Developments in the global and national economies as well as the labour market, have made it necessary that more attention be paid to entrepreneurship and the updating of curricula presented by tertiary institutions. For this purpose reliable and valid information is required. The primary objectives of this article are to report on the levels of students' entrepreneurial traits, to establish whether these traits are interrelated, and to determine the extent of the impact that demographic variables have on these entrepreneurial traits. A convenience sampling method (n ¼ 1,215) was used. The best developed entrepreneurial traits observed included: "Competing against self-imposed standards", "Self-confidence" and "Dealing with Failure". Statistically significant relationships were also identified between the entrepreneurial traits of students and the tertiary institution attended, and students' gender, race and age.
A constant interaction occurs between the firm, its markets and the variables in the business environment. This dynamic interaction ensures that changes in the environment continuously exert an influence on consumer attitudes and sentiment and how consumers react to and perceive the marketing of products and services.The primary objective of this longitudinal study is to measure South African consumer sentiment towards marketing and to compare the results with previous studies done in 1990 and 1994. Secondary objectives include an investigation to establish to what extent this sentiment towards marketing is influenced by demographic variables.Although the marketing index decreased during the period 1990 to 1994, it improved dramatically during the period 1994 to 1999. In contrast to the previous studies it was established that demographic factors had no significant influence on the sentiment towards marketing in this study.As it is generally acknowledged that attitudes influence actual buying behaviour, marketers need to be aware that attitudes and sentiment toward marketing and marketing activities can change over time and proactive steps need to be taken to ensure that sentiment remains positive regardless of the changes in the external environment.
The South African medical fraternity is existing within an increasingly turbulent environment, characterised by government interference, budget cuts, restrictive legislation, as well as diseases which threaten the very basis on which this fraternity exits. The medical profession exists within the ambit of services marketing. Attempts to improve the service delivery should be studied within this framework. Medical doctors are in short supply and complaints regarding the services provided are increasing. The focus of the article is on current and potential patients of general medical practitioners in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The sample size was 500, which yielded 156 useable questionnaires. The response rate of 31.2 per cent was regarded as acceptable. The location of the practice of the medical practitioner and personal loyalty of the patient towards the medical practitioner, are of vital importance in determining whether the patient will return or not, and whether a positive perception will be developed.
The South African service provider is faced with an increasingly turbulent and complex competitive environment. Factors which impact specifically on the environment of service firms include the growing importance of consumerism and a drastic increase in competition. A factor that impacts directly on the growing competition amongst providers of legal services is the increase in law graduates and commensurate increase in qualified attorneys and advocates entering the market. This article represents an exploratory study establishing the relative value attached by medium business in South Africa to certain factors pertaining to firms providing legal services.
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