Consumer Decision Making in Restaurant Selection (Volume I) By Pedro Longart A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University’s requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 2015 Faculty of Design, Media and Management, Buckinghamshire New University Coventry University This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with the author under the terms of United Kingdom Copyright Acts. No quotation from this thesis and no information derived from it may be published without proper acknowledgment. Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate consumers’ decision of selecting a restaurant for leisure. It was based on research carried out in the South East of the UK. In line with the cognitive paradigm the importance of attributes was approached from the theoretical perspective of utility theory in which consumers pursue maximisation of benefits from the service which they are evaluating. This study follows a sequential mixed methods approach. It consists of a qualitative stage followed by a quantitative stage, each one adhering to the precepts of their own paradigms. The qualitative stage was based on data collected through six focus groups of four to six respondents. An interview guide was used in semi-structured settings and data was analysed using applied thematic analysis. The second stage employed an online survey generating quantitative data from 376 respondents. The theme of ‘eating out occasion’, such as a romantic dinner, was a key element of the decision-making process. This thesis presents a framework for examining the different stages of the decision using the stylised Engels, Kollat and Blackwell (EKB) model (Tuan-Phan and Higgins, 2005). Its stages delve into the influence of emotions, motivations and the consumer’s regulatory focus in the decision. The methodological design with the possibility of selecting attributes, emerging from the qualitative stage, offers a contribution to the use of conjoint analysis for complex decisions. The study also proposes a new typology of restaurant attributes, with seven categories influencing perceived consumer value. The study’s findings further indicate that price is a factor influencing the expectations from the other attributes. The study considers a number of implications for the industry, such as, the importance of service and consumers’ willingness to pay more for a service that is friendly, welcoming and attentive. It also suggests many areas for further research. ii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................................................................................. ix LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................. xi Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... xii Author’s declaration .................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background to the study ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Importance of studying consumer behaviour in restaurant settings. ................................ 2 1.3 Restaurant typology ............................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Focus and context of the study. .......................................................................................... 4 1.5 Rationale of this study. ........................................................................................................ 5 1.6 Research objectives. ............................................................................................................ 6 1.7 Structure of the thesis ......................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................. 8 2.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Definitions of consumer behaviour. .................................................................................. 11 2.3 Theories of consumer behaviour. ..................................................................................... 11 2.3.1 The cognitive approach .............................................................................................. 14 2.3.2. Criticisms about the cognitive theory of consumer behaviour. ................................ 21 2.3.3 Behavioural perspective model (BPM) ....................................................................... 28 2.3.4 Other perspectives: the self-concept approach ......................................................... 30 2.3.5 Rationale for adhering to the dominant cognitive paradigm .................................... 31 2.4 Behavioural decision theory: Theories of choice .............................................................. 34 2.4.1 Principles of theories of choice .................................................................................. 35 2.4.2. The Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 36 2.4.3 Alternative attributes ................................................................................................. 37 2.4.4 The Decision Maker .................................................................................................... 38 2.4.5 Decision rules ............................................................................................................. 39 2.4.5.1 Compensatory decision rules ............................................................................. 40 2.4.5.2 Non-compensatory decision rules ..................................................................... 41 2.5 Segmentation theory ........................................................................................................ 41 2.5.1 Basic concepts ............................................................................................................ 42 iii 2.5.2 Benefit segmentation ................................................................................................. 42 2.5.3 Segmentation by age, life cycle and gender .............................................................. 43 2.5.4 Segmentation by purchase occasion .......................................................................... 44 2.5.5 Segmentation by social class/income ........................................................................ 45 2.5.6 Eating out and lifestyle segmentation ....................................................................... 45 2.5.7 Eating out as social leisure ......................................................................................... 46 2.6 Consumer decision making in restaurant settings ............................................................ 47 2.6.1 Dining out: a high involvement purchase .................................................................. 47 2.6.2 Risk and the decision of eating out ............................................................................ 48 2.6.3 Restaurant attributes. ................................................................................................ 49 2.6.4 Past research on restaurant attributes ...................................................................... 52 2.6.5 Elements of the meal experience ............................................................................... 59 2.6.5.1 Food and Drink ................................................................................................... 59 2.6.5.2 Ambiance ........................................................................................................... 61 2.6.5.3 Value for Money/Perceived consumer value ..................................................... 63 2.6.5.4 Service Quality.................................................................................................... 65 2.6.5.5 Cleanliness-Hygiene ........................................................................................... 68 2.6.5.6 Location .............................................................................................................. 69 2.6.5.7 Restaurant image ............................................................................................... 70 2.6.5.8 Sustainability issues: the case for a ‘green restaurant’...................................... 72 2.6.6. Investigating the choice process in the restaurant context ...................................... 73 2.7 Customer satisfaction and post-purchase evaluations ..................................................... 73 2.8 Conclusions........................................................................................................................ 76 3. METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................... 77