Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/14
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Item Examining the utilisation of virtual engagement by eThekwini pharmaceutical representatives during COVID-19 restrictions(2024-05) Gumede, Thabisile; Dlamini, B ICustomer 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.Item The adoption of Internet technology among general practitioners in KwaZulu-Natal(2008) Jones, Joanne; Raap, Peter JohnThe pharmaceutical industry is in the midst of a fundamental transformation. Time and cost constraints are forcing marketers to search for new ways to maintain and grow brand awareness. The amount of time that doctors allow for representatives to market their products is becoming less and less and as a result products are not getting the exposure they used to. Organisations that find innovative ways to maintain exposure of their products may gain a competitive advantage over those organisations that rely on traditional marketing methods. The prolific increase in the use of the internet may provide pharmaceutical organisations with a complementary channel to market their products. The objective of this study is to determine the levels of internet technology adoption among general practitioners. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is one of the most influential research models in studies of the determinants of information systems/ information technology (IS/IT) acceptance. In TAM, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are hypothesised and empirically supported as fundamental determinants of user acceptance of a given IS/IT. Using TAM, this study sets out to determine general practitioners’ intention to use the internet as a source of pharmaceutical information. The literature review provides an extensive evaluation on the development of TAM and its application in different technologies. Based on these findings, the researcher developed this study to investigate internet technology acceptance in the pharmaceutical industry. Use is made of the descriptive survey method and data is retrieved from a sample of 105 general practitioners in Kwazulu-Natal. The observation is made via the benefit of a questionnaire. The process of sampling is that of convenient sampling. The analysis is quantitative and makes use of statistical analysis appropriate for the data. Analysis of the survey results produces useful insights into the factors influencing internet technology adoption by general practitioners. When analysing the independent variables, respondents were not in strong agreement about the perceived usefulness nor the perceived ease of use of internet technology as a source of pharmaceutical information. However, positive results from the relationships between the independent (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) and dependent variables (attitude and intention to use) provide valuable data with which organisations may develop internet-based marketing strategies. Based on the survey findings, recommendations using the Beynon-Davies (2004) Internet Adoption Model are suggested.