Search results

Guided by the theory of planned behavior and the technology acceptance model, the purpose of this study was to comprehensively examine the factors that affect consumers' intentions to continue to use food delivery apps by developing and testing a research model and examining the differences between consumers with different demographic characteristics or behavior changes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

An online survey instrument was developed, and 316 valid responses were collected. A measurement model was developed and tested by using the structural equation modeling partial least squares (SEM-PLS) method.

The four basic constructs in the theory of planned behavior model (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and trust) positively predicted consumers' intentions to continue to use food delivery apps. Predictors (including perceived innovativeness, hedonic and utilitarian motivations, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and food safety risk perception) of these four basic constructs were also identified and confirmed. Multigroup analyses were conducted, and differences were found between male and female consumers and those with different ordering frequencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study expanded the application of the theory of planned behavior by examining consumers' intentions to continue using food delivery apps and improved the authors’ understanding of this theory. Further, the successful application of the technology acceptance model improved the authors’ understanding of consumers' attitudes and behavioral intentions related to food delivery app usage.

The purpose of this study was to examine consumer’s perceptions of cloud kitchens, including the influence of perceived innovativeness (PI), utility motivations (price and food varieties), and food safety risk perceptions (FSRP) on trust; the impact of hedonic motivations and trust on attitude; and the moderating effect of FSRP on the relationship between utility motivations (food varieties) and trust. The relationships were examined with respect to gender and marital status.

The Theory of Consumption Value served as the theoretical underpinning of this study. Data was collected with an online survey (n = 316) using the Qualtrics panel. The partial least squares–structural equation modeling method was used to analyze the survey data.

PI, utilitarian motivations (price) and hedonic motivations (food varieties) positively influenced trust, whereas trust positively influenced attitude. FSRP negatively impacted trust and moderated the relationship between utility motivations (food varieties) and trust. Hedonic motivations positively influenced consumers’ attitudes. Multi-group analyses highlighted the differences attributed to gender and marital status.

PI and utility motivations influenced trust, supporting the notion that consumers are open to new and convenient ways to order food. Additionally, the negative influence of FSRP on trust and its moderating role on the path between food varieties and trust highlights the importance of FSRP on food consumption. Finally, this study provided insight into the influence of gender and marital status on perceptions of ordering from cloud kitchens.

The cloud kitchen business model is undergoing exponential growth, and this study provides an understanding of cloud kitchens from a consumer’s perspective.

The USA is culturally and ethnically diverse and becoming more so. This diversity is reflected in the variety of cuisines available both in stores and in restaurants. Trends show a movement towards trying out new and exotic foods, increasing interest in vegetarian items, as well as a growing use of spices, herbs, and hot peppers. Asian foods are getting more popular with cuisines from China, Thailand, and Japan in the lead. Indian cuisine is hot, spicy, flavored with herbs, and offers many vegetarian options. This study examines the perceptions of White Americans, South Asians, and those of other ethnic origins in their perceptions of the food and service in Indian restaurants in the USA. The findings of this study suggest that there are universal likes/dislikes as well as differential perceptions between ethnic groups. Implications for researchers and operators of Indian restaurants are provided.

Focussing on behaviors and attitudes of casual dining patrons, the purpose of this paper is to use a factor-cluster approach to segment patrons into market groups and attempts to determine if differences exist in motivational factors among segments.

Factor-cluster analysis is an alternative segmentation method to more traditionally used methods based on consumer demographics. Push and pull motivators were analyzed through factor analysis to determine important groupings. Then, to identify homogenous subgroups, k-means cluster analysis was conducted to segment 559 survey respondents based on factor importance.

Three diverse groups were identified: Fraternizing Kitchen Fearfuls, Functional Feasters, and Foodie Fanatics. The various push and pull factors appeared to affect segments differently, with each cluster ascribing various importance levels to each of the factors used in the clustering approach.

Limitations include the use of a convenience sample and on-campus sampling. Future research should use random sampling methods and obtain surveys from sites not associated with a college campus.

Though not often used in hospitality research, factor-cluster analysis can be useful to segment diners based on behavioral intentions and attributes, allowing marketers to more accurately target these diverse consumer segments. Marketing implications for casual dining restaurants are suggested.

Using the involvement construct with push/pull motivators, this study groups respondents though factor-cluster analysis. Though used in tourism studies, factor-cluster analysis has yet to be studied in the context of casual dining restaurant patrons.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the degree of involvement with shopping for clothing affects the frequency with which GenY consumers seek the opinions of others when making clothing purchases for themselves; the non‐personal sources that influence the frequency of clothing purchase; and certain shopping behaviors.

Written questionnaires were completed by students at a university in the southwestern region of the USA.

Most of the participants were determined to be high involvement shoppers who sought opinions of female friends and co‐workers, used most of the non‐personal idea sources, shopped more often, spent more money, and were more comfortable shopping for clothing.

While the participants are representative of the GenY characteristics and a valid sample for this project, the use of a convenience sample may limit the generalizability of the results.

Generation Y consumers who are more involved with shopping for clothing tend to consult a variety of resources prior to purchase, particularly other females and marketing delivered via various media. Retailers and clothing manufacturers should take advantage of visual merchandising opportunities and social networking avenues as well as traditional advertising and promotion outlets.

The research further refines the involvement construct with a group of consumers who are very involved with shopping for clothing. The opinions of other females, magazines, catalogs, television advertisements and programs, music videos, internet advertisements, and celebrities are important in the product selection process.

If one traces the changes in India's economic policies over the last five decades, they bear the imprint of changing geopolitical dynamics. While India's policy makers often couch their agendas in ideological terms, in reality the economy has been steered by the ruling elite to their economic advantage. Therefore, liberalization and the permissible boundaries within which a reform process will operate can be best understood if contextually examined and interpreted. This paper attempts to explain the dynamics of the economic policy process and outlines the contours of India's liberalization program.

Outlines a step‐by‐step procedure to evaluate both the costs and the benefits of any training proposal. The evaluation permits owners and managers to make informed decisions about appropriate training methods. The operator is often forced to choose between informal on‐the‐job training and structured off‐the‐job training. Utilizes a financial analysis model for identifying the dollar value of both performance and training. Compares benefits and costs of two different training approaches side‐by‐side to identify the method that will deliver the maximum financial benefit.

Promotional media and gender have been shown to influence purchase and shopping channel choice. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the role of media influence, fashion consciousness, and fashion leadership on shopping channel choice in regard to gender.

A survey was administered using a convenience sample of male and female students at a Southwestern University in the USA. A total of 408 surveys were used for analysis. The data were factor analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software and a structural equation model was developed to test the hypotheses.

The results indicate that while the media influence factor of mass media positively influences fashion consciousness for both males and females, personalized media only indicated significant influence on male fashion leaders. In addition, both male and female consumers indicated that fashion leadership influenced non-traditional over traditional retail channels.

This research uses social cognitive theory and the theory of symbolic interaction to better understand the impact of media and fashion on shopping behavior. This paper addresses the changing media types and how they impact behavior for both men and women.

Dining out is integral to the American lifestyle. Diners want to make informed choices. The purpose of this research is to measure consumers' need for, and attitudes toward, nutritional information (NI) on menus in full‐service restaurants.

Data were collected from 502 participants at a full‐service restaurant on a university campus, through a survey questionnaire. Correlations, ANOVA, and descriptive statistics were utilized for data analysis.

Some market segments would dine out more often in restaurants if NI was made available. Segments concerned about NI are females, those aged 35 to 65, and those belonging to the higher income and college‐educated strata. Consumers eating healthy food at home are more likely to use NI in restaurants, as are those who dine out as a necessity. NI that consumers are most concerned about concerns fat, saturated fat, and trans‐fat.

The current study is limited by a one‐location cross‐sectional design. Future studies should be longitudinal and be conducted in multiple locations.

A deeper understanding of consumers' concern could permit restaurateurs to use NI on menus to their competitive advantage, by effectively deploying a market segmentation strategy.

This research adds new knowledge to the present body of hospitality literature. This paper will assist managers by providing insights into the specifics of the target markets of who needs NI, and the context in which they will use NI on menus.