Factors impacting on student satisfaction towards cafeteria service at thuy loi university

NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY

BUSINESS SCHOOL

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HOANG LINH CHI

FACTORS IMPACTING ON STUDENT SATISFACTION

TOWARDS CAFETERIA SERVICE AT THUY LOI

UNIVERSITY

Bachelor of Business Administration in English (E-BBA) Thesis

Ha Noi, 2019

NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY

BUSINESS SCHOOL

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HOANG LINH CHI

FACTORS IMPACTING ON STUDENT SATISFACTION

TOWARDS CAFETERIA SERVICE AT THUY LOI

UNIVERSITY

Bachelor of Business Administration in English (E-BBA) Thesis

Student: Hoang Linh Chi

Class: E-BBA 7A

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Thi Lan Huong

Ha Noi, 2019

ACKNOWLEDGE

This thesis becomes a reality with the kind support and help of many

individuals. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of them.

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my

supervisor - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Thi Lan Huong for her continuous support,

patience, motivation, enthusiastic guidance and immerse knowledge. Without her

help and support, I can not successfully carry out this research. Besides that, I

would also like to offer my sincere appreciation for the learning opportunities

provided by all lecturers of E-BBA program who continue modeling each student

to go beyond their limit and to dream for the best.

Additionally, I would like to express my gratitude toward all managers

and staff at Thuy Loi University cafeteria that had given me a permission to

conduct this research in their area and also willingness to help and give advice on

this research was greatly appreciate.

Other than that, special thanks also to our parents and family for the

countless times you helped me throughout my journey at university. Your

encouragement when the time got rough are much appreciated and noted. Thanks

to all my good friends, near and far for the encouragement and cooperation

during the time I studied at E-BBA program and Meiji Gakuin University.

Last but not least, I also would like to thank to my inspirer - WINNER. I

will not be this stronger without your music and determination as my inspiration.

Your music gives me motivation and strength to conduct this research

successfully.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

ACKNOWLEDGE................................................................................................1

ABBREVIATIONS...............................................................................................4

LIST OF TABLE..................................................................................................5

LIST OF FIGURES...............................................................................................8

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................11

CHAPTER 1........................................................................................................11

1.1. Rationale......................................................................................................11

1.2. Research Objectives.....................................................................................12

1.3. Research Question........................................................................................13

1.4. Research Methodology.................................................................................13

1.4.1. Research Process................................................................................13

1.4.2. Data collection....................................................................................14

1.4.3. Data analysis.......................................................................................16

1.5. Research Scope............................................................................................17

1.6. Thesis Structure............................................................................................18

CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ON STUDENT

SATISFACTION TOWARDS CAFETERIA SERVICES..................................19

2.1. Literature review of food services and cafeteria services.............................19

2.1.1. Food services......................................................................................19

2.1.2. Cafeteria service.................................................................................21

2.2. Literature review of student satisfaction towards cafeteria service...............22

2.2.1. Definition of student...........................................................................22

2.2.2. Definition of student satisfaction........................................................23

2.2.3. Role of student satisfaction.................................................................24

2.2.4. Factors affecting student satisfaction towards cafeteria service..........26

2.3. Proposed research framework.......................................................................32

CHAPTER 3: OVERVIEW OF CAFETERIA AT THUY LOI UNIVERSITY. 39

3.1. Overview of Song Thai Company................................................................39

3.1.1. Development of Song Thai Company.................................................39

3.1.2. Organizational structure......................................................................40

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3.1.3. Business performance.........................................................................41

3.2. Song Thai Cafeteria at Thuy Loi University.................................................44

CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH RESULTS ON STUDENT SATISFACTION

TOWARDS CAFETERIA SERVICE AT THUY LOI UNIVERSITY...............49

4.1. Respondent profile.......................................................................................49

4.2. Data testing...................................................................................................50

4.2.1. Data reduction using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)..................50

4.2.2. Reliability testing with Cronbach's alpha............................................53

4.3. Students’ evaluation towards cafeteria service at Thuy Loi University........55

4.3.1. Student’s assessment of Staff performance and Price factor...............55

4.3.2. Student’s assessment of Menu variety, Food quality and Cleanliness

factor.............................................................................................................62

4.3.3. Student’s assessment of Ambient factor.............................................67

4.4. Influence level of factors impacting on students’ satisfaction......................72

4.5. Summary of finding......................................................................................75

4.5.1. Students’ satisfaction with Thuy Loi University cafeteria service......75

4.5.2. Students’ dissatisfaction and causes....................................................76

CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE STUDENT’S

SATISFACTION TOWARDS THUY LOI UNIVERSITY CAFETERIA

SERVICE............................................................................................................79

5.1. Developing orientation of Thuy Loi University cafeteria service.................79

5.2. Recommendations to improve students’ satisfation at Thuy Loi University

cafeteria...............................................................................................................80

5.2.1. Enhancing staff performance..............................................................80

5.2.2. Adjusting reasonable price..................................................................82

5.2.3. Improving menu variety......................................................................82

5.2.4. Improving food quality.......................................................................85

5.2.5. Improving the cleanliness...................................................................85

5.2.6. Improving the ambience.....................................................................86

REFERENCES....................................................................................................87

APPENDIXES....................................................................................................90

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ABBREVIATIONS

EFA Exploratory Factor Analysis

KMO Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin

SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Science

TLU Thuy Loi University

LIST OF TABLE

Table 2.1: Summarize of customer satisfaction research models in cafeteria

sector...................................................................................................................31

Table 2.2. Measurement of Menu variety used in the research............................33

Table 2.3. Measurement of Food quality used in the research.............................34

Table 2.4. Measurement of Cleanliness used in the research..............................35

Table 2.5. Measurement of Price used in the research.........................................36

Table 2.6. Measurement of Ambient used in the research...................................37

Table 2.7. Measurement of Staff performance used in the research....................38

Table 3.1: Some contracts that Song Thai Company has been conducting over 7

years....................................................................................................................42

Table 3.2: Financial data in recent years.............................................................43

Table 3.3. Menu at Thuy Loi University Cafeteria..............................................48

Table 4.18. Rotated Component Matrix (6th)......................................................53

Table 4.19. Cronbach's alpha Reliability Statistics..............................................53

Table 4.20. Cronbach’s Alpha Item-Total Statistics............................................54

Table 4.21. Factors & variables...........................................................................55

Table 4.22. Students’ evaluation on Staff performance and Price variables........56

Table 4.23. Analysis results between age groups and Staff performance and Price

factor...................................................................................................................57

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Table 4.24. Students’ evaluation between age groups and Staff performance and

Price factor..........................................................................................................58

Table 4.25. Analysis results between student’s gender and Staff performance and

Price factor..........................................................................................................59

Table 4.26. Students’ evaluation between student’s gender and Staff performance

and Price factor...................................................................................................59

Table 4.27. Analysis results between student’s eating time and Staff performance

and Price factor...................................................................................................60

Table 4.28. Students’ evaluation between eating time and Staff performance and

Price factor..........................................................................................................61

Table 4.29. Chi-square test results of the variable "Eating time" with variables of

Staff performance and Price factor......................................................................61

Table 4.30. Students’ evaluation on Menu variety, Food quality and Cleanliness

variables..............................................................................................................62

Table 4.31. Analysis results between age groups and Menu variety, Food quality

and Cleanliness factor.........................................................................................63

Table 4.32. Students’ evaluation between age groups and Menu variety, Food

quality and Cleanliness factor.............................................................................64

Table 4.33. Analysis results between student’s gender and Menu variety, Food

quality and Cleanliness factor.............................................................................65

Table 4.34. Students’ evaluation between student’s gender and Menu variety,

Food quality and Cleanliness factor....................................................................65

Table 4.35. Analysis results between eating time and Menu variety, Food quality

and Cleanliness factor.........................................................................................66

Table 4.36. Students’ evaluation between eating time and Menu variety, Food

quality and Cleanliness factor.............................................................................67

Table 4.37. Students’ evaluation on Ambient’s variables...................................68

Table 4.38. Analysis results between age groups and Ambient factor.................69

Table 4.39. Students’ evaluation between age groups and Ambient factor.........69

Table 4.40. Chi-square test results of the variable "Age" with variables of

Ambient factor....................................................................................................70

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Table 4.41. Analysis results between student’s gender and Ambient factor........70

Table 4.42. Students’ evaluation between student’s gender................................71

and Ambient factor..............................................................................................71

Table 4.43. Analysis results between eating time and Ambient factor................71

Table 4.44. Students’ evaluation between eating time and Ambient factor.........72

Table 4.45. Model Summary...............................................................................73

Table 4.46. ANOVA...........................................................................................73

Table 4.47. Coefficients......................................................................................74

Table 5.1: Recommended menu for Thuy Loi University...................................83

Table 4.1. KMO and Bartlett's Test (1s

)..............................................................99

Table 4.2. Total Variance Explained (1st)..........................................................100

Table 4.3. Rotated Component Matrix (1st).......................................................101

Table 4.4. KMO and Bartlett's Test (2nd)...........................................................102

Table 4.5.Total Variance Explained (2nd)..........................................................103

Table 4.6: Rotated Component Matrix (2nd)......................................................104

Table 4.7. KMO and Bartlett's Test (3rd)...........................................................105

Table 4.8. Total Variance Explained (3rd)..........................................................105

Table 4.9. Rotated Component Matrix (3rd).......................................................106

Table 4.10. KMO and Bartlett's Test (4th).........................................................107

Table 4.11. Total Variance Explained (4th)........................................................107

Table 4.12. Rotated Component Matrix (4th).....................................................108

Table 4.13. KMO and Bartlett's Test (5th).........................................................109

Table 4.14. Total Variance Explained (5th)........................................................109

Table 4.15. Rotated Component Matrix (5th).....................................................110

Table 4.16. KMO and Bartlett's Test (6th).........................................................111

Table 4.17. Total Variance Explained (6th)........................................................111

Table 4.18. Rotated Component Matrix (6th).....................................................112

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1. Research process...............................................................................13

Figure 1.2. Primary data collection method.........................................................15

Figure 2.1. Research model.................................................................................32

Figure 3.1. Song Thai's organizational structure.................................................40

Figure 3.2. TLU cafeteria's organizational structure............................................45

Figure 3.3. Food process at Thuy Loi University cafeteria..................................46

Figure 4.1. Theopercentageoof participations surveyed by age...........................49

Figure 4.2. The percentage of participants surveyed by gender...........................49

Figure 4.3: The percentage of participants surveyed by eating time....................50

Figure 4.4: Research model.................................................................................55

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Cafeteria is more and more popular among students in every university in

Vietnam. In order to better serve the needs of people, it is essential for TLU

cafeteria to get an insight of the concept of customers satisfaction and its

important determinants that affect it. Starting from the actual situation and the

orientation of enhancing student satisfaction from the managers of TLU cafeteria,

I have decided to choose the topic “Factors impacting on student satisfaction

towards cafeteria service at Thuy Loi University” with the desire to contribute

partly to the development of food services of Thuy Loi University in particular

and Vietnam in general.

The research is carried out to achieve the following objectives:

● To identified factors affecting the patient satisfaction at Thuy Loi

University cafeteria

● To analyze these factors to understand how they impact on students

satisfaction at Thuy Loi University cafeteria

● To propose some feasible recommendations to improve the students

satisfaction at Thuy Loi University cafeteria

In order to meet aforementioned goals, the research used both primary and

secondary data. In particular, the secondary data were gathered from various

sources, ranging from Song Thai Company’s report, journals and some specific

research inside as well as outside Vietnam. Additionally, 200 questionnaires are

sent to customers and among them, 187 questionnaires are valid. Then the data

were analyzed by both qualitative and quantitative techniques with the support of

SPSS 23.

After implementing EFA, Cronbach’s alpha reliability test, descriptive

analysis and multiple regression, the research got a result that student satisfaction

at Thuy Loi University cafeteria is positively affected by the factors which

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includes Staff performance and Price (1), Menu variety, Food quality and

Cleanliness (2) and Ambient. In details, Ambient factor shows the highest impact

on overall student satisfaction. Besides, the result of the student satisfaction

evaluation shows that students are at least satisfied with Menu variety, Food

quality and Cleanliness (mean score =3.28) and students are more satisfied with

Staff performance and Price and Ambient (mean score = 3.67 and 3.52).

From the research findings above, there are some recommendations which

help Thuy Loi University cafeteria to enhance its students satisfaction. These

recommendations include enhancing staff performance by valuing the

employees, think “Customer care”, explaining “Friendly”, caring more about

staff’s clothing and organizing some courses to train employees so that they can

work more effectively. Moreover, adjusting reasonable price along with

improving menu variety all help to improve the student satisfaction.

Additionally, by improving food quality and cleanliness at the cafeteria will help

to make students rely on the quality when they enjoy service at Thuy Loi

University cafeteria. As a result, students will introduce this place to their friends

who have never been to the cafeteria. Last but not least, improving the ambience

at Thuy Loi University cafeteria will create a comfortable place for students to

relax after studying and attract many new customers.

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