ABSTRACT
The importance of Information Technology in any organization
in this modern day cannot be overemphasized. Information Technology plays vital
roles in data entry, data processing and security, and information
distribution. For anorganization such as SSNIT, Information Technology is more
than just a part of its operations. IT is needed to ensure that national
pensions are administered with the highest form of integrity so that customers
are duly satisfied during and after retirement. The primary aim of this
research was toassess the impact of Information Technology on Customer satisfaction
at SSNIT. 100 membersof staff and management with 400 customers were
interviewed though simple random sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was
developed to seek the views of the respondents on the impact of IT in helping
them on their job at SSNIT and in processing their social security as
customers.
The findings were that IT does not only facilitate the work
of the staff and management, but it also increases their efficiency and
effectiveness in discharging their duties. Information Technology has reduced
complaints of impersonation, identity theft, wrong payments as well as many
other incidences. Customers also praised the role of IT in assisting them know
more about their social security unlike in the past when they were in the dark
over their contributions.
One major recommendation was that SSNIT should use this same
Information Technology or acquire more to improve the good works they are
doing. They should also educate the public more on changes in their operations
and help the public know the distinction between challenges caused by IT or
government policies, since many people get confused with both.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of
the Study
Insurance companies are
investing an increasing proportion of IT budgets and resources on initiatives
collectively described as IT transformation. And with these transformation
efforts come a number of challenges around security, data management and new
customer interaction channels. Around the world, a recent study on more than
1,100 executives, including CIOs, IT vice presidents, and IT directors found
that the top five-major areas that present the most pressing challenge for
Information Technology professionals include; Enhancing and protecting business
value:- Aligning and integrating IT risk management and business
continuity capabilities with broader, long-term business
strategy,Cybersecurity:-Managing and strengthening security and privacy for the
organizations' systems and data is now a top priority across all
industries,Data classification:- Effectively organizing, managing, and
securing growing amounts of data within the organization, IT asset and data
management:- Improving data and information governance programs, driven
by the growing use of mobile devices and applications and the continued
integration of cloud computing into IT strategy and processes,Mobile platforms
and social media:- Incorporating secure, integrated systems for mobile
commerce, devices, etc., and addressing social media safeguards and strategy
within the organization. These are challenges deemed global and therefore can
affect any organization. It is therefore the responsibility of every
organization to ensure that the right systems are put in-place to prevent
cyber-theft and other forms of security breaches that can result in customers
losing their life fortunes in an important industry such as the insurance
industry. While trying to ensure the safety of customer investments, insurance
companies must also ensure that their customers are satisfied and are provided highly resourceful
services. Sawyer, Ebrahimi, and Luk (2003) reveal in their study done in Hong
Kong and Nigeria respectively that there exist coexistence between perceived
strategic uncertainty, scanning of environment, use of information source, and
organizational performance.
Customer satisfaction also
comes with enormous benefits to the insurance industry in general and to Social
Security and National Insurance Trust in particular. Proper institution of
customer service processes will enable the organization gain customer loyalty
and respond to customer needs and feedback quickly and collaboratively. It will
also provide clear visibility into enabling management identify which customers
are dissatisfied and why, what actions have been or need to be taken and what
appropriate responses have to be delivered. Furthermore it will facilitate
concrete and actionable suggestions for improving performance, either overall
or by segments. The bonding relationships between customers and organizations
are hinged on trust which is aimed at achieving overall positive outcomes, and
thus higher levels of trust and commitment in turn are attached with higher
customer retention level, and this brings about increased organizational
performance (Botha & Van Rensburg, 2010; Read, 2009).
The SSNIT Pension Scheme is
Ghana's foremost pension scheme and is a social insurance scheme providing
income protection for workers in both government and private sectors as well as
for those in the informal sector (who voluntarily choose to join). These income
earners, having signed on to the scheme, together with their employers,
contribute 17.5 per cent of their declared monthly incomes to a common fund,
the Social Security Fund. Contributions and returns on investments so received
into the fund are then used to provide for members who fall due for benefits as
prescribed by PNDC Law 247 (the legal framework by which the scheme operates)
and general costs incurred in administering the scheme.
In return, contributors are
rewarded with life-long part replacement of their lost incomes in the form of
monthly guaranteed pensions when they grow old or are declared permanently
incapacitated (by qualified health personnel) and in both cases, are unable to
work to earn incomes anymore. However, one-time (lump sum) payments are made to
dependents of members who die, while still working and pensioners who die
before the age of 72. For now, it is clear that through SSNIT's financial
contributions to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), active
contributors and SSNIT pensioners can enjoy an additional benefit from free
medical care at designated NHIS health facilities.
1.2 Statement of
the Problem
Identifying delays in the
processing and payment of pensions is a serious drawback to the effective
administration of the SSNIT pension scheme. First, it must be remembered that
the scheme, being national in character, has a large membership (of over one
million), with many having almost similar biological and financial data, i.e.
names ,gender, dates of birth, parents' names, home towns, and income levels.
Some have a combination of some of these data and work at the same workplaces
at the same time and many other conflicting information. Again, it takes a long
period of membership (except in some cases of death before retirement and
invalidity), averagely 20 years, for one to qualify to access pensions, a
period within which a lot of changes could have occurred in the life of a
contributor. A combination of these factors demand that the information SSNIT
has on the individual member at any point in time should be nothing but
accurate and complete to enable prompt payment of benefits at the end of the
customer’s period of contribution.
In 2002, SSNIT unveiled a
strategic plan, in which it sought to address the problem. It tasked itself to
reduce the time it took to process pensions from 46 days to 21, by the end of
the plan period in 2006. To enable it meet this target, it introduced
a number of measures, including cleaning up of data on contributors who were 54
years and above, mass distribution of contributors' statements of account,
re-focusing its field operations to update of members' records (rather than
collection of contributions from employers) and improving its information and
communication technology (ICT) system. It also re-engineered its claim
processing procedures through the introduction of information technology.
In many industries, firms have
found opportunities to use Information Technology to reduce costs, improve
quality and increase value to customers (Brian and Peffers, 2009). Recently,
there have been many claims that investments in IT can improve a firm’s
competitive position or allow a firm to become more vulnerable to competitive
forces (Rockart, B.R. et al).
Various institutions are
embarking on an aggressive drive to implement IT facilities to supplement and
in some cases to revolutionize their operations. In spite of all these
investments, there are divided opinions as to the benefits these technologies
are having on the end users. Little has also been done to ascertain the
relevance of these investments to customer satisfaction in these organizations.
Customers of SSNIT are also not aware of certain vital extended services
employed by SSNIT using Information Technology, and therefore have to troop to
the office on daily basis to enquire about simple things which they could know
by just a simple phone call or by the use an online service. The purpose of
this research is therefore to examine the impact that Information and
Communication Technology is having on customer satisfaction at SSNIT.
The primary aim of this
research is to investigate the impact of Information Technology on customer
satisfaction at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust. Other salient
objectives will include;
1.
To determine the extent to which
Information Technology has contributed to staff performance in delivering
quality services to customers.
2.
To determine the level of customer
satisfaction with SSNIT’s Information Technology services.
3.
To examine customer assessment of
Information Technology use and their interaction with staff of SSNIT.
4.
To determine the Impact of Information
Technology on customer satisfaction at SSNIT.
1.4 Research
Questions
1.
Does the use of Information
Technology positively affect staff performance in delivering quality customer
services at SSNIT?
2.
What is the level of reliability and
availability of SSNIT Information Technology services to their customers?
3.
How satisfied are customers of SSNIT
with the processes involved in the processing of their social security
benefits?
Regarding the scope of this project, every material
presented in this study will be limited to the impact of information technology
on customer satisfaction at SSNIT. The Social Security and National Insurance
Trust has 50 branches in the nation. This study will focus on the Kumasi Area
of the institution, which has 8 branches, due to limited time and resources.
The proximity and time period allocated to this study didnot allow an extensive
and detailed research into the topic. In spite of these limitations, it is
hoped that this work would provide very useful insights into the topic. Limited
time is identified as the main cause of these limitations. Nonetheless, the
research will be conducted in such a manner that the researcher’s objective -
the impact of information technology on customer satisfaction at SSNIT - will
not be significantly affected. Conscious efforts would be made to gather all
relevant information.
1.6 Significance of
the Study
Advancement in technology has
been a source of operational breakthrough for many large organizations
especially when it comes to managing large amount of data. This study offers
tremendous help to many companies especially the Management and Board of
Directors of SSNIT. This study aids management in understanding the extent to
which information technology has contributed to the timely, effective and
efficient delivery of service to customers and enhancement of staff performance
in the organization.
This project also adds to the
existing literature on the subject of investigation into the impact of
information technology on customer satisfaction at SSNIT in Ghana, as well as
serves as a source of reference for further research in this subject area.
Additionally, where the general public is concerned, the
project will keep them up to date on issues regarding this particular subject.
1.7 Organization of
the Study
This study is divided into five
main chapters for the purpose of easy undertaking of the research and for standardization.
The first chapter which is the
Introduction provides a detailed background to the study, the problem
statement, research objectives, and the significance of the study, scope,
limitation and organization of the study.
The Chapter One is followed by
chapter two. The Chapter Two is the Literature Review. The literature review
provides the detailed knowledge, conceptual and theoretical framework for
undertaking the study. Relevant areas such as the importance of technology on
service delivery, the measurement of customer satisfaction, etc. are covered in
this chapter.
The Chapter Three which is the
Methodology focuses on methods and techniques used in gathering and analyzing
relevant data. The study population, the sample size, research instruments
used, tools used in data collection and analysis, constraints and limitations
of the research work are covered in this chapter
At the heart of this study is
Chapter Four. The chapter four is the Data Analysis and Discussion of findings.
This chapter gives a detailed analysis of the data gathered.
The study is climaxed by the Chapter Five which is the
Summary of Findings, Conclusion and Recommendations. This chapter provides a
summary to the findings, the conclusion to the findings and recommendations for
advancement and further studies.
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