Impact of Hedonic and Utilitarian Values on Fast-Casual Restaurants

This research paper, published in the British Food Journal, investigates the impact of hedonic and utilitarian values on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions within the context of fast-casual restaurants in Iran. The study, based on a survey of 342 respondents, reveals that both hedonic and utilitarian values significantly influence customer satisfaction and subsequent behavioral intentions, such as repeat visits. The research also highlights that utilitarian value has a more powerful influence on the behavioral intention of customers. The paper discusses the distinct nature of the fast food industry in Iran, where global chains like KFC and McDonald's are absent, and how the findings provide valuable insights from a unique perspective. The study's limitations include a sample predominantly from a highly educated segment of society. The research contributes to the understanding of consumer behavior in developing countries and the application of distinct consumer service value structures in the food industry.

The effect of hedonic and
utilitarian values on satisfaction
and behavioural intentions for
dining in fast-casual restaurants
in Iran
Mehran Nejati
Schoolof Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM),
Penang, Malaysia, and
Parnia Parakhodi Moghaddam
Department of Business Management, Science and Research Branch,
Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Purpose – This study seeks to examine the influence of hedonic and utilitarian values on customers’
satisfaction and behavioural intentions for dining out in the context of fast-casual restaurants in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach – A total of 379 surveys were collected (342 deemed usable) from
respondents who had experienced dining out in a fast-casual restaurant at least once within one month
prior to the survey collection time.A research model was tested using structural equation modelling
(SEM) to examine the research hypotheses.
Findings – Results ofthe study revealed thatboth hedonic and utilitarian values significantly
influenced satisfaction and behaviouralintentions.Besides,satisfaction was also found to have a
significant positive influence on behavioural intentions.The study also showed that utilitarian value
has a more powerful influence on the behavioural intention of customers in the context of fast food
restaurants.
Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of this study pertains to the sample
which is collected from a limited section of the society with high level of education. This study helps to
expand the body of literature on the behaviour of young customers in developing countries.Besides,
the current study has also contributed to theory by examining the usefulness of two distinct structures
of consumer service values,namely hedonic and utilitarian.
Practical implications – This study expands the understanding of owners/managers in the food
and hospitality industry about the influence of distinct value types on customers’satisfaction and
behavioural intentions.
Originality/value – This study examined two distinct structures of consumer service values on the
behavioural intentions of customers from a developing country.Since the structure of the fast food
industry is different from most other countries,in that none of the giant fast food chain restaurants
operate in Iran,the results of this study can provide invaluable insights from a different perspective.
Keywords Iran, Purchase intention, Customer satisfaction, Fast food, Hedonic values, Utilitarian values
Paper type Research paper
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0007-070X.htm
The first author would like to acknowledge the support of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) by
providing Vice-Chancellor Award.
Effect of hedonic
and utilitarian
values
1583
Received 15 October 2011
Revised 15 April 2012
Accepted 24 April 2012
British Food Journal
Vol.115 No.11,2013
pp.1583-1596
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0007-070X
DOI 10.1108/BFJ-10-2011-0257

Introduction
Most people eatout every now and then.Given the numerous dining-outoptions
provided,consumers can now choose to eatin a variety offull-service or fastfood
restaurants.Behaviour of consumers with regards to food purchase in most emerging
economies, including Iran, has significantly changed due to an increase in the per capi
income, global interaction, information and communication technologies, and educatio
(Ali et al.,2010).Fast food has become one of the fastest growing industries globally,
including Iran.However,the alarming rise ofobesity,which is associated with an
increased risk of multiple health problems including disability,cardiovascular disease,
diabetes and some of the most common cancers, has concerned healthcare profession
about the growing habit of fast food consumption. Some journalists have proposed a li
between the exponential growth of the fast food industry and the epidemic expansion
obesity in the world (Schlosser, 1998).The latest survey on obesity in Iran was conduct
by International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) during 2005 and found tha
27.9 per cent of men and 29.3 per cent of women (aged 15-64) were overweight, while
per cent of men and 19.2 per cent of women (aged 15-64) were obese. In 2005, 33.7 p
of adults were at risk ofdeveloping metabolic syndrome and eightmillion Iranians
suffered from this syndrome. Previous studies indicate that almost 2 to 3 million Irania
individuals have type 2 diabetes and at least 4 million adults live with hypertension. Th
growing obesity trend in Iran has been associated with the greater availability of fast
food coupled with a low activity lifestyle.
Iranians now tend to eat more frequently in fast food restaurants due to the gradual
change in people’s life style while 20 years ago,it was not common to eat fast food in
Iran. Fast food industry in Iran is distinct from most European and Western countries,
as franchising is not much common and fast food industry giants such as KFC and
McDonalds do not operate in the country.However,their imitators operate in many
cities and provide various types of fast food including sandwiches and burgers.This
has resulted in the fast food industry of Iran to be like an open market where new
competitors can find their own share in the market,given the growing interest in fast
food especially among the young generations in the country.However,fast food
industry has been challenged with intense competition in the recent years due to the
saturation of a fast-food restaurant market and the worldwide economic downturn
(Min and Min,2011).Thus,for fast food restaurants to be successfuland keep this
rising interest of consumers alive,they need to retain customers through offering a
value for money food compared to other restaurants.Indeed,the longer customers
remain with a particular fast-food restaurant,the more profitable they become to the
fast-food restaurant (Reichheld and Sasser,1990;Lovelock and Wright,2002).
Values have been shown to have influence on attitudes towards organic foods
(Chryssohoidis and Krystallis,2005;Kihlberg and Risvik,2007;Saher etal.,2006),
convenience in food preparation and consumption (Botonakiand Mattas,2010;Rose
et al., 1995), food choice motives (Lindeman and Sirelius, 2001) and perceptions of foo
(Osinga and Hofstede, 2004). Nonetheless, what motivates Iranian consumers to eat in
fast food restaurant remains unexplored. Despite previous studies on food preferences
of consumers,the influence of some underlying values on consumption intentions of
customers from a developing country to eat in a fast food restaurant has not been wel
investigated.Hence,considering the fact that the fast food industry is flourishing in
Iran, the current study aims to identify how underlying values (utilitarian and hedonic
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values)fosterIranian consumers’intention to eatin a fast-casualrestaurant.By
definition,a fast-casualrestaurant is a restaurant market niche which falls between
fast food and casualdining and doesnot offer mostof tableservices.What
differentiates a fast-casual restaurant from a fast food one is the promise of fast-casual
restaurant to offer somewhat higher quality of foods and atmosphere than fast food
restaurants, which is more consistent with the casual dining segment (Ryu et al., 2010).
Some of the largest fast-casual franchises include Panera Bread, Zaxby’s, El Pollo Loco,
Boston Market,Jason’s Deli and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
Ritzer (2001) argues that although fast food restaurants are not so efficient and cheap
compared to eating at home,the fast food industry has been a worldwide success.He
relates this to the illusion of efficiency and frugality by people, coupled with the fun and
entertainment part of dining in such restaurants.Since consumption behaviours are
driven by utilitarian and hedonic considerations, they can influence consumer selection.
While according to utilitarian values,consumption is goal-oriented and accomplishes a
functional or practical task (Dhar and Wertenbroch, 2000; Strahilevitz and Myers, 1998),
hedonic consumption behaviour is pleasure-oriented and relates to the multisensory,
fantasy and emotive aspects of one’s experience with products/services (Hirschman and
Holbrook,1982).As compared to utilitarian aspects,value’s “festive” side has received
less attention in the previous studies and Arnold and Reynolds (2003)argue that
academic research is lagging in investigating the hedonic side of consumers’ evaluations
of their consumption experience. This study provides a response to this call for further
research,by examining therole of utilitarian and hedonicvalueson customers’
intentions and behaviours for eating in a fast-casual restaurant. Thus, the key questions
to answer are: what is the influence of individual values on customers’ satisfaction? and
what is the influence of individual values on the behavioural intention of consumers in
developing countries to eat in a fast-casual restaurant?
Considering the growing interestin research studies on hedonic and utilitarian
outcomes in consumer experiences, the current study aims to examine the practicality
and application ofa modelin the fast-casualindustry in Iran,by examining the
influence of utilitarian and hedonic values on satisfaction and behavioural intention of
Iranian consumers. Findings of this study can provide invaluable practical insights for
investors, as well as current and future fast food and fast-casual restaurant managers
in Iran to gain a better understanding of the consumers’ preferences and the underlying
values which influence their satisfaction and behavioural intentions.
Values, satisfaction and consumers’ behavioural intentions
Consumption can be categorised into two types depending on the level of pleasure it can
cause,which createsa distinction between hedonicand utilitarian consumption
(Hirschman and Holbrook, 1982; Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982; Strahilevitz and Myers,
1998;Dhar and Wertenbroch,2000).The former group focuses on the “shopping’s fun
side” (e.g. Bloch and Bruce, 1984; Hirschman, 1984; Sherry, 1990), while the latter depicts
the theme of “shopping as work”, which accounts for distressed consumers experiencing
the “dark side of shopping” (e.g.Fischer and Arnold,1990;Sherry et al.,1993).Some
researchers have discussed about the trend towards convenience and linked it with the
changes in consumer values.For example,Goldsmith etal. (1995)found weak but
significant relationships between various items in the List of Values (Kahle, 1983) and a
pro-snacking scale.Nonetheless,many consumption activities stimulate both hedonic
Effect of hedonic
and utilitarian
values
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and utilitarian values.Pettijohn et al.(1997) found quality,cleanliness and value as the
three most important attributes in fast food restaurants,while atmosphere and menu
variety were relatively unimportant.Values are representative ofthe importantand
desirable end goals.Perceived value of the service has been noted as one of the most
influentialmeasuresof customersatisfaction and loyalty (Sweeney etal., 1996;
Parasuraman,1997;Patterson and Spreng,1997;Cronin et al.,2000;Parasuraman and
Grewal,2000;Eggert and Ulaga,2002).Convenience is specifically important in meal
preparation and consumption as it saves time and energy for professional ambitions an
personal success (Botonaki and Mattas,2010).
While marketing researchers are beginning to focus more on the hedonic aspects of
the consumption experience (Wakefield and Baker, 1998; O’Curry and Strahilevitz, 200
the situation mightbe differentin fastfood industry,where more focus is paid to
functionality and fast service delivery.Although the role of values on convenience and
fast food consumption has not received much attention, some researchers have exami
this.Roseet al. (1995)investigated theattitudesand behaviourof working and
non-working women on theirpreferencefor convenienceoverpriceand easein
preparation of food, and showed that working was associated with an emphasis on eas
in preparation of food-related consumption. Other studies also did not show any impac
for employment status of the wife on the purchase of convenience food items for home
use (Darian and Klein,1989; Kim, 1989;Strober and Weiberg, 1980), suggesting a more
positive attitude not only to eating out but also to quickly prepared meals ( Jackson et
1985).Fast food and fast-casual restaurants are known to provide food at a faster pace
than the other restaurants and hence might be the preferred choice by many students
who are busy with university classes and have limited time as lunch break, which mak
their condition similar to working people. Thus, we conjecture that the utilitarian value
of eating out is more related to consumption in fast-casual restaurants among student
By examining the relationship among the three elements ofvalue (namely core
quality,relationalquality and servicevalue),customersatisfaction and future
intentionsacrossfour services(dentist,hairstylist,auto repairand restaurant),
McDougalland Levesque (2000)found thatall the three variables ofcore quality,
relational quality and service value significantly affect customer satisfaction, which in
turn results in future intentions.They showed that perceived value has the largest
impact on potential demand for restaurants,compared to other investigated sectors.
Many researchers have asserted that value has a significant influence on customer
satisfaction and behavioural intentions (Patterson and Spreng,1997;Andreassen and
Lindestad, 1998; McDougall and Levesque, 2000; Pura, 2005; Chen and Tsai, 2007; Lee
et al.,2007).Previous studies in the food service (e.g.Almanza et al.,1994;Johns and
Tyas,1996)have confirmed that customer satisfaction leads to positive behavioural
intentions,such as repurchase or return patronage.Besides,a positive relationship
between perceived value and intention to purchase/repurchase has been depicted
(Dodds etal.,1991;Parasuraman and Grewal,2000).Thus,the following research
hypotheses are as the following:
H1. Perceived valuehas a positiveimpacton customersatisfaction in the
fast-casual restaurant segment.
H1a.Hedonic value ofdining experiences has a positive impacton customer
satisfaction.
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H1b.Utilitarian value ofdining experiences has a positive impacton customer
satisfaction.
H2. Perceived valuehas a positiveimpacton behaviouralintentions in the
fast-casual restaurant segment.
H2a.Hedonic value of dining experiences has a positive impact on behavioural
intentions.
H2b.Utilitarian value of dining experiences has a positive impact on behavioural
intentions.
H3. Customer satisfaction has a positive impact on behavioural intentions in the
fast-casual restaurant segment.
H4. The perceived utilitarian valuehas a strongerinfluenceon customer
satisfaction than perceived hedonicvaluein the fast-casualrestaurant
segment.
H5. The perceived utilitarian value has a strongerinfluence on behavioural
intentions than perceived hedonic value in the fast-casual restaurant segment.
Figure 1 depicts the research model examined in the current study.
Methods
Subjects and procedures
A self-administered questionnaire was distributed and collected in classrooms of Islamic
Azad University in Iran. Although there is a concern with regards to lack of experience in
student samples as consumers compared to other adult subjects, according to Bridges and
Florsheim (2008),student subjects are at least as likely as other adults to have dining
experiences in the fast-casual restaurants. In addition, student subjects have been widely
and successfully utilized in previous studies in other academic disciplines (Babin et al.,
1994;Childers et al.,2001;O’Curry and Strahilevitz,2001;Arnold and Reynolds,2003;
Voss et al.,2003;Eroglu et al.,2005;Bridges and Florsheim,2008;Lim and Ang,2008).
Since majority of Iranian population are adults and young, with median age of 26.6 years
for men and 27.1 years forfemale,studentsamples are considered to be a good
representative ofthe young consumers.Furthermore,there are more than 4 million
university students in Iran,while almost half of them attend Islamic Azad University
branches.Therefore,college students from Islamic Azad University were asked to
participate in this research. To qualify for participation, a respondent had to have eaten in
a fast-casual restaurant at least once within the past month.Participation in the survey
Figure 1.
Research model
Effect of hedonic
and utilitarian
values
1587

was voluntarily.However,students who participated in the survey received an extra
course credit for their participation.To ensure that the potentialbias is kept minimal,
respondents were assured that completed surveys would be treated anonymously and
confidentially. Besides, in order to control the common methods bias, which is a threat
the validity of the conclusions regarding relationships between variables, Harman’s sin
factor test was performed (Podsakoff et al., 2003). This is one of the most widely applie
statistical procedures to test the presence of common method bias and involves loadin
the indicators of each construct into an exploratory factor analysis and subsequently
examining the un-rotated component matrix to determine the number of factors neces
to account for the variance in the variables. Common method bias is claimed to be pre
if all factors load onto a single factor or if most of the covariance between measures is
accounted by a single factor (Podsakoff et al., 2003). In the current study, four factors
a cut-off eigenvalue equal to 1 emerged from the un-rotated principal component anal
suggesting the lack of any problem due to common method bias.Overall,a total of 379
completed samples were collected. Table I shows the demographic profile of responde
Nonetheless,after cleaning the data and removing the outliers,342 samples were
used for further analysis.Thus,analysis ofthe data has been conducted over 342
samples. Normality of the data were confirmed by plotting and examining histograms
in SPSS 16.0 for Windows.Besides,no outliers were detected.
Measures
A total of 16 items were used to measure four constructs applied in the study model.
Respondents were asked to choose their agreement with the items using a Likert-type
scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).Hedonic and utilitarian
values constructs consisted of five and four items respectively,which were extracted
from previous relevant literature (Batra and Ahtola, 1990; Babin et al., 1994; Babin an
Attaway,2000).Besides,items for customer satisfaction and behaviouralintention
were also extracted from literature (Donovan and Rossiter, 1982; Bigne et al., 2004) a
consisted of four and three items respectively.
Measurement model
In order to analyse the collected data and examine the model,the two-step structural
equation modelling (SEM)was applied.SEM is a second generation data analysis
Demographics Frequency (%)
Gender
Male 216 57
Female 163 43
Age
18-24 years 227 59.9
25-35 years 139 36.7
More than 35 years 13 3.4
Education level
Bachelor 187 49.4
Masters 179 47.2
PhD 13 3.4
Table I.
Demographic profile of
respondents
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technique thatenables researchers to answerinterrelated research questions in a
single,systematic, and comprehensive analysis by modelling the relationships among
multiple independentand dependentconstructs simultaneously (Gefen etal.,2000,
pp. 3-4). This study applied SEM for data analysis, as it covers the limitation of the first
generation regression-based statisticaltechniques in assuming that allvariables are
measured without error (Haenlein and Kaplan,2004).Besides,the main purpose of
covariance-based SEM is theory testing and confirmation (Hair etal.,2011)which
makes it appropriate for the objectives of this study.
In the first step,confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the measurement
model to ensure the validity and reliability of the measurement model.Then,the final
revised constructs in the measurement model were used to form the structure model
and test the hypotheses.
Initial results of CFA resulted in low loading of some items. After revising the model
by removing the items with a loading of less than 0.65, one at a time, and running CFA
again, the revised measurement model fit the collected data well, as all of the major fit
indices were within the acceptable range as shown in Table II.
Factor loadings of all items were significant at p , 0.001 level, and the Cronbach’s
alpha values for allconstructs were higher than 0.65.Besides,the average variance
extracted (AVE)of all constructs exceeded the recommended value of0.50.Thus,
collectively it could be perceived that convergent validity was met (see Table III).
Besides,as shown in Table IV,discriminant validity,which indicates the extent to
which a certain construct is different from other constructs,was achieved since the
Goodness of fit n ¼ 342 Recommended criteria Source
CMIN 3.35 # 5.0 Arbuckle and Wothke (1995)
GFI 0.94 $ 0.90 Chau and Hu (2001)
AGFI 0.89 $ 0.80 Chau and Hu (2001)
NNFI 0.92 $ 0.90 Bagozzi and Yi (1988)
CFI 0.94 $ 0.90 Bagozzi and Yi (1988)
RMSEA 0.08 # 0.10 Segars and Grover,1993
Table II.
Goodness-of-fit indices
for measurement model
Constructs Items Loading
Cronbach’s
Alpha
Composite
reliability AVE
Hedonic values H1 0.754 0.802 0.805 0.509
H2 0.727
H3 0.690
H4 0.679
Utilitarian values U1 0.760 0.826 0.838 0.634
U2 0.886
U3 0.735
Customer satisfaction CS1 0.744 0.688 0.689 0.526
CS2 0.706
Behavioural intention B1 0.763 0.761 0.762 0.616
B2 0.806
Table III.
Standardized loadings
and reliabilities
Effect of hedonic
and utilitarian
values
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square root of AVE for all constructs exceeded the amount of its correlation with other
constructs,indicating discriminant validity of the model.
Overall,the fit indices,validity and reliability measures suggest that the revised
proposed model of the study fits the collected data well.Thus we proceed to examine
the structural model.
Structuralmodel
The goodness-of-fit for the structural model also indicated a good fit of the collected
data for the structural model (GFI ¼ 0.938, AGFI ¼ 0.894, NNFI ¼ 0.919, CFI ¼ 0.943,
RMSEA ¼ 0.083, CMIN ¼ 3.352). Thus, structural equation testing was performed. All
the five investigated paths were significant with p-values less than 0.1 and R2 value of
0.46 which accounted for 59 per cent of the variance in behavioural intention. Table V
presents the results ofthe multiple regression analysis using StructuralEquation
Modelling techniques.
As hypothesised in this study, hedonic and utilitarian values were found to have a
significantand positive relationship with satisfaction and behaviouralintentions
( p ¼ 0.000).Hence,H1 and H2 are supported.Besides,examining the relationship
between satisfaction and behaviouralintention reveals a positive and significant
relationship at p , 0.1, explaining 46 per cent of the variance in behavioural intentions.
Therefore,H3 is supported.
Discussion and conclusion
This study had threemajorfindings.First, hedonicand utilitarian valuesboth
significantly influence customer satisfaction,which consequently cause a significant
influence on behavioural intentions of consumers. Second, similar to the previous stud
(Eroglu etal.,2005;Babin etal.,1994),utilitarian value has a greater influence on
customer satisfaction than hedonic value.Third,customer satisfaction acts as a partial
mediator in the link between hedonic/utilitarian value and behavioural intentions.This
Behavioural intention Satisfaction Utilitarian Hedonic
Behavioural intention 0.785
Satisfaction 0.610 0.725
Utilitarian 0.693 0.631 0.796
Hedonic 0.693 0.610 0.672 0.713
Table IV.
Discriminant validity
analysis
Path Hypothesis Path coefficient CR p-value Results
Satisfaction ˆ Hedonic H1a 0.340 3.525 * * * Supported
Satisfaction ˆ Utilitarian H1b 0.402 4.006 * * * Supported
Behav.Int. ˆ Hedonic H2a 0.354 3.876 * * * Supported
Behav.Int. ˆ Utilitarian H2b 0.343 3.782 * * * Supported
Behav.Int. ˆ Satisfaction H3 0.177 1.879 0.060 Supported
Notes: CR: Critical ratio.*Significant at 0.05 level,* *significant at 0.01 level,* * *significant at 0.000
level
Table V.
Structural equation
modelling analysis
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suggests that the higher the utilitarian and hedonic values of a customer after dining in a
fast-casual restaurant, the higher his satisfaction level, which would consequently result
in his higher intention to eat in a fast-casual restaurant.
This researchhas providedhelpfulinsightsfor hospitalityresearchersand
practitioners(includingrestaurantand hotel managers)by enhancingtheir
understanding about the influence of values on satisfaction and behavioural intentions
of customers towards fast-casual restaurants in a developing country.Measurement of
hedonic and utilitarian aspects of service can provide scholars and managers with fresh
insights on modelling marketing problems related to food and hospitality industry.
Besides, measures of the hedonic and utilitarian dimensions of attitude allow marketers to
examine the effectiveness of advertising campaigns that apply experiential or functional
positioning strategies (Park et al., 1986). Additionally, findings of this study suggests fast
food restaurant managers in Iran to concentrate more on functionalaspects of dining
experience in fast food restaurants to retain their customers.
This study has also contributed to theory by examining the usefulness of two distinct
structures of consumer service values, namely hedonic and utilitarian. Since obesity and
its consequences are emerging as one of the main health issues in developing countries,
control of fast food consumption plays a critical role in achieving a healthier society. To
this end,the findings of the current study expands our understanding about the key
determinants of intention to eat fast food by Iranian adults and thus can help healthcare
professionals to design appropriate strategies to control this habit and shift it towards a
healthier one.Besides,in terms of social impacts,the results of this study suggest that
the functionalaspects offastfood restaurants play a very importantrole in their
intention to eat fast food. Hence, societies which are challenged with obesity problem as a
result of fast food consumption need to change the mindset of consumers about the
functionality offast food and awaken consumersfrom theillusion offast food
restaurant’sefficiency ascompared to eating athome(Ritzer,2001).By raising
awareness in consumers about the health-related problems of fast food,it is likely to
controland minimize its consumption among consumers and controlobesity as a
common social problem in urban communities.
Another important finding of this study is related to the positive role of values on
customer satisfaction.Thus,marketing managers in the food industry can utilize this
concept by mixing utilitarian and hedonic benefits in their promotional and advertising
campaigns instead of merely focusing on the price-centred promotions.
There were some limitations in this study. A major drawback in this research is its
limited sample which only includes students.While respondents were controlled to
ensure that they have had a dining experience in fast food restaurants within one
month prior to the time of the survey, still the selection of respondents from university
students which have a high level of education might limit the generalizability of the
findings. Since socio-demographic factors such as gender,age,educational status and
income play important roles in determining the food consumption pattern across the
world (Roslow etal.,2000;Roux etal.,2000;Turrellet al.,2002;Choo etal.,2004;
Krystallis and Chryssohoidis,2005;Rao et al.,2005;Batte et al.,2007;Bukenya and
Wright, 2007; Goyal and Singh, 2007), future studies may take a wider sample from all
sectors of the society. Besides, influence of utilitarian and hedonic values on customers’
loyalty,trust and intention to do a word-of-mouth promotion can be investigated in
future studies. Since food is essential to life and its contamination can cause illness and
Effect of hedonic
and utilitarian
values
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even death to humans (Griffith,2006),another interesting avenue for future research
would be to investigate the perception of customers about the food safety in fast food
restaurants as opposed to full-service ones and examine this perception on customers
trust and behavioural intentions.
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Appendix
Items for Hedonic Values (Source: Ryu et al., 2010)
. I ate out at a fast-casual restaurant since I could have good feelings.
. Eating-out at the fast-casual restaurant was fun and pleasant.
. The dining experience at the fast-casual restaurant was truly a joy.
. During the dining experience atthe fast-casualrestaurant,I felt the excitementof
searching food.
. Although the cost was higher than fast-food restaurants,I liked to eat out at the better
place.
Items for Utilitarian Values (Source: Ryu et al., 2010)
. Eating-out at the fast-casual restaurant was convenient.
. Eating-out at a fast-casual restaurant was pragmatic and economical.
. It was a waste of money when eating-out at the fast casual restaurant (Reverse-coded).
. Service at the fast-casual restaurant was quick.
Items for Customer Satisfaction (Source: Ryu et al., 2010)
. I was pleased to dine in at the fast-casual restaurant.
. The overall feeling I got from the fast-casual restaurant was satisfied.
. The overall feeling I got from the fast-casual restaurant put me in a good mood.
. I really enjoyed myself at the fast-casual restaurant.
Items for BehaviouralIntentions (Source: Ryu et al., 2010)
. I would like to come back to the fast-casual restaurant in the future.
. I would recommend the fast-casual restaurant to my friends or others.
. I would more frequently visit the fast-casual restaurant.
About the authors
Mehran Nejatiis a Post-DoctoralFellow in Schoolof Management,UniversitiSains Malaysia
(USM).His main areas of interest include Corporate Social Responsibility,Service Quality and
Performance Management.He has published numerous papers in internationalpeer-reviewed
journals such as InternationalJournalof Quality and Reliability Management,International
Journalof Business Governance and Ethics,and Business Strategy Series.He is currently a
recipient of Vice-Chancellor award in USM.Mehran Nejati is the corresponding author and can
be contacted at:[e-mail]
Parnia Parakhodi Moghaddam is a Master of Business Management from the University of
Science and Research Branch of Tehran.Her research interests include consumer behaviour,
hedonic,cognition,corporate social responsibility and cross-cultural studies.
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