Abstract
The proposed research will discuss the quality of the Internet services provided by Du and Etisalat, according to the customer perception. The clients of these companies will be questioned regarding their satisfaction. As a result, it will be possible to identify what improvements are needed to benefit the population. Du and Etisalat will be able to use the findings of this research to enhance their performance. Due to these actions, businesses will improve their operations, individuals will contact each other easily, and the development of the UAE will streamline.
The Background to the Study
Due to technological development, many telecommunication providers started offering Internet services. In the UAE, they all are controlled by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Since the second half of the 20th century, Etisalat has been the only provider of such services in the country. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, Du was created. These organizations manage to avoid great competition mainly because they operate in different areas. The recent increase of the UAE population requires Du and Etisalat to provide Internet services that satisfy everyone. As these companies differ greatly in their services, it is vital to reveal what their clients think about them.
The Significance of the Study
The study will assist Du and Etisalat since they will realize whether their customers are satisfied with the provided services. Additionally, the ways for improvement will be identified. The representatives of the general population will have an opportunity to obtain better services.
The Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the research study is to assess the quality of Internet services provided by Du and Etisalat as they are perceived by their clients.
The problem of the study deals with the quality of Internet services and lack of understanding of customer satisfaction.
The rationale is the fact that the quality of services affects people’s ability to communicate, study, and conduct business. Moreover, this research allows identifying whether companies’ efforts appeal to their clients.
Research Questions
Are clients satisfied with Du’s services?
Are clients satisfied with Etisalat’s services?
Is there a difference in quality between the services provided by the two companies?
What improvements are needed to increase customer satisfaction?
Hypotheses
Null Hypothesis: According to customer perception, Etisalat provides Internet services of a higher quality than Du.
Alternative hypothesis: According to customer perception, Du provides Internet services of a higher quality than Etisalat.
Definitions of Terms
Customer satisfaction – a measure of the way services meet clients’ expectations.
Customer perception – client’s awareness and impression of the obtained services.
Internet services – ability to access and use the Internet offered by providers to clients.
Literature Review
Quality of Internet Services
The Internet is operated by different providers all over the world. They are competitive organizations that need to provide high-quality services to attract clients. In view of this, Internet providers are required to pay much attention to the efficiency of their operations because it allows them to meet the needs of their clients. This fact is significant since it is connected with the profitability of the organization. The roles of the Internet develop quickly, so providers need to adapt their offerings so that businesses can operate and individuals can find required information (Rodrigues et al. 20).
Internet Services in the UAE
The UAE has the best Internet services in the Middle East. However, their quality is not yet as good as in other developed countries. To increase their efficiency, additional improvements are needed. They should be identified on the basis of clients’ needs and expectations. As a result, enhancement of business operations is likely to be observed, which can affect the country’s financial status (Al-Khouri et al. 88). To reach this goal, Internet providers of the UAE should realize how their services are perceived by customers and what improvement is needed.
Summary
Internet services provide countries with an opportunity to develop, benefiting individuals and businesses. The quality of these services is critical to the overall success. The UAE providers should understand how they are perceived by clients to implement required improvements.
Theoretical Framework
This research is based on the expectation disconfirmation theory. The assumption that customer satisfaction can be perceived as a gap between the expected and perceived quality of the purchased services are used. This concept is affected by corporate image, as it makes people develop some impression of a provider even without any previous contact. The ease of use, the load speed, and the price of the services affect customer perception and influence their overall satisfaction.
Materials and Methods
The study will be based on qualitative research. Participants of the survey will be diverse, as both individuals and businesses will be approached. At least 150 respondents are going to be gathered. Questionnaires will be distributed throughout the UAE to gather trustworthy information. Appropriate authorities will be contacted for assistance in data collection.
Instruments
Questionnaires will be used to collect information. They will include a range of questions that are to be answered. There will be no less than 10 questions that discuss the quality of the Internet services in the USA, focusing on Du and Etisalat. Formal letters will be used to contact participants and encourage them to give fair answers. Their permission for the use of data will be obtained. These instruments are both reliable and valid as they are used by numerous researchers and provide an opportunity to obtain information needed to fulfill the purpose of this research.
Data Collection Procedure
Questionnaires will be developed to collect data. They will be distributed randomly throughout the UAE. Permission will be obtained to use the information provided by businesses. Agencies will be requested for assistance in data collection. Differences between services will be discussed to reveal real situations and find out how individuals and businesses are influenced.
Data Analysis
Content analysis will be used to summarize the information provided by the participants and discuss it, focusing on the quality of services provided by Du and Etisalat. Quasi-statistics will be required because this tool provides an opportunity to identify dominating responses and compare them.
Limitations
The research study can be time-consuming due to the necessity to contact many participants and interview them. Moreover, personal biases may affect the quality of the information (for instance, some people may be unwilling to reveal their dissatisfaction). However, participants will provide written answers anonymously, which allows overcoming these drawbacks.
Works Cited
Al-Khouri, Ali, et al. “A Government Framework to Address Identity, Trust and Security in E-government: The Case of UAE Identity Management Infrastructure.” European Scientific Journal, vol. 10, no. 10, 2014, pp. 85-98.
Rodrigues, Gwendolyn, et al. “Factors that Influence Consumer Adoption of E-government Services in the UAE: A UTAUT Model Perspective.” Journal of Internet Commerce, vol.15, no. 1, 2016, pp. 18-39.