Impact of information communications technology on the postal sector : a case study of Zambia.

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Date
2023
Authors
Mulenga, Sylvia Chansa
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Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
There has been a notable decline in postal services offered by Designated Postal Operators (DPOs) globally. The Designated Postal Operator in Zambia, namely Zambia Postal services Corporation is no exception. A notable shift in usage of ICTs in the postal sector is redefining the role of the Designated Postal Operator. Despite the shift in the sector, the impact on services delivery is not well understood. This study proposed to understand the status of the postal sector in Zambia and how ICTs are being adopted by the DPO, ZAMPOST in order to improve on service delivery. The study adopted a mixed methodology, which included qualitative and quantitative representation of questionnaires distributed among 273 randomly selected respondents. These were distributed using online means and hardcopies. The data collected was analysed using excel and SPSS. Information from various reports and documentation on the local postal sector was also reviewed. This provided a better understanding on the services that are using ICTs as well as services that are still manual. A review of relevant literature revealed that globally the postal sector is redefining its role in order to meet customer demands and provide quality services. There have been reforms in the postal sector over the years driven by various factors such as social, cultural, political, economic and technological factors. The traditional role of the postal operator is being replaced by the emerging technologically driven role. The postal sector has also seen an increase in the players on the market. The previously DPO dominated sector now has a lot of operators providing mainly courier services. The study revealed that ZAMPOST, with its large network coverage is well placed to provide other services as an extension of their mandate to provide basic postal services to all citizens as part of its Universal Services Obligation. Keywords: Postal services, Information Communications Technology (ICTs), Universal Service Obligation (USO), Designated Postal Operator (DPO)
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Keywords
Postal services--Zambia. , Zambia. Information Services--Periodicals. , Information services--Zambia--Periodicals.
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