Assessing satisfaction levels of Industrial Relations court users: the case of Blantyre registry

Abstract

The goal of this research project was to assess the satisfaction of court users, especially the litigants at the Blantyre Registry of the Industrial Relations Court. Customer Satisfaction theory was used as a foundation. It posits that people determine their satisfaction based on their own actual experience. The main research question was whether the Industrial Relations Court delivers an expedited and efficient settlement of disputes. Data were gathered from court users for the period 2012 to 2016. The study used a closed questionnaire, face-to-face interviews with litigants, and secondary sources to generate data Satisfaction was operationalized by examining case management, assessing responses to questions regarding the accessibility to and perceived fairness in the court. The study established that the number of unresolved cases from the previous to the following year was very high. It was also found that the case age was at an average of 2,041 days. Based on the foregoing the study has concluded that court users of the Blantyre Registry of the Industrial Court (IRC) between 2012 and 2016 were not satisfied with the performance of the court.