Call centres as a vehicle to improve customer satisfaction in local government: a case study of front line workers in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality
- Authors: Magoqwana, Babalwa Mirianda
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (Eastern Cape, South Africa) Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Work environment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Customer services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Customer satisfaction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Call center agents -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3340 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004339
- Description: This dissertation provides an account of 'Batho Pele' (People First) and 'new public management' as applied in two government call-centres in the Eastern Cape. Focusing on the workers at these call-centres, this research examines the workplace organisation of these call-centres based in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. The study involved interviews with managers, call-centre operators and trade unionists. The findings show how the work environment is not conducive to the goals of customer satisfaction as presented in the Batho Pele policies. The research investigates the conditions of workers as one explanatory factor for poor call-centre service. If workers are a key element in the success of the 'new public management', their work environment and conditions have to facilitate their job satisfaction and their improved customer service. The research demonstrated the evident lack of professionalism in the call-centre, customer care designed as a matter of compliance rather the need to change the culture and the persistent lack of discipline and supervision. The call centre operator's experiences include issues of surveillance, stress, emotional labour, lack of training, internal conflicts and bad 'customer service' as perceived by the citizens of the Metro.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Magoqwana, Babalwa Mirianda
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (Eastern Cape, South Africa) Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Work environment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Customer services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Customer satisfaction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Call center agents -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3340 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004339
- Description: This dissertation provides an account of 'Batho Pele' (People First) and 'new public management' as applied in two government call-centres in the Eastern Cape. Focusing on the workers at these call-centres, this research examines the workplace organisation of these call-centres based in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. The study involved interviews with managers, call-centre operators and trade unionists. The findings show how the work environment is not conducive to the goals of customer satisfaction as presented in the Batho Pele policies. The research investigates the conditions of workers as one explanatory factor for poor call-centre service. If workers are a key element in the success of the 'new public management', their work environment and conditions have to facilitate their job satisfaction and their improved customer service. The research demonstrated the evident lack of professionalism in the call-centre, customer care designed as a matter of compliance rather the need to change the culture and the persistent lack of discipline and supervision. The call centre operator's experiences include issues of surveillance, stress, emotional labour, lack of training, internal conflicts and bad 'customer service' as perceived by the citizens of the Metro.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
Managerial perceptions of corporate social responsibility and social practices present at McDonalds South Africa
- Authors: Böckle, Ingrid
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Social responsibility of business -- South Africa -- Case studies , Business ethics -- South Africa -- Case studies , Management -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa -- Case studies , Executives -- Professional ethics -- South Africa -- Case studies , Corporate governance -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa -- Case studies , Business logistics -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa -- Case studies , McDonald's Corporation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3300 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003088
- Description: This study deals with corporate social responsibility (CSR) and focuses on managerial perceptions of CSR at McDonald’s South Africa (SA) and how social responsibility is translated into social practices. The key objectives of the research are: to analyse McDonald’s both internationally and locally in South Africa to establish whether CSR policies exist, then to investigate how these policies are perceived and integrated by outlet managers. Lastly to investigate what kind of social responsibility (SR) involvement, if at all, occurs at outlet level. The research site covers three regions in South Africa, which are the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng. The total research sample is 38. 33 interviewees were outlet managers, who were purposively selected, and 5 additional interviews took place with: 2 McDonald’s SA Head Office representatives, 2 interviews with beneficiaries of McDonald’s SR involvement and 1 with the trade union SACCAWU. The research was carried out through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The design of this research is based on an interpretive social science approach. The aim of the research was to investigate outlet managers’ perceptions of CSR and social practices present at McDonald’s SA outlets. The key findings of the research indicate that: CSR policies at McDonald’s SA head office are not communicated sufficiently to outlet managers, SR involvement is evident, especially for initiatives focusing on children’s welfare, but far too little occurs at the outlet level. There are also too few checks on social involvement by head office and no formal reporting system is available to the outlets except through an internal magazine, called the Big Mag. There is no official CSR report at McDonald’s SA. The fact that no report exists makes this study more relevant since this research investigates matters pertaining to CSR and social practices. The overall significance of the study is that it brings to the forefront the importance of internal company and external broader regulation which is part of the greater debate of CSR. This is because the analysis of managerial perceptions and implementation of CSR shows some unwarranted discrepancies between policies and practices, locally, nationally and internationally even within the same organisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Böckle, Ingrid
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Social responsibility of business -- South Africa -- Case studies , Business ethics -- South Africa -- Case studies , Management -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa -- Case studies , Executives -- Professional ethics -- South Africa -- Case studies , Corporate governance -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa -- Case studies , Business logistics -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa -- Case studies , McDonald's Corporation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3300 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003088
- Description: This study deals with corporate social responsibility (CSR) and focuses on managerial perceptions of CSR at McDonald’s South Africa (SA) and how social responsibility is translated into social practices. The key objectives of the research are: to analyse McDonald’s both internationally and locally in South Africa to establish whether CSR policies exist, then to investigate how these policies are perceived and integrated by outlet managers. Lastly to investigate what kind of social responsibility (SR) involvement, if at all, occurs at outlet level. The research site covers three regions in South Africa, which are the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng. The total research sample is 38. 33 interviewees were outlet managers, who were purposively selected, and 5 additional interviews took place with: 2 McDonald’s SA Head Office representatives, 2 interviews with beneficiaries of McDonald’s SR involvement and 1 with the trade union SACCAWU. The research was carried out through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The design of this research is based on an interpretive social science approach. The aim of the research was to investigate outlet managers’ perceptions of CSR and social practices present at McDonald’s SA outlets. The key findings of the research indicate that: CSR policies at McDonald’s SA head office are not communicated sufficiently to outlet managers, SR involvement is evident, especially for initiatives focusing on children’s welfare, but far too little occurs at the outlet level. There are also too few checks on social involvement by head office and no formal reporting system is available to the outlets except through an internal magazine, called the Big Mag. There is no official CSR report at McDonald’s SA. The fact that no report exists makes this study more relevant since this research investigates matters pertaining to CSR and social practices. The overall significance of the study is that it brings to the forefront the importance of internal company and external broader regulation which is part of the greater debate of CSR. This is because the analysis of managerial perceptions and implementation of CSR shows some unwarranted discrepancies between policies and practices, locally, nationally and internationally even within the same organisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
The role of the ward committees as an interface between local government and community: a case study of Makana Municipality
- Authors: Stuurman, Sonwabo Happyboy
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Makana Municipality Local government -- South Africa -- Case studies Local government -- South Africa -- Citizen participation Community development -- South Africa -- Case studies Political participation -- South Africa -- Case studies Democracy -- South Africa South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- South Africa -- Politics and government -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3292 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003080
- Description: The Ward Committee System was introduced in South Africa in 2001 as a tool to bring government closer to the people and to enhance participatory democracy. The Makana Municipality adopted the system in 2002. Previous research on local government indicates that these structures have not been effective due to the lack of resources to sustain them. This study was interested in furthering such research, using the Makana Municipality as a case study during which unstructured, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with Ward Councillors, Ward Committee Members and Grade 12 learners. The aim of the research was to investigate whether the ward committees did indeed promote the notion of participatory democracy and to what extent grass roots development has been enhanced by this structure of local government. The findings from both the respondents and the observations indicate that, in addition to the lack of resources, the underutilization of the Ward Committee System is a result of the effect of opposing political affiliations within the ward committee system, affiliations that undermine the goal of collaborative decision-making. Whereas the ward committee system is a positive idea, the findings suggest that the government is not supporting these structures by failing to equip the ward committee members with necessary capacities and skills. Therefore, if municipalities are committed to bridging the gap between local government and the community, and are keen to enhance participatory democracy, then capacity building of the ward committees and respect for their role during the decision-making process need to be taken seriously. At present, ward committee members are not influential and active in the decision-making process. In addition, the youth as prospective future ward committee members seemed disillusioned with the notion of participatory democracy, and instead have adopted the mentality that nepotism and corruption, as displayed by those in power, is the only way of governance. This research suggests that the ward committee system, intended to bring government closer to the people, may in fact not only alienate government from the people, but also the people from each other.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Stuurman, Sonwabo Happyboy
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Makana Municipality Local government -- South Africa -- Case studies Local government -- South Africa -- Citizen participation Community development -- South Africa -- Case studies Political participation -- South Africa -- Case studies Democracy -- South Africa South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- South Africa -- Politics and government -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3292 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003080
- Description: The Ward Committee System was introduced in South Africa in 2001 as a tool to bring government closer to the people and to enhance participatory democracy. The Makana Municipality adopted the system in 2002. Previous research on local government indicates that these structures have not been effective due to the lack of resources to sustain them. This study was interested in furthering such research, using the Makana Municipality as a case study during which unstructured, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with Ward Councillors, Ward Committee Members and Grade 12 learners. The aim of the research was to investigate whether the ward committees did indeed promote the notion of participatory democracy and to what extent grass roots development has been enhanced by this structure of local government. The findings from both the respondents and the observations indicate that, in addition to the lack of resources, the underutilization of the Ward Committee System is a result of the effect of opposing political affiliations within the ward committee system, affiliations that undermine the goal of collaborative decision-making. Whereas the ward committee system is a positive idea, the findings suggest that the government is not supporting these structures by failing to equip the ward committee members with necessary capacities and skills. Therefore, if municipalities are committed to bridging the gap between local government and the community, and are keen to enhance participatory democracy, then capacity building of the ward committees and respect for their role during the decision-making process need to be taken seriously. At present, ward committee members are not influential and active in the decision-making process. In addition, the youth as prospective future ward committee members seemed disillusioned with the notion of participatory democracy, and instead have adopted the mentality that nepotism and corruption, as displayed by those in power, is the only way of governance. This research suggests that the ward committee system, intended to bring government closer to the people, may in fact not only alienate government from the people, but also the people from each other.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
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