Ethics in Workplace and Organizational Culture

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Abstract

Understanding the expectations of the consumers by the business proprietors is valuable enough to help in making decisions to attract and retain different personalities of the customers. Nonetheless, the available literature mainly focusing on what motivates the consumers to constantly use a brand. This study, therefore, aims to advance the limited research in this field and generate new perceptions in regards to the choice and preferences of the consumers. This study used both primary and secondary data. Primary data is whereby the researcher collects first-hand information which does not already exist in any form. The research has revealed that there are various dimensions that determine the level of association to a brand. This, though, is sort of a practical issue due to the fact that the consumers will still not be loyal to a brand even when they are satisfied because other factors like the price, ambiance and food quality, also will determine their ability to be loyal.

Introduction

Behaviour of the consumers

Having an involved knowledge with respect to the conduct of the purchasers is extremely valuable in getting ready for the buyer based administrations. In accordance with this, it is simpler to call attention to the impression of the purchasers toward a specific item. Buyer conduct can thusly be clarified as the systems that consumers seek after when trying to purchase or look at an item or an administration that is intended to experience their yearnings (Abbas & Asghar, 2010, p. 23). Blanchard and Cathy (2002) in their study arranged the conduct of the buyers into two, “for the occasional subjective purchaser conduct, and shopper conduct attached to the buyer’s (experience-situated) (p. 47). The contrast between the two is that subjective purchasers are level headed while experienced consumers have an individual association with the item or the administration. Subsequently, Blanchard and Cathy (2002), in their study portrayed four distinctive attributes of a shopper, “for instance he attributes are consistent, instructed, pure, and social” (p. 65).

Sensible purchasers will need to have a decent learning about the item or administration in addition to the included highlights before making the move to purchase it. By diving into the data about the item, an affiliation or disposition between the shopper and the item/administration is created. It is this affiliation/mentality that will figure out if the shopper will purchase the item/benefit or not (Ferch & Spears, 2011, p. 10). In the setting of this study, numerous youthful grown-ups are pilgrims; they would wish to know all the more about a product and add to a mentality/connection to the product before trying it out. Intelligent buyers can thus be condensed in three stages, for instance, KNOWLEDGE→ATTUTUDE→ACTION.

Pure shoppers, then again, first add to a mentality/affiliation towards the item/benefit. It is the disposition that will drive them to look for more information or data with respect to the item. In the wake of getting the learning, they settle on a choice with reference to whether to purchase the item or not (Hughes, Ginnett & Curphy, 2012, p. 569). In the setting of this study, youthful grown-ups have a tendency to be affected by their companions or partners to add to a demeanour about a specific product. After that, they get to be interested to know all the more about the items and administrations that surround the product before proceeding onward to make the buy. Guiltless shoppers can in this way be condensed in three stages, for instance, ATTITUDE→KNOWLEDGE→ACTION.

Taught purchasers get their conduct from customary propensities. Their buy of an item is unconstrained; they don’t plan to make a buy of a result of their decision. An immaculate sample is a purchaser who buys a daily paper. He will first buy the daily paper, become more acquainted with the data about it and after that adds to a state of mind/relationship with the daily paper. Their conduct can be abridged into three stages, for instance, ACTION→KNOWLEDGE→ATTITUDE.

The last class is shoppers who are affected by the social surroundings in which they work in. They typically settle on a choice to buy an item/benefit as an aftereffect of the sort of way of life that they live in, or as a consequence of their economic wellbeing. Their conduct can likewise be abridged into three stages, for instance, ACTION→ATTITUDE→KNOWLEDGE. The inspiration of the buyers/client is affected by various components, for example, the way of life in which the shopper is connected with, the status of the purchaser in the general public, the age, monetary status and the control of the customer, lastly the mentality, recognition and convictions of the buyer (Flint, 2012, p. 24).

Problem Statement

Very many scholars have explored the factors that influence the choice of a brand. Very many factors have been named, but there are top four factors that really stand out. Various studies have identified the quality of the brand as a top factor. In addition, the quality of the service has also stood out to be a top factor. These two factors have an instant effect on the satisfaction of the customer and also on the post purchase behaviour of the customer (Gallos, 2008, p. 220; Gratton & Jones, 2004, p. 33; Jha, 2014, p. 68).

The decision-making process by the consumers is affected by the influence of others. A customer can decide to choose a particular brand because his/her friends normally frequent there. The young adults normally have a habit of exchanging ideas with their friends regarding new brands that have come up in order to get their advice. When a particular brand is regarded highly by friends, the customer is most likely to prefer it. Advertising also influences the decision-making process of the customers. It creates more awareness about the product since it is the biggest form of communication (Matha & Boehm, 2008, p. 65). Other factors include the packaging of the service and the convenience of the service (Kouzes & Posner, 2003, p. 262).

Research objectives

The main objective of the study was to analyse how ethics in the workplace and workplace culture helps in attracting the customers towards that organization. The study used a case study of Starbucks Coffee in order to meet the general objective. In line with this, the specific objectives were:

1. To find out if level of awareness by the consumers has an effect of their motivations to visit the same coffee shop over and over again,
2. To ascertain whether the quality of the service and food have an effect in motivating the customers to visit the same restaurant over and over again,
3. To investigate if loyalty to the coffee shop by the consumers influences their motivation to revisit the same coffee shop repeatedly, and
4. To examine if the image of the coffee shop influences the motivation of the young adults to revisit the same restaurant over and over again.

Research hypotheses

In line with the main objective, the following hypotheses were tested:

5. level of awareness by the consumers has an effect of their motivations to visit the same coffee shop over and over again,
6. the quality of the service and food have an effect in motivating the customers to visit the same restaurant over and over again,
7. loyalty to the coffee shop by the consumers influences their motivation to revisit the same coffee shop repeatedly, and
8. The image of the coffee shop influences the motivation of the young adults to revisit the same restaurant over and over again.

Justification of the study

This study is vital because of the way that it adds to the accessible collection of learning with respect to the elements that rouse the youthful grown-ups to visit the nourishment outlets consistently. The consequences of this study are extremely applicable to the lodging proprietors on the grounds that they can utilize it for key and arranging purposes so they can concoct obvious goals to draw in and hold a substantial client base.

Literature Review

Introduction

This section surveys the hypotheses both exact and hypothetical that are nearly connected with comprehension why youthful grown-ups are spurred to visit a specific sustenance outlet again and again.

Theoretical structure

Purchasing propensities for the consumers

Kouzes and Posner (2003), in their study clarified that “the acquiring propensity for a customer is attached to his essence of the item, impression of the item, and his way of life” (p. 46). The purchasing conduct of the purchaser is impacted by various inside and outer variables; this makes it an unpredictable marvel by and large (Kolenda, 2001, p. 56). The buying propensity for the purchaser is separated into five stages as stipulated below:

The above graph outlines the stages included in the buying propensities for the consumers. It admires the way that the consumers settle on choices in a five stage model.

Relationship between nature of the brand and consumers’ decision

It is critical for any business enterprise to have a reasonable picture of what the client anticipates from them (Kouzes & Posner, 2012, p. 22; Kline, 2010, p. 6). The consumers’ decision on the nature of a brand is altogether different from their decisions concerning picking merchandise or items. This is on account of the brands are considerably more not quite the same as wares. Merchandise are unmistakable and can be touched, while brands are not substantial; merchandise are perishable, the brand is not, and so on (Kantabutra & Avery, 2010, p. 40). In this way, these difficulties are faced by the clients when looking at brands and items.

Intangibility of the brand

Brands cannot be felt, or touched, or tasted, or seen, unlike products or items, (Keller, 2006, p. 206). Clients are known to settle on decisions, taking into account both unmistakable and impalpable components. Measurements like the nature of the nourishment or administration, and the cost of the item in connection to the administration are a few cases of elusive variables that impact the choice making methodology of the consumers (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200). The eatery proprietors ordinarily select to focus on substantial components that are gone for impacting the clients’ choice making. The substantial measurements that they embrace are: great climate of the eatery, decision of music and sound level, enhanced offices, etc. (Daft, 2005, p. 330).

Variability of the brand

A brand differs from one supplier to another, furthermore from a client to another (Annabelle, 2006, p. 862). Because of this variability, consumers have a tough undertaking to settle on choices to pick one service provider over another (Aquinas, 2006, p. 60). The organization’s proprietors likewise have a tough errand of keeping up an unfaltering level of operation regarding the nature of the sustenance or administration (Avery, 2004, p. 43). For instance, if an organization’s employee gets a complaint from a customer, the complaint will influence him/her to provide low quality services consequently (Avolio, Walumbwa & Weber, 2009, p. 430).

Inseparability of the brand

A company’s proprietor will gauge the efficiency of the brand only after he/she has sold the service. On the other hand, a customer will gauge the efficiency of the brand only after he/she has bought it (Bass, 2005, p. 22; Bell, 2005, p. 120). The level of professionalism of the company’s employees will give the customers an insight in regards to the brand quality. In the same context, the feedback or responses received from customers will give the company’s proprietors a perception in regards to the customers’ satisfaction regarding the company’s brand (Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

Perishability of the brand

Consumers can buy physical items at any given time because of the way that they can be put away and sold whenever a consumer gets some information about their accessibility. Then again, it is impractical to store a brand. At the point when a brand is not sold, it means the way that the brand does not exist in any case (Clawson, 2011, p. 253). One way of illustrating this is to take, for instance, a customer who has made a reservation and fails to show up. The restaurant will fail to serve other customers when the restaurant becomes full because they are anticipating the arrival of the customer who reserved the table. Due to the fact that the nature of the customers is uncertain, the restaurant proprietors find it challenging to find the balance between the supply and demand for their services.

The model of decision-making by the consumers

Very many scholars have come up with different interpretations of the model of decision-making by the consumers. This model gives an explanation of the steps that any consumer takes just immediately after seeing the product up to the time he/she makes the decision to purchase the product. Due to the fact that services vary from one organization to another, the process by which consumers make their decisions when it comes to using a service is far much different from the process by which they make their decisions when purchasing a physical product. Collins (2001) in his study came up with “a five-stage model of the consumer decision-making process” (p. 31). These stages are discussed in the section below.

Acknowledging the need

The process starts with the need recognition whereby the consumers define their needs. The needs can be created due to both internal and external factors. An example of an internal factor is when the consumer decides to eat because he/she is hungry. An example of an external factor is when the need of the consumer is created when he sees an advert about a product. It is important for restaurant owners to be familiar with the factors that capture the interests of young adults. These needs can be related to a setup of a restaurant. The physiological needs of the customers will motivate them to use a particular company. The business owner or workers then treat the customers with a good quality service which gives them a sense of belongingness and safety. In addition, customers prefer to choose a particular restaurant that is in line with their esteem; thus, giving them a status in the society (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

The consumer acknowledges the fact that indeed there is a need that exists. To the consumers, the need is the problem that drives them to find solutions for the same (Flint, 2012, p. 24; Gratton & Jones, 2004, p. 33; Jha, 2014, p. 68). According to Clawson (2011) “there is a hierarchy of human needs which includes: the physiological needs, the need for safety, the need for belongingness, the need for self-esteem, and finally the need for self-actualization” (p. 48). These needs were ranked in regards to the order of importance.

The search for information

Logical consumers will want to have a good knowledge about the product or service plus the added features before taking the step to buy it. By digging into the information about the product, an association or attitude between the consumer and the product/service is developed. It is this association/attitude that will determine whether the consumer will like the service (Bass, 2005, p. 16). In this stage the consumer is motivated to know more about the product/service of interest. After that the consumer evaluates the available existing alternatives whereby he can compare prices and quality. The consumer then makes the decision to make the purchase. In the final stage, the post-purchase decision, the consumer will gauge their prospects about the product/service against the performance of the product (Bell, 2005, p. 13; Clawson, 2011, p. 23). The information can be sought from friends, colleagues or even the media.

Exploring on the possible alternatives

When a customer has already identified a need and has gathered enough information about the need, he/she will look for other possible options that exist in regards to the category of the need the customer has. In this instance, the customer will explore on the various characteristics of the need to help him/her make a decision. In the context of a restaurant, the specific attributes that are explored by the customer include: varieties of food available, the prices, the taste of the food, and so on. This explains the primary reason why one restaurant is chosen over another (Flint, 2012, p. 24; Gratton & Jones, 2004, p. 33; Jha, 2014, p. 68).

The purchase

After the successful consideration of the top three stages, the customer will make his/her mind to purchase the service from the preferred vendor and consume it. In the context of a brand, the process of purchase and consumption are complementary; they happen together. At this stage the customer is very confident because he/she has enough and relevant information about the service (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

Evaluation of the service after the purchase

Service providers are required to have in mind this process of decision-making in order to know and understand what the consumers’ needs are in each stage. This will also help them in making useful strategies in the near future (Flint, 2012, p. 24; Gratton & Jones, 2004, p. 33; Jha, 2014, p. 68). Rational consumers will want to evaluate if their expectations have been satisfied by the service after purchase and consumption. When the customer is satisfied, he/she is likely to make the brand the top choice. The customer is also very likely to become very loyal to the brand and refer a friend to the same restaurant. In future, the customer will not feel overburdened to pay more for the service because he/she has full confidence (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

Consumer behaviour when selecting brands

According to previous studies of the same, various scholars came up with different factors that influence the consumers’ decisions before selecting restaurants. Bass (2005) in his study to explore on what influences the decisions of a customer, found out that “the quality of the brand and the flexibility of the brand played a big role in influencing the customers’ decisions” (p. 72). Flint (2012) in his study also found out that “the decisions of the consumers are influenced mostly by the image of the restaurant and what other people say about the restaurant” (p. 64). In addition, he found out that the choice of brands ranges from one age group to another. Daft (2005) in his study also found out that “the choice of a customer is influenced by the variety of the available brands, the price of the item, and the quality of the item; very many customers are fully satisfied with the brand if the prices are fair and the food quality is good” (p. 36). The customers will have a good reason to use the brand again and even recommend the brand to a friend (Flint, 2012, p. 325).

What determines the brand decisions

The decision-making process by the consumers is affected by the influence of others. A customer can decide to choose a particular brand because his/her friends normally frequent there. The young adults normally have a habit of exchanging ideas with their friends regarding new brands that have come up in order to get their advice. When a particular brand is regarded highly by friends, the customer is most likely to prefer it. Advertising also influences the decision-making process of the customers. It creates more awareness about the product since it is the biggest form of communication. Other factors include the packaging of the service and the convenience of the service (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

Many young adults are regarded to be rational consumers. They first want to have a knowledge about the product, develop and attitude before proceeding to make the purchase. Their decisions to purchase are influenced by both internal and external factors. The first factor that motivates the young adults is the quality of the food or service. Kline (2010) in his study found out that “any given brand stems its identity from its quality; the consumers, therefore, pay great attention to the service quality that is available” (p. 120). This study analyses the decision-making process of the consumer and further explores on those factors that entice consumers to come back and eat in a restaurant again. This area also relies on the findings of other studies to explore on factors like the awareness created by the brand, the quality of the brand, and the image of the brand in relation to the loyalty of the customers. Brands have very choosy and sensitive customers. This matters a lot when it comes to their decision-making process (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

Very many scholars have explored the factors that influence the choice of a brand. Very many factors have been named, but there are top four factors that really stand out. Various studies have identified the quality of the brand as a top factor. In addition, the quality of the service has also stood out to be a top factor. These two factors have an instant effect on the satisfaction of the customer and also on the post purchase behaviour of the customer (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200; Daft, 2005, p. 330). Very many studies have pointed out to the fact that food quality is highly correlated to the satisfaction of the customer. On the other hand, other studies have also pointed out to the fact that service quality is highly correlated to the satisfaction of the customer. Consumers therefore make their choices in line with the factors of brand quality and service quality.

The quality of the brand

Many studies exploring on what influence the customers’ decisions to choose a brand have identified brand quality as a top factor (Flint, 2012, p. 24; Gratton & Jones, 2004, p. 33; Jha, 2014, p. 68). Brand quality has various dimensions that rational consumers normally look at. In the context of a coffee shop, like Starbucks Coffee, these dimensions include: the taste of the coffee, the assortment of ingredients, healthy food, and known (uncomplicated) food (Starbucks, 2006).

Taste of the coffee

The taste of the coffee has an immediate effect on the consumer’s decision to choose a restaurant. It is the most important dimension of food quality (Kouzes & Posner, 2004, p. 92). The main reason why customers choose to eat out is to enable them to have access to food that they cannot prepare by themselves in their homes; therefore, the taste of the food and the choice of ingredients are very important (Matha & Boehm, 2008, p. 24; Starbucks, 2006).

Assortment of ingredients

Customers normally prefer a restaurant with a wide variety of foodstuffs in their menus. Customers find eating in a restaurant with a limited assortment of foodstuff to be monotonous since they eat the same type of food all the time (Kouzes & Posner, 2004, p. 92; Matha & Boehm, 2008, p. 24). A wide variety of foodstuffs in the menu are, therefore, a very important aspect that the customers look at keenly (Starbucks, 2006).

Healthy food

There is a growing trend by many customers all over the world to mind their health by choosing to eat food that doesn’t interfere with their body system, for instance, people in advanced age normally prefer to eat food with minimal levels of cholesterol (Kouzes & Posner, 2004, p. 92; Matha & Boehm, 2008, p. 24). In regards to this, many restaurants have redesigned their menus to capture the health benefits of the food with an aim of attracting many customers who are keen on healthy eating. It is due to the element of health that will drive a customer to prefer Chinese food, or Indian food, or any other ethnic food due to the widespread belief that they are healthy foods (Flint, 2012, p. 24; Gratton & Jones, 2004, p. 33; Jha, 2014, p. 68).

Known food

Many customers come from diverse cultures and there are some specific foods that fit them. It is the responsibility of the restaurant owners to understand the culture of the customers and offer them familiar foods with familiar ingredients. Customers will always prefer restaurants that offer them familiar foods (Kantabutra & Avery, 2010, p. 43; Starbucks, 2006).

The quality of the service

Before choosing to use a particular brand, customers normally do a background check up on the quality of the service. The attributes that are related to the quality of the service are the ambiance of the company and the level of professionalism of the staffs (Kantabutra & Avery, 2010, p. 43; Starbucks, 2006).

The ambiance of the company

Customers will normally look at attributes like the physical decoration of the restaurant, the atmosphere inside, and the kind of seats in the company as choice attributes before making the decision to use the restaurant (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9; Kline, 2010, p. 35). These attributes will highly influence the first-hand experience of the customers. Customers will therefore choose the company with the highest quality of ambiance that highly satisfies them (Jha, 2014, p. 72).

Professionalism level

Customers really like to be handled professionally with the best etiquette; this is an element of good customer service (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9). It is always the human nature to make judgments based on the first impression or experience. In addition the customers normally want to be attended to by waiters who are patient, understanding, friendly and well familiar with the products on offer (Flint, 2012, p. 24; Gratton & Jones, 2004, p. 33; Jha, 2014, p. 68).

Reputation of the company

Many customers will hear about a company’s reputation through word of mouth. They can learn this from their friends or from other customers who are very familiar with the restaurant (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200; Daft, 2005, p. 330). Positive comments about a company by friends will highly affect the decision-making process of the customer; they are more likely to try out the new company. This therefore implies that many customers will trust and believe what their friends or other customers say about the company (Adetule, 2011, p. 49). It is normally a belief that when a customer is highly satisfied with a restaurant, chances are that the customer will recommend the restaurant to at least five friends. On the other hand, when a customer is highly dissatisfied with the services of a restaurant, there are high chances that the customer will share his/her bad experience with at least nine friends (Keller, 2006, p. 200). Therefore, when a customer knows that his/her friends are having a fantastic experience in a restaurant, he/she will have good confidence and will be very comfortable in choosing the restaurant (Avery, 2004, p. 62).

Sales and marketing

Many companies that provide quality services to the customers normally resort to sales and marketing to make known their services to the customers. Usually this is an efficient move to boost the popularity of the restaurant. The various forms of sales and marketing that are used by restaurants to promote their services are: media adverts, carrying out sales promotion and using publicity (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200; Daft, 2005, p. 330).

Sales promotion

Companies carry out sales promotions by giving the customers various offers like discounts, gifts, etc. These offers are normally on a short term basis (Daft, 2005, p. 330). Many customers will be attracted to companies that give them discounts or redeemable points every time they shop there (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

Using publicity

Publicity is like a press statement or press release. Many companies often resort to publicity to make known their services to the customers. The main aim of using publicity is to reach out to those consumers who do not pay extra attention to advertising (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200).

Media advertising

This is the process whereby the company owner uses the media to promote the ideas or services of his/her company. The kinds of media commonly used by restaurants include: the internet, magazines, TVs and radios (Kolenda, 2001, p. 98). Many consumers, particularly the ones who are not residents in certain area normally use these external sources of information to know more about the services of a company. This information will give the consumers assurances over their uncertainties (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200; Daft, 2005, p. 330).

When a company relates in a good way with the media, its image will be highly boosted. This can be used as a very effective way of communication aimed for marketing purposes. The media is therefore seen to be playing a major role in boosting the image of restaurants (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

Image of the company and social status

Many customers who use fancy companies normally have a higher social esteem than the ones who use ordinary restaurants. The fancy companies are normally preferred for business deals, conferences, etc. It is very hard to conduct a business meeting with an ordinary company because the ambiance is not conducive. High end customers normally prefer to use brands that represent their social status. Most of the fancy brands provide services which are expensive. For example, the fancy restaurants therefore attract people of very high calibre like senior government employees, business tycoons, and other rich people. On the other hand, there are also ordinary restaurants that are normally frequented by ordinary people. In such restaurants, services are cheap and not complicated. The food variety is limited and the food is prepared quickly (Clawson, 2011, p. 253; Aquinas, 2006, p. 9).

Research Methodology

Introduction

Methodology is the process of instructing the ways to do the research. It is, therefore, convenient for conducting the research and for analysing the research questions. The process of methodology insists that much care should be given to the kinds and nature of procedures to be adhered to in accomplishing a given set of procedures or an objective. This part includes the research design, the sample and the methods that were used in gathering information. It also contains the data analysis methods, validity and reliability of data and the limitation of the study.

Research design

There are three types of research design: exploratory research, descriptive research and causal research (Annabelle, 2006, p. 86). Exploratory research mainly explores on the nature of the problem in order to draw inferences. In this scenario, the researcher is in a good position to understand the problem under investigation. The flow of exploratory research involves identifying the problem and seeking to find the appropriate solutions and new ideas (Annabelle, 2006, p. 86). Exploratory research is mostly applicable in circumstances where the structure of the research problem is not definite. The interview is a good example of the methods that will be used to gather information in this kind of research (Annabelle, 2006, p. 86).

On the other hand, descriptive research is mostly applicable in circumstances where the structure of the research problem is explicit. This kind of research is used when the researcher expects to distinguish the various observed facts in a sample or a population (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200; Annabelle, 2006, p. 86). In addition, descriptive research is normally used by the researcher when he has a prior understanding of the problem under investigation. Causal research is the kind of research whereby there is a clear structure of the research problem. In this case the researcher is interested to explore on the cause-effect relationship. The causes are identified, analysed and the extent of the effects are reviewed (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200; Annabelle, 2006, p. 86).

Research techniques

There are two principal techniques that are popular in the field of research. These approaches are deductive approach and inductive approach (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200). The distinguishing factor between the two approaches relates to the building of the theories. In the deductive approach, the hypotheses and theory are constructed after exploring on the available relevant literature. In the inductive approach, the theory is constructed after the data has been explored and analysed. This study used the deductive approach; whereby the theory and the hypotheses were formulated after going through the relevant literature.

Data collection

In any research that is conducted, there are basic stages that are involved in regards to the shaping of the research. These stages include: understanding the research problem, the conceptual framework of the research, data collection, data analysis and interpretations, and drawing of inferences and making recommendations (Annabelle, 2006, p. 86). In this study, quantitative research method was used to test the hypotheses that were formulated. The quantitative research method is very instrumental in harnessing mathematical models that are enshrined to natural facts. This type of research can be measured and the researcher is able to construct a conceptual framework using the existing theories.

Sources of data

There are two broad categories of data sources, for instance, primary data and secondary data. This study used both primary and secondary data. Primary data is whereby the researcher collects first-hand information which does not already exist in any form. Secondary data is whereby the researcher uses information that is already in existence (Annabelle, 2006, p. 86). Secondary data were used in the literature review whereby the past data/information was used to present the theories of this research. The data were collected from textbooks, journals, relevant articles and the internet. Primary data on the other hand was used through the administering of questionnaires, interviews and observation.

Reliability and validity

The validity of the data represents the data integrity and it connotes that the data is accurate and much consistent. Validity has been explained as a descriptive evaluation of the association between actions and interpretations and empirical evidence deduced from the data (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200). Reliability of the data is the outcome of a series of actions which commences with the proper explanation of the issues to be resolved. This may push on to a clear recognition of the yardsticks concerned. It contains the target samples to be chosen, the proper sampling strategy and the sampling methods to be employed (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200).

Reliability of the data is subjected to four main challenges. These are: the respondents having insufficient knowledge on the area of the research, the mental or physical shape of the respondents at the time of questionnaire administration, biases in observation by the researcher, and error in making observations. In order to enhance reliability of the findings, a pre-test of the questionnaire was done with an aim of eliminating the challenges. Some questions were then changed in respect to this.

Questionnaire construction

In order to aid in data collection towards achieving the general objective of this study, a questionnaire was formulated with the intent to investigate what the consumers thought about eating out in restaurants. The questions in the questionnaire captured all the objectives of this study and they related to how ethics in the workplace and the workplace culture help in attracting the customers towards that organization. Taking into account the specific objectives of this study, the specific objectives of the study were: to explore on the effect of level of awareness on the consumers’ motivations to use the same brand over and over again; to determine if the quality of the service and brand have an effect in motivating the consumers to use the same brand over and over again; to ascertain whether loyalty to the brands by the consumers influences their motivation to use the same brand repeatedly; and to ascertain whether the image of the brand influences the motivation of the consumers to use the same brand over and over again.

The first three questions in the questionnaire sought to find information in regards to the demographic attributes of the respondents. In line with exploring on the effect of level of awareness on the consumers’ motivations to visit the same restaurant over and over again, the researcher used two attributes related to the restaurant’s awareness; for instance, ‘the top of mind’ and ‘recognition’. From the top of the mind, the respondents were asked to recall any name of a coffee shop that they instantly thought of; and for the recognition, the respondents were asked to choose from a provided list the coffee shop that sounded familiar to them.

In line with ascertaining whether the loyalty to the brands by the consumers influences their motivation to use the same brand repeatedly a Likert scale was used; the scale was between one to seven, where one (1) represented ‘strongly disagree’ and seven (7) represented ‘strongly agree’. The Likert scale was developed to measure a six item scale. In line with ascertaining whether the image of the brand influences the motivation of the consumers to use the same brand over and over again, focus groups of ten respondents were employed. Each respondent was asked to describe the motivation behind their connection to the coffee outlet. The responses were recorded and the researcher singled out the top eight responses that were highly mentioned. A Likert scale was also used to measure the eight responses.

In line with determining if the quality of the service and brand has an effect in motivating the consumers to use the same brand over and over again, the researcher measured seven items on a Likert scale. Therefore, in total there were twenty three items that were measured. These items help to understand why young adults are motivated to visit a particular coffee shop over and over again. A focus group consists of a small number of respondents (for instance a group of six to ten respondents) who have the same interest of seeking information on some given issues. In this study each respondent in the focus group was asked to describe the motivation behind their connection to the brand. The responses were recorded by the researcher for further analysis.

Sampling procedure

There are two popularly used procedures for sampling. The sampling procedures include prospect sampling and non-prospect sampling. In a probability sampling procedure, the samples are representative of the population. This is because all the entries have a chance of being selected. On the other hand, items in the non-probability sampling do not have an equal chance. In this scenario, all the items in the population do not have equal chances of being selected (Kang & Singh, 2006, p. 200). The data for the study was collected among the students and the other residents living around Starbucks Coffee shop and around the surrounding residential areas. They are potential consumers to the coffee shops. The students were used because their profile (age is between 18 and 30) fits the context of this study. Therefore the students were an excellent choice due to the fact that many of them fancy eating out.

Due to the fact that all the students could not be accessible, a non-probability sampling procedure was employed in this study. The questionnaires were distributed over lunch hours between Mondays to Friday at a strategic location near the institution’s cafeteria. The order of asking the questions was interchanged over and over from one respondent to another in order to reduce chances of bias. In total, 50 questionnaires were issued in this study for data collection. The study was done in two coffee shops. One shop was Starbucks, and the other shop preferred to be anonymous. This study will therefore recognize Starbucks as Restaurant A, and the other restaurant as Restaurant B.

Pre-test study

A pilot test was conducted in order to ensure that the questionnaires were reliable and valid. The test was conducted with a sample of fifty respondents. The respondents were not aware that it was a pre-test. After the pre-test, the questionnaire was edited by removing and changing some words. A pre-test was done again to ten additional respondents just to be sure that the questionnaire was now very reliable and very valid.

Limitations of the study

There were some problems encountered; for instance, one restaurant was reluctant to release its budgets relating to advertising. The researcher therefore used the available limited information that could be found. In addition, the restaurants chose to be anonymous. Therefore, this study recognises them as Starbucks Coffee and Restaurant B. The researcher also experienced lack of enough time and funds to collect an in-depth primary data. As a result the study has partly relied on secondary data.

Findings, Data Analysis and Interpretation

Introduction

This section covers the findings of the study, analysis of the data, presentation and interpretation. The findings are as per the responses in the questionnaires.

Attributes of the respondents

Out of the 50 successful respondents, 39.1% were male, while 60.9% were female. In terms of age, 14% of the respondents were below the age of 20. Respondents who were aged between 21 years and 25 years were the majority, composing 59.3%. 20.3% of the respondents were between the age of 26 years and 30 years, while only 6.25% of the respondents were above 30 years of age.

Two restaurants were used as a case study. The restaurants chose to remain anonymous. Therefore, for this research, the researcher denoted them as Starbucks Coffee and Restaurant B respectively. The demographic characteristics of the respondents were compared with the customer profile of both Starbucks Coffee and Restaurant B. For the two restaurants, the average customer’s age was 25 years old. This therefore revealed that the sample profile of this study was a true representation of the customer profiles of Starbucks Coffee and Restaurant B. In addition, 56.3% of the respondents were natives while the remaining 43.7% of the respondents were from other areas. This implies that a majority of the respondents in the sample has been consumers for the restaurants for a longer time period. Table 4.1 presents a summary of the findings.

Table 4.1 Demographic characteristics.

The ratings of the consumers’ motivation factors

Before the data interpretation, the results of the factors motivating the customer to revisit the restaurant is first highlighted.

Level of awareness created by the coffee shop

Two questions were asked in regards to this. The first question was in regards to the ‘top of mind recall’ and the question was: ‘recall any name of a coffee shop that you instantly think of’. 79.70% recalled Starbucks Coffee, while the remaining 20.30% mentioned Restaurant B. The results are summarised in Table 4.2 below.

Table 4.2 Summary of top of mind recall.

The second question posed to the respondent was in line with recognition, and here the question was chosen from the provided list the coffee shop that sounds familiar to you’. The results revealed that 81.30% of the respondents recognized Starbucks Coffee, while 18.70% of the respondents recognized Restaurant B. The results are summarised in Table 4.3 below.

Table 4.3 Summary of the recognition of the restaurant.

The summary of the above findings points out to the fact that Starbucks Coffee is a popular brand among the respondents, despite the fact that the respondents are very familiar with both the restaurants.

The quality of the food/service

In this context, a Likert scale was used to measure seven attributes of quality ratings in the two restaurants under study. The results proved that Starbucks Coffee had a higher mean than Restaurant B in the following characters of quality:

1. The food ordered was served accurately,
2. There was no noise or disturbance,
3. Complimentary materials were available (i.e. napkins, towels, etc.),
4. The staffs are presentable and professional,
5. Flexible opening and closing hours.

On the other hand, Restaurant B had a higher mean than Starbucks Coffee in the following characters of quality:

1. The quality of the food is excellent,
2. The quality of customer service is excellent.

In overall, Starbucks Coffee achieved a higher overall rating than Restaurant B. Starbucks Coffee had a higher standard deviation than Restaurant B in the following characters of quality:

1. The quality of the food is excellent,
2. There was no noise or disturbance,
3. The staffs are presentable and professional.

Therefore, Starbucks Coffee has a greater distribution of data around the average than Restaurant B in regard to the above three characters of quality. On the other hand, Restaurant B had a higher standard deviation than Starbucks Coffee in the following characters of quality:

1. The food ordered was served accurately,
2. Complimentary materials were available,
3. Flexible opening and closing hours,
4. The quality of customer service is excellent.

Therefore, Restaurant B has a greater distribution of data around the average than Starbucks Coffee in regard to the above four characters of quality. One outstanding element is the fact that despite the fact that Restaurant B achieved a greater mean rating in regards to the quality of the food and a lower standard deviation rating in regards to the same, Starbucks Coffee was still regarded highly in terms of the overall quality ratings. This can further be explained to mean that Restaurant B just concentrated its efforts more on food quality while ignoring the other important attributes. Also, it can be further interpreted to mean that the consumers do not just care primarily about the food quality; there are also other attributes that they consider. The results of the quality ratings are summarised in Table 4.4 below.

Table 4.4 Summary of the quality characters.

The image of the coffee shop

In this context, a Likert scale was used to measure eight attributes of the image of the two coffee shops. Starbucks Coffee attained a higher average in the following characters of brand image than Restaurant B:

1. The name is familiar,
2. The prices are fair,
3. The location of the restaurant is convenient,
4. The restaurant has a rich history.

On the other hand, Restaurant B attained a higher average in the following characters of brand image than Starbucks Coffee:

1. Minimum levels of noise,
2. Quicker service,
3. Delicious food,
4. Good ambiance.

Even though Starbucks Coffee had a higher overall mean value than Restaurant B, the difference was very negligible. In regards to the standard deviation, Starbucks Coffee had a higher standard deviation than Restaurant B in the following characters of brand image:

1. Minimum levels of noise,
2. Quicker service,
3. Delicious food,
4. Good ambiance.

Restaurant B had a higher standard deviation than Starbucks Coffee in the following characters of brand image:

1. The name is familiar,
2. The prices are fair,
3. The location of the restaurant is convenient,
4. The restaurant has a rich history.

The results of the brand image ratings are summarised in Table 4.5 below.

Table 4.5 Summary of the image attributes.

The loyalty to the coffee shop

In this context, a Likert scale was used to measure six attributes of the consumers’ loyalty to the two coffee shops. Restaurant B had a higher mean rating than Starbucks Coffee in just one attribute of loyalty which was ‘this restaurant is my top choice’. On the other hand Starbucks Coffee had a higher mean rating than Restaurant B in the following attributes of loyalty to the restaurant:

1. I come to this restaurant regularly,
2. I plan to revisit this restaurant again,
3. I am happy with my visit to this restaurant,
4. I would refer a friend to this restaurant,
5. I don’t intend to switch to another restaurant.

In regards to the standard deviation rating, Starbucks Coffee had a higher standard deviation than Restaurant B in the following attributes:

1. I plan to revisit this restaurant again,
2. I am happy with my visit to this restaurant,
3. I come to this restaurant regularly,
4. I would refer a friend to this restaurant,
5. I don’t intend to switch to another restaurant.

On the other hand, Restaurant B had a higher standard deviation rating than Starbucks Coffee in just one attribute of loyalty which was: ‘this restaurant is my top choice’. The summary of the results is in Table 4.6 below.

Table 4.6 Summary of the loyalty attributes.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Introduction

This chapter presents the summary of the findings and discussion of the results in accordance to the objectives of this study. In addition, this chapter contains recommendations which can be applied to many coffee shops, not just limited to Starbucks Coffee and Restaurant B.

Conclusion

In line with the research hypotheses (which were: level of awareness by the consumers has an effect of their motivations to visit the same coffee shop over and over again, the quality of the service and food have an effect in motivating the customers to visit the same restaurant over and over again, loyalty to the coffee shop by the consumers influences their motivation to revisit the same coffee shop repeatedly, and the image of the coffee shop influences the motivation of the young adults to revisit the same restaurant over and over again); the research has revealed that there are four dimensions that determine the level of re-visits by a customer. These dimensions are: level of awareness created by the coffee shop, the quality of service/food, the loyalty of the consumers to the coffee shop, and the image of the coffee shop. It is important for restaurant owners to be familiar with the factors that capture the interests of young adults. These needs can be related to a setup of a restaurant. The physiological needs of the consumers will motivate them to use a particular restaurant. The restaurant owner or workers then treat the consumers with a good quality service which gives them a sense of belongingness and safety.

In all those dimensions, the loyalty to the coffee shop was ranked the lowest. This, though, is sort of a practical issue due to the fact that the consumers will still not be loyal to a restaurant even when they are satisfied because other factors like the price, ambiance, food quality, etc. also will determine their ability to be loyal. Loyalty is an aspect that is created over a definite time period. It is an element that has to be created and nurtured. On the other hand, the dimension of the quality of the food/service was rated the highest. This is explained by the fact that Starbucks Coffee which was rated highly had an equally higher rating on the quality of food and services. The image of the coffee shop was rated the second.

The results of the study are quite factual due to the fact that only regular consumers were used as respondents; this was aimed at getting truthful and factual responses. Starbucks Coffee was more popular that Restaurant B among the respondents. This has been illustrated by the fact that 51 respondents were instantly thinking of Starbucks Coffee and at the same time 52 respondents were familiar with the restaurant. The level of awareness created by the coffee shop is very instrumental in motivating the customer to visit the outlet over and over again. This result is in line with the finding of Gratton and Jones (2004), who found out that “awareness of a restaurant influences the customer’s purchasing ability the most” (p. 46). The results of the two restaurants also reveal the importance of the image of the coffee shop in motivating the consumers. There were variations between the two restaurants in terms of their mean ratings. This, therefore, suggests that the image is also an important element to retain consumers.

Recommendations

The findings of this study point out to the fact that there are four dimensions that determine the level of re-visits by a customer. These dimensions are: level of awareness created by the coffee shop, the quality of service/food, the loyalty to the coffee shop, and the image of the coffee shop. These dimensions have an overall effect in motivating the consumers to come back to the same outlet. The following recommendations are given:

1. Awareness of the restaurant was ranked the highest. In line with the findings, restaurants should build more in creating awareness (through advertising, etc.) for their names as this has a powerful effect in motivating the consumers.
2. Food and service quality also play an important role in motivating the consumers. The coffee shop proprietors should also value this as an important dimension.
3. Building a reputable image also determines the level of loyalty of the consumers. Restaurant owners should also concentrate on this fact.

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