Browsing by Author "Pillay, Devika."

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A review of customer satisfaction levels with the physical motor vehicle license renewal system in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2025) Simamane, Xolani Protus.; Pillay, Devika.
Motor vehicle licence renewal has been a practice that is performed by motor vehicle owners for many years. It is a compulsory process whereby all automobile owners must register their automobile with an appropriate government agency to be able to drive on the public roads. This process entails the automobile owner paying a set amount determined by the capacity of the engine, the type, and the use of vehicle. This license must be renewed annually. This service is owned and managed by the Department of Transport who expanded accessibility to the service by appointing the South African Post Office (SA Post Office) and local municipalities as licensing agents. Considering the number of vehicles that must be renewed annually, this poses challenges due to the overcrowding experienced within the physical spaces of the licensing authorities. Non-receipt of renewal notifications and time spent waiting in queues impacts customer satisfaction with regards to in- person licence renewal system. With the introduction of an online motor vehicle license renewal system in 2022, the licensing authorities were still experiencing longer queues which resulted in overcrowding at the physical outlets. There is a disconnect between the marketing communications promoting the existence of online motor vehicle licence renewals and customer awareness for the online license-service adoption. The limited internet coverage in rural areas to support the access of e- services, impacts service accessibility. Also, the digital divide attributed to lack of basic digital literacy, insufficient information communication technology (ICT) skills and devices especially in communities from remote areas, which further hindered the access to e- services (Aruleba and Jere, 2022). The unavailability of onsite and offsite portals which would potentially serve as customer alternatives, to access the service, especially in remote areas, would contribute to the online service adoption process. This study aimed at reviewing the customer satisfaction level with regards to the in-person license renewal system in KwaZulu -Natal. The study further explored customer awareness and customer readiness for the adoption of an online licence renewal system, where the service is accessed through the internet. This study used a quantitative research technique and utilised the SA Post Office as a location of choice for a case study. The case study approach was used to scrutinise relationships among variables as per the stated research questions. The study population consisted of 5 000 motor vehicle owners that renewed their motor licence at various Post Office branches in KwaZulu-Natal. The study employed a stratified probability sampling method due to the study’s quantitative nature. Six post offices in various locations in KwaZulu- Natal were selected as research sites. A disproportionate stratified sampling method was used to show the representativeness of each region. The sample size as per the sampling table (Sekaran, 2000) was 357 for a population of 5 000. The actual study respondents were 282. The study results showed that participants were generally satisfied with the in-person licence renewal system. The study results further revealed that participants were inclined towards the adoption of an online motor vehicle licence renewal system. This was affirmed by the confirmation to have access to the facilities and the relevant equipment to perform online licence renewal. Additionally, members of their social circles were already renewing their motor vehicle licenses online. This study recommended continuous improvements in the operations process, and for increased attention to customer satisfaction and communication with regards to the motor vehicle licence renewal system. Moreover, it was recommended that the Department of Transport and its agents conduct aggressive marketing campaigns to bring awareness of the existence of the online licencing system, to ease congestion in physical outlets and increase motor vehicle licence renewal alternatives for customers.
An identification of South African Indian cultural typologies : considerations for market segmentation.
(2002) Govender, Devi Sankaree.; Pillay, Devika.
This study is focused on identifying cultural typologies of the Indian population group. These typologies or dimensions are analysed from a consumer behaviour perspective with strong implications for marketers who need to take cognisance of these typologies when developing new product offerings and devising marketing campaigns targeted at this population group. The consumption behaviour of Indians are compared and contrasted with the other predominant race groups in South Africa (namely Whites, Blacks and Coloureds), in terms of expenditure and buying power. Further, an analysis of Indian culture typologies provides marketers with insight into cultural issues that have a bearing on the development of marketing strategies. The findings that have emerged from this study are important for various reasons. Over 75% of the total Indian population live in KwaZulu-Natal (Census 1996). Further, compared to other race groups, the Indian population has a high rate of urbanisation with 96.8% of the population living in metropolitan areas (ibid.). Education levels supercedes those of the Black and Coloured population groups with 30.4% of Indians having completed matric and l0.4% having furthered their education (South Africa in Transition: StatsSA). In keeping with this trend, in comparison with the other race groups, Indians have a high penetration of English spoken as a first language (93.2%). While 21% of the Indian population are characterised as middle to upper income earners, occupying LSM's 6 to 10, Indian households in the Durban Metropolitan area have more earners (33.2%) per household in comparison to the Black and White population groups (Stats South Africa). In addition, an increasing number of Indian women are entering the workforce and are becoming more active in decision-making. Findings related to Indian culture have unearthed that while Indian culture has imbibed a global culture as far as dress, entertainment and lifestyle are concerned, traditional beliefs and values, including that of religion, are steadfastly held onto. However, this dissertation also finds that the Indian population group is highly materialistic and great attention is focussed on the accumulation of possessions. Further, materialism within the Indian population, is seen as a reflection of status.
In search of a sustainability marketing curriculum : a critical exploration.
(2016) Pillay, Devika.; Amin, Nyna.; Suriamurthee, Moonsamy Maistry.
Sustainability has emerged as a broad-based global trend that impacts on the concept of ‘planet and people’. Consequently, the emergence of sustainability issues in the context of marketing theory, marketing curriculum and marketing practice is what is interrogated in this research study. Accordingly, this resulted in the formulation of questions around the conceptualisations of sustainability marketing and the relevance of sustainability marketing in the marketing curriculum. In order to facilitate the “Search for a sustainability marketing curriculum” the first research question was designed to identify the status and presence of sustainability marketing in the existing marketing curriculum. This initial phase of the research process involved a content analysis of higher education institutional handbooks and in some cases, marketing course outlines. The information from this phase of the research revealed the extent to which sustainability marketing was included or silenced within the marketing curriculum. The second research question of this study focused on uncovering the perspectives of those that have influence in the design and construction of marketing curriculum. These perspectives were linked to the ideological context in which marketing theory was viewed and how this may contribute to marketing curriculum transformation. This served as the catalyst to the second phase of the research study where a qualitative researcher lens was used to explore issues around sustainability marketing and the sustainability marketing curriculum. Additionally, the critical marketing paradigmatic context justified the use of critical case studies in accessing and producing data. The method used in the acquisition of this information was through participant interviews. The paradox between the Dominant Social Paradigm in existing marketing curricula and the ‘provocation’ for a socially responsive marketing curriculum such as a sustainability marketing curriculum was included as areas of enquiry in the participant interviews. Resultantly, the extension of this debate was facilitated through an understanding of the historical context of the development of marketing theory and the use of the theoretical and conceptual framework of the academic response to marketing by Arnold and Fisher (1996). Therefore, the participants’ accounts were displayed utilising a metaphorical lens in the form television screen imagery to represent historical eras in marketing theory development, television programme channels to represent participant’s paradigmatic orientation and television programme contents to represent the individual participant voices. Hence, the participants were portrayed as “The History Channel: The Apologists”, “The Business Channel: The Social Marketers” and “The Discovery Channel: The Reconstructionists”. The third research question of the study related to the theorising component of the study through an examination of why the participants held specific viewpoints related to sustainability marketing and the sustainability marketing curriculum. The data findings from the participant portrayals were further abstracted and resulted in the creation of a new curriculum response to marketing sustainability through the proposition of three new sustainability marketing curriclulum paradigms. The new sustainability marketing curriculum paradigm responses have been entitled “Curriculum Stagnators”, “Curriculum non-Traditionalists” and “Curriculum Transformers”. Additionally, this thesis proposed four different thematic categories in the understanding of the new curriculum paradigms namely: “The Sustainability discourse trend/fad; “The Skilling rhetoric”; “Restricted academic agency” and “Student participation in curriculum development. This resulted in three Meta themes which were used in the conceptualisation of a “Sustainability consciousness and curriculum redesign hierarchy”. The hierarchy suggested that higher levels of sustainability marketing consciousness would encourage marketing curriculum transformation and redesign. In so doing these new theorisations (sustainability marketing curriculum paradigms and the sustainability marketing consciousness and sustainability marketing curriculum redesign hierarchy) have advanced knowledge in the field of marketing theory and could potentially be used in the formulation of new marketing knowledge and marketing curricula. Additionally, the advancement of knowledge in the field of marketing can be extended through the recommendation for future research in suggested areas such as student perspectives of sustainability marketing in the marketing curriculum, academic agency and competencies in sustainability marketing and pedagogical approaches to teaching sustainability marketing in the South African context.
An investigation into consumer attitudes towards self-medication and the resultant impact on the community pharmacist.
(2003) Maharaj, Ravi Leelamber.; Pillay, Devika.
Self-medication is a practice that can contribute significantly towards reducing total healthcare expenditure in South Africa. It empowers people to treat themselves in a responsible and cost effective manner. Pharmacists are in an ideal position to implement, monitor and contribute to the success of the concept of self-medication in South Africa. This study will attempt to analyse the acceptance and success of this concept in South Africa. The study will examine the impact of demographic variables, attitudes of both pharmacists and consumers towards self-medication, and views of the government and pharmaceutical organisations. An attempt will be made to obtain viewpoints of other healthcare workers, such as doctors, on the implementation and acceptance of self-medication. The information obtained from structured questionnaires to both pharmacists and consumers will be analysed to arrive at conclusions and recommendations on the concept of self-medication. These conclusions and recommendations will be used to create a conceptual framework for consumers and pharmacists. It is hoped that findings from this empirical study will contribute to the body of knowledge and shed new insights into responsible self-medication in South Africa.