Literature survey shows that with, a few exceptions, the consumer
behaviour of domestic water consumers has not been a common area of
research. This explains the scarcity of information in this specific field. This
scarcity was noted in the region and very much so in the context of Mauritius.
And yet, such information is very much relevant for the management of the water
sector, for the improvement of the service, for policy makers, for personal and
social development and for achieving consumer satisfaction. This research brings
about information that would contribute in its own way to these areas. The object
of this thesis is to study the consumer behaviour in respect of domestic water
consumers in Mauritius, to develop new theories and to build a consumer
behaviour model.

The thesis, at its outset, gives the background of the research. It contains
the description of the water supply situation in Mauritius, its production, its
distribution and its management. The brief on the people of Mauritius helps to put
in the right context the pluricultural nature of the Mauritian society which is
important for the understanding of the consumer behaviour of Mauritians.
The literature survey, inter-alia, gives the historical development of
consumer behaviour, its relevance to marketing, and its study as a discipline
in its own right. The very scarcity of theories and models of consumer behaviour
of domestic water consumers cannot be overlooked. The literature survey,
therefore, covers some of the theories and models specifically on commodities.
These models along with the literature review serve as theoretical foundation for
the present research
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The models of consumer behaviour which have been literature reviewed
have further enabled to construct an integrated model of consumer behaviour
which serves as a framework for the discussion and analysis of the new model
which is developed during the course of this research.
The research is one mainly of general interest and can be classified as an
exploratory research with a substantial contribution of descriptive research. The
research has necessitated the collection of primary data. For this purpose, the
objective approach was adopted and a consumer survey was carried out with the
use of a direct structured questionnaire. The survey has been supplemented by
discussions of focus groups. The analysis of the consumer survey is followed by
the testing of the hypotheses, the development of theories and discussions on
results obtained. The building of a new model of consumer behaviour based on
the findings of the research is then undertaken and discussed.
The thesis covers a wide spectrum from the need of a domestic water
connection, consumption of domestic water, post-consumption behaviour to the
illegal use of water in Mauritius. The thesis winds up with conclusions and
recommendations.
The specific topic of this thesis is a rare one. This research is but a step in
the furtherance of knowledge. It stands as an original regional contribution to the
science of management and to its development.