An importance-performance assessment of delegates' satisfaction with the catering component of courses offered by continuing education at the University of Pretoria

Die gebruik van ʼn belang-prestasie-analise is ʼn instrument om die spysenieringskomponent van kursusse aangebied deur Voortgesette Onderrig aan die Universiteit van Pretoria (CE at UP), ’n inrigting vir hoër onderwys, te assesseer asook die bydrae tot gasvryheidstudies en toerisme uit te lig. Voortgesette Onderrig aan die Universiteit van Pretoria is ’n onderriginstelling wat sertifikaatkursusse vir nagraadse individue in verskeie studierigtings aanbied en die spysenie-ringskomponent is uitgekontrakteer aan voed-seldiensverskaffers wat op die kampus geleë is. Die spysenieringskomponent is ’n kommer-wekkende aangeleentheid, aangesien dit die laagste puntetelling ontvang het tydens vorige evaluerings. Data is versamel deur gebruik te maak van verkennende metodologie bestaande uit beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsteg-nieke. Kenmerke vir spyseniering is verkry deur middel van ongestruktureerde een-tot-een on-derhoude en fokusgroepe. Daarna is ’n totaal van 357 vraelyste versamel. Dié studie het gebruik gemaak van beskrywende statistieke wat ook eenvoudige frekwensies insluit. Gemiddelde waardes en standaardafwykings is bereken deur gebruik te maak van data met betrekking tot respondente se demografiese profiele en ook met betrekking tot die 25 geïdentifiseerde kenmerke vir spyseniering. Die prestasie en die belangrikheid van elke spysenieringskenmerk is bepaal en bespreek. Die assessering van ʼn betrokke maatskappy se spysenieringskomponent sal daardie instansie in staat stel om toepaslike en noodsaaklike bestuursbesluite te neem ten einde die maat-skappy se bestaande kliëntebasis te behou asook die kliëntebasis uit te brei.Article based on a paper read at the joint 11th International SAAFECS Conference and the 6th IHEA Regional African Conference, Pretoria, South Africa. 27 February 2013 – 1 March 2013.http://www.up.ac.za/saafecs/am201

An Importance-Performance Analysis of Delegates’ Satisfaction with the Catering Component of Courses Offered by Continuing Education at the University of Pretoria

Using importance performance analysis (IPA), this study assesses the catering component of courses presented by Continuing Education at University of Pretoria (CE at UP). CE at UP is a teaching company that offers certificate courses to post-graduate individuals in diverse fields of study. The catering component of CE at UP is outsourced to on-campus foodservice providers. Very little research has been done on the services offered by this institution with regard to its catering component that highlights the significance of hospitality management as a field of expertise. CE at UP is concerned about its catering component as it consistently receives the lowest evaluation scores during standard course evaluations. Data was collected by using an exploratory mixed methodology consisting of both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The catering attributes for the IPA were obtained by conducting an unstructured one-to-one interview with the operations manager of CE at UP and focus groups with course delegates. The 357 questionnaires completed by course delegates were analysed using the IPA. Descriptive analysis, including simple frequencies, mean ratings and standard deviations, used data related to the respondents’ demographic profiles and their catering attributes. Exploratory factor analysis with VARIMAX rotation was also applied. The IPA procedure was applied and the mean ratings of the catering attributes were plotted on the IPA grid. Cross-hairs (vertical and horizontal axis) were calculated to separate the derived catering attributes into the four IPA quadrants. Cluster analysis was applied to determine the demographic profile of the course delegates. For CE at UP to benefit, focusing more on these attributes will lead to better service provision: buffet variety, provision of parking facilities, catering for a variety of cultures, catering for special diets, beverage variety, and professional service. The IPA assessed which catering attributes were considered the most important, and how the company had performed on each of these. Interpreting the results from the IPA has enabled CE at UP to assess its current agreement with the foodservice provider and given the company more knowledge about how to manage the catering component more effectively. It has thus retained existing customers as well as securing new customers, which is good for its future business development. The delegates’ experience of the catering component plays a vital role in overall customer satisfaction, which, in turn, influences the success and performance of CE at UP as a company.Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2015.tm2015Consumer ScienceMConsumer ScienceUnrestricte

Divalent ansa-Octaphenyllanthanocenes: Synthesis, Structures, and EuII Luminescence.

Reductive dimerization of fulvenes using low-valent metal precursors is a straightforward one-step approach to access ethylene-bridged metallocenes. This process has so far mainly been employed with fulvenes carrying one or two substituents in the exocyclic position. In this work, a new synthesis of the unsubstituted exocyclic 1,2,3,4-tetraphenylfulvene (1), its full structural characterization by NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, as well as some photophysical properties and its first use in reductive dimerization are described. This fulvene reacted with different lanthanoid metals in thf to provide the divalent ansa-octaphenylmetallocenes [Ln(C5Ph4CH2)2(thf)n] (Ln = Sm, n = 2 (2); Ln = Eu, n = 2 (3); and Ln = Yb, n = 1 (4)). These complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry, and, in the case of Sm and Yb, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, showing the influence of the ansa-bridge on solution and solid-state structures compared to previously reported unbridged metallocenes. Furthermore, the luminescence properties of the Eu ansa complex 3 were studied in solution and the solid state, revealing significant differences with the known octa- and deca-phenyleuropocenes, [Eu(C5Ph4H)2(dme)] and [Eu(C5Ph5)2]

Divalent tetra- and penta-phenylcyclopentadienyl europium and samarium sandwich and half-sandwich complexes: synthesis, characterization, and remarkable luminescence properties

The synthesis of the bulky divalent (polyphenylcyclopentadienyl)lanthanoid sandwich complexes [Ln(C5Ph5)2] (Ln = Sm, Eu) and [Ln(C5Ph4H)2(solv)] (Ln = Sm, solv = thf; Ln = Eu, solv = dme)], from redox-transmetalation/protolysis (RTP) reactions, has been achieved. An analogous reaction with Yb afforded the solvent-separated ion pair [Yb(dme)4][C5Ph4H]2. In addition, rare divalent samarium halide complexes [Sm(C5Ph5)(μ-Br)(thf)2]2 and [Sm(C5Ph4H)I(thf)3], were also prepared, either by RTP or ligand rearrangement. X-ray studies showed that the [Ln(C5Ph5)2] complexes adopt highly symmetrical sandwich structures, whereas the [Ln(C5Ph4H)2(solv)] complexes have open sandwich structures. The unexpected, but limited, solubility of the [Ln(C5Ph5)2] complexes allowed for variable-temperature NMR spectra of [Sm(C5Ph5)2] to be obtained. Detailed 1D and 2D NMR studies were conducted on [Sm(C5Ph4H)2(thf)] to ascertain its structure in donor and nondonor solvents. During the course of these studies, the mixed tetraarylcyclopentadienyl sandwich complex [Sm{C5(2,5-Ph)2(3,4-p-tol2)H}2(thf)] was also prepared in order to fully assign the spectrum of [Sm(C5Ph4H)2(thf)]. The europium sandwich complexes [Eu(C5Ph5)2] and [Eu(C5Ph4H)2(dme)] exhibit remarkable luminescence properties with high quantum yields (45% and 41%, respectively) coupled with long emission lifetimes (approximately 800 and 1300 ns, respectively) in toluene