Category: Water

Overview

Western water is a utility provider operating in Australias west region. The company believes in the continued conservation of water resources by both individuals and organizations. This reflects their ideology of stability, echoed in all their undertakings. Their ambitions are strongly influenced by their clients, by implementing corporate plans, to ensure the entire organization participates in creating a sustainable future (Western Water, 2010).

Company ideals include; sustainability, integrity, commitment, leadership, fairness, accountability and inclusiveness. If implemented, all these principles will propel the company forward towards achieving its vision of sustaining restricted water resources. They propose that we should assume control of the future by proactive management, hence compel environmental sustainability. This set of principles make them esteemed service providers based on customer evaluation both locally and nationally (Western Water, 2010).

The company provides water, sewerage and water recycling services to an average 55,000 people. This is an enormous responsibility, given the region has received below average rainfall for more than 10 years. This has led to an occasional dependence on the Melbourne supply system. Future plans are in place to cut down water wastage and improve on the collection and preservation of rain water (Western Water, 2009, p 3).

Organisational Structure

The highest decision making organ is the board of directors, made up of seven persons. They have set up four committees, nominating members from among themselves. All challenges encountered in the daily company operations have been divided into these four classes. The managing director answers to the board, doubling up as the secretary.

The board committees have in turn established advisory and reference groups. Even though they may not be concerned unswervingly in the administration exercise, they form a critical arm of the guidance and oversight team (Western Water, 2009, p 14).

General management comprises the next tier. It has also been divided into three sections; commercial services, sustainability, and the customer and community relations. As denoted by their names, they execute different agendas of the company. With the exception of the department of customer service and community relations, the rest report to the advisory and reference groups, in addition to the managing director.

The department of commercial service deals directly with financial services and renewable resource regulation. Sustainability is in charge of asset management, water systems and capital investments, while that of customer and community relations oversees communications, information services and customer relations (Western Water, 2009, p 14). Other sectors that coordinate happenings in all departments are human resources, employee relations, and organisational developments and risks.

Strategic Plan

As a major stake holder in the Weribee project, western water is a key contributor to development of technology that enables the use of recycled water on a large scale. It has established targets of 100% used water recycling rate in 2013 is achievable, with particular focus placed on using recycled water for all non consumptive purposes (Western Water, 2010).

In a bid to increase its capacity, the company is expanding its sewerage plant. This will result in increased flow to sewerage plants within the city. This will guarantee an increase in the volume of recycled water; hence sustainably substitute the use of consumption water for other purposes.

Also commissioned is an additional reservoir to increase its water holding capacity, hence ensure sustainable services to its subscribers. This is in line with their objective of 100% efficiency and sustainable exploitation of water as a resource (Western Water, 2009, p 72).

Corporate Social Responsibility

Ensuring sustainability is an area of interest to Western water. They have worked hand in hand with several state governments and local communities towards environmental conservation. Community based organizations have also been roped in on several occasions. Some notable projects include research on wind energy, tree planting among others.

Its main area of societal enhancement supported by this organization is education. The company has invested in school programs for small children, where they are taught the importance of water conservation. The children participate in awareness programs, recreational activities, charity ventures and art to promote the concept of conservation (Western Water, 2009, p 74).

Assortments of awards for students are issued to children to reward milestones they record. This is meant to motivate the under achievers to strive in subsequent sessions. In addition to publications availed at regular intervals, outstanding students are rewarded with scholarship programs.

The company is among the sponsors of the water week idol competition. School children are also taken to tours of water treatment plants at different stages of their elementary school years. This way, they are cultured to appreciate the importance of the procedures in the sites. It encourages creativity, since most of them adopt ideas for use in subsequent competitions (Western Water, 2010).

Customer Responsiveness and Quality

Great improvements have been reported in this sector since the implementation of recommendations from previous audit reports. Response to emergency calls is faster and better coordinated.

Delayed or defaulted accounts are handled with more consideration, with scrutiny performed before initiating legal action. There has been a reduction in both the planned and unplanned interruption of water supply. Reports of leaking sewer pipes have also reduced drastically (Western Water, 2010).

This is the aftermath of careful planning and continued maintenance of company assets. Annual evaluations are performed on the asset value, with servicing and repair initiatives done at specified intervals. This has been enabled by the use of closed circuit cameras and foot foaming methods for surveillance (Western Water, 2009, p 17).

List of References

Traianou, C N. D, Reliability Improvement for the New Millennium, Western Australias Water Corporation, P 1-3

Western Water, 2009, Western Water Annual Report 2008/09, State Government of Victoria, Western Region Water Corporation (Western Water), P 3, 14, 17, 72, 74

Western Water, N, D, Water Plan 2008-2013 (as per ESC Final Determination), Western Water, P 13

Western Water 2010, Western Water, Western Water viewed on www.westernwater.com.au

Modern business is run in the period of change and innovations. Each day new decisions are created and new methods are applied into life. There are several aspects according to which business should be run.

The choice of the method and the principles of running business is the first step on the way to success. It is crucial to choose correct methods and principles according to which a company is going to operate. These principles determine the way of bringing the highest income to the company.

Revenue is the primary purpose of each business. Tropical Spring Water is the company which has decided to experiment with the number of the decisions, such as sales force recruitment. The strategy chosen by the company under consideration is the tries and errors approach which is justified in this case.

The company has a limited capital, therefore, the conduction of the research with the purpose to identify the most appropriate method of running business is impossible. Considering the tries and error approach as the main means for running business, the company should pay attention to the following aspects of this technique.

One of the main priorities of the tries and error decision making is that a manager is able to see the mistakes of the previously applied method and to use this information in applying to another approach.

The model is considered in detail and the manager is able to see all the advantages and disadvantages of the chosen method (Matsatsin+s & Siskos 2003).

The decision making based on the tries and errors method gives a manager of the company a great experience which will be useful in the future if to refer to it correctly.

One more advantage of the tries and errors management method is that the work has already been started and if something goes wrong, it is possible to correct some procedures, to change the direction and to refer to other specific measures which are impossible while conducting a theoretical research (Sharma 2009).

The theoretical research is just able to show whether the approach is effective for this specific type of business or not. Therefore, the choice of the tries and error decision making is a winning strategy for Tropical Spring Water in the situation is has appeared into.

The company has also referred to the sales force recruitment which is a winning strategy for it. Being a hierarchically based method of running business, this method is useful in monitoring the work of each department. Moreover, this technique is appropriate for the niche chosen by the company managers (Longino 2009).

The automation of the sales procedures may help the managers reduce the number of employees and as a result reduce the costs of the company. Low assets in the company and the absence of the great capital are the reasons why this approach may be useful (Darmon 2006).

The company should consider the advantages and disadvantages of the chosen issue and to draw necessary conclusions. As for me, the application of the automatic sales procedures is a great advantage as the costs are reduced and the revenue may increase if the system is appropriately utilized.

Therefore, Tropical Spring Water has made a correct choice having considered the sales force recruitment and the tries and error approach as the central business decisions.

References List

Darmon, RY 2006, Leading the Sales Force: A Dynamic Management Process, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Longino, E 2009, Sales Management Control, Territory Design, Sales Force Performance, and Sales Organizational Effectiveness in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Universal-Publishers, New York.

Matsatsin+s, NF & Siskos, Y 2003, Intelligent Support Systems for Marketing Decisions, Springer, New York.

Sharma, M 2009, Product management: product lifecycles & competitive marketing strategies, Global India Publications, New York.

Introduction

Due to the demand of the pure water, a research carried a group students have come up with a natural drinking mineral water that will meet many Australian population demands. Our water will be called Thirstier. Thirstier will be introduced in the market for both office and home consumption.

The charges of the product will vary according to the size of the bottle as from $1.5 per one liter bottle. From the research, thirstier drinking water will rapidly established itself in the major Australian towns as well as in the rural areas. Thirstier will be produced under local retail channels to enable all people in Australia to access the product.

Product Description

Thirstier bottle water is sourced from crystal clear springs and pristine glaciers from untapped forests with absolute purity and natural ingredients. Apart from this, the water manufacturing will be carried out under careful scientific scrutiny that results into clean purified bottled water with the natural taste.

Our water will be distributed across our retail shops for further product channeling into the small shops in the villages. Our logistics will allow equitable mineral water accessibility to all our customers in prices as well as geographical accessibility. Our brand name across Australia will remain thirstier mineral water. Our product is aimed at satisfying our customers needs with quality and at affordable price.

Australian Market Analysis

Information taken from different Geographical Survey Information (GSI) and other marketing sources has shown that the consumption of mineral water across the country is growing annually at a 10 percent rate. This translates to an increase of one hundred thousand potential customers in every million people who consume mineral water annually.

However, this is never the real picture in the market as the influences of substitute products also play a lot in market demand (Saperstings 47). We expect an annual expansion of fifteen percent in the market with a profit margin compound of 120 percent interest.

Market size

Through the GIS information, trade association, customer surveys and financial data from market operators we gathered our estimate size is to cover 20 million customers in Australia. This figure, however, marks our baseline and we expect to serve above two hundred and fifty million in five years. Past trends show that we will be able to get more customers under aggressive product promotion.

Growth Rate

Mineral water Companies in Australia have shown a sigmoid growth curve in for the past years. This is based on several internal and external factors of in market influencing this market. The changes in consumers taste and economic are the major players in the growth of mineral water market. The current economical stability in australia also is a sign higher marketing of highland water.

From the graph, we expect low market at the introduction of thirstier in Australian market. Mostly this will be result from low competitive power of our product and customers conception. After introduction in the market, our product will start developing strong segmentations and customer retentions. Through our quality strategies and promotional system we expect to have a climbing graph through customers attraction and retention up to maturity (Saperstings 91).

Market challenges

Thirstier will meet several challenges in the market. Introducing our products into the market is the most eminent challenge. This is because Australian market has strong competitors such as Acquifers, Zech and other soft drinks. Launching thirstier into Australian market will require huge capital for setting its retail outlets and promotions. Finally, managing supply chain in large areas is also an expected challenge with our product (Chernev 112).

Market Profitability

Our decision to venture into Australian market was guided by the profitability nature of this market. We applied Michael Porter forces form to determine the profitability of this market. The factors under the analysis were the buyers and suppliers powers, threats from substitute products, entry barriers and competitors strength. From our research we noticed a positive profiting gap in marketing mineral water than any other product (Porter 152).

Industrial Cost Structure

With the application of Porters Value chain we realized that with proper implementation we can develop competitive advantage and hold a big market share the consideration that were analyzed include (Porter 119):

1. Inbound Logistics Margin
2. Operations Margin
3. Outbound Logistics Margin
4. Marketing and Sales Margin
5. Services Margin

From this research we projected a cost benefit analysis of our operation over a five years period. As well, we are able to device competitive strategies in positioning ourselves in this market.

Distribution Channel

Thirstier mineral water will have an efficient distribution channel. We will have both direct and indirect distribution channel. Main Stores will be established in the major cities where our retailers will collect the product. Direct delivery will also be created upon customers and retailers request but limited to some quantity. The success of the delivery system, however, will depend on competency of the workforce in developing delivery and supplying strategies (Chernev 101).

From the pyramid, Australia number of energetic working population is higher than that of children and older people. As a result a lot of income is generated by the working class that makes purchasing power to go very. The population is composed of more males than female majorly at youthful age, which will make consumption of thirstier mineral water to be very high.

The consumption rate of our product is also going to be increased following people preferences for natural mineral water in smaller portable bottles. The climatic condition of Australia, additionally will promote consumption of thirstier mineral water especially during summer. Australians lifestyle will be an added advantage for our product (Saperstings 117).

Trends of mineral water consumptions in areas such as wedding and clubs, is also increasing. Since most of our consumers are actively working people, leisure consumption of thirstier is expected to be high over Fridays and weekends. However, this is associated with the youth rather than the older generation (Chernev 118).

Environmental Scan

To develop a viable plan for thirstier, we took a refined research on our internal and external operating environment. This was vital in demonstrating the success of our product in the market. Our environment scanning was carried out using both the PESTEL and SWOT analytical tools.

Action plan for marketing thirstier also was developed using this tool. The tool was useful in giving a whole examination and scanning of thirstier market in Australia.

SWOT analysis was then applied after the PESTELI to fill the necessary gaps (Porter 97).

The information above was carried out with application of inventory procedures that included budgeting data and trends on economic and demographic market data (Porter 66).

From the above analysis we identified the following;

Strengths

• Thirstier Mineral Water has a lot of strengths in this market
• As a follower strategy we expect to benefit from the 4ps failures of the pioneers
• There exist favorable governmental policies and regulations
• Highland has good skilled labour and potential market researches
• Our management system is very efficient in production
• Customer accessibility of our products both geographically and in price is very efficient
• We have supportive societal values in our operations

Weaknesses

• As a follower marketer we are entering into a highly competitive market
• Maintaining international trading offer a lot of challenges i.e. in coordinating communication system
• Raw material delivery challenges since we rely on outsourcing
• Management challenges especially with ever changing technological system
• Customer retention issues as a result of competition
• Economic trends which affect purchasing power in the market
• Unfavorable international trading policies.

Thirstier Client Benefits

Our clients have a lot of benefits on our products since they are produced under rigorous scientifically tests and quality assurance the most outstanding benefits in consumption of Highlands thirstier includes;

• Affordable prices
• Quality products
• The natural taste of our water
• Our consistent match to meet customers expectations and satisfaction through inquiries
• Accessibility in most stores especially in Australia
• Delivery efficiencies to purchasers

The study shows that thirstier drinking water will rapidly established itself in the major Australian towns as well as in the rural areas. Thirstier will be produced under local retail channels to enable all people in Australia to access the product.

Works Cited

Chernev, Alexander. Strategic Marketing Management, Toronto: Bright Star Media, 2009. Print

Saperstings, Husting. Improve Your Marketing to Grow Your Business: Insights and Innovations that Drive Business and Brand Growth, New Jersey: FT Press, 2010. Print.

Porter, Michael. Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance: With a new Introduction, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998. Print

Introduction

Background to the Study

The growth and popularity of the Internet and the Word Wide Web in the marketing of products and services have been broadly documented in the existing literature (Law & Bai 2008). Increasingly, organisations the world over are reaching out to customers via available web-based platforms, with ever greater percentages of products and services being offered online to reach consumers who are more conscious and eager to exercise their choice than ever before (Xu & Cenfetelli 2013; Kandulapati & Bellamkonda 2014).

A strand of existing literature demonstrates that organisations continue to benefit from the use of web-based platforms in terms of remaining competitive in the cost and the overall service they offer compared to their competitors (Kumar & Petersen 2006), achieving high level of efficiency and integration via their business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) business processes (Santouridis, Trivellas & Tsimonis 2012), reducing inventory, operational and transactional costs (Roy, Lasser & Butoney 2014), facilitating customers to have superior access to the information they need in an expedited manner (Usher 2009), and improving the quality of services provided compared to traditional service delivery paradigms (Sun, Teh & Chiu 2012; Jingjun, Benbasat & Cenfetelli 2013).

According to Kuo et al (2005, p. 311), academic research has acknowledged a number of criteria that influence customers in evaluating websites in general, and in particular, service quality delivery through websites. However, in spite of the increasing importance of web-oriented service quality delivery in the contemporary business arena (Sun et al 2012), surprisingly very few studies have focused attention on analysing how web presence has improved the customer service of organisations doing business in the developing world (Apulu, Latham & Moreton 2011; Ayo, Adewoye & Oni 2011). Indeed, Lysonski and Durvasula (2013) argue that the researchers comprehension of African customers is insignificant when compared to the oversupply of marketing and electronic commerce studies done in established markets such as the United States, Asia or Europe. Consequently, the present study is founded on the need to investigate how the development and use of a website have affected the customer service of a bottled water company based in Nigeria.

In the service quality context, consecutive research studies have demonstrated that the imperative for organisations to provide excellent service quality is not abrogated by moving from an offline to an online channel; rather, organisations wishing to use web-based platforms to reach their customers must discover, often through trial and error, the ways and means to provide consistently high quality services using this new technological medium (Liang & Chen 2009; Sun et al 2012; Xu & Cenfetelli 2013). Jingjun et al (2013) posit that it is of immense significance for senior managers of entities with web presences to first understand how customers perceive and evaluate online services if they are to profitably deliver superior service quality to customers and gain from the competitive advantages related to this concept.

Traditionally, customer service is defined as a subjective and personalised construct that mirrors customers potential entertainment and emotional worth (Cappel & Huang 2007; Green & Pearson 2009), or a customers subjective evaluation of the quality of an interaction with a vendor, including the degree to which such interaction is able to meet unique service needs (Xu & Cenfetelli 2013). In web-based contexts, however, service quality is defined as the extent to which services based on web technology facilitate effective and efficient online communications, purchases and delivery of product/services (Kuo et al 2005, p. 311).

The criteria that have been used in most scholarly research studies to evaluate web-based service quality, according to existing scholarship, include ease of use, assurance, convenience, empathy, information quality, fun, reliability, responsiveness, and accessibility (Kuo et al 2005, Cappel & Huang 2007; Kandulapati & Bellamkonda 2014). Law and Bai (2008) argue that web-based customer service quality is mostly enhanced by website functionality and usability. According to these authors, functionality evaluates the level to which a website provides adequate information about the products/services being promoted, while usability generally refers to the interface design or degree of ease with which users can use a website. The present study utilises five of these constructs (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility, and information quality) to establish how the development and use of a website improve customer service in a bottled water company based in Nigeria.

The Study Context

Nigeria represents a valid case for study, as most of the existing literature on the effectiveness of websites in improving customer service has traditionally relied on organisations and markets based in the United States, Europe and Asia (Lysonski & Durvasula 2013). Available documentation demonstrates that Nigeria has an internet penetration rate of 38% (Global Internet Report 2014) and the growth of Internet usage has continued to increase, recording over 90% growth rate between 2000 and 2008 (Ayo et al 2011); however, the pace and rate of online shopping has been substantially slow due to a number of challenges including cultural barriers, infrastructure challenge, security concern, perceived risk, and inadequate regulatory framework (Abiodun 2013, p. 22). Ayo et al (2011, p. 5109) further acknowledge that, while businesses in Nigeria are reported to have online access with opportunity for e-commercial activities, customers in the country however access business websites only to source for information but make purchases the traditional way. The low pace of online shopping continues unabated in spite of the fact that Nigeria represents one of the biggest countries in Africa and one of the country that has benefited from the wealth of oil, hence considerably increasing the standard of living and prosperity of some of its citizens who can now enjoy the trappings of contemporary consumer life (Apulu et al 2011; Lysonski & Durvasula 2013).

Nigeria has a presence of a sizeable number of online shopping sites that continue to service the needs of thousands of customers every week through web-based interactions (Ayo et al 2011). Some of the sites, according to these authors, include www.234world.com, Xtaples.net, www.booksng.com, [and] www.orderbay.com (p. 5110). As postulated by these authors, some of the sites make the transaction process so easy for customers, particularly in allowing them to submit payments after making purchases, fast shipping of products, and also receiving money online to pay for purchases made. However, in spite of all these benefits, many Nigerians treat web-based shopping with deep scepticism and do not believe that e-commerce transactions could be successfully conducted (Apulu et al 2011; Ayo et al 2011). With the mounting rate of internet usage in the country, it is generally felt that most local customers have the capacity to join millions of other customers around the world to enjoy the new and exhilarating online shopping experience (Abiodun 2013). However, assessing the customer service attributes of websites is absolutely important in ensuring that businesses develop the potential to tap into the web-based shopping market.

Problem Discussion

A strand of existing research demonstrates that the adoption and use of e-commerce has evolved from rudimentary simple Web site construction applications to more refined customer service and personalisation models, with capacity to not only emphasise competitive advantages and profit considerations for organisations (Karagozoglu & Lindell 2004; Maditinos & Theodoridis 2010), but also to successfully meet the needs and expectations of target customers (Huang 2008; Usher 2009; Sun et al 2012; Klaus 2013). In recent years, online-based businesses throughout the world have increasingly shifted their efforts toward improving customer service by developing strategies to deal with challenges such as as technical failures and inadequacies, transaction delays, product delivery delays and unresponsiveness, among others (Sindhuja & Dastidar 2009; Voorveld, Niejens & Smit 2009; Klaus 2013). Owing to the fact that the high costs associated with acquiring new e-customers can lead to unprofitable customer relationships for a period not less than three years (Ribbink et al 2004), organisations must ensure their websites have the capacity to deliver optimal customer service if they are to succeed in tapping into the immense web-based market (Cappel & Huang 2007; Flavian, Gurrea & Orus 2009; Fang et al 2012; Daryanto et al 2013).

A foremost corollary in most of the available web-based customer service studies (e.g., Ribbink et al 2004; Kuo et al 2005; Sindhuja & Dastidar 2009; Sun et al 2012; Roy et al 2014) is that, to be able to develop the capacity to deliver superior service quality, managers of organisations with web presences must first understand how e-quality dimensions (e.g., ease of use, convenience, empathy, information quality, fun, reliability, responsiveness, and accessibility, usability, functionality) influence customers perceptions and evaluations of online services. However, even though the e-quality dimensions have attracted multidisciplinary studies and miltisectoral responses particularly in the developed markets of the USA, Europe and Asia (Lysonski & Durvasula 2013), information on specific e-quality dimensions that may improve customer service in the developing world remains scanty (Apulu et al 2011; Ayo et al 2011).

More still, extremely few studies have assessed the effectiveness of websites in improving customer service in developing countries in spite of the realisation that most of these countries are faced with unique challenges that include cultural barriers, infrastructural challenges, security concerns, perceived risks, and inadequate regulatory frameworks (Apulu et al 2011; Ayo et al 2011Abiodun 2013). Based on this, studies conducted in developed markets alone are not adequate to guide informed web site design and development in the context of developing markets. Proper understanding of e-quality dimensions that are critical in improving customer service in an African context is indispensable for organisations if they are to tap into the huge web-based potential existing in the developing markets, hence this study seeks to fill this gap.

Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of the present study is to investigate how the development and use of a website improve customer service in a bottled water company based in Nigeria. Owing to the fact that the adoption of online shopping in Nigeria has been slow due to factors such as cultural barriers, lack of interest and/or deep scepticism among consumers, security concerns and perceived risks (Apulu et al 2011; Ayo et al 2011; Abiodun 2013), the investigation focuses on five e-quality dimensions namely ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility and information quality. The main objectives of the study are as follows:

1. To expand the knowledge base on how the development and use of a website improve the companys customer service experience. Online-based businesses throughout the world are increasingly shifting their efforts toward enhancing customer service experience, particularly after the realisation that providing superb online experiences will positively influence the customers online buying behaviour (Klaus 2013, p. 445). Consequently, it is important to understand how a website improves customer service particularly in dealing with transaction delays, product delivery delays and unresponsiveness (Sindhuja & Dastidar 2009; Voorveld et al 2009; Klaus 2013).
2. To investigate how the five e-quality dimensions (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility and information quality) enhance customer service attributes in the company. Available literature demonstrates that companies investing in web technologies are looking forward to realising the benefits of these investments; however, this would not be possible without first understanding the dimensions that contribute to website visitors having a satisfying, high quality online experience with the visited sites (Ribbink et al 2004; Kuo et al 2005), hence the justification.
3. To develop recommendations on the best practices in using websites to improve customer service in the context of developing markets. A number of studies (e.g., Karagozoglu & Lindell 2004; Maditinos & Theodoridis 2010; Sun et al 2012; Klaus 2013) have developed what they consider to be the best practices on how companies can leverage websites to achieve competitive advantages and at the same time enhance the quality of their customer service; however, only a few of these studies have focused attention to companies with web presences in developing markets (Apulu et al 2011; Ayo et al 2011), hence the justification.

Key Research Questions

The present study is guided by the following research questions:

1. How does the development and use of a website improve the companys customer service experience?
2. In what ways do the five e-quality constructs (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility, and information quality) enhance customer service in the company?
3. What are the recommended best practices in using websites to improve customer service in Nigeria?

Significance of Study

The present study adds to the emerging literature on how Web technologies can be successfully used to improve customer service experience for companies operating in developing markets such as Nigeria. In particular, the present study advances literature on how companies in Nigeria can leverage the use of websites in gaining competitive advantages and improving the quality of customer service. Such knowledge is beneficial to practitioners and business owners looking to harness the immense benefits associated with the use of websites to necessitate online transactions as well as facilitate business processes and customer satisfaction. Additionally, findings of the present study immensely facilitate the efficiency of business entities and managers in not only actively seeking ways to enhance customer service experience through web-based technologies, but also in drawing more customers and preserving the already existing customer base. Lastly, the present study avails practical implications for managers struggling with the issue of deploying a website in developing markets with the view to improving customer service.

Dissertation Structure

The remainder of the dissertation is structured as follows: Chapter two reviews and synthesises relevant literature on web site usability models, online shopping experience, traditional and web-based customer service quality, available e-quality constructs, customer reactions to the e-quality constructs, as well as barriers associated with web-based transactions in the Nigerian context. Chapter three discusses and develops the research methodology of the underlying study, including the research philosophy, research approach, population and sampling, methods of data collection, ethical considerations, as well as research limitations, while chapter four presents the findings and discusses them in reference to the objectives and key research questions of the study, and chapter six provides some recommendations.

Literature Review

Introduction

This chapter reviews and synthesises existing literature on web-based customer service quality. Specifically, the chapter reviews literature on two website usability models underpinning the concept of web-based customer service (Palmer instrument and Agarwal and Venkatesh instrument), the online shopping experience, traditional and web-based customer quality, web-based customer service quality dimensions, customer reactions to the web-based service quality dimensions, and barriers associated with web-based transactions in Nigeria.

Website Usability Models Underpinning Web-based Customer Service

Palmer Instrument

Palmer (2002) developed a measure of website usability that not only demonstrates substantial relationships between website design and performance, but continues to be used widely by scholars interested in evaluating how organisations can use websites to improve the quality of customer service. The five constructs in the Palmers instrument include download delay, navigability, content, interactivity, and responsiveness. According to Palmer (2002), download delay denotes the preliminary request or application for access to the web page and then each ensuing request or application for changing pages in the site, while navigability denotes the sequencing of pages, well organised layout, as well as the consistency or reliability of navigation protocols.

As indicated by Green and Pearson (2009, p. 20), content includes the amount and variety of content as well as the use of text, graphics, and multimedia. Lastly, Interactivity implies the capability to customise the websites appearance, texture, content as well as it capacity to provide interaction with the other users, while website responsiveness implies the presence of feedback to users as well as the availability of answers from the site administrators (Palmer 2002). Consequently, the model is effective in demonstrating how the five e-quality dimensions (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility, and convenience) enhance customer service in the company (Green & Pearson 2009; Santouridis et al 2012).

Agarwal and Venkatesh Instrument

Agarwal and Venkatesh (2002) made use of categories and subcategories comprising the Microsoft Usability Guidelines (MUG) to develop this particular model that not only operationalises website usability in IS research, but also serves to provide benchmarks that could effectively be used in assessing how websites are able to influence the quality of customer service and other attributes. This model, which is thought to outperform the broadly used technology acceptance model (TAM) particularly in terms of richness and variance explained (Green & Pearson 2009), contains five dimensions namely ease of use, made-for-the-medium, emotion, content, and promotion (Green & Pearson 2011, p. 182).

Available e-commerce scholarship demonstrates that the ease of use dimension denotes the cognitive effort necessary in using a website, while made-for-the-medium relates to tailoring or customising a website to fit a particular users needs and expectations (Agarwal & Venkatesh 2002). According to Green and Pearson (2009, p. 20), emotion taps into effective reactions invoked by a website. Additionally, the content dimension evaluates the informational and transactional capabilities of a website, while the promotion dimension illuminates the extent to which the website is promoted on the Internet and other media (Agarwal & Venkatesh 2002; Green & Pearson 2009). Owing to the models good evaluation properties, robustness and generalisibility (Green & Pearson 2009), it can be effectively used to demonstrate how the mentioned e-quality dimensions improve customer service in the selected company.

Understanding the Online Shopping Experience

Online shopping behaviour is defined in the literature as the process of making purchases of products or services using the Internet (Santouridis et al 2012), or the customers psychological state in terms of making purchases over the Internet (Karagozoglu & Lindell 2004; Flavian et al 2009). Available literature demonstrates that online shopping, especially in retail environment, enables consumers to visit electronic stores (e-stores), locate and select products, make payment through credit cards, debit cards money transfer, or cash on delivery and get delivery at their door steps (Abiodun 2013, p. 24). Wang and Chen (2009, p. 971) note that the rapid growth of online transactions reflects the compelling advantages that they offer over conventional brick-and-mortar stores, including greater flexibility, enhanced market outreach, lower cost structure, faster transactions, broader product lines, and greater convenience. Drawing from Abiodun (2013), it is clear that online shopping provides a unique advantage in that customers have the capacity to compare prices of various products before making a purchase by merely visiting e-stores of two or more competing electronic retailers (e-tailers) or accessing online price comparison websites at the comfort of their chairs.

It is evident that the online shopping experience provides certain benefits that cannot be provided by brick-and-mortar (physical) retail stores, with available literature documenting that e-stores offer online shoppers more diverse product choices, individualised (customised) products, service information, shopping convenience, 24/7 shopping, time saving, competitive pricing and privacy (Abiodun 2013, p. 24). The mentioned advantages have led to a remarkable growth in the number of people who use websites to shop for products and services particularly in the developed economies and also in emerging economies with high literacy levels, satisfactory technological infrastructure, higher levels of income, as well as high internet penetration rates (Voorveld et al 2009; Luo, Ba & Zhang 2012). However, owing to the fact that customer loyalty and service quality are harder to achieve in the online context than in the offline one due to the low costs involved in searching for alternatives, it is imperative for organisations to develop websites with high information as well as system and service quality so that customers may have greater willingness to sustain, deepen and broaden their relationship with the websites (Liang & Chen 2009).

Traditional-Oriented Service Quality

The concept of service quality came into the limelight in the early 1980s, when scholars and practitioners recognised that product quality alone could not qualify organisations in the attainment of competitive advantage (Kandulapati & Bellamkonda 2014). Xu and Cenfetelli (2013) acknowledge that, although the study of service quality was initiated by marketing scholars and practitioners three decades ago, it has nevertheless become a time-honoured and exceedingly appropriate concept within both traditional and electronic customer service contexts; however, unlike product quality which can be measured objectively using such indicators as durability and number of defects, the definition of service quality is elusive and may be difficult to measure owing to the fact that service characteristics are intangible, perishable, simultaneously produced and consumed, and heterogeneous (Kuo et al 2005; Kandulapati & Bellamkonda 2014). Generally, however, service quality has been defined as follows: a subjective and personal construct that reflects customers potential entertainment and emotional worth (Cappel & Huang, 2007; Green & Pearson 2009); a customers global, subjective assessment of the quality of an interaction with a vendor, including the degree to which service needs have been met (Xu & Cenfetelli 2013); or as an experience which is generally felt by customers when an organisation supplies goods and services to a specification that satisfies the customers (Lin & Sun 2009; Kandulapati & Bellamkonda 2014).

Parasuraman et al (1985, 1988, 1991), comprehensively cited in Kandulapati and Bellamkonda (2014, p. 180), are credited with proposing and developing the SERVQUAL model used to assess an organisations service quality attributes using five dimensions, namely tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy. In their study, Xu and Cenfetelli (2013, p. 781) argue that the most widely applied service quality framework is SERVQUAL, which articulates customers salient perceptions about a vendors service reliability, assurance, empathy, and responsiveness, as well as the tangible aspects of the vendors infrastructure and/or appearance. In brief, tangibles represent the physical facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel, while reliability implies the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Huang 2008; Klaus 2013). Following Kuo et al (2005), responsiveness is defined as the enthusiasm to assist customers and also to provide timely service; assurance is defined as the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence; and empathy as the caring, individualised attention provided by an organisation to its customers.

Web-Oriented Service Quality

Kuo et al (2005, p. 311) define web-oriented service quality as the extent to which services based on web technology facilitate effective and efficient online communications, purchases and delivery of product/services. Klaus (2013) acknowledges that, although exploring the association between the customers perceptions of the online and the overall quality of service has been the traditional focus of online academic studies, focus is now increasingly shifting towards exploring the online customer experience due to the evolving nature of e-commerce websites as they become more dynamic and interactive. Drawing from Wang and Chen (2009, p. 974), it is clear that online service providers should pay attention to the pre- and post-purchase customer interface activities designed to facilitate both immediate transactions and long-term customer relationships, like ensuring there is no breakdown in service and promptly resolving any problems that happen to customers. On their part, Karagozoglu and Lindell (2004, p. 291) acknowledge that the main aspects of web-based customer service include providing thorough product information, implementing a question and answer database, designing an easily navigated website, making it simple and secure to order online, warranty information, and clearly stated return policies and procedures. As posited by Klaus (2013), the provision of superb online experiences not only positively influences the customers online buying behaviour but also reinforces the perspective that a website will act competently, openly and fairly.

Luo et al (2012) note that customer service in web-based contexts can be measured using constructs such as customer support, order tracking, on-time delivery, product availability, as well as product met expectation. Parasuraman et al (2005), cited in Kandulapati and Bellamkonda (2014, p. 180), acknowledge that web-oriented service quality broadly encompasses all phases of a customers interactions with a Web site: the extent to which a Web site facilitates efficient and effective shopping, purchasing, and delivery. These authors report on a comprehensive instrument developed by Parasuraman et al (2005) known as E-S-QUAL, which measures electronic service quality using four main dimensions, namely efficiency, fulfilment, system availability and privacy. According to Kuo et al (2005, p. 311), academic research has acknowledged a number of criteria that influence customers in evaluating websites in general, and in particular, service quality delivery through websites. Some of the measurement variables discussed in their study as influencing service quality through websites include convenience, empathy, ease of use, information quality, fun, reliability, responsiveness, and accessibility. The selected e-quality dimensions are discussed at length below.

Web-based Customer Service Quality Dimensions

Ease of Use and/or Usability

Owing to the fact that a website is often perceived as an interactive learning environment between customers and business, it is imperative to enhance customers capacities to learn how to browse and to find pertinent information on the web without much effort (Law & Bai 2008; Daryanto et al 2013). Indeed, Ganapathy, Ranganathan and Sankaranarayanan (2004, p. 93) note that websites that make it too cumbersome for customers to search and purchase products online will never enjoy a competitive edge. Kuo et al (2005, p. 312) acknowledge that, in the interactive web environment, consumers have control of the information flow and have to perform two tasks: one is to understand the information and the second is to manage the information flow. Consequently, drawing from the technology acceptance model (TAM) which hypothesises that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are the primary determinants of system use, it becomes clear that a sites ease of use (through elements such as search functions, download speed, overall organisation) increases customers capability to learn how to browse and to find relevant information on the web (Ganapathy et al 2004; Kuo et al 2005; Kassim & Abdullah 2010).

Many researchers continue to apply the ease of use concept in the same breadth as the web usability concept, which is defined in the literature as making the design simple enough so that customers, who by nature tend to be goal-driven, can accomplish their task as quickly and painlessly as possible (Sindhuja & Dastidar 2009, p. 56). Klaus (2013, p. 447) differentiates the two by acknowledging that usability relates to attributes that enable online customers to feel comfortable using the web site, such as perceptions of site speed, ease-of-use, and hyperlink design. Drawing from the literature, it is clear that the usability dimension is an important one in web-based customer satisfaction literature as it influences online consumers experience, facilitates the likelihood of electronic exchange, and informs customers intention to use the web site again and whether they will recommend it to others (Huang 2008). Nielsen (2003), cited in Sindhuja and Dastidar (2009, p. 56), acknowledges that a usable website interface is one which is easy to learn, efficient to use, easy to remember, pleasant to use, and which causes few errors.

Information Quality

In discussing this dimension, Kuo et al (2005) acknowledge that online customers not only perceive that they can more fully scrutinise options than they can offline, but they want to serve themselves and will serve themselves by locating relevant information on the web so long as it is comparatively easy to find. Kumar and Petersen (2006), Ganapathy et al (2004) and Flavian et al (2009) argue that an overriding benefit for organisations in using websites is that customers now have better access to the information they need in an expedited manner, not only improving the overall service to the customer but also allowing organisations to reduce their operational costs by reducing the number of customer service representatives and support personnel.

According to Kuo et al (2005) and Wang and Chen (2009), the variables employed to assess information quality on a website include accuracy, ease of understanding, timeliness, relevance or usefulness, flexible information presentation, completeness, customised information presentation, price information, product/service differentiation, complete product/service description, and whether the information provided is up to date. Additionally, information contained in the website should also be availed to customers through the appropriate use of graphics and pictures with the view to enhancing appeal and quality (Kumar & Petersen 2006; Huang & Cappel 2012). A website with high information quality, according to Wang and Chen (2009, p. 974), can help a business to deliver customised, innovative and value-added products/services to their customers.

To improve customer satisfaction, the information available on the website must have the capacity to guarantee product presence (Fang et al 2012). According to Klaus (2013, p. 447), product presence represents the requirement to assess products in virtual environments and subsequently stimulate purchase intentions, such as image interactivity, and additional access to content. Consequently, as suggested by Ribbink et al (2004) and Santouridis et al (2012), e-commerce web sites need to provide customers with options to interact and manipulate visual images of a product not only to perceive the presence of that particular product, but also to enhance online customer service experience and subsequent purchase intentions.

In web-based contexts, information quality is also closely associated with the aspect of social presence, a previously unexplored dimension of online customer service experience that constitutes attributes reflecting the customers virtual interaction with other shoppers through comments, product reviews, and social media linkages (Klaus 2013, p. 448). As acknowledged by Venkatesh and Ramesh (2006), available customer reviews in various websites not only provide customers with more information regarding a particular product or service but also assist in the sharing of experiences with other individuals using the same product or service, consequently assisting customers to overcome the unfamiliarity and lack of physical presence associated with online interaction. The findings of Klaus (2013, p. 448) study demonstrate that social presence and other related aspects of the information quality dimension positively impacts important customer service outcomes, such as perceived trust, usefulness, and enjoyment of the interaction.

Reliability

This construct has been cited as a dominant dimension in traditional-oriented service quality studies and also in web-oriented service quality research. A reliable web site, according to Kuo et al (2005, p. 312), should ensure correct operations, rapid access, quick error recovery, security, tracking order status, and privacy to enhance users confidence. In the context of electronic commerce, a number of studies have demonstrated that trustworthy, dependable, and reliable characteristics are fundamental in triggering business transactions, as customers should be able to trust the system and its online purchasing and payment capabilities to transact business (Venkatesh & Ramesh 2006). Owing to the fact that factors such as physical distance, lack of personal contact, and anonymity of the internet may discourage customers use of online channels due to perceived lack of trust, organisations must ensure the incorporation of uncertainty-reducing elements into the websites, such as domain names, site safety signatures, as well as explicit guarantees and terms of service (Klaus 2013).

Additionally, for websites to be considered as reliable and dependable, they must have the capacity to allow customers to track their online order status (Kumar, Eidem, & Perdomo 2012), and to communicate effectively with customers (Kumar & Petersen 2006). According to Klaus (2013, p. 448), communication describes attributes reflecting the customers perception on how communication reduces the risks associated with e-commerce, such as follow-up and transaction confirmation messages, similar to what traditional service marketing literature describes as reassurance in customers perception of service quality. Communication on delivery acknowledgement via email, according to Ribbink et al (2004), is a fundamentally important attribute in facilitating web-based customer satisfaction and enhancing online customer experience as it minimises the uncertainty associated with making online purchases. A number of researchers argue that contemporary websites must have the capacity to create context familiarity or an online customer service environment that is comparable to that of making purchases in traditional stores (Usher 2009; Klaus 2013), as well as transaction cost savings driven by factors such as fast page loading, clear presentation, intuitive navigation, and safe and stable transaction processes (Wang & Chen 2009; Fang et al 2012).

Responsiveness

Kuo et al (2005, p. 313) acknowledge that customer loyalty increases substantially when online buyers learn that customer service representatives were available and were willing and able to resolve the situation quickly. A strand of existing literature demonstrates that web responsiveness can be used by organisations not only to reinforce service quality but also to increase their competitive advantage by retaining their customer base while attracting more, as most customers are busy and are less likely to switch between companies if they are provided with the information they need in a timely manner (Kumar, Eidem, & Perdomo 2012). E-mail assistance is known to assist in satisfying the need for help online; however, it has faced continuous criticism from customers for being slow and for lacking the capacity to respond to individualised customer requests (Maditinos & Theodoridis 2010; Fang et al 2012). As postulated by Kuo et al (2005, p. 313), online buyers largely do not expect or desire high touch service unless they have questions or problems with customer service, in which case they expect relatively speedy answers responsive to their individual problems.

Accessibility

In todays crowded and competitive cyberspace, web-oriented customers have plenty of alternatives for information due to lack of network boundaries and the ever diminishing geographic distance between websites (Maditinos & Theodoridis 2010; Kumar, Eidem, & Perdomo 2012). Consequently, a website has to provide round-the-clock services to its customers and also afford sufficient download speeds, as contemporary website users have many opportunities for instantaneous access from many other potential sources (Ribbink et al 2004). Kuo et al (2005) posit that the two major differences between web-oriented and traditional service quality are identified in terms of efficiency and activeness. While websites can concurrently provide a close connection between customers and organisations and among the customers themselves, traditional customer service platforms are viewed as inefficient in terms of labour requirements and time demands. Additionally, unlike the unreceptive traditional customers, web-based customers are dynamic players who experience enhanced control in the online setting based on the fact that web-oriented customer service provides information on the internet for customers who in turn commence self-service shopping (Kuo et al 2005; Lee & Chen 2011).

Customer Reactions to Service Quality Dimensions

Xu and Cenfetelli (2013, p. 781) note that numerous research studies have relied on SERVQUAL for predicting customer reactions and responses, such as customer loyalty, increased sales, a willingness to pay a price premium, customer value, and customer satisfaction. This section briefly assesses literature on three of these customer reactions, namely customer loyalty, customer value, and customer satisfaction.

Customer Loyalty

Wang and Chen (2009, p. 972) acknowledge that the high quality of service attributes has been shown to generate customer loyalty that is reflected as customer retention, word-of-mouth recommendation, premium payment and cross-buying. On their part, Reichheld and Schefter (2000, p. 106) are of the opinion that acquiring customers on the internet is enormously expensive, and unless the customers stick around and make lots of repeat purchases over the years, profits will remain elusive. Indeed, to gain the loyalty of customers, organisations with web presences must first gain customer trust owing to the fact that web-based business is conducted at a distance and risks and uncertainties are exaggerated (Ribbink et al 2004; Kassim & Abdullah 2010). Customer loyalty is not won with technology; on the contrary, it is won through the delivery of a consistently superior customer experience guaranteed by a multiplicity of e-quality dimensions such as ease of use, responsiveness, reliability and responsiveness (Reichheld & Schefter 2000; Lin & Sun 2009; Oni 2013).

Customer value

Customer value has been defined in the literature as the customers general evaluation of the utility of a product based on perceptions of what is received and what is given (Kandulapati and Bellamkonda 2014), or the difference between customer efforts to obtain value and the overall benefits accrued from the service or product (Kassim & Abdullah 2010). In his superior customer value preposition, Weinstein (2012), cited comprehensively in McFarlane (2013, p. 64), argues that customers want more than just simple value; they want businesses to overwhelm and surprise them by going above and beyond the ordinary to meet their needs and wants. As postulated by Kandulapati and Bellamkonda (2014), customer value preposition is of immense significance in comprehending customers purchasing intentions, enhancing customer satisfaction and organisational performance, developing brand loyalty, and ensuring the sustenance of overall competitive advantage.

Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is defined in the literature as an overall affective response to a perceived discrepancy between prior expectations and perceived performance after consumption (Kandulapati and Bellamkonda 2014), or a comparative judgement that considers the qualities versus the costs and efforts obtainable through making a purchase (Wang & Chen 2009). In web-based contexts, customer satisfaction has been defined as the emotional state developed from a relationship that [results] from customer interactions with an online service provider over time (Wang & Chen 2009, p. 975). According to these authors, the literature contains two universal dimensions of customer satisfaction namely transaction-specific satisfaction (avails specific indicative information concerning a particular product or service encounter) and cumulative satisfaction (results from a sequence of transactions or service encounters and has capacity to show an organisations prior, present and future performance).

Owing to the fact that service attributes are often perceived as cognition-oriented while customer satisfaction is often perceived as an affective and evaluative response, and that cognitive thought processes trigger affective responses, it therefore follows that customer assessments of service attributes affect their satisfaction attitude (Wang & Chen 2009). In web-based contexts, customer satisfaction is often described in terms of users perception of the pleasantness of the website, which in turn influences their perceived ease-of-use, motivation for learning how to use the site, confidence in the reliability of the information content, future use intentions as well as recommendations to other users (Sindhuja & Dastidar 2009). This view is reinforced by Green and Pearson (2011), who found that perceived ease of use, usefulness, convenience of site use, simplicity of site design, perceived risk, trust of website, design credibility, content, interactivity, navigability, responsiveness and download delay are all important in forming consumer attitudes and satisfaction with the electronic commerce channel.

Barriers Associated with Web-based Transactions in Nigeria

A sizeable number of research streams have focussed attention on identifying the barriers associated with online transactions, with a number of researchers (e.g., Adewoye & Oni 2011; Abiodun 2013) arguing that the low adoption of web-based purchases by Nigerian consumers may be attributed to a unique set of challenges that include cultural obstructions, infrastructural challenges, fraud and security concerns, perceived risk, and inadequate regulatory framework. In cultural barriers, many Nigerians are not yet comfortable with the idea of buying goods and services using credit cards and many retailers are still accustomed to the culture of selling through physical stores. In infrastructural challenges, it is evident that many regions in Nigeria still lack the hardware or equipment, software applications, internet capability, and other services associated with online shopping, leading to operational deficiencies and minimal adoption capability (Adewoye & Oni 2011; Apulu et al 2011; Abiodun 2013).

In fraud and security concerns, Abiodun (2013) notes that computer hacking, phishing, online credit card fraud, and lack of quality verification procedures for products and services offered online, are some of the major reasons hindering the growth of web-based shopping in Nigeria. In perceived risk, the author suggests that most Nigerians are still averse to web-based shopping due to risks and uncertainties associated with disclosing their credit card information and paying for goods or services without verifying their quality. Lastly, in terms of regulatory frameworks, Nigeria is yet to amend its laws to accommodate the rights, obligations and responsibilities that must be present for web-based transactions to flourish, including how online customers can seek redress in a competent court of law in the event of wrongdoing on the side of online retailers (Apulu et al 2011; Abiodun 2013).

Conceptual Framework

This study uses five e-quality dimensions (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility, and information quality) to investigate how the development and use of a website improve the customer service of a bottled water company based in Nigeria. Consequently, as demonstrated in the figure below, the five e-quality dimensions form the dependent variables of the study while customer service forms the independent variable.

Methodology

Introduction

The present study utilises five e-quality constructs (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility and assurance) to investigate how the development and use of a website improve customer service in a bottled water company based in Nigeria; consequently, this chapter discusses and develops the research methodology of the underlying study, including the research philosophy, research approach, research strategy, population and sampling techniques, data collection methods, ethical considerations, reliability and validity, as well as methods of data analysis.

Research Philosophy

This study uses a positivist research approach in its endeavour to discover how the development and use of a website improve customer service in the selected company. Owing to the fact that the positivist research philosophy is predicated on the assumption that the foremost purpose of research is scientific explanation, scholars who use the positivist paradigm perceive social science as an organised method for combining deductive logic with accurate empirical observations of individual behaviour in order to discover and confirm a set of probabilistic causal edicts that can then be applied to the research context to predict general patterns of human behaviour (Neumann 2003). Available methodology scholarship reports that the knowledge that arises through a positivist framework is predicated upon careful observation and measurement of the objective reality that exists out there in the world, thus investigators are obliged to develop legitimate numeric measures of observation in studying the main issues of interest (Bryman 2008). In the present study, the positivist research paradigm allows the researcher to not only collect specific data on how the use of a website improves the customer service of the selected company, but also to empirically analyse the collected data using available statistical means with the view to thoroughly observe and measure the variables of interest.

Research Approach

The present study uses a quantitative research approach, which is defined in the literature as a type of empirical research into a social phenomenon or human problem, testing a theory consisting of variables which are measured with numbers and analysed with statistics in order to determine if the theory explains or predicts phenomena of interest (Yilmaz 2013, p. 312). The quantitative research approach provides the researcher with the capacity to investigate how the use of a website has improved customer service by examining the relationships between the presence of the five e-quality dimensions and customer service experiences; however, it is suggested in the literature that such variables of interest must be assessed using rigid rules of logic and measurement, truth, absolute principles and prediction to coincide with the positivist philosophical lens (Lee & Hubona 2009). Consequently, the quantitative research approach permits the researcher to effectively respond to the underlying research questions by empirically investigating how the stated e-quality dimensions function to ensure the website is able to influence customer service (Creswell 2009), hence the justification.

Research Strategy

It is important to mention that the present study employs a cross-sectional (survey) research design owing to the fact that study participants were contacted at a fixed point in time and standardised survey questionnaires administered to collect important information needed in providing responses to the key research questions (Balnaves & Caputi 2001). Creswell (2014, p. 13) posits that a survey research strategy provides a quantitative or numeric description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of the population. As such, the cross-sectional research strategy applied in this study not only enables the researcher to provide responses to the key research questions by studying a sample at a particular point in time, but also to investigate how the variables of interest influence customer service levels. The use of a cross-sectional research approach is also informed by its ease of application in the research context and its capacity to be descriptive; however, the strategy is unable to show causality and also lacks clarity in demonstrating temporal bias (Balnaves & Caputi 2001).

Population & Sampling

The population for the present study includes customers and managers of the water bottling company based in Nigeria. In sampling, the purposive sampling technique is used to select 20 managers drawn from administration, customer service and sales and marketing departments of the company, while simple random sampling technique is used to come up with a representative sample of 150 customers. It is important to note that sampling for customers and managers has been done online through the assistance of the companys senior management leaders upon the request of the researcher. The justification for using purposive sampling technique in the selection of managers to take part in the study is hinged on the techniques capacity to allow the researcher gain an in-depth and holistic understanding of all the issues of how a website can be used to improve customer service, as a purposive sample is selected based on the respondents expansive knowledge of the issues that interests the researcher (Sekaran 2006; Vogt 2007). The justification for using simple random sampling technique in the selection of customers is informed by the minimal costs involved particularly when using online protocols, ease of administration, and capacity to develop a representative sample (Creswell 2014).

Data Collection

This study draws on empirical data collected by means of two sets of standardised questionnaire instruments administered to sampled managers and customers of the bottled water company based in Nigeria. As posited by Harrell and Bradley (2009, p. 6), questionnaires are fixed sets of questions that can be administered by paper and pencil, as a Web form, or by an interviewer who follows a strict script. It is important to mention that two standardised questionnaire in web forms have been utilised in this study to collect data from the sampled participants. One set of the questionnaire containing 12 items is administered to the managers, while the other set containing a similar number of items is administered to customers.

The two questionnaires contain numerical questions, YES and NO questions, open-ended questions, and Lickert-type items requiring participants to identify their level of agreement with a number of statements purposively designed with the view to providing responses to the key research questions of the study. As acknowledged by Gelo, Braakman and Benetka (2008, p. 268), the use of the Lickert-type scale is consistent with the quantitative research design that requires the reduction of phenomena to numerical values in order to carry out statistical analysis, hence the justification. Other justifications for the use of web-based self-administered questionnaires include the minimal costs involved and the capacity to provide greater anonymity for participants due to the absence of the interviewer during the data collection process; however, they have often received criticism due to low response rates, incapacity to capture complex and ambiguous questions, as well as incapacity to get deeper insights from participants because many of the questions are closed-ended (Potter 2003; Harrell & Bradley 2009; Marsden & Wright 2010).

Validity and Reliability

Available methodological literature defines validity as the degree to which a particular measure is effective in measuring what it is supposed to (Bryman & Bell 2008), or more specifically the extent to which a measure accurately represents the concept it claims to measure (Punch 2009). On its part, reliability implies the consistency of the measurement used by the investigator in the data collection process, or more specifically the degree to which a test or procedure generates comparable outcomes under constant conditions on all occasions (Creswell 2014). The researcher has taken the initiative to ensure the validity of the study findings by ensuring the relevance and representativeness of the items contained in the questionnaire sets by conducting a pilot study, comparing the questionnaire sets to other similar validated measures of customer satisfaction in web-based contexts, and establishing the acceptable operational measures for the theoretical concepts and variables under investigation by successfully linking the questionnaire items and measures to the studys objectives and key research questions (Bryman & Bell 2008; Punch 2009). Similarly, the researcher has ensured reliability of the study findings by standardising the two sets of questionnaires used in data collection, documenting changes or progress regularly, and ensuring the stability of the Lickert-type scale used in the questionnaires (Bryman 2008).

Ethical Considerations

Available literature demonstrates that ethical issues arise in any research process involving human participants as the researcher is, by principle, expected to ensure that no harm occurs to [the] voluntary participants and that all participants have made the decision to assist after receiving full information as to what is required, if any, potential consequences may arise from such participation (Polonsky & Waller 2010, p. 69). To ensure that the main ethical concerns have been successfully dealt with, the researcher has

1. sought for written permission from the senior management of the water bottling company prior to engaging the companys managers and customers in data collection,
2. ensured that any participation in the research study is voluntary and that adequate information has been provided to the sampled participants to enable them make an informed decision on whether to participate or not,
3. ensured participants have full knowledge of what they are being requested to do and are fully aware of any potentially adverse consequences tied to participation in the research process,
4. guaranteed individual confidentiality and anonymity of respondents, and
5. assisted in the debriefing of respondents and sharing with them the main findings of the study via email (Gregory 2003; Polonsky & Waller 2010).

Data Analysis

In the present study, dully completed and returned questionnaires have been cleaned, coded, and checked for consistency, before being entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18 for analysis and interpretation of data using descriptive (univariate) statistics. In the present study, descriptive statistics are used to describe the basic aspects and characteristics of the data from the sampled managers and customers of the company by providing simple summaries about the sample and the measures with the assistance of frequency distributions as well as measures of central tendency (mean) and dispersion (standard deviation) (Connolly 2007; Treiman 2008). The results of the analysis are presented using tables, normal text, as well as bar graphs.

Results & Discussion

Statement of Results

Response and Demographic Information

The present study sampled 20 managers and 150 customers with the view to investigating how the development and use of a website improve customer service in a bottled water company based in Nigeria. Out of the 20 questionnaires dispatched to the managers, 12 have been returned, representing a response rate of 60%. Similarly, 64 questionnaires have been returned out of the 150 administered to customers, representing 42.7% response rate. 8 (66.7%) of the managers and 38 (59.3%) of the customers are males, while the rest are females. The mean age of managers is 36.7 years, while that of customers is 27.2 years. The mean age of customers indicate that younger people are more interested in using technology to make online purchases or seek for information than older adults. While all managers report having a university degree or above, a substantial number of customers (86%) report having completed secondary education, implying that most customers have adequate knowledge on web-based technologies.

Customer Responses

Overall, 44 (68.8%) of the customers say that use of the website has improved their shopping experience, 36 (56.3%) agree that the website has influenced their online buying behaviour, while 51 (79.7%) acknowledge that the website has saved them money and/or time while making purchases. An analysis of the reasons provided by customers is demonstrated in the following table.

Table 1. How Website has Affected Customer Service Attributes.

A major component of the present study entails exploring how the five e-quality dimensions (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility, responsiveness, accessibility, and information quality) improve customer service in the company. In ease of use, most customers strongly agree with the fact that the website is easy to learn, efficient to use, easy to remember, pleasant to use, and causes few errors. They also strongly agree with the assertions that the website enhances customer experience due to the fast rate at which the information is being displayed, and that they can recommend the website to other customers. The rest of the results are contained in the following table.

Table 2. Descriptive Statistics for Ease-of-Use Dimension.

In reliability, the study findings demonstrate that most customers strongly agree with the statements that the website ensures quick error recovery when making purchases (mean = 4.821), the website is effective in tracking order status including sending follow-up and transaction confirmation messages (mean = 4.745), and that the website has the capacity to communicate effectively with customers (mean = 4.5675). However, more needs to be done as seven in every ten customers (73.4%) say they neither agree nor disagree with the statement that the companys website ensures privacy and trust in its online purchasing and payment capabilities through the use of site signatures, explicit guarantees and terms of service (mean = 3.045). Similarly, six in every ten customers (61.8%) disagree with the assertion that the website provides adequate context familiarity (mean = 2.1575).

In responsiveness, most customers agree with the statements that customer service representatives are available and do have the capacity to respond to customer issues and complaints within the shortest time possible (mean = 4.358), and that the online customer service representatives have the capacity to deliver the desired feedback requested by customers (mean = 4.055). However, most of the customers disagree with the statement that the web-based email assistance has adequate capacity to respond to individualised customer issues and complaints (mean = 2.326). In accessibility, many of the customers strongly agree with the statement that the website provide 24/7 customer service (mean = 4.834), and that that the website provides sufficient download speeds (mean = 4.585). However, many customers disagree with the assertion that the website enhances their self control in the online shopping environment (mean = 2.135), and that payment details for online purchases are easily accessible (mean = 2.246).

Lastly, in information quality, eight in every ten customers (84.4%) strongly agree with the statement that the information provided in the website is relevant and up-to-date (mean = 4.824), while two-thirds (68.8%) agree with the statement that the information provided on the website is accurate, easy to understand, and timely (mean = 4.014). However, more needs to be done to enhance customer service, as 52 (81.3%) of the customers disagreed with the statement that website has complete description of available products (mean = 2.3452). Customers also disagreed with the websites capacity to use graphics to enhance information appeal and its capacity to provide customised information, as demonstrated in the table below.

Table 3. Descriptive Statistics for Information Quality Dimension.

Manager Responses

All the managers agree that the development and use of the website is part of the companys business strategy, and that the company evaluate the effectiveness of the website; however, most of the managers believe the company measures the effectiveness of the website in the core areas of customer satisfaction (78.2%) and sales (70.9%). The rest of the distribution is demonstrated in the figure below.

The figure above demonstrates that the company is yet to fully adopt the website in measuring order accuracy and process enhancement. This trend needs to change, as both order accuracy and process enhancement are key attributes in enhancing the reliability, responsiveness, and ease of use of the website.

All the managers surveyed in the study agree that the development and use of the website has substantially improved customer service. However, they differ in the areas they think the website has been able to improve customer service. In a multiple response question, 10 (83.3%) of the managers say the website has improved communications between the company and the customers, while 8 (66.7%) suggest that the website has substantially improved customer satisfaction, customer value preposition, as well as customer loyalty. Over half of the managers (55.5%) suggest that the website has facilitated customer service by enhancing response times. The rest of the distribution is demonstrated in the figure below.

The figure above shows that the development and use of the website has enhanced many customer service attributes, including customer-company communications, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, customer value, as well as response times for customer orders, complaints, and other issues; however, the company needs to do more to ensure that the increased use of the website is able to enhance customer follow-up and facilitate order processing.

Eight in every ten managers (82.8%) believe that most of the customers served by the company approve the use of the website in making their online purchases. Additionally, most of the managers believe that there have been dramatic changes in the way the website has

1. increased value to the companys customer service offerings,
2. enhanced order entry accuracy among customers,
3. enhanced the quality of services provided by the company, and
4. significantly reduced the incidences of missing orders.

The rest of the results are shown in the following table.

Table 4. Descriptive Statistics of how Website has Improved Customer Service.

The table above shows how the website has been able to dramatically improve customer service attributes in multiple areas; however, a major area of concern is that most of the managers surveyed have noted no changes in the number of calls by customers and also in the order updating status. This observation can be partly explained by the cultural orientation of most customers in the African context, who go ahead to call to enquire about the status of their orders or to request for more information due to the perceived shortfalls related to online communication.

Discussion

Improving customer service

This research set out to investigate how the development and use of a website improve customer service in a bottled water company based in Nigeria. The findings of the study demonstrate that the development and use of a website enhance the customer service experience by improving the customers shopping experience, influencing their online buying behaviour, and saving them money and/or time while making purchases. It has been found that, through the use of the website, customers are able to check for more alternatives before making purchases, personalise and enjoy their shopping experiences, keep up with socio-cultural and technological trends, gain psychological satisfaction, compare different prices at the click of the mouse, and save on transportation costs. Klaus (2013) and Cummins et al (2014) found similar results in the developed world context, implying that the customer service attributes improved by the presence of websites are universal.

To reinforce the findings of previous studies, the present study demonstrates that the use of the website has improved customer service in key areas of company-customer communications, customer satisfaction, customer value preposition, customer loyalty, and response times. Indeed, these findings are consistent with Wang and Chens (2009, p. 972) assertion that the high quality of service attributes in a website has been shown to generate customer loyalty that is reflected as customer retention, word-of-mouth recommendation, premium payment and cross-buying. Similarly, Kandulapati and Bellamkonda (2014) have acknowledged that customer value is of immense significance in understanding customers purchasing intentions, enhancing customer satisfaction and organisational performance, developing brand loyalty, and ensuring the sustenance of overall competitive advantage.

Lastly, it has been found that the development and use of a website in the bottled water company has increased the value of the companys customer service offerings, enhanced order entry accuracy among customers, facilitated the quality of services provided by the company, and substantially reduced missing order incidences. These findings can be said to cut across different contextual and environmental situations, as they have also been cited comprehensively in studies such as those of Karagozoglu and Lindell (2004), Sindhuja and Dastidar (2009), and Green and Pearson (2011).

However, from the findings, it is evident that more needs to be done to ensure that the increasing use of the website leverages customer satisfaction by enhancing customer follow-up, facilitating order processing periods, substantially reducing the number of calls made by customers, as well as enhancing order updating status. It is also clear that the bottled water company is yet to fully adopt the website in measuring order accuracy and process enhancement, despite a strand of existing literature (e.g., Huang 2008, Fang et al 2012; Abiodun 2013; Daryanto et al 2013) demonstrating that websites have the capacity to guarantee these important customer service attributes.

E-Quality Dimensions

This study also set out to investigate how the five e-quality dimensions (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility, information quality) enhance the customer service attributes in the company. In the ease of ease dimension, it is evident that most customers use the website because it is not only simple to learn, proficient to use, effortless to remember and enjoyable to use, but also because it causes few errors and demonstrates faster download speeds. These findings exemplify those by Sindhuja and Dastidar (2009). The ease of use concept and its underlying attributes (e.g., navigability, download delay, and interactivity) have been well documented in the Palmer (2002) model and also in Agarwal and Venkatesh (2002) model. These findings are consistent with Law and Bais (2008) assertion that websites must have the capacity to enhance customers capacities to learn how to browse and find important information on the web without expending much effort.

In the reliability dimension, the study has found that most customers use the website due to its capacity to quickly recover from errors, its effectiveness in tracking order status including sending follow-up and transaction confirmation messages, as well as its capacity to communicate effectively with customers. These findings are consistent with those of Kuo et al (2005, p. 2005), who acknowledge that a reliable website should ensure correct operations, rapid access, quick error recovery, security, tracking order status, and privacy to enhance users confidence. However, it is evident from the study findings that more needs to be done to enhance the privacy and trust of customers through the use of site signatures, explicit guarantees and terms of service. The privacy and trust concepts may be explained in terms of security concerns and perceived risks, whereby most Nigerians are still averse to web-based shopping due to risks and uncertainties associated with disclosing their credit card information and paying for goods or services without verifying their quality (Abiodun 2013).

In the responsiveness dimension, it is evident that customer service attributes are enhanced due to several factors, including the availability of customer care representatives and capacity of the personnel to respond to customer complaints and issues within a short period, as well as the capacity of the customer care representatives to deliver the desired feedback. These findings are well collaborated in the literature by Kuo et al (2005, p. 313), who note that customer loyalty increases substantially when online buyers learn that customer service representatives were available and were willing and able to resolve the situation quickly. However, it is clear from the findings that the company needs to do more to develop the capacity to effectively respond to individualised customer issues and complaints.

In the accessibility dimension, findings of the study demonstrate that customer service attributes are enhanced by the fact that the website is able to provide 24/7 customer service, and also by its capacity to provide faster download speeds. According to Ribbink et al (2004), a website must have the capacity not only to provide 24/7 services to its customers but also to afford faster download speeds, as customers have many opportunities for instant access from many other potential sources. In spite of this, the findings of the present study underscore the need for the company to develop strategies intended to not only enhance users self control in the online environment, but also ensure payment information for online purchases is easily accessible online.

Lastly, in the information quality dimension, the study findings demonstrate that customer service is substantially enhanced by the websites capacity to provide relevant and up-to-date information and also to ensure that the information provided is accurate, easy to understand, and timely. As acknowledged by Kuo et al (2005) and Wang and Chen (2009) in their respective studies, the variables employed to assess information quality on a website include accuracy, ease of understanding, timeliness, relevance or usefulness, flexible information presentation, completeness, customised information presentation, price information, product/service differentiation, complete product/service description, and whether the information provided is up to date. However, it is evident from the study findings that the company needs to do more to ensure the website is able to

1. provide a complete description of available products,
2. provide customised or individualised information, and
3. use graphics and pictures with the view to enhancing information appeal.

Study Limitations

The low response rate experienced in the data collection process could work to limit the generalisability of the study findings, as available literature demonstrates that quantitative research should utilise a large and representative sample (Newman 2003; Creswell 2014). Time constraints have also worked against the researcher, as there was no opportunity to follow on the participants who failed to submit the duly filled questionnaires on time. It is largely believed that more time could have enabled the researcher to engage a larger sample, thus ensuring that the study findings are readily generalised to a larger population.

Future Research Areas

In the future, it would be appropriate to investigate how age and gender variables influence the websites capacity to improve customer service in the context of developing markets. It would also be appropriate to continue with this baseline research and investigate ways by which the continued use of this website is able to attract and retain customers.

Conclusion

This study has succeeded in demonstrating how the development and use of a website improve customer service in a bottled water company based in Nigeria. An important point to underscore is that many of the customer service attributes enhanced by the presence and use of the companys website have been found in other research studies done in Western contexts, implying that these attributes may be similar. Additionally, the present study has succeeded in showing how the selected e-quality dimensions (ease of use, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility, and information quality) function to improve customer service in the contexts of developing markets. It is also the conclusion of the researcher that many of these dimensions operate in the same way as is the case in the developed markets. However, security, risk and trust issues are still of paramount importance in the Nigerian context, as most customers are increasingly averse to web-based shopping owing to the risks and uncertainties associated with things such as disclosing credit card information to strangers and paying for products and services without physically verifying their quality.

Recommendations

A major component of the present study relates to the development of the recommended best practices that could be used by this organisation and other companies to improve customer service in Nigeria. Drawing from an in-depth analysis of the study findings, the recommendations for best practices are as follows:

Firstly, the company should enlist the services of professionals in its IT and marketing departments to develop strategies that will ensure the website is able to leverage customer service by enhancing customer follow-up, facilitating order processing periods, considerably reducing the number of calls made by customers, and enhancing order updating status.

Secondly, the senior management of the company should liaise with other professionals in the firm in a bid to enhance the privacy and trust of online customers by, for example, incorporating elements such as site signatures, explicit guarantees and terms of service into the website. Thirdly, the company needs to develop strategies and processes aimed at ensuring that the website is able to respond to individualised customer issues and complaints with the view to enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Fourthly, the company should consider making investments in web-based programs that will not only enhance customers self control in the online environment, but also ensure that payment information for online purchases is easily accessible online. Lastly, the company needs to make considerable investments in developing programs and processes that will not only provide a complete description of available products and customised or individualised information, but also increase the use of graphics and pictures in the website with the view to enhancing information appeal.

Consideration for Organisational/Professional Issues

Overall, it is expected that the company avails USD 100,000 to develop the strategies, programs and processes that will ensure the optimal implementation of the recommendations stated above. The company may use its IT and marketing professionals to implement the recommendations; however, it may source for external experts in website design and development to ensure all recommendations are successfully incorporated into the website for optimal improvement of customer service attributes. No potential resistance is anticipated as the recommendations are intended to improve the website based on the mentioned best practices.

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The researchers from Worldwatch institute have found out that the consumption of bottled water has gone up to approximately 40% (Wait, 2008).There have been various reasons for this consumption such as, climatic change, raised living standard and population growth etc. According to Saleem, particularly, in Middle East, the consumption of bottled water from 2003 to 2008 has become double (Wait, 2008).

Masafi Company: The establishment of Masafi Company happened in 1976 and now it is a leading company having a strong distribution network globally (Masafi, n.d.). The mineral water is natural which is collected from the mountains of Ras Al Khaima (Masafi Marketing Audit Presentation, 2012).

The rich underground springs of Masafi are the resources for this superior quality bottled water. The companys use of Poly Ethylene Terephatalate (PET) for packaging can be observed as companys commitment for the conservation of the environment. The PET bottling plant that has a capacity of producing 34,000 bottles in an hour is well equipped with the advance technology (Masafi: The Leading Producer of the Bottled Mineral Water in the Gulf, n. d.).

Al Ain Mineral Water Company: Masafis big competitor is Al Ain Mineral Water Company. In the local UAE market it is the great challenge for Masafi. Al Ain Mineral Water Company has met the standards set by the US Food and Drug Administration. It has been awarded HAACP certificate in 2002.

This company started in the year 1990. Its plant is located in Al Ain city where underground springs of natural, pure, mineral water are in abundance (Field, 2007).

Agthia, the owner of the brand Al Ain Mineral Water has expanded its distribution channels to enhance the growth of their bottled water business. The chief executive of the group, Ilias Assimakopoulos says, We believe that the water business has quite a growth movement in the UAE, especially in the Northern Emirates, which is the key growth opportunity for us (Duncan, 2012 Para 4).

The brand name Al Ain is popular in the markets of UAE for the fine quality of its pure and natural water that is collected from the untouched Al Ain springs. Al Ain water is primarily sold in the UAE markets and only a small percentage is exported to the adjoining GCC markets (Field, 2007).

The Al Ain Water laboratory use up-to-date equipment for testing water and packaging material to certify the good quality of the product (Al Ain, n.d.).

Comparison: The quality of water is analyzed on the basis of minerals present in it. Also, it is important to check the quality of the plastic of the bottles used for packaging and observe if no chemicals are used for the cleaning of the bottles when they go on the water dispenser (Drinking Water, 2013).

The following picture is the chemical analysis of bottled water brands in the UAE:

Source: FooDiva, 2011

As per the norms NHS has set some standards of using Sodium which should be less than 200 mg per liter and sulphate should not be present more than 250 mg per liter.

Al Ain water has 8mg per liter sodium and 5 mg sulphate present in the bottled water. Masafi has 10mg/liter sodium and 19mg/liter sulphate in its bottled water (Drinking Water, 2013).

Manufacturing of Masafi and Al Ain Water:

The resource of Masafi water is the mountain and this is why the water is rich in minerals. The water is collected through many pipes and funnels which are connected to the bottling plant. This plant is generally situated in the nearby area. With the help of the pipes the water is collected and then it is pumped out for filtration.

The water resource and production manager, Pankag Naik describes the procedure that a firmly controlled filtering system carries water through the filters and 0.03-micro-filters in a cooled state. During this final inspection, if something goes wrong, the alarms go off and the procedure is stopped by shutting down the plant. For making the bottles, a small bottle is made first with a little white ball and then it is heated to make it 8cm long.

The next step is to fill the bottles, which is done by fixing the bottles on a conveyer belt with their necks dangling and passed to the the other room where the process of filling water in the bottles takes place. Water is filled into the bottles with high-pressure jet. A 500 ml bottle is filled within 3 seconds. The whole procedure takes place automatically. People are there only to supervise the work. The production is higher during the summer season because of the increased demand of water (Harnan, 2010).

Source: Masafi presentation for Central Europe, 2010, p.22.

Source: Masafi presentation for Central Europe, 2010, p.22.

The process of making mineral water is different for Al Ain Water Company. The stainless pipes are used for carrying water. Through these pipes the water is carried from the natural springs to the tanks. The tanks are totally made for water storage. Water is taken directly from the source and pumped to the bottling facility. It reduces the risks of contamination that is normally caused during handling and transportation procedure.

Here, bottles and cups are molded by heating PET and then transferred on conveyor belts to get rinsed and filled. Thereafter, these bottles are capped and labeled. The bottles and cups are packed in cartons and stored in the warehouse.

To promote bulk buying and provide convenient handling, Al Ain Water has recently started using plastic shrink-wrapping for sets of bottles (Emirates food stuff and mineral water company, n.d.)

Source: Emirates foodstuff and mineral water company, n.d. p.19

Production Line and designing of Masafi and Al Ain water: Masafi has earned its name as brand for packaged mineral water. FMCG industry Masafi has been working for 35 years and has volunteered into the field of flavoured water, chips, tissues and rice. Companys focus on distinctiveness and superior business quality and the idea to deliver better quality products and meet the global quality standards has made it popular in the region (Masafi, n.d.).

The PET bottles are used for designing and packaging of Masafi mineral water. They are made of plastic but actually the plastic element is 23 percent less in making these bottles. This bottled water is safe and healthy (Masafi Marketing Audit Presentation, 2012).

A new technology has been introduced by the name of oxo-biodegradable technology. In this technology a little amount of metal salts are added to plastics to accelerate the degradation of the plastic in explicit environmental situations (Lukwaro, 2010).

Oxo-Biodegradable Shrink Wrap: this shrink wrap is environmental friendly and it is the first of its kind introduced by Masafi in this industry.

Source: Masafi presentation for Central Europe, 2010, (p.32).

When Al Ain Water started its commercial production with only one bottle line but at present it produces eight different sizes of bottled water products and water cups. The company is provided with ISO 9001 certification. It also produces PET bottle pre-forms for other bottling companies and ice blocks.

Source: Al Ain bottled water, n.d. Para 4.

There are two types of formats of 330 ml glass bottle which is offered by Al Ain Water Company: still and sparkling. This exclusive bottle is available in eight designs. Al Ain Water Company has also introduced 5-gallon pack for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain region as per the demands of the local people.

Quality control of Masafi and Al Ain Company: Masafi is very keen in improving its quality control. For which it conducts its internal auditing. It also conducts customers survey program to get their feedback.

Al Ain Water Company is also adamant to follow the standards for quality control. The inspection of the water wells takes place periodically to check contamination. Besides the internal quality control procedure, Al Ain Water gets the quality check done by its guarantor, Vittel of France (Owned by Nestle Waters) once in a month.

Conclusion

Though Masafi has secured the top most company place among the bottled mineral water companies all over the UAE, yet AL Ain Water Company seems to be a great challenge for Masafi by showing a speedy growth. It has become in a dominant position especially in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain regions.

Works Cited

Al Ain bottled water. Web.

Drinking Water 2013. Web.

Duncan, Gillian, Profits flow for Agthia with bottled water rise. 2012. Web.

Emirates foodstuff and mineral water company. Web.

Field, Roger, Water producer taps brand potential. 2007. Web.

Foo Diva 2011. Web.

Harnan, Eugine, Masafi from the source to market. The National. 2010. Web.

Lukwaro, Gureni, Masafi introduces plastic that degrades in two years. The National. 2010. Web.

Masafi. Web.

Masafi Marketing Audit Presentation 2012. Web.

Masafi: The Leading Producer of the Bottled Mineral Water in the Gulf. Web.

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Description of the Company

The history of Evian begins in 1789. At that time, the Marquis of Lessert went through Cachat and tried water from the Saint Catherine spring (An extraordinary saga of health and lifestyles, n.d.). After trying the water, the Marquis stated that it cured his illnesses (he had had problems with his liver and kidneys). Sixty-one years later, a public company appeared and took the name of Cachat, becoming the first French company to sell bottled water. However, the companys first bottles of water were released only in 1878, when the French Ministry of Health re-authorized the companys bottling license due to the approval of the Medicine Academy (An extraordinary saga of health and lifestyles, n.d.). At the beginning of the 20^th century, Evian switched to glass bottles that were manufactured by one of the Owens-Illinois branches (An extraordinary saga of health and lifestyles, n.d.).

The first bottles made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) appeared in 1969. In 1970, Danone (previously known as the BSN Group) acquired the company and became a full-fledged shareholder of Evian (An extraordinary saga of health and lifestyles, n.d.). Due to the popularity of its water, the company managed to expand, and in 1978, it made its way to the market of the United States of America. At the end of the 20^th century, Evian started to produce water in bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (An extraordinary saga of health and lifestyles, n.d.). Currently, the company is still owned by Danone. The Evian brand also relates to a luxury resort in France and a number of organic skincare products that are promoted by the Danone Group (An extraordinary saga of health and lifestyles, n.d.).

Competitive Advantages

The first competitive advantage of the company that is worth mentioning is trustworthiness. Evian is loyal to their principles and customers. Compared to other companies, Evian is much more respected for their straightforwardness and willingness to deliver only high-quality products, despite any complications (Gleick, 2014). The second competitive advantage of the company relates to its marketing strategy. Evian was able to turn their vision into a profitable business without misleading their customers (Gleick & Cooley, 2012). They position themselves as pure water suppliers, and they support their claims with action, along with an excellent taste and high quality of the product. Evian maintains a strong presence on social media and loves to engage its customers in different activities.

SWOT

When it comes to the strengths of the company, Evian highly values the origin of their water. Evian emphasizes the filtration process that their water goes through. It is safe to say that this type of attention to detail positively affects consumer outlook by explicitly pointing to the purity of the end product (Jones, Hillier, & Comfort, 2014). Moreover, Evian was one of the pioneers of the bottled water industry. They were able to build up a sort of heritage, create a flawless business image, and transform a small company into one of the most renowned water companies in the world. Another strength of Evian includes its popularity among consumers who prefer high-quality products (Russell, 2014). Moreover, a major part of Evians customer base considers the concept of healthy water to be the core asset of the company. They love the natural background of this brand, and Evian does not hesitate to promote their product in order to reach all possible market segments.

One of the most evident weaknesses of the company is the cost of water distribution. The problem consists in the fact that the French Alps are the only source of water utilized by Evian. Apparently, the existing trends impose the necessity to provide local products instead of shipping them from one location only (Kapferer, 2012). Another weakness is a logical extension of the first one due to the fact that Evian must compete with a number of authoritative rivals such as Highland Springs. Overall, the competition in this market segment is rather strong, and Evian has to come up with innovative strategies if they want to continue to be a market leader (Kapferer, 2012).

One of the key opportunities available to Evian is a review of the recyclability of their bottles. More specifically, the company should consider switching from PET to rPET bottles. It is imperative to mention that they have already started selling water in rPET bottles, so it will be interesting to trace their success in the market (Jones et al., 2014). Another opportunity relates to new promotional options such as billboards and bus stop advertisements. Such advertising will help Evian encourage purchasing habits in traveling people and extend the companys customer base.

When talking about threats, Evian may be exposed to huge criticism regarding the companys massive emissions of CO2. These emissions are due to the fact that the companys water comes from only one source, meaning that container ships have to travel all around the world in order to ship it (Gleick & Cooley, 2012). Another threat relates to other water companies. Evian may be tremendously impacted by industry competitors such as Mountain Valley, Nestle, and many more.

References

An extraordinary saga of health and lifestyles. (n.d.). Web.

Gleick, P. H. (2014). Bottled and sold: The story behind our obsession with bottled water. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Gleick, P. H., & Cooley, H. (2012). Bottled water and energy. The Worlds Water, 2(12), 157-164. Web.

Jones, P., Hillier, D., & Comfort, D. (2014). Water stewardship and corporate sustainability: A case study of reputation management in the food and drinks industry. Journal of Public Affairs, 15(1), 116-126. Web.

Kapferer, J. (2012). The new strategic brand management: Advanced insights and strategic thinking (5h ed.). London, UK: Kogan Page.

Russell, T. (2014). Bottled water: The next empire and its effect on the planet. Appalachian Natural Resources, 8(1), 214-230.

Introduction

Tipperary Mineral Water Company (TMWC) was founded in 1986 in Tipperary, Ireland. Currently, the company is part of the Gleeson group and its headquarters is in Dublin. Gleeson Group also manufactures other products such as wine and cider.

In addition, it boasts of being among the 200 best companies in Ireland. TMWC specializes in the production of still and sparkling mineral water (Gleeson Group). These two brands are recognized as being the first Irish mineral water that actually met the requirements set by the European Union in regards to such products.

In addition, the company also expanded its products portfolio by introducing flavored mineral water, mineral water for children, energy drink mineral water and glassed mineral water. These products have made the company a force to reckon with in Ireland by guaranteeing a 15% market share in Ireland. This success is attributed to the fact that these new products have won the British Bottlers Institute gold award severally.

Despite these notions, consumption of mineral water in Europe is becoming a common place and many companies (existing and new) are investing heavily in this product so as to capture a piece of the seemingly lucrative venture. In fact, statistics indicate that the consumption of mineral water in the European market has increased significantly due to consumer preference.

In addition, documented evidence indicates that most people prefer mineral water than alcohol in social events. These factors indicate that there is high competition between associate companies for the natural resource as well as for the consumers within the European market. It is for these reasons that TMWC has decided to expand its operations to other markets.

Before doing this, it is always important to segment the potential markets so as to have a selection process that is efficient and successful. In this paper, we are going to analyze the potential markets that TMWC should consider within and outside Europe.

The entry strategy that is most suitable for each market shall be evaluated using the International Market Selection (IMS) model developed by Hollensen (Keegan and Schlegelmilch 27).

The European Market

As mentioned earlier, mineral water is easily becoming a preferred substitute for alcoholic beverages in the European market. In addition, more people in Europe prefer taking bottled water as compared to tapped water (Bernan 12). This is attributed to health and environmental hazards that are associated to the latter.

As such, Europe would be a great investment opportunity for the TMWC considering that the company has an array of differentiated products to offer the European consumers. Still mineral water seems to dominate the market and it is followed by Sparkling mineral water, which is used occasionally by consumers. However, the flavored mineral water would not do so well in this market since consumers do not like it as yet.

Some of the factors that are going to be considered while selecting the suitable market include but are not limited to competitors, demography, barriers to entry or exit, political and social stability, economic development of the markets, brand importance and distribution channels.

Potential countries that TMWC should consider in the European Market

Germany, France, Italy and the U.K are the best markets to invest in in Europe. Germany should be the first choice since it offers the largest market for mineral water. Germany has over 490 competitors for this product. Majority of the brands in this market are local and there are a few private labels which constitute an average of 3% of the market share.

The main competitor in this market is Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & Co. this company has an 11% market share. In regards to distribution, most of the sales (71%) of all brands are made by supermarkets and specialist bulk stores (Mineralwaters.org).

Germany is the best option since the German consumers tend to buy more carbonated water as compared to other European countries. In addition, the consumers prefer sparkling water more that they do still water. The flavored brands do not do well in this market. In addition, consumers desire to lead a healthy lifestyle has greatly increased the market growth and demand for mineral water by a rate of 8.2% in regard to sales recorded between 2006-2007 financial years (Mineralwaters.org).

Unlike in other European countries, consumers in Germany tend to buy a huge amount of carbonated water. The sale of sparkling water is higher than still water. Flavored water is unimportant and has a very small market share. The trend towards a healthy lifestyle is also contributing to the market growth rate of 8.2% in term of sales from 2006-2007.

Considering that the products of TMWC emanate from a natural source, it would be impossible and expensive to produce the water in other markets (since the company cannot move the water source). As such, the best entry strategy would be to apply a direct export strategy (using agents or intermediaries) to distribute the products (Keegan and Schlegelmilch 34).

To attract a viable consumer base, the company should create brand awareness by using the main distribution channels, which in Germany are supermarkets and bulk stores. In addition, it should focus its efforts in exporting the still and sparkling water as well as its plastic bottled products. The flavored and kids mineral water brands should be ignored since they may lead to losses.

Potential market outside Europe

Most developing and developed countries outside Europe do not use mineral water sine it is more of a luxury than a need. As such, countries that use this product have a high purchasing power or the prices are affordable to the consumers. As such, the best market to invest in would be the U.S. market. The off-trade sales revenue for mineral water in this market grew by 13.37% in 2006-2007.

In addition, this market consumes a huge amount of still water as compared to sparkling and flavored mineral water (Bernan 12). In regard to competition, Nestle SA is the leading competitor with a 19% market share. It is followed by Groupe Danone SA, which has a 10% market share. The main consumers of mineral water in this market are aged between 35 and 44 years.

In regard to distribution, 64% of all sales are made through supermarkets and food outlets while 15% of the remainder is accomplished through vending machines (mineralwaters.org).

Similarly, the best way of entering this market is by direct exportation. The main advantage of using intermediaries and agents is that they help a new company cope with the challenges associated with marketing in new international markets.

By using this strategy, TMWC will be able to market its product and advertise itself in a highly competitive market. TMWC should only export the still water products to the U.S. market. The other brands cannot compete with the well established sports and energy drinks that dominate this market.

Conclusion

From this report, it is evident that TMWC has the potential to become an international brand. However, it should tread carefully before venturing into new markets. To this end, recommendations on the best markets for entry within and outside Europe have been offered and strategies to ensure that the products sold are profitable given.

The entry strategy recommended herein will ensure that TMWC creates awareness of its product thereby placing it in a good position to compete for a larger market share in the future.

Works Cited

Bernan, Michael. Minerals Yearbook: Area Reports: International 2005, Europe and Central Eurasia. USA: Government Printing Office, 2008. Print.

Gleeson Group. Tipperary Waters: Brands. Jan. 2011. Web.

Warren and Bodo, Schlegelmilch. Global marketing management: a European perspective. New York: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.

Mineralwaters.org. Mineral Waters of the World: Market Statistics for Bottled Water. Web.

The Active Remediation algorithm (algorithm 1  Figure 1) aims to inspect the water service in Flint, Michigan, and identify those lead pipes that need to be replaced by copper pipes. The first step is a Statistical Model that refers to the property data input, including historical records, water test results, and materials observed. After that, the Inspection Decision Rule sets an active learning protocol that randomly selects homes based on the so-called focused exploration. The third step is the Replacement Decision Rule that points to the homes that require pipe replacement.

One should emphasize that the identified steps compose three subroutines that are repeated by the system as data is added. In other words, this algorithm is sequential, which allows making decisions regarding the examination of homes based on data that was received previously. Such an approach is quite accurate: approximately 70 percent of findings pinpoint lead pipes that are potentially dangerous to people since toxic elements may leak into the water supply (Abernethy, Chojnacki, Farahi, Schwartz, & Webb, 2018). The generation of inspections and replacement makes the subsequent data input more comprehensive, narrowing the search of hazardous pipes. Algorithm 1 is a vivid example of machine learning since it uses the existing data to systematically analyze new inputs, and this process is cyclic.

Some uncertainty rate exists due to sampling variation, which should be noted while considering this algorithm. It is important to state that the described algorithm uses the Importance of Weighted Active Learning (IWAL) that is more cost-effective and sensitive to varying parameters compared to other options (Figure 2).

Reference

Abernethy, J., Chojnacki, A., Farahi, A., Schwartz, E., & Webb, J. (2018). Active remediation: The search for lead pipes in Flint, Michigan. In Proceedings of the 24th ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery & Data Mining (pp. 5-14). London: ACM.

Introduction

Cooling towers are heat exchange devices that remove excess heat from different components in industries and plants by making use of the concept that water evaporation creates a cooling effect. The setup can be in form of a simple heating and air-condition system in a small structure or a complex setup on an industry. Cooling towers are found in heavy industries or energy production plants, fir instance, in the oil processing plants or chemical factories. They can vary in size according to the size of the industry and can be up to 0.25 km tall and 0.15 km in diameter for hyperbolic towers while rectangular structures can have a height of 50 m and measure 90 m long.

Forms of cooling towers

There are two major types of cooling towers: the natural draft and the mechanical draft cooling towers.

Natural draft cooling tower

It is also known as a hyperbolic cooling tower. It helps in utilizing temperature difference between the external and internal environments in cooling processes. Since hot air moves up the tower, cold air goes into the tower via the inlet located at the base. Fans are not used in this setup since there is very little circulation of hot air. In the second type of cooling tower, crusts are typically made of concrete with heights that can reach 20 meters. However, these towers are normally constructed out of withstand more since large structures of concrete costly to build. There are two major types of natural draft cooling towers namely: the cross flow tower and the counter flow tower.

The first type is an arrangement in whereby the airflow is perpendicularly bound for water flow while in the second setup, air and water move in parallel but opposite directions. Air first goes into an open area that is under the fill then moves perpendicularly downwards.

Mechanical draft cooling tower

This tower can be distinguished from the previous model in that it includes fans located outside the tower. The fans help to force air into spread out water. This process facilitates the time of contact with water, which maximizes heat transfer (Bradshaw & Pankhurst 2005). However, the degree of cooling is proportional upon variables, such as the fan dimensions and the process velocity. This model exists in three designs as described below:

Forced-draft cooling tower

This includes a fan mounted at the air entrance to blow the air and run it inside the tower. During the whole length of the process, slow-moving air is horizontally pushed throughout the packing by the fan, then perpendicularly against the water flow heading downward. Other types have an elimination drift placed at the top that helps in removing moisture that is present in the air.

Included draft counter-flow cooling tower: Here, hot water gets into the tower and the two-sided slots let the air enter from the base and discharge it through the pinnacle fan. Subsequently, forced and induced draft fans are used.

Induced draft counter flow cooling water with fill

In this type, towers may include one or two slots to allow air comes into the tower whilst hot water goes from the elevated entrance and then passes through the fill. Finally, a fan positioned at the top of the tower blows departing air.

Concepts of Energy Efficiency

Choosing the right cooling towers

This section discusses the elements of cooling towers that can aid in efficient use of energy. The most commonly used energy efficiency concepts include choice of the right cooling towers, fills, fans, motors, and water circulation systems. A number of factors affect the performance of cooling towers and these include volume, range, heat load, wet bulb temperature, and a combination of these variables.

Fill Field Impacts

In cooling towers, as the hot water cools down as it looses the latent heat of vaporization, and consequently cools the air. The fill field affects energy use in two ways:

1. Electricity is used in to thrust the water over the field of fill and in generating air that sets the fans in motion.
2. The exchange of heat between air and water is affected by three factors; the rate of heat substitution for a specific area, the length, and disturbances in the water which aids intermixing. Greater heat exchange consequently improves the cooling processes.

Pumps, Fans, and Water distribution

As a way of minimizing water use, raising the cycles of concentration through the cooling process aids in lowering water use. Bigger industries and energy plants should institute more water conservation measures as they use most water. Today, a large number of the end user specifications lead to a 0.06% drift loss.

The most important function of fans is to exchange hot air inside the system with cool air. Fans help in cooling the air and prevents the loss of pressure.

Conclusion

Water towers can reduce temperatures more than any other devices using air only to reject heat hence are more cost effective. It is important to select an appropriate cooling tower because once installed, the structural characteristics of a cooling tower are not modifiable or changeable. The two major types of cooling towers are natural draft tower, mechanical draft tower. Energy efficiency in a cooling tower can be increased by selecting the appropriate tower several other features of the cooling system such as fills, fans, motors, and water circulation systems. Besides, water conservation must be the focus of large industrial plants.

Reference

Bradshaw, P. & Pankhurst, R. C. (2005). Electrical Energy Equipment: The design of Cooling Towers, prog. Vol.5 (36), pp 1-64.

Introduction

Partition coefficient between marine water and passive samples of diuron, decadienal, atrazine, fluoranthene, and desethylatrazine compounds will be performed by spiking with a mixture and passive samplers are exposed. Standard compounds will be analyzed on the studying of the different time points when water and passive samplers are extracted and concentrated extracts are analyzed with HPLC-UV or HLPC-MS. The time that is needed for reaching the equilibrium is needed for the proper defining of the partition coefficient.

Partition coefficient

Diuron, decadienal, atrazine, fluoranthene, and deethylatrazine compounds are studied by numerous researchers, and definition of the partition coefficient is based on the necessity to identify the concentration of un-ionized compounds.

Methodology

Marine water samples are spiked at 1 mg/L. 50ml of water is spiked and ½ silicone sheet or 50 mg Sepra ZT is added. Sepra ZT is exposed for t=0, 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days, silicone sheets are exposed for t=0, 1, 5, 14, 28, 42 days. After extraction extracts are evaporated to 0.5ml and injected on a HPLC system and concentrations are determined with UV or MS. As a performance reference compounds several CB are used in the silicone rubber sheets and will be detected with GC-MS. Atrazinedesisopropyl-d5 is used as a reference compound in Sepra ZT.

Data Analysis

The data achieve may be analyzed in accordance with the relations found. The values of molecules in the solutions are associated with the observed differences of the volumes. The structural differences within the compound glass is studied by observing the effect on log D on diuron and decadienal atoms in PCB congeners (Rusina and Smedes1805). The positions of the atoms, as well as the partitioning coefficient was calculated in accordance with the following formulas:

and

Where the intercept b is regarded as a log D of the molecule volume.

The components that are analyzed have the following partitioning coefficients:

The measured values are regarded as the decreased as the increasing partition sampling coefficient is lower in comparison with the hydrodynamic condition Rs H K_pw^-0.08.

As for the second part of the research, the rubber covers are used for proper dosing, and Rusina and Smedes (363) emphasized the following:

An excess number of spiked silicone rubber (SR) sheets was used for dosing the water phase. The uptake rate of target compounds by non-spiked SR passive samplers exposed in the same chamber was used to estimate the Rs over large hydrophobic range. The concentration in the dosing sheets is equal to the equilibrium concentration in the uptake samplers, while Cw in water can be calculated from the passive sampler-water partition coef
cients (Kpw) and data interpretation is not hampered by uncertainty in measurement of Cw.

In the light of this fact, the time that is needed for reaching the equilibrium will depend on the parts of the solutions taken, and the values will be close to the following:

Conclusion

The partitioning coefficient of the water solutions with of diuron, decadienal, atrazine, fluoranthene, and desethylatrazine compounds are calculated in accordance with the formula based on defining the positioning of the atoms. The time needed for reaching an equilibrium in solutions calculated on the basis of the coefficients, and spiking of the SR passive samplers.

References

Rusina, Tatsiana, Foppe Smedes. Diffusion Coefficients of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Polydimethylsiloxane and Low-Density Polyethylene Polymers. Research Centre for Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Kamenice 126/3, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic. 2009

Rusina, Tatsiana, Foppe Smedes. Calibration of Silicone Rubber Passive Samplers: Experimental and Modeled Relations between Sampling Rate and Compound Properties. Environmental Science & Technology. 2010, 44, 362367