IOSR-JBM   Volume-11 ~ Issue-6 ~ Jul-Aug-2013

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to appraise the adequacy of strategic management processes of National Sports Associations (NSAs) in Zimbabwe. Most of Zimbabwe NSAs perform poorly as evidenced by the perennial failure of national teams to qualify for major regional and international tournament. Their strategic management processes appear to be inadequate to meet the modern day environmental challenges. The study used the descriptive survey as the design. A sample of fifty three National Sports Association and Provincial Sports Association chairpersons were randomly selected from a population of seventy nine chairpersons. Hand delivered questionnaires with both open ended and closed questions were used to collect data. Results from the study indicate that most NSAs have core values, corporate objectives, policies and make use of physical structures. However the results also show that the majority of NSAs do not have strategic plans, do not practice strategic management and do not conduct strategic reviews. The results led to the conclusion that the strategic management processes in NSAs are inadequate. The study recommended that NSAs should prioritize strategic management and that both the Sports and Recreation Commission and Zimbabwe Olympic Committee should assist NSAs technically and financially to facilitate the adoption of strategic management principles.

Keywords: National Sports Associations, strategic control, strategic implementation, strategic management, strategic planning, Zimbabwe

[1]. Government of Zimbabwe (1996) Sports and Recreation Commission Act, Zimbabwe.
[2]. Sport and Recreation Commission (2008) Community Sport Development Manual, SRC: Belvedere. Harare.
[3]. Shalomsoundproject (2010) Key problems facing sports today,(on line) [retrieved on the 8th of November 2011] from http//www: sportsnexus.wordpress.com
[4]. Kanhukamwe and Zvomuya (2004) Sports Marketing and Management. Zimbabwe Open University. Mount Pleasant Harare
[5]. Dess. G. G, Lumpkin, G. T and Taylor, M. L (2005) Strategic Management, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
[6]. Cole, G. A, (2000) Strategic Management Theory and Practice London: Lens Educational Aldine Place
[7]. Smith K.G Baum J.R and Locke, E.A (2001) A multidimensional model of venture growth, Academy of management Journal: in press
[8]. Kuveya, T, (2002) Strategic Management. Zimbabwe Open University. Mount Pleasant Harare
[9]. Noneprofit (2002) strategic management (online) [retrieved on the 19th of December 2010] from http//www.nonprofit.com
[10]. Jonhson , G and Scholes, K, (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy ,New York: Prentice Hall PTR,

Abstract: This study endeavours to understand customer satisfaction in online shopping while investigating the major reasons that motivated customers' decision-making processes as well as inhibitions of online shopping. The Kotler and Killers (2009) Five Stage Buying Process Model was chosen as the basis of framework of this study to explain customer satisfaction through their motivations to buy products online. The existing literature was reviewed to discover reasons that would influence customers positively or negatively towards shopping online. Surveys were conducted by distributing questionnaires in the Wrexham area (North Wales) to gather data for this research. SPSS software package was used to present research data graphically and to test research hypothesis. From the findings, it was discovered that respondents use internet to purchase products through online because they believe it is convenience to them and the term convenient includes elements such as time saving, information availability, opening time, ease of use, websites navigation, less shopping stress, less expensive and shopping fun. In contrast, along with respondents' mind-sets, online payment security, personal privacy and trust, unclear warranties and returns policies and lack of personal customer service are the foremost barriers of online shopping. Furthermore, the result of hypotheses established that even though online shopping is convenient to all consumers, online payment system and privacy or security anxieties have significant impact on online shopping. Finally, some recommendations have been offered for online retailers to take initiatives for making online shopping more admired and trustworthy.

Keywords: Customer satisfaction, Customer motivation and inhibition, On-line shopping, On-line vendor, SPSS software.

[1] Brennan, R., Baines, P., Garneau, P. & Vos, L. (2008). Contemporary Strategic Marketing. 2nd Ed., New York: Palgrave Macmillan. [2] Constantinides, E. (2004). Influencing the online consumer‟s behaviour: the Web experience. Journal of Internet Research, 14(2), pp111-126.

[3] Collis, J. & Hussey, R. (2009). Business Research: A practical guide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students. 3nd Ed., Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

[4] Canavan, O., Henchion, M. & O‟Reilly, S. (2007). The use of the internet as a marketing channel for Irish speciality food. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 35 (2), pp 178-195.

[5] Demangeot, C. & Broderick, A. J. (2007). Conceptualising consumer behaviour in online shopping environments. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 35(11), pp 878-894.

[6] Gay, R., Charlesworth, A. & Esen, R. (2007). Online Marketing: a customer-led approach. New York : Oxford University Press.

[7] Jayawardhena, C., Wright, L.T. & Dennis, C. (2007). Consumers online intentions, orientations and segmentation. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 35 (6), pp 515-526.

[8] Johnstone, P. (1999). Financial Crime: Prevention and Regulation in the Intangible Environment. Journal of Money Laundering Control, 2(3), pp 253-263

. [9] Kim, E. Y. & Kim, Y. K. (2004). Predicting online purchase intentions for clothing products. European Journal of Marketing, 38(7), pp 883-897.

[10] Koo, D.M., Kim, J.J. & Lee, S.W. (2008). Personal values as underlying motives of shopping online. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 20(2), pp 156-173.

Abstract: ABC analysis is a useful method to classify inventory items into different categories that can be specifically managed and controlled. Traditional ABC analysis classifies inventory items into three categories according to the annual dollar usage of an inventory item. Multi criteria inventory classification models have been proposed by researchers in order to take into account other important criteria. From these models we considered in this paper the R- model and the Ng-model in order to improve them. Illustrative examples are presented to compare the improved models and the initial ones.

Keywords: ABC classification, Multi criteria inventory classification models, R-model, Ng-model.

[1]. Chen J. 2011. Peer-estimation for multiple criteria ABC inventory classification, Computers & Operations Research, 38, 1784–1791.
[2]. Flores, B. E., Olson, D. L., & Dorai, V. K. 1992. Management of multicriteria inventory classification. Mathematical and Computer Modeling, 16,71–82.
[3]. Hadi-Vencheh A. 2010. An improvement to multiple criteria ABC inventory classification. European Journal of Operational Research, 201, 962–965.
[4]. Ng W. L. 2007. A simple classifier for multiple criteria ABC analysis, European Journal of Operational Research, 177, 344–353.
[5]. Ramanathan R. 2006. ABC inventory classification with multiple-criteria using weighted linear optimization, Computers and Operations Research,33, 695–700.
[6]. Zhou P., & Fan L. 2007. A note on multi-criteria ABC inventory classification using weighted linear optimization, European Journal of Operational Research, 182, 1488–1491.