Level Of Patronage Research Articles

Ferry Operators’ Perception on Influencing Factors of Ferry services in Lagos, Nigeria

Ferry operations and services are comprised of constituent factors that might be either simple or complex, depending on how they are regarded. Population density, frequency of service, fare, weather, operating cost and time, safety and cleanliness, and so on all play a role. This study aims to assess the factors which influence ferry operations and services in Lagos State with specific objectives to assess the socio-economic characteristics of the ferry operators; determine the level of supply of ferry by the operators; and identify the influencing factors of ferry ridership from Operators’ perspective. Primary and secondary data were source. However, a survey design method was deployed and used for the study. Trip survey was done daily; involved morning and evening traffic between 6:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. For boat/ferry operators, the sample size was 111. The data was analyzed using inferential and descriptive statistics; processed data from questionnaire results was evaluated hypothetically using the Pearson Chi-Square rule. The levels or ratings of supply factors were determined using a Likert rating scale. it was revealed that Ferry ridership is heavily influenced by operating time. Hypothesis tested revealed that ridership Fare does not have associative influence of the number of trips by the operators. The study concluded that supply determinants of ferry ridership and services contribute immensely to the level of ferry patronage and provisions. There is need to monitor irregularities that may crawl-into management and sustainability of water transport development in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.

A longitudinal survey on the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on long-term rail commuting

The Covid-19 pandemic led to fundamental changes in working and commuting patterns for a segment of the workforce, with significant impacts on the level of patronage of public transport systems that are focused on catering to commuters. This aim of this work was to quantify this impact in the long term, using a longitudinal sample of 3826 commuters with a focus on those using rail in Great Britain. Using a panel built in 2020, commuting habits pre-pandemic were compared with those in February 2023. Survey data can now shed light on long-term behavioural adjustments. Building on previous waves, the current wave addresses topics such as commuting frequency, frequency of working from home (WFH) and individual perceptions of WFH and/or in the workplace plus long-term individual decisions such as changes in home location. The results revealed that the pandemic led to a reduction of 1.18 in the number of days commuting to work per week and an increase of 0.85 in the number of days WFH. In addition, if employers had not put restrictions on workplace attendance, the return to commuting would have been 12 percentage points lower. Nonetheless, there is evidence employees are internalising their employer's restrictions to some extent.

Service Differentiation and Customer Patronage of Deposit Money Banks in Port Harcourt

This study explored service differentiation and customer patronage of deposit money banks in Port Harcourt. The study adopted the correlational survey research design. The population of the study consisted of twenty-two (22) licensed deposit money banks in Port Harcourt. A sample size of 159 respondents were drawn from the population of 264 top level managers of the 22 licensed deposit money banks in Port Harcourt. The sample size was determined using the Taro Yamene’s formula while the simple random sampling technique was used to select the sample for the study. The main instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed statistically while the hypotheses were tested using Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (rho). The analysis was done with the aid of the SPSS version 22.0. The findings revealed that service quality has a positive and significant relationship with customer patronage (customer preference and customer loyalty) of deposit money banks. The study also found a positive and significant relationship between strong network connection and customer patronage (customer preference and customer loyalty) of deposit money banks. This study equally revealed that a positive and significant relationship exists between value added service and (customer preference and customer loyalty) of deposit money banks. Based on these findings, it was concluded that service differentiation significantly enhance customer patronage of deposit money banks in Port Harcourt. Based on the findings and conclusion, it was recommended that deposit money banks in Port Harcourt especially those that are experiencing low customer patronage should adopt service differentiation strategies as it would increase their level of customer patronage.

The influence of library marketing on patronage among faculty members in federal polytechnics in South-West, Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of library marketing on patronage among faculty members in federal polytechnics in South-West, Nigeria. The study was anchored on two relevant theories which are; Expectation Confirmation Theory and Social Marketing Theory. Descriptive survey design was employed. The population comprised all the academic staff on full-time appointment in federal polytechnics in South-West, Nigeria totaling 2,393. Two-stage sampling technique was employed to select 957 which formed the sample size of the study. The instrument used for data collection was an adapted questionnaire validated using Cronbach alpha in which an overall reliability coefficient of 0.975 was obtained. A total of 871 valid copies of questionnaire which were retrieved from 957 copies administered to the respondents representing 91% response rate, were used for data analysis. Data on research questions were analysed using descriptive statistics while hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance using linear regression analysis. Findings revealed low level of library patronage among the faculty members ( ̅ ); minimal adoption of marketing strategies by the polytechnic libraries ( ̅ ), and a significant positive influence of marketing on library patronage (R2 = 0.349; calculated value = 0.000 >α-level =0.05). The study concluded that library marketing is a significant predictor of patronage among faculty members in federal polytechnics in South-West, Nigeria. Consequently, it is recommended that polytechnic library managers and staff should continue to design and implement effective marketing strategies that could efficiently communicate the resources, services and facilities to the faculty members using relevant media and channel.

Educational Broadcasting and Local Languages in South East Nigeria: The Effectiveness in Safeguarding the Endangered Igbo Language

The broadcast media use indigenous languages in presenting some programmes in south east Nigeria yet, the level of patronage of some of these languages by indigenes or inhabitants of the regions where these languages operate especially the Igbo indigenous language remains grossly low. Worrisome also is the fact that UNESCO has enlisted the Igbo language as one of the Nigerian languages that is endangered. This study examines the use of educational broadcasting as a virile tool in safeguarding and developing the Igbo indigenous languages in south east Nigeria. The objectives of this study are to: determine the extent to which the broadcast media programmes on indigenous language have contributed in the awareness level of endangered language in southeast states Nigeria, find out if there are broadcast media programmes that educate the audience on how to speak, read and write the Igbo Language and ascertain other factors responsible for the poor usage of the Igbo language in the south east Nigeria. Survey research design was used with 379 copies of questionnaire as the major instrument of data collection. Two theories were used for the study; the development media and the Agenda setting theories. Enugu Metropolis was used as the case study. Data generated were analyzed using simple percentages and frequency distribution tables. Chi- square was used to test the hypothesis. Findings from the study are discussed within the context of much larger body of knowledge on educational broadcasting and the link with endangered Igbo language.

Customary land administration in Ghana; the challenges of Bolgatanga Customary Land Secretariat

ABSTRACT Ghana’s customary land sector holds great prospects in lending impetus to the country’s socio-economic development. Using the Bolgatanga Customary Land Secretariat in the Bolgatanga Traditional Area as the study area, this study examined the current challenges encountered by Customary Land Secretariats in Ghana in delivering on their mandates of streamlining customary land administration. Findings indicate that the Bolgatanga Customary Land Secretariat is well committed to streamlining customary lands management in the Traditional Area. Nonetheless, staff inadequacy, absence of technological integration, low level of patronage, and inadequate cooperation between stakeholders are impeding the Secretariat in achieving the intended objectives.

Revisiting the Big Middle: an fsQCA approach to unpack a large value market from a product specialist retailer's perspective

PurposeIdentifying the patterns of retail institutional change has piqued the interest of retail academics for nearly a century. The Big Middle hypothesis is one of the most recent and hybridized versions of similar theories. According to it, retailers seeking a dominant position in retailing can migrate into the Big Middle, the largest market segment, by specializing in a large market with a broad product assortment or by focusing on a specific product category and simultaneously catering for multiple segments at the same time. This study provides empirical evidence for the latter proposition by employing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on the case of UNIQLO, a Japanese clothing specialist retailing giant.Design/methodology/approachThe authors devised a survey to assess (1) consumers' perceptions of UNIQLO's store attributes and (2) their perceived distance between the UNIQLO and potential competitors. The authors used fsQCA procedures to identify multiple confluences of causal conditions that led to a high level of consumer patronage for UNIQLO from various market segments.FindingsThe findings show that UNIQLO's dominance in the Big Middle stems not only from capturing a sizable homogeneous market but from aggregating multiple heterogeneous market segments with disparities of various types. This finding explains how a specialty store retailer achieves its Big Middle position.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings gleaned from fsQCA are not statistically generalisable. It, therefore, is essential to ensure whether similar phenomena are observed under different spatiotemporal settings. Concerning the scope of the research, this study's finding is pertinent to only one part of the Big Middle hypothesis. Future studies are required to cover other dimensions of the Big Middle, including the generalist retailer's cases of the Big Middle.Practical implicationsThe results of this study may present a valuable tool to deepen retailers' understandings on; (1) the multiple causal recipes of customer patronages to their retail offerings, (2) who the pure fans of their stores are, (3) who their principal rivals are in the mind space of the consumers, and (4) their overall market position upon aiming to realise the Big Middle. It will give retail managers an insight into how to design, implement, and churn an efficient and effective RBM.Originality/valueThe study's originality is in empirically scrutinizing and elaborating a part of the mechanism of retail change heralded by the Big Middle hypothesis.

Influence of Dining Experiences on Customers’ Satisfaction and Loyalty in Fine Dining Restaurants in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Influence of dining experiences on customers’ satisfaction and loyalty in fine dining restaurants was investigated with the aim of underscoring what attracts patrons most significantly to such restaurants and its impact on productivity of the restaurants. A total of 10 restaurants were purposively selected based on their kind of service delivery and location within Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. 20 patrons were selected using systematic sampling technique at each of the restaurants, giving to a total of 200 respondents. Data were obtained using a well-structured questionnaire and analysed utilizing simple percentages and Pearson correlation. Finings revealed that food quality and service quality have a significant (p = 0.031 and p = 0.003 respectively) influence on level of patronage at fine dining restaurant. It was discovered that there is no significant (p = 0.824) relationship between and physical environment and level of patronage at fine dining restaurant. The study concludes that, in fine dining restaurants the quality of food offered, and service rendered are significant determinants of customers’ satisfaction and predictor of customers’ loyalty. Restaurateurs should focus more on maintaining and/or improving food and service quality. However, physical environment should not be neglected because it also critical to fine dining experience.

English

Numerous studies have been conducted on farm radio programmes but there is limited information on farmers’ level of patronage, utilisation and satisfaction with the information obtained. This study aimed to fill this gap. The research was carried out in the Bosome Freho District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana with 400 farmers selected using the multi-stage sampling technique. Data were analysed using means, standard deviations, and the chi-square test of independence. Results show that the farmers highly patronized the farm radio programmes. Although farmers were satisfied with the farm radio programmes, their utilization of knowledge from the programmes was low. Patronage of farm radio programmes is associated with radio set ownership, educational level and age of farmer. The study recommends that farmers should be encouraged to own radio sets and continue to rely on farm radio programmes for agricultural information. The reasons behind the low utilisation of information from farm radio programmes and why patronage and satisfaction are high need to be researched further.   Key words: Agricultural knowledge source, farm radio, Ghana, listenership, patronage, satisfaction, utilisation.

Citizens lack access to healthcare facilities: How COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing policies boost roadside chemist businesses in South-Eastern Nigeria.

This study examines how COVID‐19 lockdown and social distancing policies impacted on citizens' access to healthcare facilities and the level of patronage of chemist/pharmacies for self‐treatment. A cross‐sectional questionnaire survey method was used to collect data by asking individuals quantitative and qualitative questions in person which included 6 structured open‐ended questions. Participants include operators of purposively selected three classes of small businesses/self‐employed services in South‐Eastern Nigeria. This involves 120 fashion/event related businesses, 80 food related businesses and 100 general merchandise–a total of 300 small businesses. Quantitative data were analysed by frequencies and descriptive statistics while qualitative data were analysed using thematic/content analysis. It concludes that although COVID‐19 lockdown policies are generally perceived to have negative effects on small businesses, these policies have particularly had positive effects on the chemist/pharmacies businesses compared with other small businesses. About 85% increase in patronage of chemist businesses compared with 63.7% decline in patronage of other small businesses is essentially linked to increasing rate of self‐medication as a result of government's poor implementation of COVID‐19 public health policies amidst lockdown measures–which limited people's access to hospitals and healthcare centres. The study proposes reformed pandemic‐lockdown policies to increase people's access to healthcare services and reduce overreliance on self‐medication and excessive patronage of roadside chemist/pharmacies.

Congestion Control Mechanism In GSM Telecommunication: A Review

The level of patronage being experienced in Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) in Nigeria is overwhelming, this is due to the fact that GSM is been used by anyone , anytime and everywhere .This led to a lot of congestion in network resulting to bandwidth degradation and decrease in quality of services. This research has developed a management algorithm for the management of the GSM congestion and evaluated the algorithm based on their performance, Call admission control was combined with other GSM congestion control mechanism to achieve a good and better result. The work integrates all the algorithms together in order to manage the congestion considering all the strengths and constraints of each algorithm.

Comparative Analysis of Revenue Generation and Management of Hotels in Different Locations in Ilorin, Nigeria

Hoteliers clearly believe that location is important for a hotel, and have market research evidence to support this. However, almost nothing has been done to enable this issue to be incorporated into revenue generation. There is a gap in the literature relating to analysis from a location-side approach for increase revenue. This study therefore is untaken to compare revenue generation of hotels with different locations in Ilorin, Nigeria. Two research instruments were used in the study. The first research indictment is the use of a Geographical Positioning System (GPS) while the second is the use of questionnaire. The results of the hypotheses tested shows that there is a significant difference in revenue generated by hotels located in City Centre, sub-urban and highways in Ilorin, significant difference between level of patronage by hotels located in city Centre, sub-urban and highways in Ilorin ; no significant difference in pricing among hotels located in city Centre, sub-urban and highways in Ilorin; significant difference between pricing of services and revenue generated by hotels located in city Centre, sub-urban and highways in Ilorin. The study concludes that revenue will increase if proper management of hotels is being ensured regardless of the hotel locations.

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CROSS-BORDER PATIENT MOBILITY AND UTILIZATION OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES ON THE NIGERIA-CAMEROON BORDER, BAMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BORNO STATE

This research was carried out retrospectively on the Nigerian – Cameroon border. There are so many communities that live on this border. It was stated in the Border Community Development Agency Act (2003) that Bama Local Government area has 120 identified border communities. These populations therefore need to have access to healthcare facilities on either side of the boundary as they interact in different ways, which expose them to infections, contagious and other socially transmittable diseases. Cross-border healthcare access is therefore relevant to people living on the border. This study examines the extent of cross-border patient mobility and healthcare utilization in the three districts (Banki, Dare-el-jamal and Kumshe) on the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The researchers used mix methods research design. Survey was conducted supplemented by qualitative method which enables the researchers to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. The researchers and two trained research assistants went to the two camps that host internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Bama local government area (Dalori camp I and II) and identified 625 cross-border patients that come from Banki, Dare-el-jamal and Kumshe districts. This served as the sample population for the research and 40% of the population was selected as sample respondents by random sampling technique. Descriptive statistical tools were used to interpret the data acquired i.e percentages and Chi-square at P≤0.05 was used to test whether cross-border healthcare utilization in the study area was gender sensitive. Distance decay curves were also used to measure the impact of distance on the level of patronage of healthcare facilities across the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The study revealed that there were established health centres in the three districts but were poorly equipped and that more Nigerians patronize the healthcare facilities across the border where 65.5% of the respondents indicated that more Nigerians sought treatment in Cameroon.

Awareness of Market Potentials and Utilization of Cashew Fruit: Perspectives of Cashew Farmers in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana

In spite of its nutritional and economic values, Cashew apple has received low patronage in terms of commercialization and utilization and policy focus. This has led to underutilization and wastage of fresh fruits, which could contribute to farmer’s income. This study explored the state of awareness of the market potential and consumption of cashew apple among farm households in selected areas of Brong Ahafo in Ghana. A total 200 respondents were randomly interviewed in addition to a Focus group discussion. The results indicate there is a large number of farmers with long years of farming and trading in cashew yet trading has mainly been focused on the nuts and not fresh fruits which is nutritive. Contrary to literature in the study area apples has some level of patronage in home consumption, but attempts at exploiting cashew apple market potentials among farmers is low or nonexistent.

The use of online legal information access and retrieval devices in the e-library of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Nigeria

This study examined the availability of online legal information access and retrieval devices and their utilization in the e-library of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar. To aid the study, the faculty of law students constituted the population of study. Of this 433 students formed the sample of the study being the bona fide law library registered students who completed and returned the questionnaire.The research instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. The instrument was designed to elicitinformation on the availability of fifteen online legal information and access devices in the e-library library and the extent of their utilization in accessing and retrieving legal information in the library. Findings reveal that although the e-library library had a number of the sampled online access and retrieval devices there were disparities in their usages by the students. The disparity in the utilization of these devices stemmed from the fact that some were heavily utilized than others, while some were non-existence. The study further showed that but for the manifest problems that affected the usages of the devices, the level of patronage implied that the e-library seems to be the in-thing in contemporary information search and access for possible utilization to meet desired goals.

Influence of Facilities on Patronage of the Various Shopping Malls in Ibadan, Nigeria

The way shopping malls have sprawled every nook and cranny particularly in the developing economy is evident from major cities to even sub-urban areas. The expansion evident in the various locations of these shopping malls can be attributed to its patronage. Earlier researchers have linked the patronage of these malls to influences resulting from location, gender, image, type of shoppers amongst other. Even though studies on facilities and how it influences patronage are evident particularly in the developed economies such work also studied other factors thereby not giving a detailed finding on the linkage between facilities provided in such malls and the level of patronage from shoppers. This present study thereby focuses on influence of facilities provided on patronage of the five (5) identified shopping malls in Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria. The study being a cross-sectional research survey entailed the distribution of questionnaires to 143, 126, 127, 145 and 126 shoppers of Cocoa Mall; Heritage Mall; Jericho Mall; Palms Mall and Ventura Mall, respectively all located in the study area, Ibadan. A cumulative response rate of 80.3% was attained. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics of weighted mean and substantiated with factor analysis. It was revealed that most identified facilities in the malls have a great influence on patronage of the malls. However, in order to avoid superfluity of investment, investors could commence provision of Eatery / Food court (Co-V1, 0.72) as recreation facility; Kids play center (Co-V1, 0.79) as children’s facility; Toilet/Restroom (Co-V1, 0.84) as service facility; POS (Co-V1, 0.91) as banking facility and free medical checkup (CoV1, 0.91) as health facility as these have most remarkable influence on patronage of the malls. The researchers hereby advocated that investors can be guided in the provision of the relevant facilities to prevent superfluity while the keen sustenance of these specific facilities can sustain patronage of the various malls in the study area.

Social and Conventional Media Patronage Among University Students: A Comparative Study

The study was conducted to comparatively analyze the patronage of social and conventional media among students; a case study of University of Maiduguri. The study is significant because it helped in unveiling the paradigm shift in respect of social and conventional media patronage. The objectives of the study are to examine the level of patronage of conventional and social media by students of University of Maiduguri, to find out the reasons for the preference of either social or conventional media by University of Maiduguri students, to determine the reliance of the students on either social media or conventional media. Uses and gratification theory was adopted as philosophical guide. Survey was the research method used, with questionnaire as instrument that was purposively distributed among 200 respondents. The survey established that patronage of media (either social or conventional) among students is absolutely positive. Simply put, every student patronizes either social or conventional media. Social media has higher level of patronage compared to the conventional media among the students and their patronage. There is high commitment of the students to the type of media they patronize. According to this finding, the higher number obtained from patronage of social media influence level of commitment in this finding. This further means that degree of patronage of social media is higher than conventional media. The amount of time audience allocates to the patronage of media either social or conventional is huge. This finding is also influenced by the first finding regarding the number of those that patronize conventional and social media. This means the amount of time spent on social media is higher than the conventional media by the students. There is exorbitant preference to the social media than conventional media. There is still significant number of audience who prefer the conventional media to social media. Audiences prefer conventional media because of accuracy and reliability of information. Professionalism and standard in ethics, spelling and grammar are also influential reason on their preference of conventional media. Audiences prefer social media for instant messages and updates found on the platforms. However, interactivity and participatory nature play significant role on their preference of social media. Each of the media influence its audience based peculiar characteristic and features which pilot the level of patronage. Because some like more interactivity and participation, the social media is waxing strong in this respect while the conventional media keep soaring higher among those who prefer reliable and accurate information that been professionally verified. Most of the audiences rely on information they receive from the social media even though significant number (39.5%) still doubt the reliability of such information. Almost all audiences rely on conventional media. The number (6%) of those who do not rely on such information is less or no significance. The degrees of reliance vary across the audience.

Library usage by university accounting students: a comparison of contact and open distance learning institution in South Africa

The level of library patronage among accounting students is examined both in a distance and a contact learning institution in South Africa. We used a structured questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 500 accounting students from both a distance and a contact learning institution in South Africa, out of which 379 returned a completed questionnaire, representing 76%. Findings show an apathy among South African university accounting students towards library services patronage, which is exacerbated by lecturers' practice of giving assignments that do not require students to search for information beyond what is in their recommended textbooks. The most significant factor that influences universities' accounting students' patronage of library resources is the expertise and interaction with library staff. This confirms the Expectation-Confirmation Theory that accounting students from both institutions examined based their level of satisfaction on their perception of the library services they received. Library management needs an understanding of the teaching and learning practices of the accounting discipline and collaborate with curriculum developers to improve accounting students' usage of library resources. In future, the number of universities offering accounting programmes in South Africa needs expanding and so that university libraries can cater for higher numbers of accounting students.

The Masonry Block Industry in Akwa Ibom State: Challenges and Prospects of Entrepreneurial Development

The study investigates the challenges and prospects of entrepreneurial development of Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs). The focus is on the masonry block industry in Akwa Ibom State. Data used for the analyses were collected through 139 returned and valid structured questionnaires, administered on the respondents including, owners/managers of masonry block industry, small and medium size contractors. Data collected was analysed using percentage, mean item score and Kruskal Wallis Rank test. The results reveal a high level of patronage and prospect for entrepreneurship growth of SMEs masonry block industry. The further reveal ready availability of products, time/energy savings, material efficiency, quality control, and employment opportunities among the major prospective advantages of SMEs masonry block industry. Major challenges confronting entrepreneurial growth and development of SMEs masonry block industry in the study area include inadequate funding, high cost of production, inflation, unstable patronage, and poor managerial skill. The study recommends that government should provide an enabling business environment and infrastructures through its Support Initiatives and Policies for masonry block industry to thrive in addition to the provision of business enabling infrastructure in ensuring increased productivity, reduction in production cost and profit optimization. Keywords: Economic Growth, Employment, Developing Nation, Entrepreneurship, SMEs. DOI : 10.7176/CER/11-10-04 Publication date: November 30 th 2019

Antecedents to consumer buying behavior: the case of consumers in a developing country

While consumers play a very crucial role in the marketing strategies of companies, effective development of strategies must satisfy their needs and wants. Therefore, an evaluation and understanding of the underlying factors and/or dimensions influencing consumer buying behavior are critical for supermarkets to both retain and acquire new customers. The article reports on factors impacting the consumer buying behavior and the relationship among the factors. The study uses data from a cross-sectional survey conducted within a random sample of 699 customers at 17 supermarkets in Nairobi, Kenya. Reliability and factorial validity of the self-administered questionnaire were evaluated and considered satisfactory, while structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test several hypotheses. Social characteristics were a good predictor of the consumers’ inclination to patronize a supermarket, thus directly influencing the buying behavior. A strong positive connection between psychological factors and buying behavior was ascertained based on income, which suggests that although psychological characteristics impact consumer attitudes towards the supermarket, income and education levels may well play a determining role in this regard. Retail marketers in general and in Kenya in particular are encouraged to be cognizant of the above when developing strategic marketing programs to increase the level of patronage. As a research paper, the study is limited to the data and prior empirical research. It offers the benefit of new research directions for marketing managers in understanding and satisfying the consumers. The main contribution of the present research, interdisciplinary in nature due to combining elements linked to both marketing and psychology, is its focus on consumer buying behavior towards supermarkets in a developing country, thus producing revealing insights.