Browsing by Author "Sayed, Zahir."

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Design thinking as a strategic lever in promoting tourism in KwaZulu-Natal=Ukucabangakuxazulula okubeka umthengi phambili njengesu lokuthuthukisa ezokuvakasha KwaZulu-Natal.
(2022) Sayed, Zahir.; Proches, Cecile Naomi Gerwel.; Kader, Abdulla Dawood.; Taylor, Simon Michael.
Abstract Countries on the African continent, most notably South Africa, have not been immune to global economic issues with the present bout of change globally, which is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. The creation of jobs for the unemployed remains South Africa's biggest challenge. Over the last few years, South Africa has experienced a sharp decline in growth and a significant increase in unemployment. Tourism in South Africa is a key enabler in supporting Local Economic Development (LED), job creation and improved living standards, and this sector requires a joint effort within it to address any concerns that may impede the economy's progress. Design thinking, a problem-solving tool, is an important technique around which organisations may build their strategy to solve problems and challenges. The main aim of the study was to identify the role of design thinking in the tourism sector by first understanding the challenges experienced within this sector currently and in the recent past. The design thinking process was presented to understand how this technique could assist in resolving the challenges of the tourism sector. Focus groups and interviews were used to collect data. For this study, the sample population consisted of 21 participants who were specifically chosen for their experience in the tourism sector. The study outcome resulted in the identification of seven key factors that can influence design thinking in the tourism sector. In addition, nine contributing factors influenced design thinking in leadership. The study also revealed nine key initiatives to drive design thinking in the tourism sector. The main contributions of this study were that it established the presence of design thinking in the tourism sector, whilst also highlighting the role of collaboration. The results of the research also show how effectively leadership and design thinking combined, with the former being able to use the traits to develop a variety of tactics and strategic outcomes. The key recommendations emanating from this study indicate that design thinking should be implemented at all levels of tourism, while the role of leadership is critical in ensuring that proper strategies ae developed to realise the objectives of the industry. Iqoqa Amazwe asezwenikazi lase-Afrika, ikakhulukazi iNingizimu Afrika, ayikwazanga ukugwema ukutheleleka ezinkingeni zomnotho ezikhungethe umhlaba wonke ezibhebhetheka ngendlela engakaze ibonwe. Ukudalwa kwamathuba emisebenzi kulabo abangaqashiwe kuseyinkinga enkulu iNingizimu Afrika ebhekene nayo. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, iNingizimu Afrika ibhekane nokwehla kokukhula komnotho kanye nokwenyuka kwezinga lokungasebenzi. Ezokuvakasha eNingizimu Afrika zingenye yezindlela zokusekela ukukhula okuyiLocal Economic Development (LED), zokudala amathuba emisebenzi nokuthuthukisa izinga lempilo, kanti lo mkhakha udinga ukuthi kusetshenzwe ngokubambisana ukubhekana nezinselelo ezidodobalisa inqubekela phambili kwezomnotho. Ukucabanga ngomthengi, okuyinsiza yokuxazulula izinkinga, kuyisu elibalulekile elingasetshenziswa yizinkampani ukuxazulula izinkinga nezinselelo. Inhloso enkulu yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuthola ukuthi yiliphi iqhaza elibanjwa wukucabangakuxazulula kwezokuvakasha ngokuqale kuqondisiswe izingqinamba okuhlangatshezwana nazo kulo mkhakha okwamanje naseminyakeni edlule. Le nqubo yokucabanga yethulwa ukuze kuqondisiswe ukuthi ingasetshenziswa kanjani ukuxazulula izingqinamba zomkhakha wezokuvakasha. Amaqoqo ababambiqhaza kanye nemposambuzo kwasetshenziswa ukuqoqa imininingo. Kulolu cwaningo kwakhethwa ababambiqhaza abangama-21 bekhethwa ngokolwazi abanalo emkhakheni wezokuvakasha. Imiphumela yocwaningo yaholela ekuhlonzweni kwezinto eziyisikhombisa ezingaba nomthelela ekucabangeni ngokuxazulula emkhakheni wezokuvakasha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunezinto eziyisishiyagalolunye ezinesandla kulokhu kucabanga kwezokuphatha. Ucwaningo lwaphinde lwaveza izindlela eziyisishiyagalolunye ezingaqhubela phambili lokhu kucabanga kwezokuvakasha. Umnikelo omkhulu walolu cwaningo wukuthi lulethe lolu hlobo lokucabanga ngokuxazulula inkinga yomthengi kwezokuvakasha kanti futhi luqhakambise neqhaza elingabanjwa wukusebenza ngokubambisana. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo iphinde yaveza nokuphumelela kokuhlanganisa ubuholi nalolu hlobo lokucabanga, ikakhulukazi uma abaholayo bezosebenzisa amaqhinga ahlukahlukene. Iziphakamiso ezinqala eziqhamuka kulolu cwaningo ziveza ukuthi ukucabangakuxazulula kumele kusetshenziswa kuwona wonke amazinga kwezokuvakasha, kanti iqhaza lobuholi libalulekile ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi amasu afanele ayabunjwa ukuze kufezekiswe izinjongo zomkhakha. Amagama asemqoka: Izingqinamba, ukucabangakuxazulula, umnotho, iNingizimu Afrika, umkhakha wezokuvakasha.
Exploring the role of emotional Intelligence in the customer service industry.
(2016) Sayed, Zahir.; Gerwel Proches, Cecile.
ABSTRACT The customer service industry is a dynamic environment and serves as the face of an organisation. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of emotional intelligence in a revenue services office within the Public Sector in Durban, South Africa. In noting the significance that emotional intelligence has on service delivery, continued research was important to ascertain the role that emotional intelligence had in the customer service environment. Generally, a satisfied customer maintains loyalty and reciprocates with positive and constructive feedback. The motivation for this study was a scarcity of contemporary literature specifically on emotional intelligence within the customer service industry in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of emotional intelligence and determine its importance to the customer service industry and during a customer service engagement. A qualitative research method with purposive sampling was employed and included management and employees from the branch operations division of the company under study. Interviews were conducted with fifteen participants in order to gain insight and understanding of their perceptions of emotional intelligence and the significance it plays in the customer service environment. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. The key findings indicated that both employees and managers understood the concepts of emotional intelligence concepts and provided a favourable indication that emotional intelligence has a significant role within the customer service environment. Another key finding revealed that emotional intelligence plays a significant part within the leadership of the customer service environment. The findings of this study established that emotional intelligence is essential for the customer and service employees in the customer service environment and provides the service employees with the ability to understand and reason with the emotions that arise and exist in the service engagement. The recommendation is that the leadership in the service environment should provide regular training on emotional intelligence, enabling service employees to be better equipped to deal with various types of customers and for the leadership in the service environment to manage their subordinates in an effective manner. The implications of this study can improve the emotional intelligence of service employees within the customer service industry and promote further research on this topic in South Africa.