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- ItemService Quality, Customer Loyalty and Customer Retention Among Private Health Care Services in Mbarara City(Scientific Research Publishing, 2024-01-19) Nayiga Harriet; Nuwagaba Arthur; Mabel Birungi Komunda; Tom MugiziThis study aimed to investigate the relationships between service quality, customer loyalty, and customer retention within private healthcare facilities in Mbarara City. It specifically focused on how service quality affects cus- tomer retention and loyalty, and how loyalty in turn influences retention. A cross-sectional design was used, with data collection and analysis conducted quantitatively. The study encompassed 36 operational private healthcare centres, with their customers serving as the subjects of the investigation.The study distributed self-administered closed-ended questionnaires to the participants, and the data collected was later processed and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS), version 21. To address the research objectives, Pearson correlation was utilized to examine the rela-tionships between the variables under investigation, while Ordinary Least Square regression was employed to assess the model’s predictive capability.The study revealed a noteworthy positive relationship between service qual- ity and customer loyalty, as well as a significant positive correlation be-tween customer loyalty and customer retention. However, it was deter- mined that the link between service quality and customer retention was not statistically significant. Therefore, there is a need for private healthcare management to focus on service quality to improve customer loyalty. This means that activities related to the reliability of the health staff, positive re- sponsiveness of the doctors and other employees in the health centres, en-suring that the patients are assured of quality service and equipping the health facility with the right machines that can test and treat diseases, this will help in improving customer loyalty hence customer retention among private health care services in Mbarara City. How to cite this paper: Harriet, N., Ar-thur, N., Komunda, M. B., & Mugizi, T. (2024). Service Quality, Customer Loyalty and Customer Retention among Private Health Care Services in Mbarara City.
- ItemUnderstanding ICT adoption amongst SMEs in Uganda: Towards a participatory design model to enhance technology diffusion(African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2021-01-19) Kyakulumbye, Stephen; Pather, ShaunPolicy statements by the United Nations, the African Union and most African countries boldly pronounce on the anticipated benefits of the internetworked world and associated ICT to society in general and to the world of business specifically. In terms of the latter, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are recognized as being critical to the growth of developing economies. There is consensus that this sector has considerable potential for improved business outcomes through the harnessing of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). However, a problem of low adoption of ICT in this sector still prevails in Africa and there is a gap in our understanding of the reasons for this. In light of this problem, this paper reports on a survey of Ugandan SME owners in which their ICT pre-usage beliefs and attitudes are explored. The study identified four pre-use factors that are correlated with ICT use. The pre-usage beliefs which significantly influence decisions to adopt and use ICT include Benefit expectation, ICT learnability, User-confidence, and User-friendliness. These are found to be key determinants of ICT adoption. ICT support and ease-of-use on the other hand were factors that did not correlate with decisions to use ICT. However, it is found that there is a low predictive capability (17.7%) of pre-usage beliefs and attitudes in respect of prior use or non-use of ICT among SMEs. As such, this study found that other contextual factors constitute a greater (82.3%) predictive percentage. In light of this, the paper concludes by recommending an ICT participatory design process to mitigate ICT pre-use scepticism among SMEs owners.
- ItemThe 14 Cost of Commercial Motorcycle Accidents in Uganda(Taylor & Francis, 2017-04-21) Sebaggala, Richard; Matovu, Fred; Ayebale, Dan; Kisenyi, Vincent; Katusiimeh, MessarckUnderstanding the cost of the road traffic accidents (RTAs) has been of interest to many scholars and policy makers for a long time. In Uganda like many developing countries in Africa, injuries due to motorcycle accidents represent a major but often neglected emerging public health problem and contribute significantly to the overall road traffic injuries. This research study therefore explored the costs of motorcycle accidents and the pain, grief and sufferings of the motorcycle accident victims using a multi-method approach. Unlike many studies on cost of accidents which use the traditional human capital approach, this study in addition to the human capital approach, applied the Willingness-to-pay (WTP) approach to estimate the cost of motorcycle accidents. WTP method was used to estimate the value that boda boda riders would pay for reducing the risk of loss of life based on Contingent Valuation (CV) method. We extend the analysis to also explore the key coping mechanisms adopted by the Boda- boda riders amidst the challenges the riders face when they suffer motorcycle accidents. The data were obtained from multiple sources, including a survey of 1600 boda boda cyclists in Kawempe and Central divisions in Kampala City, interviews with accident victims and their immediate family members, traffic police records, hospitals and national statistics on selected economic aggregates. The results show that motorcycle accidents are associated with huge economic and non-economic burden borne by the accident victims and the society as a whole. The study established that it costs approximately 7 million shillings (or 2800 USD) to treat a boda boda accident victim who is severely injured. Based on annual police statistics on motorcycle accidents for 2012; the Ugandan economy losses more than UGX 3 billion (1.2m USD) value of output due to days away from productive work as result of severe injuries and death. Likewise, the cost of motorcycle repairs amounted to UGX 350 million (140,000 USD). The study also estimated the value of preventing motorcycle accidents. The estimates show that on average boda boda riders are willing to pay Ug Shs 222,550 (89 USD) a year for a reduction in mortality risks associated with motorcycle accidents that translate into UGX 4.45 billion (US$1.78m), the value of statistical life (VOSL). Overall, the combined economic burden of the motorycle accidents (repairs, medical costs, lost output and imputed cost of pain grief and suffering) were estimated to be approximately US$ 3.6 million annually. This cost is about 0.02% of Uganda’s GDP in 2013. The key policy implication of the study is that reducing motorcycle causalities and fatalities will reduce social and economic sufferings of victims, unlock growth and free resources for more productive use. The findings provide the cost-benefit analysis of any investment in areas that will promote the prevention, treatment, care and management of motorcycle accidents in Uganda.
- ItemGreen Information Technology Audit and Digitalization in Small Medium Enterprise (SME): Factors That Influence Intentions to Use Hotel Websites(International Journal of Information Communication Technologies and Human Development, 2014-12) Ariwa, Ezendu; Olaya, Sarah; Katono, Isaac WasswaAccording to Chung and law (2003); Jeong et al (2003); Jeong and Lambert (2001) and Kim et al. (2003), information satisfaction is the most important requirement of online customers’ purchases decision making. This need remains largely unmet despite the growing importance of e-commerce within the hospitality industry. According to Kim et al. (2005), the changing trend in the business activities is largely attributable to the fast and improved developments in information and telecommunications. As a result, Chung and Law, (2003) noted that the Internet is also helping to drive down overhead costs for the hospitality industry and cost of information for the customers, as the traditional method of communication is slowly being phased out. Similarly Kim et al (2005) argue that the Internet gives the customers more advantages by allowing them to obtain valuable information such as prices and hotel facilities without the need of getting into contact with any sales agents. In addition, the Internet provides the customers with numerous supplies allowing customers to access a pool of products and services information from which they can make choices and compare prices.
- ItemImpact of Multiparty Politics on Local Government in Uganda(Indiana University Press, 2011) Manyak, Terrell G.; Katono, Isaac WasswaFollowing years of civil strife, Uganda emerged as a “movement only” state under the National Resistance Movement led by Yoweri Museveni. One of the major innovations of this new government was to implement a strategy of administrative and fiscal decentralization. This experiment was long hailed as an African success story, but the reemergence of multiparty politics in 2006 is having a major impact on local governance. This study traces the development of political parties and local governments in Uganda. It then examines how multiparty politics has resulted in changes that have impacted decision making at the local government level. The study concludes that multiparty politics is leading to fiscal insolvency of local governments, the creation of unviable new district governments, and administrative recentralization.