Abstract
M.Comm.
Today's business environment is characterised by rapid change which features
prominently in business relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, and in competitive relationships. Although change has always been an essential part of the business environment, it has never before been as rapid and dramatic as is being seen now. Yesterday's assumptions are no longer safe for today and companies that were never competitors, now are. Customers are becoming more demanding and unpredictable. Many factors drive change in business relationships, but the three most powerful forces of change in today's world are technology; global competition; and rising customer expectations (Wolkins, 1996:1). Rising customer expectations are perhaps the most important force for change. Customers' expectation to have the best service at the lowest price seems to be boundless, and just when a company feels that they have succeeded, the requirements change and get tougher. The ever-increasing customer
expectations become even more involved when one considers that customers should be interpreted as meaning external customers; competitors' customers who the organisation would like to attract; and internal customers (employees). Today's companies also need to address the question of how a company can not only maintain its current client base, but also stimulate new business. In the context of the IIA-SA, this translates to not only providing relevant services to members, but also in developing new and innovative services, and attracting new members by rendering a high quality service to existing members. From the aforementioned it is clear that the IIA-SA, like most service companies, are faced with numerous challenges. Increasingly, members of the IIA-SA and
any other professional bodies, want to know exactly what they receive in return for their membership fees and also (rightfully) insist on a high level of customer service. The IIA-SA also needs to be customer-orientated if the mission of being wholly representative of the Internal Auditing profession in South Africa, is to be achieved.