A Study of the Client's Importance Perception on the Factors Affecting the Foodservice Management Contract

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were 1) to investigate the importance level on factors affecting the foodservice management contract perceived by the clients in the office building, government and public offices and manufacturing company in Seoul and Kyungi 2) to compare the perceived importance levels of the present contract and future contract 3) to compare the perceived importance levels of the competitive bid with those of the private contract. To collect the data on the perceived importance level on the affecting the foodservice management contract, the questionnaires were developed by the delphi technique and modified by the pilot test. The questionnaires consisted of 4 categories and 19 items on the factors affecting the foodservice management contract and the importance level on the factors were measured by 5-likert scale. From March 12 to April 13 in 2003, the self-administrative questionnaires were mailed to 280 clients. The questionnaires were responded from the 50 clients (respondent rate 25%). On the factors affecting the present contract and the future contract, among the 4 categories (the appropriateness of foodservice operation plan, the evaluation of the foodservice company, sales ability, the conditions of the cost in the contract), the importance level of the appropriateness of foodservice operation plan was higher than those of the other categories. In the comparison of the perceived importance level between the present contract and the future contract, the importance level of 4 items (sanitation and safety management plan, menu management plan, service management plan, food cost per meal) in the future contract were significantly higher than those in the present contract (p < .01, p < .05, p < .05, p < .01). There were the significant differences between the private contract and competitive bid on the factors affecting the present contract in the 3 items, which were[renewal plan for interior and environment],[strategic alliance with the contractor],[lobby of the foodservice company](p < .05, p < .05, p < .05). And on the factors affecting the future contract, there were significant differences in the 2 items, which were[renewal plan for interior and environment]and[cost per meal]in comparing the competitive bid and private contract (p < .05, p < .01). The clients perceived the appropriateness of foodservice operation plan was more important than the other categories in the future foodservice management contract. It was proposed that the foodservice management contract company should focus on the foodservice operation to satisfy the customers and clients in order to get more contract in the future.