The relationship between customer loyalty and satisfaction, profitability and customer retention is described within the framework of relationship marketing. The importance of loyal customers and their impact on business profitability is undisputed, but it is more difficult to build customer retention than it may appear. Various strategies including loyalty schemes and discount cards are sometimes used in an effort to retain customers, but their success is questionable. A New Zealand hotel case study is presented which describes customer reactions to a discount card promotion. It was found that customers who purchased the card exhibited the characteristics of Morgan's``mercenaries''. Although they had high satisfaction, their commitment to the company was low. However, in order to succeed, loyalty programmes need to develop``loyalists'', customers who have high satisfaction, high loyalty and who will stay and be supportive of the company.

Using data from in-depth interviews with female information and communication technology (ICT) professionals from New Zealand's four main cities, this article uses a social constructivist framework to investigate the women's perceptions of their ICT work place. The results show that there are regional differences in organization type, job category and salaries, as well as in the perceptions of the women towards their environment. Most women did not actively seek to be employed in ICT -rather their entry was serendipitous. While they enjoyed working in the environment, there was an obvious gendering of the workforce with most technical positions being held by men and women working mainly in the softer side of ICT. The women perceived their gendered roles to be a highly important and an integral part of ICT and believed their salaries were equitable with their male colleagues. Having a greater understanding of how women view their ICT work place will contribute to attracting and retaining them in an industry where a shortage of skills is envisaged in the near future.

Why, when computing is available in a socially situated, convenient environment, at no cost, do people choose not to compute? This paper describes a community-based project that wired four computing centres (hubs) in a lower socioeconomic urban area in Wellington, New Zealand's capital city. One of the hubs is situated in a city council high-rise apartment block and after six months of operation it was apparent that many of the residents were not using the free computing facilities. A survey was designed and administered to the non-users in this apartment block. Responses centered on the themes of access, awareness and factors that would encourage residents to use the hub, but the majority stated they were "not interested." Analysis explores the impact of the social context within which the hub is situated and suggests reasons why some people choose not to compute. Contents Contents Contents Contents The Smart Newtown research project Method and survey description Survey findings Analysis and conclusion TOP↑

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Governments and international organisations have expressed concern regarding what has been labeled the digital divide, that is, the gap between those people who have access to, and the ability to use, modern information technologies—such as computers, the Internet, e-mail, and other mobile technologies, often referred to as information communication technologies (ICTs)—and those who do not. As a result a range of measures have been put in place by public agencies in an attempt to reduce the inequities between the “haves” and the “have nots”. One strategy which has commonly been used is the establishment of free and easy access to computing and Internet facilities within communities identified as needing such assistance. In Wellington, New Zealand, a project called Smart Newtown has been implemented whereby free public access to computers and the Internet and free introductory classes are made available to all citizens. The researchers were employed to evaluate the implementation and sustainability of this project and this chapter discusses how, over a period of three years, the participation of women has changed. The questions asked were “How did the women benefit from their attendance?” and “What caused this change in participation?” The article begins with a brief background on gender and ICTs, followed by a short review of the literature regarding the digital divide and community computing. One of the successful computing centers in the Smart Newtown project is then examined from a gender viewpoint.