ISSN 2736-1721
Global Journal of Business Management ISSN 6731-4538 Vol. 2 (3), pp. 001-012, March, 2008. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Determinants of parents’ choice of a paediatric dentist: An application of factor analysis
Barbara N. Muzondo1*, Noel Muzondo2 and Edward Mutandwa3
1Department of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe (UZ).
2Marketing and Marketing Communications, Department of Business Studies, Faculty of Commerce, University of Zimbabwe, P. O. Box MP 167, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel.: +263 4 303 211; Fax: +263 4 333 674; Mobile: +263 912 402 560.
3Bindura University of Science Education, Private Bag 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe.
Accepted 12 December, 2007
Abstract
The broad objective of this study was to identify factors that parents consider when choosing pedodontist services for their children in Harare, Zimbabwe. This study was done against the backdrop of lack of consistency between expectations of consumers and quality of the service provided by dentists. Structured questionnaires based on a 19-item importance scale were administered to a convenience sample of 51 respondents from 5 selected dentists in Harare. The results of the study showed that quality of service rendered, accessibility of dental clinic, friendliness of the dental environment and the manner in which the dental process was conducted were the main determinants influencing choice. A major implication of the study is that dentists should consider marketing as a critical component of practice management.
Key words: Dentistry, service quality, Zimbabwe, pedodontics, consumer behaviour, dental services, marketing.