Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10321/3909
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dc.contributor.advisorMatsiliza, Noluthando S.-
dc.contributor.authorMuthwa, Emmanuel Xolanien_US
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-17T10:02:41Z-
dc.date.available2022-03-17T10:02:41Z-
dc.date.issued2021-
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10321/3909-
dc.descriptionSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Management Sciences: Public Administration, Department of Public Management, Economics, and Law At Durban University of Technology, 2021.en_US
dc.description.abstractWater services are critical to the provision of safe drinking water. Access to clean water is recognised as a human right in many countries. In South Africa, the Constitution, the Water Service Act, and the National Water Act are the water legal framework. Recognizing the significance of having access to a safe and sufficient water supply has become a core business for many cities. However, as in many developing countries, South Africa is facing noteworthy challenges with water provision. These challenges are frequently characterized by intermittent water provision, low pressure, and poor water service quality. The uMgungundlovu district municipality has seen an increase in public outrage over water service quality, inevitably resulting in community reactions that are frequently the source of violent protests. Some of the issues that the communities are facing include inappropriate water access, a slow response time from the municipality, and inefficient water infrastructure. Thus, the study aimed to explore how satisfied the community in the uMgungundlovu district municipality is with the water service provision. Furthermore, this study intended to design a framework that can enhance water quality services in the uMgungundlovu district municipality. In this study, the water service quality was measured using the five dimensions (Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and empathy) of the ServQual model coined by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry. To address the research problem and objectives, this study opted for a mixed-methods approach. This study collected qualitative data through the interview from twenty-four respondents, and quantitative data through questionnaire from 286 respondents in the uMgungundlovu district municipality. The findings of this study reveal that there is a gap in the water service quality provided by the uMgungundlovu district municipality to its customers in terms of what customers perceive and what they experience in all five dimensions of ServQual namely Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and empathy. The study proposes a framework to enhance the water service quality in the context of the rural community. The proposed model is based on the ServQual model. Furthermore, the study recommends that uMgungundlovu district municipality should consider restructuring its customer care service, should consider updating and upgrading water equipment, and should consider modernising the water meter reading system and water statement system.en_US
dc.format.extent242 pen_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectEvaluationen_US
dc.subjectWater service qualityen_US
dc.subjectUmgungundlovu District Municipalityen_US
dc.subject.lcshConsumer satisfactionen_US
dc.subject.lcshMunicipal water supply--South Africa--Pietermaritzburgen_US
dc.subject.lcshuMgungundlovu District Municipality (South Africa)en_US
dc.subject.lcshCustomer servicesen_US
dc.subject.lcshWater utilities--South Africa--Pietermaritzburgen_US
dc.titleAn evaluation of customer satisfaction with water service quality in the uMgungundlovu District Municipalityen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.levelDen_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.51415/10321/3909-
local.sdgSDG10-
local.sdgSDG05-
local.sdgSDG16-
local.sdgSDG06-
local.sdgSDG11-
item.fulltextWith Fulltext-
item.openairecristypehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_18cf-
item.languageiso639-1en-
item.openairetypeThesis-
item.grantfulltextrestricted-
item.cerifentitytypePublications-
Appears in Collections:Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)
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