Hyun-Woo Joung

Investigating relationships between internal marketing practices and employee organizational commitment in the foodservice industry

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between internal marketing practices, employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intention in the foodservice industry. Design/methodology/approach – The target population was employees who were currently working at a restaurant in the USA. All respondents were recruited from different states for the generalization of the study results. A confirmatory factor analysis validated the measurement model, and subsequently, structural equation modeling tested the proposed model. Findings – Three internal marketing practices – vision, development and rewards – were good indicators for predicting employee job satisfaction, and two internal marketing practices – development and rewards – in addition to job satisfaction were significant predictors for employee organizational commitment. Finally, the findings indicated that job satisfaction and affective commitment had a significant impact on lowering employee turnover inte...

Effects of Perceived Quality and Perceived Value of Campus Foodservice on Customer Satisfaction: Moderating Role of Gender

Abstract This study investigated the effects of gender, perceived quality and perceived value of campus foodservice on customer satisfaction. A total of 346 participants were surveyed at a large, public university in the Southwest United States. The relationships among three latent constructs (perceived quality, perceived value, and customer satisfaction) were measured using structural equation modeling. The findings showed that both perceived quality and perceived value had significant effects on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, gender had a significant moderating role on the relationship between perceived quality and perceived value.

Employee job satisfaction and customer-oriented behavior: A study of frontline employees in the foodservice industry

ABSTRACT As the significance of frontline employees increases in the foodservice industry, organizations are paying more attention to internal marketing and customer-oriented behavior for the success of their business. Thus, this study surveys restaurant employees to investigate the impact of development and rewards on job satisfaction and customer-oriented behavior from the perspective of restaurant employees. This study not only supports aspects of previous literature, but also proposes a testable and parsimonious research model by exploring development, rewards, job satisfaction, and customer-oriented behavior simultaneously and revealing how those factors are correlated. Finally, limitations and future research directions are addressed.

Evaluation of the On-Campus Dining Services Using Importance-Performance Analysis

The objectives of the current study were to explore the perceived importance and performance/satisfaction of on-campus dining service consumers, to investigate the importance-performance difference between patron and nonpatron customers, and to examine the differences between gender groups. The study compared the respondents’ perceived importance and performance ratings of the dining-service-quality attributes using importance-performance analysis. The resultant importance-performance analysis grid illustrated that food quality and sanitation fell into Quadrant 2 (Keep up the Good Work); price into Quadrant 3 (Low Priority); and service and environment into Quadrant 4 (Possible Overkill). However, the importance-performance analysis comparison of patron/nonpatron groups and gender groups showed that the service attribute was allocated differently.

Influence of price and brand image on restaurant customers’ restaurant selection attribute

ABSTRACT The study examines the influence of price and brand image on three major restaurant quality attributes (ambiance, food quality, and service quality). A total number of 363 cases from the survey were used to assess the proposed model for structural equation modeling. The results of this study indicated that brand image significantly affected customers’ restaurant attribute preference. Living status (residents vs. tourists) partially affected customers’ restaurant attribute preference. This study provides valuable information about restaurant customers’ preferences. The results also demonstrate how restaurant operators attract new customers and retain existing customers by improving their ambiance, food, and service quality.

An examination of students’ perceptions for guest speakers in hospitality and tourism programs

ABSTRACT The current study aimed to identify students’ perceptions about guest speakers in hospitality and tourism programs. A total of 222 participants were surveyed at a large, public university in southwestern United States. The mean scores of 10 attributes were plotted on an importance-performance analysis grid to illustrate each attribute of one guest speaker’s lecture. The findings showed a discrepancy between the students’ perceived importance and the performance level. The results indicate that students expect that guest speakers not only provide industry-specific knowledge and current issues but also deliver them appropriately. Therefore, guest speakers should realize that students are eager to learn about strategies for career success and current issues in order to stimulate their interest. These findings provide meaningful information for guest speakers on how to improve their effectiveness because students’ reflection and ideas about guest speakers help faculty members better utilize guest speakers and develop curriculums and programs, which ultimately will benefit students in their learning.

Healthy Food Awareness, Behavioral Intention, and Actual Behavior toward Healthy Foods: Generation Y Consumers at University Foodservice

Abstract This study examined relationships among healthy food awareness, behavioral intention toward healthy foods, and actualbehavior of Generation Y consumers. This study hypothesized that Generation Y consumers are aware of healthy foods andmore likely to eat healthy foods while avoiding junk foods. According to structural equation modeling, all hypothesized pathswere statistically significant, meaning that the three constructs in the model showed positive relationships with each other.Results showed that this group of college students is generally aware of healthy foods and have positive intentions towardhealthy food choices. Therefore, university foodservice management needs to continue to improve their menus in order toattract this new generation of college student consumers.Key Words: Healthy food awareness, behavioral intention, Generation Y, university foodservice I. Introduction In the United States university foodservice is one of thelargest sectors of the foodservice industry, and the market isgetting considerably larger in terms of the number ofpotential consumers (Andaleeb & Caskey 2007; Kim et al.2004; Knutson 2000; Seo et al. 2012). According to a reportby the U.S. Census Bureau (2010), there were approximately19 million college students in 2008, indicating 22% increasefrom 2000. These numbers imply that there is an increasingdemand in university foodservice. A recent study by Technomicshowed that 62% of college/university students purchasedfood or beverages from on-campus foodservice at least oncea week (Technomic 2011). According to the report, collegestudent consumers are concerned with healthy food, such asones low in fat, calories, and sodium; meanwhile, increasingtheir interest in healthy, or eco-friendly, foods broughtchanges to university foodservice at students’ respectiveschools (Jang et al. 2011; Lee et al. 2013).The definition of the term “healthy foods” has not beenclearly settled and varies depending on the source andcontext. According to the FDA (Food and DrugAdministration 2013), food that is low in fat, limited in theamount of sodium/cholesterol it contains, and food thatprovides a certain amount of nutrients is considered to be“healthy food.” One challenge for university foodservicenow is that most consumers are Generation Y or Millennials,(people born between the mid-1970s and 1990s). Mostcollege students are Generation Ys. These consumers aresophisticated, eating out frequently, and willing to pay extrafor better foods/service; therefore, in order to successfullymarket to this generation, university foodservice operatorsshould understand college students’ behavioral intention andhow to satisfy them (Kim, 2013; Lee & Kim 2012). Thegeneral awareness of healthier food that dominated the 1990shas led to greater menu choices in foodservice for bothbusiness and industry. Kwon et al. (2010) defined a healthymenu item as “a menu item with an increased nutritionalvalue or decreased health risk attributed to a change of foodingredients or cooking methods.” Generally speaking, healthymenus are now being provided with more varied choicesincluding low-fat and lowered-calorie menu options. Thus,the foodservice industry is examining new ways of exploitingmarket opportunities to satisfy their customers.Even though there is some research regarding healthyfoods in university foodservice, behavioral intention toward

Evaluation of students’ satisfaction with three all-you-can-eat university dining facilities

ABSTRACT With the growing number of dining options, both on and off campus, university dining facilities need to assess their ability to meet the needs of the student population, considering the competitive alternate dining options. The purposes of this study were to (1) measure university students’ satisfaction with, and importance of, nine key attributes of three unique, all-you-can-eat, university dining facilities and (2) compare and contrast students’ ratings of attributes among the three dining facilities. A one-way ANOVA determined that participants at Dinning Facility 1 rated 8 of 9 attributes significantly higher on satisfaction compared to Dining Facilities 2 and 3. Attributes with highest satisfaction were cleanliness, atmosphere/environment, and image/reputation. Attributes with lowest satisfaction were menu variety, food quality, and healthy options. These results can guide dining facilities in efforts to improve customer satisfaction.

Investigating differences in job-related attitudes between full-time and part-time employees in the foodservice industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine differences of the perceived internal marketing practices (IMP), job satisfaction (JS), organizational commitment (OC) and turnover intention (TI) between full- and part-time employees and to incorporate employment status as a moderator in the restaurant employee turnover model. Design/methodology/approach The target population included current restaurant full- or part-time employees in the USA. The questionnaire was distributed to potential participants through an online survey that the company used to collect nationwide data. Findings Full-time employees’ perceptions of the IMP were comparably greater than those of part-time employees, and full-time employees were also more committed to the organization and had less intention to leave than their part-time counterparts. Significant moderating effects of employment status existed in the restaurant employee turnover model. Research limitations/implications The current study may not adequately capture the differences between full- and part-time employees by asking respondents to identify their employment status. Practical implications IMP should be facilitated at the management level to provide insight and value to their employees, and more attention and effort in the internal marketing and human resource practices for part-time employees are needed to have more satisfied and committed employees, and, in turn, better performance. Originality/value The literature on full- and part-time employees was incomplete, and there was minimal research that tested differences between full- and part-time employees in the foodservice industry.

The Impact of Perceived Service and Food Quality on Behavioral Intentions in Continuing Care Retirement Communities: A Mediating Effect of Satisfaction

This study examined relationships among service quality, food quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention regarding dining experiences in continuing care retirement communities in the United States. Specifically, the effects of service quality and food quality on residents’ satisfaction and behavioral intentions were investigated. Overall, the results of this study indicated that both service and food quality have positive impacts on residents’ satisfaction. However, only food quality positively influenced behavioral intention. This implies that service quality did not have a direct impact on behavioral intention. However, service quality influenced behavioral intention by mediating residents’ satisfaction. Practical implications based on the findings were also discussed.