It has always been said that the consumer is the king and will
remain the king in the market place-meaning that the success or failure of any
product/service depends on the attitude of consumer towards it.
The consumer
attitude may be positive in which case the product/service enjoys consumer’s
acceptance or negative attitude, which will result in rejection of the
service/product, and various factors could be responsible for each situation.
This means that public utilities have to be aware of the consumers’ ideas,
opinions and interest towards the companies’ services, type of services and if
possible, factors responsible for such attitude. Therefore, it is in the light
of the above that the researcher went into to determine what attitude towards
the public utilities that exist in the mind of the consumers. The study is
aimed at determining the extent to which people regard NEPA as a corporate body
and the confidence imposed on the provision of efficient and quality power
supply. Chapter one, as the introductory segment, determines the attitude of
consumer towards public utility especially NEPA. Chapter two deals with the
concept of consumer behaviour. Chapter three looks at the methodologies used in
carrying out the research work. Actual Data presentation and findings were
presented in chapter four. While chapter five and the concluding segment looks
at the implications, discussions of result and recommendations.
1.0
Introduction
1.1 Background of the
Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objective of the
Study
1.4 Delimitation of the Study
1.5 Research
Questions
1.5 Significance of the
Study
1.6 Definition of
terms
2.0 Review of
Literature
2.1 Marketing application of Consumer Behaviour
2.2 How measure
Attitude
2.3 Promotional
Communication
2.4 Concept of Public
Utilities
2.5 Summary of the related Reviewed Literature
3.0 Research
Methodology
3.1 Research
Design
3.2 Area of
Study
3.3 Population of
Study
3.4 Sample / Sampling
Procedure
3.5 Instrument for Data
Collection
3.6 Validation of the Research
Instrument
3.7 Reliability of Research
Instrument
3.8 Method of Administration of Research Instrument
3.9 Method of Data
Analysis
4.0 Data Presentation and
Results
4.1 Summary of Results /
Findings
5.0 Discussion, Implications,
Recommendation
5.1 Discussion of
Results
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Implication of the
Result
5.4 Recommendation
5.5 Suggestions for further
Study
5.6 Limitations of the
Study
References
1. Research Question One: Does services, price and
quality Commensurate with Consumers.
2. Does Consumers’ past experience lead to attitude
formation?
3. Does the Concept of reference group lead to the
demand of NEPA Services?
4. What are the attitudes of Consumers towards NEPA
Services?
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND:
This research work is aimed at determining the attitude of
Consumers towards public utilities Nigeria Government’s policy on the
development of Public Corporations was clearly defined in the 1970 /74 second
National Development Plan document as follows
“Statutory Corporations and State owned companies have become
important tools for public intervention in the development process.
Their primary purpose is to stimulate and accelerate National Economic
Development under conditions of capital scarcity and structural defects in
private Business organizations. There are also basic considerations arising
from the dangers of leaving vital whims of the private sectors often under the
direct and remote control of foreign large scale industrial companies, public
corporations are these crucial in Nigeria’s quest for the National Economic
Independence and self- reliance”.
The National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) being one of the statutory
corporations in a household name presently, companies are actually bringing a
lot of re-thinking into the minds of Nigeria’s entrepreneur both private and
public firms making them to actually appreciate the modern marketing concept.
A management orientation which holds that the key task of the organization to
determine the need and want of target marketers and to adopt the organization
to deliver the desired satisfaction, services more effectively and efficiently
than competitions.
Meanwhile, one of the implications of the concept is that, the consumer, in any
market segment will favour the offer of the organization which comes close to
satisfying the consumer’s particular needs and wants. Therefore, it is
necessary for and organization to seek and understand customer’s preface
habits, behaviours and criticism, and to do this, the organization has
consumers’ interest and influences their behaviours.
Moreover, setting up an organization for the purpose mentioned before, an
organization should better hold it responsible the attitude of the consumer,
towards the organization and it’s product and services.
However, the main priority of the management of NEPA in Enugu metropolis is to
identify which of their variable services possess greater influence on the
attitude of consumers towards the organization, the knowledge of variables, the
consumers’ opinion, feeling and ideas about their services will help management
of the marketing mix in order to achieve their objectives. Also, it will
enhance growth, expansion and ensure greater rate of returns in public
utilities. NEPA as a monopolist service industry, recognizes these
multi-national variables and even exploring other means of providing better
services.
Discussions on NEPA features regularly on the pages of the dailies and
periodicals, as well as on the Radio and television programmes. The frequency
at which the Newspapers and magazines publish Material on NEPA tends to portray
the importance of the electricity industry as a surveyor or catalyst in the
National Economic Development.
This research work is a conscious effort towards X- raying the overall
customers’ attitude in relation to productive and efficient power supply of
electricity often referred to as the “heart beat of the Nation”.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
This government of Enugu State have been putting necessary and
required efforts energy to see / enhance the supply of public utilities
(Electricity) in the State.
For example, the Enugu State government has provided cheaper
measures by which consumers can enjoy these utilities especially provided
personnel with better pay packages in order to make them increase productivity.
But inspite of all these, the consumers of public utilities like power supply;
still feels dissatisfied by these services due to :
(1) Incessant power outage experienced on daily
basis in Enugu metropolis.
(2) Power surge: Which was either too high or too
low voltage the led to inconvenience disaster and also destroyed electronics in
homes.
(3) Fraud: The authority, most of the time, did not
walk around to read meters, instead, they sat back in their offices.
(4) Illegal disconnections: Officials of NEPA bills
to consumers no longer did this these days, thereby accumulating bills for
consumers which led to disconnection without notice by the authority.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF STUDY:
The persistent public outcry over the authority’s erratic power
juxtaposed with the numerous excuses offered by the authority, some of which
tend to expose the consumers to blame, from the crux of the matter, while the
consumers accuse NEPA of inadequate ter-accustions on the consumer for what it
describes as their non-cooperative attitude. It is in the view of this
controversy that, the researcher embarked on this project with the following:
(1) To determine the ideas, attitudes and views
consumers held about public utilities in Enugu Metropolis.
(2) To determine the extent to which services of
NEPA are demanded compared to other public utilities.
(3) To find out the impression consumers have about
the price of the organization’s services in relation to quality.
(4) To determine the influence of reference group on
the purchase decision.
(5) To determine the effect of promotional
activities on consumer decision to the service of NEPA at Enugu Metropolis.
(6) To analyse ways of wining consumers favourable
attitude and thereby, improve the market shares among other services.
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY:
The study is limited to finding out how consumers rates or regards
the services rendered by public corporations with special reference to National
Electric Power Authority (NEPA) Enugu Zonal office.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(i) Does Services, price and quality commensurate
with consumers’ needs and wants?
(ii) Does consumers’ past experience lead to attitude
formation?
(iii) Does the concept of reference group lead to the
demand of NEPA Services?
(iv) What are the attitudes of Consumers towards NEPA
Services?
HYPOTHESIS
(i) NEPA Services, price and quality are not
acceptable to Consumers.
(ii) Customers’ past experience leads to attitude
formation.
(iii) The Concept of reference group does not lead to
demand for a service.
(iv) Consumers’ attitudes are not favourable.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:
It will be seen also, as a reference point for students who might
be carrying out research on similar or related topic. It will also help
government to access the service ability of NEPA or paralleled organization. It
will help the NEPA management to identify areas that are likely to increase
performance for customers’ satisfaction.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS:
(a) ATTITUDE: A
pattern of relatively enduring, feeling, beliefs, and behaviours tendency
towards other people, ideas, or objectives.
(b) CONCEPT: General
notion or idea underlying a class of thing.
(c) MARKETING MANAGER: This
is the overall Boss in charge of sales of goods and services in a company /
organization.
(d) CONSUMER: The actual user of the product.
(e) DATA
ANALYSIS: Description
of the information collected as related to the context.
(f) DEDUCTION: Reaching
a conclusion by reasoning base.
(g) INFLUENCE: An
act of or process of referring a conclusion or opinions arrived at by inferring.
(h) MAGNITUDE: Size
or importance of a market, which prefers to buy a company’s product usually in
percentage).
(i) MARKET SEGMENT: A
group of buyers within a market, who have relatively similar, wants and needs.
(j) MARKETING RESEARCH: A
systematic objective approach to the development and precision of information
for decision making regarding a special market problem.
(k) METROPOLIS: This
is a chief or capital city of a State or country.
(l) PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES: These
are tools for promotion in personal selling, advertising, public relations etc.
(m) PUBLIC UTILITIES: These
are essential services rendered by the state or home accredited agencies to the
public.
(n) N.E.P.A: National
Electric Power Authority power supply agency.
(o) AUTHORITY: Influence
exercised by virtue of character, office, mental or moral qualities.
Department | Marketing |
Project ID Code | MKT0005 |
Chapters | 5 Chapters |
No of Pages | 79 pages |
Methodology | Chi Square |
Reference | YES |
Format | Microsoft Word |
Price | ₦4000, $15 |
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Contact Us On | +2349067372103 |
Contact Us On | +2349094562208 |
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