Valores dos consumidores do projeto piloto do curso de Administração a distância da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia: uma análise sob a ótica da Teoria de Meios-Fim

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was the study of how occur the relations between the perceptions of students, based on their personal values, and the perceptions of the developers of the pilot project, regarding services of distance learning, offered by course of distance learning Business Administration from UFU (Uberlandia Federal University). This study seeks to understand the personal values of distance learning services consumers, using the logic model Means-end chain, where a service that has certain attributes generate benefits, in its turns, meet to the values of individuals who consume it. To this, it was used an applied survey descriptive type. The technical procedures used were bibliographic research, desk research and case study. Laddering was the interview technique used to understand how customers translate the attribute of products in associates with meaning regarding yourself, through in-depth interview and individual. The research results have identified those attributes as follow: information accessibility, face meeting, federal college, learning tools, flexibility of the time and place of studies and academic advisor as most important for apprentices. The values achieved were as following: self-esteem, happiness, freedom, belonging, power, achieving, social and professional recognition, security and tranquility. Three groups of consumers with similar traits of behavior considering the relationship between attributes, benefits and values perceived by apprentices were identified. The first focused on the quality of life, linked directly to cost reduction and thus investment redirection to activities that promote quality of life. The second group, in face meeting, associated to relationships, personal and physical interactions of course references, references cited as the fundamental to learning, which contradicts the characteristics proposed by the distance learning mode, which promotes the autonomy. In the third group, training and career, that demonstrates the concern with the stability and professional promotion. The results of the survey have identified the curricular structure attributes, interdisciplinarity, learning tools, academic advisor and Flexibility as the most important for course developers. The values achieved were security, achievement and belonging. Comparing perceptions of apprentices with the course developers, its approaching occur when are linked to career and learning, but take distance when linked to recognition, happiness and self-esteem, highly valued by the learners.