ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of sustainability management in institutional foodservice on store image and behavioral intention (revisit intention, word of mouth, willingness to pay a premium). METHODS: Based on a total of 371 samples obtained from the empirical research, this study reviewed the reliability and fitness of the model. RESULTS: According to results of exploratory factor analysis, sustainability management derived three factors, economic value, socially responsible, and environmentally sound. The structural equation modeling showed that social responsibility in sustainability management had a significant positive effect on store image and behavioral intention. In addition, customer's perceived store image in foodservice had a significant positive effect on behavioral intention. The relationship between sustainability management and behavioral intention was found to be a partially significant effect. CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed the importance of sustainability management of foodservice to improve store image and behavioral intention.
Subject(s)
Empirical Research , Intention , Mouth , Social ResponsibilityABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sustainability management (SM) at coffee houses on customers' store image and behavioral intention. In addition, customers' willingness to pay a premium for sustainable coffee houses was studied. During October 2011, a web survey was conducted via an on-line research company with customers aged 20 to 39 visiting one of the top five coffee houses in Korea at least once a month. A total of 300 targeted customers responded and all the data were analyzed. An exploratory factor analysis derived two dimensions of SM: SM in Social and Environmental Perspective and SM in Economic Perspective. The result of structural equation modeling indicated that SM in Economic Perspective at coffee houses had a significant positive effect on customers' behavioral intention with mediating effect by store image, but SM in Social and Environmental Perspective did not have such effect. Approximately one-third (31%) of the respondents were willing to pay a premium for a sustainable coffee house in a scenario. approximately 84% of the respondents unwilling to pay a premium for the sustainable coffee house chose the cost-related reasons including "Coffee price at the coffee house that they most often visit is already expensive (62.3%)" for such unwillingness. The results of this study showed that SM of coffee houses, especially that in Economic Perspective, could contribute to store image, and therefore increase customers' favorable behavioral intention, although the additional cost resulted from such SM practices might not be easily accommodated by customers.