses will be analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. At the conclusion of the study, the researcher hopes to recommend the significance of customer-centricity to the Executive Management team of the government parastatal and how it can enhance organisational objectives. The researcher also expects to find a correlation between employee participation in creating a customercentric culture in an organisation and achieving organisational objectives.
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    Critical success factors in customer relationship management strategy in the Local Government authorities in Zimbabwe
    (2018) Chiguvi, Douglas; Rawjee, Veena P.; Balkaran, Rishidaw
    The aim of the study is to identify critical success factors in customer relationship management strategy success in the local government authorities in Zimbabwe. A thorough abridgment of the literature was conducted, mainly to understand the nature and structure of local government authorities in Zimbabwe as well as to identify critical success factors in CRM strategy success. The study outlined the nature and structure of local government authorities in Zimbabwe. The elements and concepts of customer relationship management (CRM) were reviewed. The frames of references for critical success factors were presented. Besides, factors of evaluating CRM strategy success were also analysed. The conceptual model framework was customized for local government authorities in Zimbabwe. A Meta-analysis methodology was employed and explanatory research approach was adopted by means of a survey strategy. 197 questionnaires have been collected from twenty one local government authorities in Zimbabwe. The findings of the study revealed that all of the ten critical success factors are significant and positively linked to CRM strategy success. Furthermore, the statistical tests show that success and failure of CRM strategy success are highly dependent on four major critical success factors including Implementation Approach, Change Management, Metrics and Implementation Strategy. However, process design and Buy- in Approach and Adoption have low significance impact in CRM strategy success in local government authorities in Zimbabwe. The results of the data analysis led to the creation of a framework which outlines the critical success factors in CRM strategy success in local government authorities in Zimbabwe and the CRM implementation Index which need to be followed before implementing the CRM strategy. This study has clearly indicated that customer relationship management forms a powerful strategy that local government authorities should apply to manage long-term relationships with their key stakeholders.
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    The influence of transformation on financial performance of operational level of retail businesses : a case study
    (2016) Simamane, Xolani Protus; Zondo, Robert Dumisani
    The retail industry is arguably one the most prosperous sectors in the global economy. Retail’s importance lies in the fact that it serves as an intermediary between producers and consumers. Given its significance in the everyday lives of people in communities and its role in national economies, the industry operates under extensive competition driven by growth in Information Technology which has dramatically changed the consumption patterns and buying behavior of consumers today. The changes are greatly influenced by different economic factors that impose change in the industry and impact on the bottom line of businesses. Thus, retailers are constantly realigning their businesses in ways that ensure that old customers are kept and new ones are sourced. It is from the foregoing that this study sets out to investigate the influence of transformation on the financial performance of the operational level of retail businesses: A case study. Using a quantitative research method, the study focused on 101 middle level branch managers of The South African Post Office obtained through the simple random technique. The questionnaires were administered to the branch managers and the data obtained was analysed using SPSS software. Findings from the study revealed that the overall business transformation has a positive impact on the financial performance of businesses. The results further revealed that continuous communication with regards to transformation inspires confidence among employees, thereby leading to productivity and the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. Findings also suggest that productive employees contribute positively to the financial performance of the business. The study recommends that retail businesses should consider overall business transformation in terms of structural design change, Information Technology, products and services and employee motivation to keep business relevant in the ever-changing global economy.