Adele Berndt

The effect of changes in servicescape and service quality perceptions in a maternity unit

PURPOSE The aim of this research is to determine the effect of changes in servicescape on the service quality perceptions of maternity ward patients in a private hospital. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH A quasi-experimental design was used. An experimental and control group (of patients) was surveyed before the changes in servicescape took place, and a further experimental and control group of patients was surveyed after changes in the servicescape. Each group was surveyed using a SERVPERF instrument to determine perceptions of service quality. FINDINGS The changes in servicescape which took place in the experimental context resulted in a significant change in service quality perceptions among the experimental group. This change was not seen in all service quality dimensions, however, with statistical significance seen only in the tangible, reliability and responsiveness dimensions. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS Four different groups of respondents took part in the quasi-experiment (two experimental groups and two control groups) specifically in a medical setting, and the ability to generalise these findings needs to be investigated. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Management needs to take greater notice of the effect of servicescape, as well as any changes in the servicescape on the perceptions of service quality. ORIGINALITY/VALUE There is agreement that the servicescape affects perceptions of service quality and this study bears out this conclusion.

Brand avoidance among Generation Y consumers

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the reasons for brand avoidance among Generation Y consumers. Researchers have traditionally focused on the positive relationship between consumers and brands, but, increasingly, consumers are consciously avoiding brands. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study consisting of both focus groups and interviews was conducted among Generation Y participants. Findings – The findings support previous research that identifies four types of brand avoidance, namely, experiential, identity, moral and deficit-value avoidance. However, the study also suggests that an additional type of brand avoidance, namely, advertising avoidance, also occurs. Aspects of advertising that can contribute to brand avoidance include the content of the advertising, the use of a celebrity endorser and the music in the advertising, as well as the response to the advertising. This study thus proposes an expanded framework of brand avoidance. Research limitations/implications – T...

Service quality and customer satisfaction among bank clients in Rwanda

Despite banking services in Rwanda have low levels of penetration, it is important for banks to focus on providing quality service to their customers. This is due to the effect it has on customer s ...

Critical Success Factors for Franchised Restaurants Entering the Kenyan Market

In today’s globalized world, businesses look to expand to have a global presence. Restaurant businesses have expanded internationally using franchising. This study sought to determine the critical success factors (CSFs) of a franchised restaurant system entering the Kenyan market from the franchisors’ perspective. It sought to establish how franchisors define, identify, and evaluate success. This study provides a theoretical framework that helps to understand the background of why organizations seek to expand using franchising method and consequently the CSFs of franchised restaurants entering the Kenyan market. The study used qualitative methodology with the use of in-depth interviews for collecting data. The results yielded CSFs from the franchisors’ perspective. As revealed by the study, the CSFs include brand power/concept, competitive environment, government policies, distance management, cultural appeal, excellent selection of franchisees, good site/location selection, good relationship with the franchisees, and proper contract management. These findings can be used by restaurant franchises that seek to establish successful businesses in the Kenyan market and other similar regional markets. The Africa franchise partners may also find some useful information from this article as they seek to set up the Franchise Association of Kenya. Other franchise businesses may also benefit from some aspects of the study.

Evaluating the readability of marketing research textbooks: an international comparison

Purpose – Locally authored textbooks are used at tertiary South African institutions to assist in marketing research studies. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the readability of locally authored marketing research textbooks in South Africa and compare them with international (USA) texts. Design/methodology/approach – South African marketing research textbooks (authored locally) used at South African institutions were identified. Electronic versions of the textbooks were used and analysed using accepted readability formulae. The same procedure was used with texts produced in the USA and the findings of each were compared. Findings – The South Africa texts scored higher on the Flesch Reading Ease score than US texts, which links to the target audience of these books (undergraduate students), while also being cognisant of the reading skills of the target audience but their score still describes them as “difficult”. Research limitations/implications – The original formulae and theory tend to be dat...

Resident co-creation : the case of the 2010 Soccer World Cup

The purpose of the study was to investigate the involvement and actions (co-creation) of residents of South Africa prior to the commencement of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, which was held in South Af ...

Institutional limits to service dominant logic and servitisation in innovation efforts in newspapers

ABSTRACT This paper explores the implementation of service-orientated strategies within newspapers using SDL and servitisation as theoretical departure points. This perspective helps to interpret the advancements and barriers in the current marketing innovation activities in the industry. Based on the exemplary case of the award-winning Svenska Dagbladet, we show that use is made of servitisation and SDL to the extent allowed by some strategic determinants of institutional nature. While some components of SDL have been implemented successfully others – customisation, resource development and coordination, and dialogue-based marketing communication – present managerial opportunities to increase value co-creation. But for this to happen the industry may need to consider changes in some of the institutional components of qualitative news that today act as institutional limits to innovation.

Resident Co-creation: The case of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa

National sporting events rely on the involvement of the residents in the country for their success. Residents are expected to support the event, and event organisers develop strategies to facilitate this support, thus creating resident involvement. Cocreation in the case of such an event is regarded as the actions and involvement of residents in the success of the event. The purpose of the study was to investigate the involvement and actions of residents of South Africa prior to the commencement of the 2010 World Cup, which was held in South Africa during June and July 2010. The importance of the study can be found in the relative scarcity of the literature that investigates specifically the role of residents in co-creation as well as the uniqueness of the event in an African context.

Cause-Related Marketing (CM): The Perspective of Millennials (Abstract)

CM has been shown to be successful as it resonates with consumers, providing benefits for both companies and non-profit organisations (NPOs). CM is viewed as a promotional activity where an organisation will contribute a specified amount to a designated cause when customers purchase a specific product (Beise-Zee 2013; Vanhamme et al. 2012).

Comprehension of marketing research textbooks among South African students : an investigation

Reading is a skill people require in order to operate successfully in all spheres of life. Mastering this skill is even more critical when pursuing academic studies. This study investigated the reading comprehension of final year undergraduate marketing students at a South African higher education institution (HEI) relating to their comprehension of marketing research textbooks. Two measurement instruments were used to test their reading comprehension. One instrument contained two passages from the respondents’ prescribed marketing research textbook and the other two passages from a comparative international textbook. Following the Cloze procedure, every 9th word was removed from the passages and respondents were subsequently required to complete the non-subject related words in one of the instruments fielded on a random basis. The results indicated that the majority of respondents exhibited a reading comprehension that is at the frustration reading level. A further evaluation that allowed for synonyms (Semantically Acceptable Scoring Method or SEMAC) to be included, did not impact meaningfully on the classification of respondents. Significant differences in reading comprehension could also not be uncovered based upon the respondents’ gender and home language. The results furthermore presented challenges for all those involved in higher education (HE), more specifically impacting on textbook choice as well as assessment and performance practices.