The term well-being has recently become a broad social issue in simple convenience or special dining occasions, bringing many changes in the patterns of dining culture with a vogue of well-being in food, clothing and shelter. However, extending from t...
The term well-being has recently become a broad social issue in simple convenience or special dining occasions, bringing many changes in the patterns of dining culture with a vogue of well-being in food, clothing and shelter. However, extending from the concept of well-being in which individual health and life quality are pursued by unsparing investment on one's happiness, the LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) appeared as a new trend for the society and environment. Appearance of the LOHAS how now become a type of culture accompanied by changes in life patterns.
Therefore understanding the customers who have increasing interest on the LOHAS and using such image in marketing can not only become a means for competition but also a strategy for customer satisfaction in Korean food restaurants. Thus, it is necessary to construct a LOHAS image that corresponds to the degree of interest and recognition by customers on the LOHAS, thereby emphasizing the importance of sustained development and management for appropriate menu.
In order to make a success among so many dining corporations that continue to spring up and disappear, customer loyalty must be increased through satisfaction. Special marketing measures and strategies are required for this. Since the recent trend of interest on the LOHAS coincides well with Korean food restaurants, improvement of the LOHAS image in Korean food menu results in customer satisfaction, which then increases customer loyalty.
This study was composed of five chapters.
Chapter 1 was the introduction that explained the necessity, purpose and composition of this study.
Chapter 2 was the theoretical background that discussed the LOHAS, Korean food restaurants, menu selection attributes, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Chapter 3 was the design for empirical experiment that configured the experimental model and hypotheses.
Chapter 4 was on the results of empirical experiment that analyzed, summarized and concluded the experimental model and hypotheses.
Chapter 5 was on the conclusion that summarized the study to deduce the meaning of the LOHAS image as a marketing strategy in Korean food restaurants and proposed future study tasks.
To accomplish the purpose of this study experimental model and hypotheses were selected based on domestic or foreign literature and interviews with customers of Korean food restaurants. The survey focused on customers who visited Korean food restaurants in Seoul at least twice, and it was conducted from October 10 until October 23, 2011. Among 200 surveys distributed, four insincere responses were excluded and 196 were used in this study.
The results of this study based on empirical analysis can be summarized as follows.
First, hypothesis 1 that 'LOHAS image is significantly influenced by menu selection attributes' was verified to have statistically significant influence.
Second, hypothesis 2 that 'LOHAS image has significant effect on customer satisfaction' did not show statistically significant difference.
Third, hypothesis 3 that 'LOHAS image has significant effect on customer loyalty' had statistical significance.
Fourth, hypothesis 4 that 'Menu selection attributes have significant effect on customer satisfaction' showed statistical significance in all factors including health, quality, offered menu and motivation for selection.
Fifth, hypothesis 5 that 'Menu selection attributes have significant effect on customer loyalty' showed statistical significance in all factors including health, quality, offered menu and motivation for selection.
Sixth, hypothesis 6 that 'Customer satisfaction has significant effect on customer loyalty' was statistically significant.
This study proposes the following implications.
First, structural relationship between LOHAS image, menu selection attributes, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in Korean food restaurants was examined, and mutual exploratory correlation between these concepts was verified. This study has academic values in that it verified and suggested an integral experimental model composed of many variables.
Second, according to the results of this study, customers were found to recognize the LOHAS image in Korean food restaurants. It would be necessary for Korean food restaurants to enhance their LOHAS images to secure competitiveness in the future.
Third, since the LOHAS image and menu selection attributes influence customer satisfaction and loyalty, these factors are important for use as marketing strategies and taking strategic advantages in Korean food restaurants.
In addition, limitations of this study that must be supplemented in future studies are as follows.
First, there were limits of generalization because the subjects of this study were limited to customers who visited Korean food restaurants in Seoul at lease twice. Therefore, more subjective results can be expected by conducting a study on customers who once visited Korean food restaurants in all regions.
Second, this study was conducted only on customers with experience in Korean food restaurants. New study results can be anticipated through comparison to customers who have no experience in Korean food restaurants.
Lastly, this study was limited to investigating only few of many factors that influence other factors, such as menu selection attributes, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Since menu selection, customer satisfaction and loyalty are affected by diverse factors, more complex and in-depth studies are deemed necessary.