Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Students’ Satisfaction with the University Cafeteria: Structural Relationships of Food Quality, Staff, Price Fairness, and Ambiance

  • Conference paper
Islamic perspectives relating to business, arts, culture and communication

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the food quality, price fairness, staff, and ambiance of the university cafeteria with students’ satisfaction. To test the conceptual model and test the proposed hypotheses, a quantitative survey was performed via a structured self-administered questionnaire among 78 undergraduates from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sabah campus, Malaysia, utilizing convenience sampling method. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique via AMOS 21.0 computer program with maximum likelihood estimation. The empirical results provided strong support that students’ satisfaction with the university cafeteria is very much influenced by food quality, followed by staff and ambiance, respectively. Implications of the study from managerial and theoretical perspectives together with directions for future research are also discussed. The findings of this study may help the university cafeteria to improve service quality and raise students’ satisfaction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Noel-Levitz. (2009). Report on student retention trends. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://www.noellevitz.com

  2. Abdullah Sani, N., & Siow, O. N. (2014). Knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers on food safety in food service operations at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Food Control, 37(2014), 210–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Norhati, I., & Nur Hafisah, F. (2013). Informal setting for learning on campus: Usage and preference. Procedia Social and Behavior Sciences, 105(2013), 344–351.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Raman, S., & Chinniah, S. (2011). An investigation on higher learning students’ satisfaction on food services at university. International Journal of Research Commerce, IT and Management, 1(2), 12–16.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ali, I., Fauziah, S. A., & Mohd Hassan, M. O. (2014). An Integrated framework: Intercultural competence, service quality and customer satisfaction in grocery retailing. Procedia Social and Behavior Sciences, 109(2014), 492–496.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kwun, D. J. (2011). Effects of campus foodservice attributes on perceived value, satisfaction, and consumer attitude: A gender-difference approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(2), 252–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Gilbert, G. R., & Veloutsou, C. (2006). A cross-industry comparison of customer satisfaction. Journal of Services Marketing, 20(5), 298–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Norazah, M. S. (2013). Students’ demand for smartphones: Structural relationships of product features, brand name, product price and social influence. Campus-Wide Information System Journal, 30(4), 236–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). SERVQUAL: A multiple–item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Yildiz, S. M., & Kara, A. (2009). The PESPERF scale: An instrument for measuring service quality in the school of Physical Education and Sports Sciences (PESS). Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective, 17(4), 393–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Garvin, D. A. (1987). Competing on the eight dimensions of quality. Harvard Business Review, 65(November–December), 43–52.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Fecikova, I. (2004). Index method for measurement of customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management Magazine, 16(1), 57–66.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Medler-Liraz, H. (2012). Service quality and tipping: The moderating role of the quality of food. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(4), 1327–1329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremier, D. D. (2008). Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Law, A. K. Y., Hui, Y. V., & Zhao, X. (2004). Modelling repurchase frequency and customer satisfaction for fast food outlets. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 21(5), 545–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kivela, J., Inbakaran, R., & Reece, J. (1999). Consumer research in the restaurant environment, part 1: A conceptual model of dining satisfaction and return patronage. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 11(5), 205–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hwang, L., Eves, A., & Desombre, T. (2003). Gap analysis of patient meal service perceptions. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 16(9), 143–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Qin, H., & Prybutok, V. R. (2009). Service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavioural intentions in fast-food restaurants. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 1(1), 78–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Das, G. (2014). Linkages of retailer personality, perceived quality and purchase intention with retailer loyalty: A study of Indian non-food retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21(3), 407–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ha, J., & Jang, S. C. (2010). Effects of service quality and food quality: The moderating role of atmospherics in an ethnic restaurant segment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29(3), 520–529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kafetzopoulos, D. P., & Gotzamani, K. D. (2014). Critical factors, food quality management and organizational performance. Food Control, 40(2014), 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kim, W. G., & Kim, H. B. (2004). Measuring customer-based restaurant brand equity. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 45(2), 115–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hensley, R. L., & Sulek, J. (2007). Customer satisfaction with waits in multi-stage services. Managing Service Quality, 17(2), 152–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Herrmann, A., Xia, L., Monroe, K. B., & Huber, F. (2007). The influence of price fairness on customer satisfaction. The Journal of Product and Brand Management, 16(1), 49–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Barlett, J. E., & Han, F. (2007). Analysis of service quality in restaurants in China: An eastern perspective. ABR and TLC Conference Proceedings. Journal of Retailing, 77(2), 273–289.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Martin-Consuegra, D., Molina, A., & Esteban, A. (2007). An integrated model of price, satisfaction and loyalty: An empirical analysis in the service sector. The Journal of Product and Brand Management, 16(7), 459–468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Namkung, Y., & Jang, S. (2008). Are highly satisfied restaurant customers really different? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 20(2), 142–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Story, M., Kaphingst, K. M., Robinson-O’Brien, R., & Glanz, K. (2008). Creating healthy food and eating environments: Policy and environmental approaches. Annual Review of Public Health, 29(1), 253–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Flegal, K. M., Carroll, M. D., Ogden, C. L., & Curtin, L. R. (2010). Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999–2008. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303(3), 235–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Roscoe, J. T. (1975). Fundamental research statistics for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

    Mui Ling Dyana Chang

  2. Labuan Faculty of International Finance, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia

    Norazah Mohd Suki

  3. Labuan Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia

    Norbayah Mohd Suki

Authors
  1. Mui Ling Dyana Chang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Norazah Mohd Suki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Norbayah Mohd Suki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mui Ling Dyana Chang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universiti Teknologi MARA, Alor Gajah, Melaka, Malaysia

    Roaimah Omar

  2. Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia

    Hasan Bahrom

  3. Universiti Teknologi MARA, Alor Gajah, Melaka, Malaysia

    Geraldine de Mello

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this paper

Cite this paper

Chang, M.L.D., Suki, N.M., Suki, N.M. (2015). Students’ Satisfaction with the University Cafeteria: Structural Relationships of Food Quality, Staff, Price Fairness, and Ambiance. In: Omar, R., Bahrom, H., de Mello, G. (eds) Islamic perspectives relating to business, arts, culture and communication. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-429-0_35

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation