A structural equation model of the senior citizens' purchasing process in foodservice: Considering the quality of food nutrition, service and entertainment in foodservice environment.

摘要

The first objective of this study is to identify the senior citizens' purchasing behaviors among three restaurant sectors (quick service, casual dining, fine dining). Second, an effective and reliable scale for measuring the restaurant's service levels, including front of the house (FOH) service quality, food quality, nutrition quality, entertainment quality, and customer perceived value, for senior citizens was developed. Third, a more robust model of the older diner's purchasing process in the foodservice market was developed by investigating the relationship among eight factors including: FOH service quality, food quality, nutrition quality, customer perceived value, entertainment quality, customer satisfaction, repurchase intention, and word-of-mouth (WOM) endorsement. Finally, the differences of the senior citizens' perceived service levels among the quick service, casual dining, and fine dining restaurants were identified. A three-section self-administered questionnaire was developed and a pilot study was conducted to clarify the statements in the survey. The survey was conducted in 20 senior centers in the US over a 5-day period. Participants in the study were 429 senior citizens who were ages 55 or older. The data analysis of this study was organized into five stages including descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modeling (SEM), and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Some important information regarding senior citizen's dining-out behaviors have been explored or updated in this study. In addition, an effective and reliable scale tested by 24 items for measuring the restaurant's services for senior citizens was developed. The results of this study indicated that senior customers' perceptions of the FOH service quality, food quality, and perceived value can explain their post-purchase behaviors, including customer satisfaction, repurchase intention, and word-of-mouth endorsement. The nutrition quality and entertainment quality only played a role positively affecting senior customer's repurchase intention, and they do not impact their dining satisfaction. Regarding the quality of restaurant service, the senior citizens experienced significantly different service levels on several service aspects among three different restaurant sectors. The findings of this study can help the foodservice operators in their operation and strategic plan of marketing. The attributes of the survey scale can be the reliable indicators of customer purchasing behavior and a training guideline for restaurant service.