Case of Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas by Sensi in Barcelona
Abstract (1 page)
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
The classification of outlets in the foodservice industry depends on the menu style, food preparation methods, and the pricing methods taken up. However, the situation is different for foreigners living in another country who have to get used to the local cuisine. Some like foods are as close to those of their home countries as possible, while others prefer foods that are completely different, in a bid to taste something outside of their usual pallet. Either way, the experience a consumer has in a restaurant will determine whether he or she will have a return visit or not.
Trying out meals originating from other countries in your own country is interesting and easy because most are adapted to the local tastes and preferences, but when you visit the country itself, you quickly realise that the local foods are quite different from those sold in global chains. For example, a McDonald burger in a McDonald located in China will taste different from a burger served at an American location. Differences like these make trying the local cuisine and getting used to it an adventure that customers look forward to. If the food proves good, the customer will be loyal to a restaurant or a brand. The situation is no different in Barcelona where Chinese nationals are taking to the local cuisine, and since their number is growing by the day, restaurants are making effort to attract this market segment.
The researcher set out to investigate the perception of the Chinese customers regarding the Spanish Tapa restaurants in Barcelona. On the one hand, as the number of foreign restaurants increase all across Spain, establishments, through their employees, are growing conscious of the needs of the customers and are working to impress and maintain them. On the other hand, customers also see that they have a wider array from which to choose and are now becoming particular regarding the quality of food, aesthetics, customer service, waiting time, and other qualities of the experience they previously did not pay much attention to.
Previous studies conducted only sought to determine the perspective of the restaurant owners regarding the efforts they were making to improve the customer experience, but none of the studies considered the consumers’ point of view regarding the issue. The customers are a critical element of the restaurant experience as every effort put focuses on their needs and interests. On the other hand, the employees in the restaurants make for an interesting study group because their efforts directly influence the customer service, the food, the ambience, and the general experience, all which contribute to the customers’ dining experience. As such, in investigating factors that influence the consumers’ dining experience, these two study groups would make an interesting part of a research by providing their opinion concerning the efforts the restaurants are making in accommodating the Chinese customers. Therefore, upon identifying the study gap, this study seeks to determine the factors that influence the customers’ dining decisions in the Restaurants serving Spanish Tapas food in Barcelona, using Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas by Sensi located in Barcelona, for a case study.
Research Objective
The study’s primary objective is to determine the influence that various elements of thriving customer service dining have on the customers’ experiences and expectations in restaurants across Barcelona from the perspectives of the customers. As such, the study seeks to clearly identify elements of the customer service that directly impact the customers’ dining experience. The study chooses to focus on restaurants Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas by Sensi in Barcelona because they are now some of the most popular eating spots for Chinese customers in the city. Hence, the restaurants would make an interesting study to determine the factors that work best when it comes to attending to the needs of the Chinese customer.
Research Questions
Following the objective indicated above, the study established research questions to guide the study. They include:
- Does the consumer’s culture affect his or her dining experience?
- How do the elements of the dining experience influence the customers’ perception of their dining experience?
Following the research questions above, the study makes the following hypotheses:
- A restaurant’s extent of its implementation of the elements of the dining experience that attract customers determines its success in securing their loyalty.
- There exists a significant positive relationship between the elements of pleasant dining and the customers’ loyalty.
- A restaurant must speak to the unique needs and preferences of customers from a particular culture, which makes them gain an affinity for the restaurant in question.
Research Methodology
The study will take up a quantitative research method approach that uses structured questionnaires to collect data from Spanish Tapas food-loving customers. The quantitative approach is favourable because the researcher gets to interact directly with the customers, which would ensure that the questions asked are precise and relevant to the current study. The researcher will seek out respondents from among the customers visiting Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas at least twice in a month and request them to participate in the study. The study will compare the response given by customers who frequent both restaurants and from this information, compile a list of factors that are working to enhance the dining experience for the customers. The researcher will use inferential and descriptive statistics to better analyse and interpret the data collected.
The study expects to find that the quality of food served, the setting, quality of service, the waiting time, adventure, restaurant image, customers’ value of the eating out experience, customers’ opinion of the restaurant chain, and the customers’ view of the local culture and cuisine as some of the factors that influence the customers’ choice to take up Spanish food.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Through a review of past literature, the study evaluates concepts and theoretical frameworks or models that guide answering the research questions and filling the knowledge gaps the study identified.
The Value of Customers Satisfaction
One of the most crucial business tenets is that any firm’s activity must seek to ensure customer satisfaction, create mutually beneficial, and establish a long-term relationship with the seller. In other words, the business’ success depends on the benefit it provides to the customers with its satisfactory products or services (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.663).When it continuously creates value, the result is a long-term relationship. One way to effect this tenet is through customer orientation, which businesses do by putting the customers’ needs and interests first (Liu & Jang, 2009, p.341). Following this, a customer-oriented business culture would be more profitable for firms working to succeed in their fields.
In the services industry, service employees create contact between the business’ values and marketing efforts with the customers. Service workers are responsible for actualizing the business’ customer orientation in the front line and seek feedback from the customers before presenting it as market intelligence to the management (Altamore et al., 2018, p.495). As such, the ability of a business in the service industry to present a customer-oriented approach depends primarily on the products or services presented and the quality of individualized customer service orientation the employees present (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.663). Services differ from products, and their distinguishing characteristic is that services are ‘processes’ not ‘things’ (Mudu, 2017, p.197). Also, production and consumption are partly simultaneous, and customers participate in the production process (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.664). As such, unlike products, services are interactive, and the entrepreneurs must make pricing, marketing communication, and distribution decisions.
The restaurant industry is a crucial contributor to the service industry in many countries. In Spain, mainly, the rapid growth of restaurants provides an opportunity for consumers to make the best choices regarding their dining wants (Liu & Jang, 2009, p.342). Also, the high urbanization and improved living conditions cause a majority of the people therein to switch up their dining patterns, especially those living in towns and cities (Zhong & Moon, 2020, p.460). Most people prefer dining out instead of preparing their meals at home after a long day of work. The trend of eating outspread across the country and led to rapid industry growth, supported by a growing population with higher incomes (Bak-Geller, 2015, p.124). The upscale restaurants are gaining popularity among middle and upper class segments of society, with the ethnic restaurants, particularly receiving more positive demand as people warm up to the international fine-dining restaurant offerings (Mudu, 2017, p.196). Experts say that word of mouth is the most effective marketing tool that influences the consumers’ choices, but that all depends on the dining experience the customers have (Zhong & Moon, 2020, p.460). As such, restaurants are now focusing on improving the customer experience, hoping to have the word spread among the people.
Over the last few years, the consumption of foreign cuisines has become a trend, especially among younger people. For this reason, competition in the catering industry is now fiercer than ever before (Ma et al., 2011, p.125). Despite competing among themselves, restaurants serving foreign cuisine must also compete with local food restaurants, and seek to generate a profit (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.666). As such, they must pay close attention to service quality, price, physical environment, and food quality. Of the four factors, food quality and price are the most influential (Hanaysha, 2016, p.310). The price often reflects the quality of service offered and may influence the customers’ behaviour, and perception of the quality of food served even before they get in (Jang, Liu, & Namkung, 2011, p.667). However, besides the price, the quality dimensions, the food, service, and ambiance are the most crucial determinants of customer satisfaction (Chaudhry & Crick, 2014, p.39). Maintaining customer satisfaction is quite essential because it leads to increased sales and repeats customers.
Having figured out the food, the treatment accorded to the customers must also be excellent. Among the factors that make customers change, their preferred restaurant is unprofessional, inexperienced, or inappropriate (Chaudhry & Crick, 2014, p.39). The performance fails to meet the quality of service required, resulting in poor service and low standards (Altamore et al., 2018, p.495). The provision of excellent service quality is the way to please and get to many customers to meet their satisfaction and expectation (Maroco & Maroco, 2013, p.120). The quality of the food, which depends on the food’s taste, remains a critical factor in determining whether the customers return for a second visit of not (Bak-Geller, 2015, p.124). However, essential to note is that every customer has a different perception towards the tastes of food, and what some may like, others may not (Altamore et al., 2018, p.497). However, where the quality of food is good, most customers will leave a positive review, in the form of star ratings on sites such as Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor.
The atmosphere a restaurant creates is also crucial in determining the customer’s perception of the restaurant. Some unique atmosphere may cause a customer to prefer the restaurant, while others will keep the customers off, even when the quality of food and service is excellent (Zhong & Moon, 2020, p.460). The reason is that people are into different themes and atmospheres, and what one likes another will not like (Hanaysha, 2016, p.311). For example, some customers prefer to have a quiet ambiance when eating to allow them to have a quiet conversation with their, while others cannot stand silent and will prefer a restaurant with loud music or one where people are shouting over each other (Maroco & Maroco, 2013, p.121). Also, the decoration may put off some customers but attract others. Therefore, the atmosphere, just like the food quality, is also a unique selling point for restaurants, and may or may not be acceptable to most customers (Chaudhry & Crick, 2014, p.40). A restaurant should endeavour to set up an environment that the majority of the customers will agree to.
There has not been much research regarding the quality of service in restaurants in Barcelona and this creates an information limitation let alone the Spanish Tapas oriental restaurants, which creates a limitation to information (Zhuang & Jiang, 2016, p.85). Therefore, with no much reference information, restaurant owners must come up with creative ways to keep their customers engaged, with the help of the employees (Zhuang & Jiang, 2016, p.85). Also, restaurants must dedicate their attention to studying and discovering the customers’ perception of their restaurants and readjust accordingly.
Cerveceria Catalan and Gourmet Tapas by Sensi in Barcelona
Gourmet Tapas by Sensi is one of the restaurants under the Sensi Group. The hotel’s location is an exotic place that seeks to provide a fun, fresh, and dynamic atmosphere for its customers. The restaurant specializes in recreating traditional Spanish menus to come up with a brand new experience. Gourmet Tapas by Sensi serves vegetarian-friendly, gluten-free, European, Spanish, Mediterranean, Spanish, Catalan, and vegan options. The restaurant opens every day from 6:30 pm to midnight. With close to 1500 reviews, the restaurant ranks 171 out of 9,381 restaurants in Barcelona. The restaurant also has three stars out of 5 on a Chinese App, and 4.4 out of 5 ratings on Google.
Cerveseria Catalana is both a tapas restaurant and a beer bar located in Barcelona. It is one of the most popular places in the city for the best and tastiest tapas. The restaurant offers different kinds of montaditos and tapas. The restaurant also has a wide selection of international and national beers. Cerveseria Catalana opens Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 1:30 am and from 9 am on Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant is famous for its excellent food and low prices. Cerveseria Catalan has 4.4 out of 5 ratings on Google, and 5 stars on the Chinese App
The restaurant business is not built only on the quality and type of food the restaurant offers its customers; it also is about the quality of service and other finer aspects that are not only intangible but also negotiable. As such, a restaurant can choose where to lie in the spectrum from doing all things correctly to let some things slide (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.31). However, on the customers’ side, the decision on where to eat depends on the customer’s perception of a restaurant’s ability to capture the most critical factors to the customer. One restaurant’s failure introduces an improvement gap that another restaurant can take advantage of and work on to perfection to attract new customers (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.134). However, besides losing a customer, a bad experience could do more damage by negatively influencing other regular customers, which could undo a long time cultivate a favorable brand image. Hence, the needs of the customer must be a priority to the restaurants.
The demands of the customers push the restaurant industry into fierce competition. Because of this, restaurants must note the elements of the experience they provide that keep the customers loyal and take advantage of the customers’ loyalty (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.136). By taking note of the factors that lead a customer to loyalty and understanding how to meet these needs well, restaurants can generate plenty of revenue. Venkatesakumar (2014, p.21) also adds that the food quality, atmosphere, menu variety, convenience, and the prices set are critical factors that influence the dining experience. Apparently, each of these factors varies depending on the priorities of the management and the employees (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.33). For example, among the factors that vary among restaurants is the ability to deliver good customer service, a fundamental element that is excellent for securing customer loyalty (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.136). Also, the restaurant’s image and the quality of food are essential factors in the restaurant context. Therefore, a restaurant must identify the factors that are of the highest importance and then maximize its investment.
Customer Loyalty
Gaining attention and customer loyalty is an essential objective of any organization interested in securing its life in the long-term. Sofia, Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak (2020, p.16) say that loyal customers often are less susceptible to the marketing tactics of the competitors. The loyalty aspect divides into two: attitudinal and behavioral. Venkatesakumar (2014, p.22) says that the attitudinal concept related to the psychological commitment to the business or band, while the behavioral idea is related to patronage frequency (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.136). The hospitality industry takes up the attitudinal aspect as the measure of loyalty (Venkatesakumar, 2014, p.23). A customer who presents a warm attitude towards a restaurant and its services is likely to repurchase and recommend it to others. As such, the study takes an attitudinal approach in discussing customer loyalty.
Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza (2019, p.33) say that the need to keep the existing customers is one of the primary objectives of marketers. Restaurant owners are careful to switch their marketing strategies between keeping the current customers and attracting new ones. With restaurants offering nearly similar services and products, retaining customers is quite difficult, yet it is the key to surviving the perfectly competitive market. Sofia, Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak (2020, p.16) took note of the benefits restaurants to derive from securing customer loyalty. First, loyal customers tend to choose the same restaurant every time and visit more frequently because choosing where to dine is now easier for them (Javanmard, 2016, p.8). Second, loyal customers are less sensitive to prices, and as such, slight price adjustments do not affect their dining decisions (Javanmard, 2016, p.8). Third, loyal customers are the most viable word-of-mouth marketing tools, one of the most effective methods of bringing in and retaining new customers (Sofia, Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak, 2020, p.17). With loyal customers, the restaurant saves advertising money because the existing customers bring in new customers. As such, keeping loyal customers is advantageous to business and offers more benefits than the attraction of new customers.
Factors Affecting Customers’ Loyalty to a Restaurant
- The quality of food
Food quality is one of the fundamental elements that influence the satisfaction of diners regardless of the setting—the quality of food influences how the consumer perceives almost all other dining experience elements (Cibro and Hudrasyah, 2017, p.285). For example, if the food is good, but the restaurant is somewhat crowded, a customer will seek to come into the restaurant when the number of persons in the restaurant tends to be small. Experts express the quality of food through six elements, such as variety, taste, healthy options, presentations, temperature, and freshness (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.34). Presentation refers to the staging of food on the plate and its attractiveness while there. Food presentation should balance its color, contrast, texture, and shapes. Experts feel that food presentation is the key attribute that invites diners and gets word of mouth around.
Food variety refers to the availability of numerous options on the menu. Restaurants continually work on new menus to create an assortment of beverages and foods in an attempt to entice and satisfy the diners (Javanmard, 2016, p.10). Healthy eating is also an attractive factor that is hyped in the food industry today. Due to health consciousness, the customers now have new demands, often opting for healthy rather than fast foods. As such, a restaurant that sells healthy, nutritious foods will influence customers to purchase their meals there. Taste is also an element of the food that affects customer satisfaction and decision-making in the future (Javanmard, 2016, p.10). Regardless of performance in other areas, if the taste of the food is not pleasant to the customers, they consider low food quality (Venkatesakumar, 2014, p.24). Today’s customers are more particular about the ingredients that make up their food and want to take their time to savor the tastes. As such, the restaurants doing well on this day are those that serve tasty food.
Along with the taste, important also is the freshness of the food served. Freshness refers to the juiciness, aroma, and crispiness of the food. The food’s temperature matters too because it influences the food’s sensory attributes such as smell, taste, and sight. If the food is attractive in all three aspects, the customers take a liking to the restaurant and become loyal. The more loyal the customers are, the better the chance of succeeding for the restaurant.
- The staff’s behavior
The employees in a restaurant are its face to the customers, and for this reason, restaurateurs make an effort to invest in their employees through rigorous hiring and training processes (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.135). The thorough vetting and supervision ensure that the employees present the image that the restaurant wishes to offer to its present and potential customers (Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak, 2020, p.18). The staff training must include the values and norms that the business wants to align itself in creating a pleasant customer experience and building its brand.
Employees deliver what is called the service quality. By definition, service quality refers to the customer’s judgment of the overall superiority or excellence of service. The quality of service a restaurant presents depends on the attitudes of both the employees and the customers. It is a determinant of the perception a customer will have of an eating establishment. Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza (2019, p.34) say that the employee’s right attitude leads to a positive attitude and helps create a positive working environment for the entire team. In contrast, a negative attitude makes the working environment harmful also, leading to lousy service delivery (Dibley, Clark, and Myers, 2016, p.135). Excellent service will require simple acts such as a friendly greeting, courtesy, and smiling when interacting with the customer. Lee, Moon, and Song (2018, p.630) add that service quality is one of the primary determinants of a customers’ return to the establishment. He divides the service experience into five aspects: reliability, responsiveness, tangibles, empathy, and assurance. By taking up empathy, the employees offer the customer individualized and focused attention. Providing a good table and calling the customer by name show empathy to the customer (Lee, Moon, and Song, 2018, p.631).
Assurance refers to treating the customer with courtesy or in a way that invokes confidence and trust. Responsiveness refers to the employees’ willingness to approach the customers and provide the needed help promptly (Lee, Moon, and Song, 2018, p.631). A responsive employee must be able to attend to a customer’s special request quickly. Reliability refers to the ability to deliver on the promise accurately and dependably. If the restaurant advertises fresh, healthy foods, it must provide the same, and if the set waiting time is some predetermined time, the customers must not wait for longer than that (Kurniawan, 2020, p.98). The restaurant must excel in its equipment, facility appearance, décor, cutlery, and written materials regarding tangibles (Shields, 2016, p.79). The atmosphere these elements create should attract customers. The tangibles present a critical image of the restaurant regarding its ranking and the quality of service or food it offers. In creating an excellent dining experience, excellent service quality is necessary to stop unfavorable feedback from the customers, such as badmouthing the restaurant and its service.
- Value for money spent
Research indicates that price is a significant factor in the food business. People may not want to return to a restaurant if they perceive it to be pricey, and in this case, this means that the food or service therein does not provide them with value for their money (Lee, Moon, and Song, 2018, p.633). Customers also rely on the price to gauge the level of satisfaction they may decipher from the meals or services they may receive at an establishment (Kurniawan, 2020, p.98). For example, when the price is high, the customer expects excellent food while very low pricing means that the customer could expect some mistakes, such as food taste. However, if the prices are too high, the customers will freely shift bases from one establishment to another (Lee, Moon, and Song, 2018, p.633). As such, costing also must be a priority to ensure that the meals are not out of reach for the target customers and that the business does not run on losses.
Regarding the post-purchase behaviors, the perceived price also plays an essential role in the customers’ practices (Kurniawan, 2020, p.98). The perceived value of the purchase is in terms of monetary and nonmonetary value, including the effort and time put into creating the meals. In a previous study, Cibro and Hudrasyah (2017, p.285) observed that low prices heighten customer satisfaction without significantly influencing the customer’s perception of the entire dining experience. As such, the customer’s understanding of the price’s reasonableness affects their knowledge of their satisfaction.
- The restaurant ambiance and interiors
The interior of the restaurant dictates how the customers perceive the restaurant. In essence, the first impression the customers get is the lasting impression and is critical in attracting and retaining the customers by seeking to imprint positivity. However, the interiors and ambiance are about the color or layout; it is also about the emotions space radiates and how the customer takes it (Cibro and Hudrasyah, 2017, p.286). Suhud and Wibowo (2016, p.56) say that an appealing ambiance does not involve expensive remodeling; it could also mean ensuring ambient light and including some brilliant interior colors (Kurniawan, 2020, p.99). Adequate space and the seating layout even matter; customers like to eat at a spacious restaurant that maintains their privacy. The hotel layout should maximize the floor space to ensure that area carries the maximum number of customers it can comfortably (Suhud and Wibowo, 2016, p.57). Aesthetics are also an essential component of the ambiance. Restaurants should offer a beautiful environment that makes customers want to purchase food there, particularly during the social media age, when people want to show their endeavors out to the world through pictures and videos.
- Convenience
One of the factors that could make a business lose its loyal customers is the waiting time. If the customer walks into a restaurant and the servers delay taking the order, or the food takes too long before reaching the table, or there are discrepancies with the payment, the customer becomes irritated (Suhud and Wibowo, 2016, p.56). Customers now demand high-quality treatment as they are more aware of their options. Since restaurants are continually competing, the restaurants are better placed to cater to their customers’ needs (Suhud and Wibowo, 2016, p.56). Some of the conveniences to expect in a restaurant include an interactive environment, easy ordering, secure billing, and several payment modes.
- A unique menu
Uniqueness produces character. When a customer has a unique experience at a restaurant, he or she will have difficulties forgetting the restaurant. An example of uniqueness is having a signature dish or having the food made in order instead of reheating it (Kurniawan, 2020, p.99). Also, restaurants often have an in-house meal they created, especially to bring them some uniqueness. Others will offer free dessert, which adds a unique touch to their service (Sofia, Pangaribuan, and Sitinjak, 2020, p.20). Whichever option the restaurant takes, the goal is to create an unforgettably pleasant experience that will keep the customers returning.
- Customer entertainment and privacy
The first rule to any restaurant or entertainment venue is to ensure that the customers are entertained and engaged consistently. Besides good food and having tables that allow customers to participate freely, some restaurants install screens with the customers’ favorite shows on them (Cibro and Hudrasyah, 2017, p.287). The staff occasionally speaks with the customers to inquire about their meal and see how they like it so far (Kurniawan, 2020, p.99). However, besides engaging, the customers will sometimes want to have some privacy, and it takes well-trained staff to determine these times. The team needs to know how to identify each of the customers’ moods and preferences, and then provide the kind of service or attention they require.
The above factors act as pull factors to the customers, but the opposite, the harmful elements, push the customers away. They include a longer waiting time, the cooking smells, arrogance and rudeness from the servers, inappropriate approach, improper parking, inadequate parking, too much noise, variances in the quality of food and service, unfair treatment of employees, and overcrowded spaces (Suhud and Wibowo, 2016, p.59). Customers are not only concerned about their food and how the treatment they receive; customers also care to know that those they are interacting with are happy (Tobin & Huffman, 2016, p.4). As such, a business must treat its workers well as it reflects in their service, and will affect the attitudes the customers develop towards the restaurant business.
The Role of Employee Engagement in Influencing Customer Perception
Due to the internet’s influence, society has come to the point where everything in life is under constant connectivity. Technology’s steady march is driving culture into the ‘know everything’ zone, influencing how people perceive a particular brand (Eiland, 2015, p.25). In most cases, perception is a product of word of mouth through friends’ recommendations, tweets, Facebook posts, and online reviews, while in others, it’s from life experiences. All these ideas influence how a customer perceives a brand or an item. However, the opinion shapers are not only the customers on the receiving end. The employees, too, influence how customers perceive the business.
By definition, customer perception refers to the customer’s individual opinion regarding the products or business a company is carrying out. Attitude has to do with how the customers feel regarding the brand from their direct or indirect experience engaging with the company (Chand & Kapoor, 2010, p.31). If a business can monitor customer perception, the market can quickly identify some user spots that could improve its interactions with the customers (Eiland, 2015, p.27). It is important to note that the best way to measure customer reception, besides the reviews online, is through the business employees (Chand & Kapoor, 2010, p.32). Employees offer the all-important contact point between the customers and the company, and from their interaction with the customers, they can collect a wide array of quantitative and qualitative data from sources such as customer reviews, product usage reports, tipping tendencies, and the amount of food consumed, in the case of a restaurant (Yashwanth, 2017, p.16). While collecting data is essential, ensuring that the customers receive proper treatment at your establishment is critical.
In any establishment within the hospitality industry, many employees’ behaviours occur in the workplace. The responses are either positive, referring to the employees’ constructive actions on behalf of the organization, or the adverse reactions that extinguish the productive environment (Altamore et al., 2018, p.497). Negative behaviour provokes stress and depression among employees and the customers, and unlike the positive response, the harmful kind has a way of spreading fast and influencing perception. Tobin and Huffman (2016, p.4) says that negative behaviour on the part of the employees ruins many businesses and lead to losses to the employers in millions of dollars daily. Also, its consequences drive away from the customers, damage the employees’ morality, and increases the turnover rates for companies (Yashwanth, 2017, p.18). As such, the employees’ behaviours are an essential factor in service delivery and are critical to developing a productive working relationship with the customers.
Scholars agree that there exists an undeniable link between customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction. When employees are happy, their morale is boosted, resulting in much more efficiency and diligence (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.34). A study indicated that 72% of the employees, when engaged, believe that they interact with customers positively (Eiland, 2015, p.29). The information here is not only right in research but also in everyday life. Most people have had a bad experience in restaurants after waiters and servers treated them badly or barely paid attention. Poor treatment influences not only a person’s perception of the restaurant but also the enjoyment of the food, however good it is (Tobin & Huffman, 2016, p.5). After a negative experience, most customers deflect and opt to take up any other options available. The situation is the same in every competitive environment such that instead of waiting for the case to get better or bearing with the producers, most customers find it easier to deflect and look for better options in the market (Jaini, Ahmad, & Zaib, 2015, p.65). However, the reality is that businesses today cannot afford to lose customers, albeit due to poor performance and behaviour.
The CEO of Campbell Soup, Doug Conant, said that he or she must be winning in the workplace to succeed in the market place (Jaini, Ahmad, & Zaib, 2015, p.65). According to Conant, if both the customers and the employees are happy, they must be doing something right (Jaini, Ahmad, & Zaib, 2015, p.65). However, the culture the management establishes is responsible for building continuous employee satisfaction while insisting on the need to keep the customers happy. The reality is that there exists a secure connection between the two. The business must deliver a positive customer experience whenever serving customers. A study by PwC indicated that when customers have a great experience, they tend to make more purchases, become loyal, and readily share their experiences with friends (Kim, Kang, & Park, 2014, p.113). However, Wood (2017, p.8) insists that the way to ensure this positive experience is by creating a culture that keeps the employees engaged and motivated. Also, in confirmation, a Harvard Business Review article cited a study conducted by Glassdoor that associated a happy workforce with the company’s ability to please and satisfy its customers (Wood, 2017, p.10). The study found that today, companies are increasingly changing their business framework and adopting a more customer-centric approach (Sitinjak, Pangaribuan, and Tafriza, 2019, p.36). Unfortunately, for most employers, the customers take centre stage until they appear insignificant to the business process (Warde and Martens, 2010, p.21). The study felt that allowing the workers to suffer at the customer’s expense is an unfortunate and near-sighted strategy (Chen, 2014, p.20). The truth is that employee and customer satisfaction are two sides of the same coin and must receive attention in equal measure. The relationship between customer and employee satisfaction has indicated that organizational cultures sit at the base of any company’s efforts to improve either.
The products a company sells might not be the real pull factor for customers; they esteem the service quality better than the products. There might be another producer offering superior goods, but if the producers’ demeanour is nasty, they will opt for the next best alternative. Hence, a company should make sure to invest in customer service development better than any other should. Excellent customer service is easy to achieve when employees are eager to work and have confidence that their job is the best suited for them. If the employees have an inward drive towards conducting their job, then bonding with customers and treating them well will not require much effort.
The employee relationship not only depends on their interactions with the management; other factors also count. The first is the relationship employees have with fellow workers (Kim, Kang, and Park, 2014, p.113). An excellent relationship ensures peace and creates a conducive environment that allows for collaboration, friendship, and assistance where needed, without involving the management (Armstrong et al., 2018, p.25). A good relationship also reduces the likelihood of breeding conflicts and promotes bonding. The employee experience is also an important determining factor (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink, 2017, p.372). If a job is too monotonous, the employee will become bored and lack the motivation to work or learn something new. Hence, the working environment should encourage learning, not only through training but also introducing unique technical, cultural, psychological, and physical aspects that make the atmosphere fun and challenging (Armstrong et al., 2018, p.26). The wellbeing of the employees is another of the essential factors that influence employee satisfaction (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink, 2017, p.373). A business should understand employees’ expectations, level of happiness, stress levels, and overall health—it all about creating the right mood and a sense of purpose in the business. If the workers become overwhelmed and succumb to burnout, or face work-related problems, their morale to work will be very low, which will influence their service delivery to customers. As such, employers must create systems that consider the employees’ welfare, which will positively impact their relationship with customers.
As part of ensuring that the employees are well and satisfied, a business must institute developmental programs. Today’s more significant proportion of the workforce is made up of millennials who are hardworking, enthusiastic, innovative, and are continually looking out for growth (Chand and Kapoor, 2010, p.33). As such, in meeting the need for growth, the business must develop new practical training and development programs based on the employees’ needs. Training not only ensures that the workforce continually improves its skills, but also ensures that they continually become better at their jobs (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink, 2017, p.373). When employees feel that the workplace is continually growing them, they are likely to become more loyal and attentive to their duties at work. They will be more satisfied, dedicate their energies, and focus towards their jobs (Susskind, Kacmar, and Borchgrevink, 2017, p.375). Additionally, a happy employee projects positive energy to the customers, which makes the customers’ dining experience more comfortable.
For the businesses to correctly assess the needs of the employees, the management needs to observe their behaviour and conduct surveys. Responses from surveys provide direct answers from the employees regarding their current experiences and any changes they wish to see (Chand and Slath, 2018, p.20). Managers need constant updates to ensure that things are working well and that any problems are addressed as soon as they arise before they can affect the employees’ attitudes towards work. In addition, once the employers address the issue early enough, the issue is unlikely to affect other issues. In addition, when the management shows care and concern for the issues affecting the employees, the employees feel valued, which increases their morale for work and increases their confidence, resulting in higher levels of satisfaction that translates to better customers’ experience.
Employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction are a win-win situation. Engaged employees lead to happy customers and vice versa. Satisfied customers play a critical role in developing an essential cultural foundation of dignity and purpose on the side of the employees (Chand and Slath, 2018, p.20). However, negative customer experiences are a vital source of valuable lessons and provide points of improvement for the players in the field. Sorting these issues becomes a source of motivation and drive to the employees.
In summary, customer satisfaction is a significant issue in business. It leads to happy customers who promote the industry by becoming repeat customers and advertising to other potential customers by word of mouth (Chand and Kapoor, 2010, p.35). However, for there to be satisfied customers, the employees must be happy and confident with their issues, especially those related to their work environment, sorted out (Barnes, 2015, p.14). As such, with disgruntled employees and unsatisfied customers, business begins to plummet. As such, the workforce is an essential factor that determines the longevity of doing business.
Cultural Differences between Chinese and Western Restaurant Guests
The difference between the Western and the Chinese diet cultures is worth exploring to understand the Chinese customer’s specific needs. The Chinese dietary culture is quite profound and extensive, and there are common sayings like ‘people-eat-for-the-day’ and the people compare food to the sky (Chand and Slath, 2018, p.22). The people’s attention to food and dietary plans is explicit. Western diet, on the other hand, is specialized and delicate. There are apparent differences on the surface. For example, Western and Chinese eating behaviour appears to be forks and knives versus chopsticks (Pecotić, Bazdan, and Samardžija, 2014, p.11). While the Chinese prefer to eat communally and share their dishes, Westerners enjoy eating individually. Chinese cooks’ food is bite-sized, and the eaters do not need knives to cut it up, while Western cooks make the food in big pieces then use forks and knives to cut the food up. The Chinese often cook their vegetables by boiling, frying, steaming, and stewing, while Western salads are steamed or eaten raw. Chinese eaters prefer dried or fresh spices, while Western meals use processed spices.
Traditionally, the Chinese eat their food in round tables, and family meals are quite popular in the Chinese market. They find it convenient to share their meals with others by placing it, for example, on a lazy Susan (Zhong and Moon, 2020, p.462). Importantly, they prefer round tables because roundness is a symbol of unity in China. On the other hand, Westerners like square tables and a set up that makes it convenient for individual meals, and longer ones for when eating in bigger groups (Barnes, 2015, p.15). Importantly, Chinese people use peanut and animal oils to fry their foods, while Westerners use olive oil, butter, and sunflower oil to cook their meals. While all these factors appear superficial, they matter in regards to how restaurants attend and seek to meet the Chinese customers’ needs.
The differences between the Western and Chinese cultures are mostly different, creating a difference in their food cultures. The Chinese diet culture mainly draws from the people’s long history, about 180 million years of food history, a unique factor about the Chinese food that is different from other nations (Almohaimmeed, 2017, p.12). Apart from cooking food for nutrition, the Chinese diet culture also relates mainly to healthcare and diet therapy, which is why their food is abundant and uses various cooking techniques meant to preserve the food’s nutrition content (Pecotić, Bazdan, and Samardžija, 2014, p.11). What’s more, the county’s rich and vast land resources are ideal for growing different kinds of foods, which allows the region to develop its rich food flavour genres that have unique characteristics. When used jointly in food, they result in a colourful and splendid diet. The situation in the West is unique also (Zhong and Moon, 2020, p.463). The United States, for example, is a land with a short history made up of people from more than 100 countries (Zhong and Moon, 2020, p.463). The result is a ‘melting pot’ of cultures is a ‘melting pot’ of food dishes. However, much of the American culture descends from the earliest immigrants who loved to eat fresh raw foods, without too much flavouring or additives, preferring to retain their original flavour. The process of cooking Western meals is quick and straightforward, and there are not too many decorations.
Notable also is the differences in the two regions’ diet concept. The Chinese care about the organic unity of taste, colour, and aroma of the food. As such, they are very strict regarding their food requirements (Canny, 2013, p.27). The diet should primarily be beautiful, prompting the people’s appetite, and the food must have a unique smell. The taste is the most critical aspect of the food, and the Chinese always strive for the highest state of diet. Therefore, Chinese cuisine not only appeals in taste but also to the other senses. Many of the dishes have a fancy or allegoric name.
In summary, the Chinese people’s pursuit of good food is quite severe, causing them to develop a unique diet culture different from that of people in the West. On the other hand, Western people have more concern for the nutritional value of food than its appearance, or the name was given to it (Armstrong et al., 2018, p.27). There is more emphasis on the scientific allocation of the dietary nutrition for each meal, attaching more importance to the vitamins, calories, proteins, and other nutrients per meal. Another difference is that the Chinese diet places emphasis on the artistic and emotional aspects of food, while the Western diet leans towards rationality, emphasizing the health and scientific aspects of the food.
Eating habits also differ between the two cultures. The Chinese prefer foods with coarse grains, while Westerners like refined grains such as wheat flour, corn flour, and others. The Chinese also love fermented foods, soymilk, tofu, and other similar products, while Westerners like cheeses, milk, and different kinds of dairy products. In China, almost everything in the environment is edible; they date to eat anything eatable, whether from the land, sea, or sky, whether wild or domestic. Westerners tend to stay away from particular foods and not take up some Chinese delicacies like frogs, snakes, or dogs (Canny, 2013, p.27). In Chinese culture, food is also a symbol of generosity, and the hosts will often serve food until the guests are full. In Western culture, the hosts do not necessarily use the menu as a sign of politeness and often assume that the guest is full after clearing the plate (Canny, 2013, p.28). The differences between the two cultures are significant and could determine the suitability or lack of a dining experience. Most restaurants in Spain treat all foreigners alike, assuming they all are Westerners or are adapted to Western culture (Pecotić, Bazdan, and Samardžija, 2014, p.14). However, the Chinese values of dining matter to the Chinese living in Spain, and they use these differences to choose the restaurant from which to have their meals.
Influence of Gender Differences
Gender is one of the critically influential factors in the purchasing process. Gender is one of the decisive factors in marketing and influences a brand’s market penetration. A larger number of women are turning to be more active and powerful in the purchase industry, which AUTHOR says is helping to ignore the gender differences that exist when due to devising marketing strategies that most advertisers tend to use. AUTHOR also adds that women are often emotional in the choices while men take the autonomous and more aggressive path towards making their choices. As such, when rating restaurants or other service providers, the female customers will give a higher rating than the male because they will consider the effort put towards presenting them with the services or products. Important also, female customers place more emphasis on the social interactions the employees have with them. As such, even when the food presented is of high quality, but the server is ruder, unkempt, or possess any other quality that the female does not agree to, the client will give a negative or low rating. Female clients are also keen on how the management treats the employees, and how workers interact with each other, making it important for businesses to present a strong united front when serving the customers. Male customers, on the other hand, tend to use reason and cognition in their ratings. When asked to give an opinion regarding the quality of food, the male customer only reviews the food, with no influences from the service quality, or any other factor. As such, gender is a critical influencer of the opinions customers will have.
Besides being emotionally influenced by the service while rating a restaurant or the quality of service received, AUTHOR also notes that female clients have a keener eye than their male counterparts have, and are likely to note small issues that male clients would not. Female clients take note of the hygiene practices, the décor on the tables and the walls, and other minute details that most male clients would not. Additionally, differences in gender influence food choices. AUTHOR indicates that some studies concluded that female customers are keener about their food, including its presentation, taste, and the value they get from purchasing it. Going by these differences, a person’s gender will influence their opinion regarding the quality of a restaurant and influences the person’s subsequent behavior. Evaluating the influence of gender on Chinese customers’ dining experience in Spanish restaurants is important. It may lead to a more superior understanding of how gender groups interact with their food. It will also take out the research gap in previous studies by providing a perspective of Chinese customers and their appreciation of Spain’s local cuisines.
Although female clients offer the toughest perspective in their review of service and foods, AUTHOR indicates that according to the Customer Satisfaction Index in Spain, the female customers’ satisfaction was higher than that of the males. AUTHOR explains that females have common concerns and often seek to preserve the relationships, connections and harmonious living they have with others, even those that are not part of their inner circles, and often treat them well, with respect. As such, women rarely give negative ratings, especially when they have to do it one-on-one. However, when it comes to taking risks and trying new things, AUTHOR indicates that men are more open to switching brands and will often open up to the idea of trying new things. Men rarely become loyal customers and often pick the items, services or restaurants that would best meet the man’s needs quickly and effectively. Women, on the other hand, are likely to revisit a restaurant if their needs are met efficiently there. However, the day that the business fails to reach the customers’ expectations, the business immediately loses its female customers.
Some studies on psychology indicate that gender does not influence the perception of happiness. AUTHOR says that female customers’ life satisfaction and happiness have to do with their families and the social ties they work to develop. However, male happiness has to do with tier self-concept and the feelings that this induces. An investigation of the effects of gender on life satisfaction and happiness in Hong Kong and found that gender is somewhat influential in its relationship with happiness. In taking note of the influence of gender on restaurants’ ratings, the research will investigate the relationship relative to the Chinese restaurants.
Customer Satisfaction
Since customer satisfaction is the fundamental factor driving the service industry, the concept is quite important to business owners and scholars. Due to its influence in repeat purchases, and one-on-one recommendations, customer satisfaction is a critical factor for businesses of all kinds. Satisfaction builds on comparing the expected or advertised versus the product or service presented to the customer, a process traditionally called the confirmation-disconfirmation process. It begins with the customer forming expectations before making the purchase, consuming the product or service, and then making a conscious decision regarding the perceived quality, based on the expectations made. If the perceived performance only falls slightly below the expected performance, the customer assimilates, and adjusts the perceived performance upwards, towards the expectations. However, if the perceived performance falls short of the expectations substantially, the customer exaggerates the resulting shortfall, influencing others’ purchase decisions. As such, the goal each business ought to pursue is to exceed or meet the client’s expected quality, leaving no room for assimilation or lags.
Satisfaction Function
The figure above is the satisfaction function showing the relationship between the expected and the perceived quality. The performance goes above the customers’ expectations, the satisfaction increases, though at a decreasing rate. However, falling perceived performance increases the disconfirmation even more.
AUTHOR makes an important observation that the satisfaction itself is subjective, and depends on the customers’ emotions, needs, and other objective characteristics of the service or product. As such, a feature that one customer will find pleasing and satisfactory may not be so for another because their tastes and preferences differ. AUTHOR gives the example of numerous studies that examined the aspects that travelers find important regarding their travel and found that the customers’ needs are wildly different. As such, customer satisfaction and service quality are distinct concepts whose relationship varies greatly. In the hospitality industry, AUTHOR notes that value for money, cleanliness, staff courtesy, and security influence satisfaction for many customers. AUTHOR noted that prompt service, cleanliness, comfort, employee friendliness, security, and location convenience affect customer satisfaction. In his study, AUTHOR also noted that the hospitality industry’s vital factors are timeliness, employee behavior, cleanliness, and food quality. Still, AUTHOR noted that staff quality, the value of food, and ambiance in the room are the top three factors that affect customers’ satisfaction in the hotel business.
Drawing from the above conclusions, the study sought clarification from the theories of customer satisfaction.
Theories of Customer Satisfaction
Some theoretical approaches are used to distinguish between satisfaction and disconfirmation among customers in the service industry paradigm. The theories explain the process by which the customers make satisfaction judgments. The theories include:
The Assimilation Theory
The Assimilation theory builds on the dissonance theory developed by Festinger. The dissonance theory suggests that customers tend to make mental comparisons between the perceived and the expected product performance. AUTHOR adds that under the assimilation theory, customers make an effort to avoid dissonance by adjusting their perceptions about the purchased products by shifting it upwards, to match their expectations. Also, customers bring down the tension resulting from any discrepancy between the product performance and the expectations by distorting their expectations. They are in line with the perceived performance by minimizing or underrating the relative importance of the disconfirmation reported.
Despite providing an excellent explanation for customer choice and satisfaction, the assimilation theory receives criticism for assuming the existence of a relationship between satisfaction and expectation. The critics say that the theory does not explain how the disconfirmation of expectation leads to the satisfaction or the lack of it because the customers ought to have enough motivation to adjust their perceptions or expectations regarding the product or service presented. AUTHOR also adds that a high quality of the products offered improves the relationship between satisfaction and expectation. Therefore, dissatisfaction should never occur unless the evaluation process begins with a negative rather than positive customer expectation.
The Contrast Theory
AUTHOR summarizes this theory as the customers’ tendency to magnify the discrepancies between their attitudes and opinion statements’ attitudes. The theory provides an alternative view of the customers’ evaluation process post-usage of the product or service, indicating the effects the customers’ expectations had on satisfaction. While the assimilation theory assumes that the customers tend to minimize any discrepancies between performance and expectation, the contrast theory holds the opposite view that customers tend to exaggerate or magnify even tightest discrepancies. Often, the exaggerations made are in the direction of the discrepancy. As such, when a raises the customers’ expectations during the advertising and fails to provide what was advertised, the customer will reject the service or product immediately and deem it as unsatisfactory. However, over-delivery and under-promising produce a negative effect because the customer still exaggerates the positive disconfirmation.
By far, the contrast theory enjoys the support of multiple industry experts because it predicts the customers’ reaction rather than bringing down the dissonance. The reality is that most times, the customers tend to magnify the differences between their expectations and the experience after using the product or service.
Negativity Theory
Carlsmith and Aronson developed the negativity theory in 1963 to suggest that the inconsistency between performance and expectation disrupts the recipient’s emotions and often produces ‘negative energy.’ The negativity theory builds on the disconfirmation process and states that consumers often give a negative reaction to even the slightest disconfirmation by strongly holding on to their expectations. As such, the consumer expresses dissatisfaction whether the perceived performance surpasses or goes below the customer’s expectations. Any disruption, whether positive or negative, produces negative energy.
METHODOLOGY
Overview
The methodology chapter outlines the methodological approach the study will take in seeking the information necessary to answer the research questions. The study ensured strict adherence to the philosophical points, theoretical foundations, and the research design that would adequately address the study’s necessary details. Therefore, the methodology chapter highlights the critical choices the study took up, including the philosophy of the research, research design, approach to research, data collection procedure, and the data analysis. The study also takes the opportunity to specify the study’s context, the sampling technique, and the ethical considerations made in deriving and compiling the data. The methodology chapter has massive significance to the research process because it breaks down the study’s legitimate way to the conclusion indicated. Overall, the methodology chapter underscores the validity of the findings of the research.
Research Philosophy
By indicating its philosophy, the research lays the foundation for the process to take in the research. As such, the study took up a pragmatism paradigm due to its philosophical foundation despite the debate surrounding scientific research philosophies. AUTHOR reflects on the ideological divisions among pioneer research philosophers regarding the subject and says that there’s no harmonized consensus regarding the classification of the research paradigms despite the debate. However, the study took up pragmatism philosophy because the data collected is based on the customers’ individual dining experiences. Also, the study’s approach allows for both qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection, opening itself up to support measures from both the interpretive and the positivist paradigms.
Research Design
The research design is the overall strategy the study chooses to logically and coherently integrate various study components to address the research problem identified effectively. The research study dictates every other step the study takes, including the data collection, data measurement, and data analysis. The study took up a descriptive research design because it seeks to describe the situation under research in its entirety. The descriptive design is theory-based and gathers the relevant information or data by analyzing, gathering and presenting the data collected. From the process, the research can then gain insights regarding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of the research subject matter. Also, the descriptive design provides a better understanding of the problem where the problem statement is unclear.
Research Approach
The research approach is the plan and procedure that the study takes, indicating the steps that the study takes towards data collection in broad and detailed terms. The study took up a mixed research method, which involves collecting and integrating both qualitative and quantitative data. A mixed approach assumes that the combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches provides a complete understanding of the research problem rather than qualitative and quantitative research approaches. As such, the study takes up both content analysis and questionnaires to collect qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. The study hoped to gain comprehensive information from various data sources, different researchers, multiple interpretations of results, and the use of multiple methods to investigate the research problem.
Data Collection
After choosing a mixed methods research approach, the study went on to take up content analysis and questionnaires to collect the relevant data. Content analysis is the research tool that uses the presence of particular words, concepts, and themes in some piece of qualitative data. Using content analysis, the researcher quantified and analyzed the presence of unique meanings, presence, and relationships between words, concepts, and customer satisfaction themes in the restaurant environment. The researcher sought relevant data from online journal databases like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and Ebscohost to find relevant data. In finding the right articles, the research used words like ‘customer experiences in the restaurant business,’ ‘the Chinese customers’ dining experience,’ and ‘customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry.’ From the articles chosen, the researcher made inferences about the ideas discussed in the journals and articles chosen.
From reviewing the content, the researcher also got to prepare to undertake the interviews. The chosen sample size for the research was 30 Chinese customers to represent the larger population in Spain. The stratified random sampling method worked best in choosing customers going in for their return or regular visits. In particular, the researcher understood the restaurant industry’s consumption patterns, the intentions and drives of the customers, the behavioral and attitudinal responses the customers give to various stimuli, and the emotional and psychological state to expect when administering the interviews. With this information, the researcher went forward to collect the quantitative data.
The researcher came up with a well-structured questionnaire made up of both open and closed-ended questions. Since a questionnaire takes the form of a written interview, making it easy for the researcher to administer the questionnaire face-to-face, the study took the interviewing approach. The researcher would meet up with the chosen respondents and seek answers from them regarding their dining experiences, guided by the chosen questions.
Data Analysis
Data analysis for the qualitative data was in three important steps. The first was to gather the notes, documents, PDFs, and other materials that the study found would contribute to the study. Next, the researcher reviewed and explored the data available to ascertain that it was right for the study. Using headings and sub-headings, the researcher grouped the information collected again and organized it into themes before presenting the information more cohesively. The study organized the questionnaire responses into codes that would make it easier to conduct a proper analysis of the responses—analyzing the numeric information from the coded responses made it easier to run the data through Microsoft Excel. The researcher then determines descriptive statistics of the data to give a picture of how the data looks. The study also ran other tests and used the results to interpret the information derived from the people.
Study Population and Context
The target population for this study was the Chinese people living or visiting Barcelona. The Chinese immigrate to other countries from China in large numbers, which is the case for Spain. There are so many Chinese people living in Spain, more than 200,000 persons, excluding citizens already. Chinese people rarely assimilate into the locals’ lifestyle and like to keep to their ways and culture. However, when something intrigues them, such as good food, they often will take it up and make it a part of their new culture. As such, Chinese customers are often loyal, making them an ideal customer group to study the aspects of the customer dining experience that increase customer satisfaction. As such, the study approached Chinese customers entering the two specified hotels and invited them to participate in the study. The study preferred customers who had visited the restaurant two times or more, assuming the existence of a pull factor that would be driving them towards picking the same restaurant each time.
Ethical Considerations
The study maintained ethical standards through its course, beginning with the review of literature, data collection, and the presentation. Regarding seeking answers from the respondents, the researcher kept a keen eye on the participants’ welfare and conducted an unbiased analysis of data derived. For example, the participants’ contribution to the study was purely voluntary, and the responses they gave were treated with utmost confidentiality, for purposes of this research alone. Regarding content analysis as a data collection tool, the study also remained ethical by obtaining only publicly available data and providing an in-text citation to reference the authors of the content reviewed. The careful approach was to prevent the breaching of information and data or impose on the respondents’ rights. There was also strict adherence to academic standards to ensure that the study met the ethical practice requirements. AUTHOR says that ethics play a critical role in research because they enhance the moral standards and ensure acceptable practice, justifying the research and its purpose. In this knowledge, the study took note of areas that needed attention to secure the research study’s credibility and reliability.
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