Papers by Thanika Juwaheer
Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Apr 16, 2024
Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 2009
e-review of tourism research, 2011
The study investigates the service quality of hotels of Mauritius on the basis of their customers... more The study investigates the service quality of hotels of Mauritius on the basis of their customers' perceptions and expectations and explores how gender differences affect hotel guests' perceptions of service quality dimensions. The result of an empirical study of international tourists staying in hotels of Mauritius generally support the hypothesis that gender affects service quality perceptions and the relative importance attached to various service quality dimensions of hotels. This research provides relevant and important information to hotel managers in Mauritius and the neighbouring islands to use in developing tourism strategies-operational, human resource and marketing-and in targeting these strategies in terms of the gender difference in service quality perceptions among their hotel guests.
World journal of science, technology and sustainable development, Jul 26, 2012
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of int... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of internet banking services in Mauritius. Drawing from the technology acceptance model, theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behaviour and the extensive literature on demographic profiling of internet banking users, trust and security aspects associated with adoption rate of internet banking, this paper combines various predetermined constructs in one model. The different constructs such as perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, subjective norms, attitudes, behavioural intentions, security and trust aspects, the level of awareness on internet banking services and demographic variables such as age, income, gender and education into one integrated framework. Hence, the paper will deepen understanding of the specific factors underpinning the adoption of internet banking in Mauritius. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports upon the empirical findings of the customer survey on the various factors...
Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes
PurposeThis concluding paper summarizes the articles presented in this issue and the significant ... more PurposeThis concluding paper summarizes the articles presented in this issue and the significant themes that emerged from the authors' contributions. The main objective of this theme issue on rural tourism is to examine different facets of rural tourism that are critical to short-term recovery as well as long-term sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachThis article draws on the findings of the papers and revisits the question: how could rural tourism provide better support for well-being and socioeconomic development?FindingsThe papers in this issue can be classified into one of three clusters: (1) cultural traditions; (2) support for rural tourism service providers and (3) embracing new technologies. In addition to classifying these papers, the authors propose a conceptual framework to achieve sustainable rural tourism and development comprising four critical success factors for sustainable rural tourism and development.Originality/valueThe main objective of this th...
University of Mauritius Research Journal, 2009
Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 2020
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of type fonts on the purchase of branded pr... more The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of type fonts on the purchase of branded products from a gendered point of view and whether type fonts used by brands can be utilized in brand re-gendering of a product in emerging economies. Four quantitative studies were conducted, collecting data from people aged 18 and above in Mauritius. In total, 150 valid questionnaires were used in the analysis of data using the statistical package for the social sciences. The results have revealed that brand femininity is associated with 'script' type fonts and brand masculinity is paired with 'display' type fonts in an emerging country such as Mauritius. Further outcomes of the research have indicated that product categories do not impact on type fonts being used for brands and consumers do not classify products in different genders based on their product category. Moreover, men and women are not much influenced by type fonts when purchasing and recommending products in emerging countries such as Mauritius. Finally, the results have also revealed that type fonts do not assist in brand re-gendering and more branding cues need to be altered to successfully change the existing brand gender perceptions of a product for emerging economies. This present research has several practical implications for brand managers and businesses and the way they communicate their brand gender using type fonts to customers of emerging countries in African region.
ZENITH International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2012
The demand for blood and blood products in most countries continues to increase because of the ri... more The demand for blood and blood products in most countries continues to increase because of the rise in human life expectancy and the implementation of new and aggressive surgical methods requiring large quantities of blood and blood products. The fragile balance between blood supply and demand have forced blood banks to constantly search for more efficient ways to recruit blood donors. The method each country adopts to attract blood donors and to cover its needs in blood supplies varies as a function of its socioeconomic structure. In spite of all research on the subject, however, the factors that would motivate most people to become blood donors should be further explored. Hence, the present paper explores the contribution of social marketing efforts to boost blood donor in Mauritius. The methodology used was through survey instruments administered to existing blood donors in Mauritius. The present research provides some useful insights on the contributing factors to boost blood donor rate in Mauritius. Donors" attitudes and perceptions towards blood donation and its implications towards social marketing have been under-researched in Mauritius. Some recommendations are proposed to endorse more voluntary blood donors in Mauritius. Blood services associations should create greater awareness on blood donation events by capitalizing on effective communication mediums. Several measures should be implemented to attract and gratify blood donors, like for example, promoting adequate blood donation campaigns during crisis periods and at the same time, deploying loyalty plans to boost up the blood donor rate from repeated contributors in Mauritius. Blood services associations should also offer loyalty schemes and develop affective bonds with the existing blood donors in order to boost blood donor rate in Mauritius.
This study develops and tests a model predicting travelers' intent to purchase tourism products a... more This study develops and tests a model predicting travelers' intent to purchase tourism products and services online using data collected from travelers to Mauritius. Results from the structural equation modeling analysis indicate a good model fit and support four of the five proposed hypotheses. Findings suggest that travelers' perceived usefulness, trust and perceived risks are good determinants of their attitude to e-purchasing which in turn significantly influences epurchase intent. Theoretically, our model provides a holistic view of the determinants of travelers' e-purchase intent by incorporating the effects of perceived risk and truth with the basic variables of the technology acceptance model in an integrated framework. The managerial implications of the research for online tourism and hospitality vendors are discussed, together with the study's limitations.
Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 2021
The paper aims to provide broad insights towards the acceptance of plastic card payments from mer... more The paper aims to provide broad insights towards the acceptance of plastic card payments from merchants in Mauritius. A quantitative research approach has been adopted for the paper whereby the perceptions of merchants have been tapped by adopting quantitative research techniques, by conducting a survey with 200 merchants across the 9 districts of the island of Mauritius. As far as the perception of merchants is concerned for plastic card acceptance, only 37% of merchants accept plastic card payments and they have highlighted such factors as 'to increase frequency sales (21.7%)', 'to increase competitiveness (20.8%)' and 'lower risks of theft and counterfeit (19.8%)' as the main reasons for adopting innovative payment solutions. This original research has made a valuable contribution to the body of literature as there is a lack of empirical and holistic studies towards innovative payment solutions in Mauritius. Therefore, the research has enough concrete and empirical findings that would serve as a roadmap for banking executives, credit card companies, policy makers of banking industry and merchants to better promote and sustain the adoption of plastic cards by devising appealing marketing strategies in Post Covid19. The research will also provide merchants with insightful ideas to promote the adoption of plastic cards among customers as merchants are in direct touch with customers in the retail outlets of Mauritius. This research is innovative since it has adopted a quantitative research approach to deepen insights into the factors impacting on the acceptance of plastic cards among merchants in Mauritius. This paper provides a holistic perspective in understanding the emerging phenomenon of innovative payment solutions by integrating the views of merchants unlike other studies which have concentrated on plastic card adoption only from a customers' point of view. This research is one of the pioneer studies that has addressed the benefits and challenges of plastic card payments as there are several changes happening in the payments landscape, following the pandemic crisis around the world.
Journal of Statistics and Management Systems, Oct 3, 2022
International Journal of Research in Marketing Management and Sales
The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence of colours on consumer brand personality ... more The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence of colours on consumer brand personality across four main constructs: sincerity, excitement, sophistication and ruggedness. The paper applies an exploratory approach and data was collected from 155 people aged 18 and above in Mauritius. Levene's tests and Person Correlation tests were used to analyze the relationship between colours and the four main brand personality constructs. It was found that the colours black, red, green and brown were associated with sincerity, the colours yellow, red, orange and black were associated with excitement, the colours white, pink, red, orange black, purple, brown and green were paired with sophistication and the colours white, pink and orange were paired with ruggedness. This study serves as a blueprint for companies to utilize when drafting their branding strategies in Mauritius when it comes to colours and its interpretation among consumers.
Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 2021
The paper aims to provide broad insights towards the acceptance of plastic card payments from mer... more The paper aims to provide broad insights towards the acceptance of plastic card payments from merchants in Mauritius A quantitative research approach has been adopted for the paper whereby the perceptions of merchants have been tapped by adopting quantitative research techniques, by conducting a survey with 200 merchants across the 9 districts of the island of Mauritius As far as the perception of merchants is concerned for plastic card acceptance, only 37% of merchants accept plastic card payments and they have highlighted such factors as 'to increase frequency sales (21 7%)', 'to increase competitiveness (20 8%)' and 'lower risks of theft and counterfeit (19 8%)' as the main reasons for adopting innovative payment solutions This original research has made a valuable contribution to the body of literature as there is a lack of empirical and holistic studies towards innovative payment solutions in Mauritius Therefore, the research has enough concrete and empi...
Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes
PurposeIn this viewpoint, the theme editors provide an overview of the theme issue that aims to a... more PurposeIn this viewpoint, the theme editors provide an overview of the theme issue that aims to address the role of rural tourism in supporting the wellbeing and socio-economic development of local stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachThe paper covers different facets of rural tourism in promoting the socio-economic development of rural communities. Specifically, the articles in this issue capture the nuances of how local stakeholders in rural tourism in different geographical regions use various strategies to promote the well-being and socio-economic development of local communities.FindingsThe papers in this theme issue demonstrate the potential role of rural tourism in promoting the socio-economic development of rural communities. These papers make an important contribution to the theory and practice of rural tourism by providing in-depth insight into the recovery and growth strategies adopted by stakeholders in diverse rural tourism destinations, especially in the wake of tur...
Studies in Business and Economics, 2018
This paper investigates the impact of technology adoption on human touch aspects in healthcare se... more This paper investigates the impact of technology adoption on human touch aspects in healthcare settings in Mauritius. Unstructured interviews, focus group discussions and overt observations were carried out in two phases with 27 healthcare professionals and 42 healthcare customers in the private sector over a period of five months as part of an exploratory study, followed by a pilot study where a survey was carried out among 31 participants who have also been exposed to private healthcare services in Mauritius. Survey findings have depicted that technology implementation in healthcare settings can represent a direct threat to human touch aspects. Although the outcome of service remains very important, the delivery of same service in terms of how, when and by whom it was delivered has been seen to be as important. Healthcare customers are normally in a vulnerable state requiring appropriate human touch in the service delivery. Moreover, they also expect fast, efficient and effective ...
The present study assesses the relevant elements of a destination branding framework which can be... more The present study assesses the relevant elements of a destination branding framework which can be applicable to the island of Mauritius by considering its brand identity, brand positioning, brand image and the influence of local community support of the brand. Mauritius is currently being branded as a ‘sea sun and sand’ destination with the brand slogan ‘Maurice C'estUn Plaisir’. Sunny and warm climate, white sandy beaches and local cuisine have always been the attributes to describe the brand image of the island. However, the present research demonstrated that to some extent that a rise in cultural diversity and their festive representations also serve as an important attribute of destination attractiveness. The relationship of the framework elements have been tested by using descriptive analysis and linear regression analysis. Results indicated that brand image is an influential variable in the branding process. 23% of the aforementioned variables would explain a sustainable b...
International Journal of Innovation and Knowledge Management in Middle East and North Africa, 2014
This paper explores the various factors which impact on the selection of mobile phones among youn... more This paper explores the various factors which impact on the selection of mobile phones among young customers. The various constructs such as branding, pricing, mobile phone features, lifestyle, and demographic variables such as age group and gender have been conceptualised into an integrated framework to investigate the factors which can affect the selection of mobile phones. It also investigates the relative significance of these factors in determining the selection of mobile phones in Mauritius. Design/methodology/approach: This paper reviews the determining factors impacting on the selection of mobile phones among young customers. It reports the empirical findings of a customer survey on the various factors impacting on the selection of mobile phones by the questionnaire method. The Mobile Phone Selection Model (MOPSM) is further validated through a survey instrument administered to 150 young mobile phone users. The questionnaires were further processed and analysed with the statistical programme SPSS, via descriptive and inferential analysis.
HighTech and Innovation Journal, 2021
Nowadays technology is omnipresent and an integral part of everyday life. Because patient complia... more Nowadays technology is omnipresent and an integral part of everyday life. Because patient compliance is a determinant of the treatment outcome, it is therefore essential for medical staff to know and understand how technology can cause patients to rightly or poorly adhere to their treatment. The objectives of this research were to investigate the major technology-related factors which affect patient compliance, assess patients` reactions which are associated to poor adherence to treatment and determine the right measures, attitudes and behaviors for healthcare professionals to adopt to optimize patient compliance. The research was undertaken using a mixed methods approach whereby the quantitative data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics while the qualitative data collected were analyzed using the Grounded Theory method. It was found that the vast amount of information and communication services offered by technology nowadays can adversely influence certain factors s...
This study develops and tests a model predicting travelers’ intent to purchase tourism products a... more This study develops and tests a model predicting travelers’ intent to purchase tourism products and services online using data collected from travelers to Mauritius. Results from the structural equation modeling analysis indicate a good model fit and support four of the five proposed hypotheses. Findings suggest that travelers’ perceived usefulness, trust and perceived risks are good determinants of their attitude to e-purchasing which in turn significantly influences epurchase intent. Theoretically, our model provides a holistic view of the determinants of travelers’ e-purchase intent by incorporating the effects of perceived risk and truth with the basic variables of the technology acceptance model in an integrated framework. The managerial implications of the research for online tourism and hospitality vendors are discussed, together with the study’s limitations.
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Papers by Thanika Juwaheer