Cafeteria use by students and effect of selection attributes on satisfaction

Abstract

This study examined that what attributes of student satisfaction are more important when students use university cafeterias. Factors that are considered to be more crucial when students use a cafeteria, such as menu, taste, price, and cleanliness, were tested. Based on the research of previous studies, it assumed that the selection attributes of students' cafeteria were menu, taste, price, and cleanliness. With 301 surveyed questionnaires, the study was carried out by AMOS 23.0 and the Structural Equation Model was used for examining the hypotheses as statistical method in this study. In consequence of the hypothesis test on the main effect, the factors such as the menu, taste, price and cleanliness were found to significantly affect satisfaction. Then, the moderating role of gender, age and allowance was analyzed. However, students' university cafeteria selection attributes differed depending on their allowance only. The path coefficients from menu to satisfaction were more significant in the group with a smaller allowance, while the path coefficient from price to satisfaction was more significant in the group with a larger allowance. The study analyzed that the effect of selection attribute of students' cafeteria on the satisfaction, and influence of students' allowance, and provide meaningful implications when they choose the attributes.