Exploring the critical factors for improving customers perceived food quality of casual-dining restaurants

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1 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March Exloring the critical factors for imroving customers erceived food quality of casual-dining restaurants Ying-Tsai Lin 1, Hsin-Lan Liu 2, Ya-Yuan Chang 3, Ching-Chan Cheng 4* 1 Lecturer, Deartment of Food & Beverage Management, Taiei College of Maritime Technology, Address: No.212, Yen Ping N. Rd., Sec. 9, Taiei City, Taiwan, 111, R.O.C. 2 Assistant Professor, Deartment of Alied Science of Living, Chinese Culture University, Address: No.55, Hwa-Kang Road, Yang-Ming-Shan, Taiei City, Taiwan, 11114, R.O. C. 3 Ph.D., Deartment of business administration, National Chung Hsing University, Address: No.250, Kuo Kuang Rd., Taichung City, Taiwan, 402, R.O.C. ibm114@yahoo.com.tw, Tel: ; Fax: * Ching-Chan Cheng, Associate Professor and Corresonding Author, Deartment of Food & Beverage Management, Taiei College of Maritime Technology, Address: No.212, Yen Ping N. Rd., Sec. 9, Taiei City, Taiwan, 111, R.O.C., cccheng@mail.tcmt.edu.tw, Tel: ; Fax: *Corresonding Author) Abstract- This study intends to integrate IPGA with the DEMATEL model in order to determine food quality core factors demanding restaurants most urgent imrovement, as well as the highest effect for resource investment. It is hoed that such information can be rovided as reference for casual-dining restaurants to develo food quality imrovement and resource reallocation strategies under limited resources. 562 valid questionnaires were returned in Taiei City. The results showed that, from the ersective of customers, casual-dining restaurants should give riority to imroving the quality dimensions of hygiene and cooking. Among various quality dimensions, exerts suggested that cooking is the core factor with the highest effect of resource investment affecting food quality, such as visual aeal, taste, and hygiene. Moreover, this study further analyzed and found that a total of 15 quality items are located in the area of Concentrate here. Index Terms- Food quality, Casual-dining restaurant, IPGA, DEMATEL E I. INTRODUCTION conomic growth and increased national income have led to a raid increase of demands for service industry markets, thus, increasing its cometition. Jang, Ha, and Silkes 2009) indicated that the quality of a roduct is a key factor affecting consumers decision-making for the service industry. Regarding the hositality industry, food quality is ranked as one of the most imortant determinants of a customer s decision to return. This element is significantly more imortant than cleanliness, value, rice, or convenience Kim, Ng, and Kim, 2009). Casual-dining restaurants are imortant restaurant tyes. In the US, in 2010, the volume of business accounted for aroximately 22% USD$ 83 billion) of the overall restaurant industry Darden, 2011). The maority of restaurants in Taiwan are casual dining, as most restaurants in this category are small businesses USDA, 2012). The facts show that casual-dining restaurants are the most reresentative restaurant tye in the restaurant industry in develoed countries. Food quality was the most imortant reason for resondents to atronize a casual-dining restaurant Mattila, 2001). As a result, food quality has a significant effect on the oeration and sustainable develoment of casual-dining restaurants, and how to effectively and recisely assess their food quality has become an imortant research issue. Lin, Chan, and Tsai 2009) integrated the concet of traditional IPA with that of quality ga, and develoed Imortance-Performance & Ga Analysis IPGA) through function conversion. The IPGA model converted the axes of the traditional IPA matrix into relative imortance RI) and relative erformance RP). In addition to reflecting quality ga, IPGA can assist enterrises to develo strategies meeting customers needs. Some scholars have used the IPGA model to investigate the service quality of different service industries Tsai and Lin, 2010; Tsai, Chan, and Lin, 2011; Cheng, Chen, Hsu, and Hu, 2012). Cheng, Lin, Liu, Hu, and Lin 2011) used IPGA to investigate the food quality of fine-dining restaurants. The above show that IPGA is an effective research method used in the research field of quality management. According to the resource-based view RBV), as roosed by Wernerfelt 1984), a cometitive advantage of a firm is the result of otimal resource allocation and combinations. Regarding casual-dining restaurants, the best aroach to fulfill the resource investment utility of food quality under limited resources is to determine the deendent cause-and-effect) relationshis between the quality attributes of the highest efficiency and other quality attributes. When quality characteristics are shown to have a cause-effect relationshi, the traditional IPA and IPGA model are unable to correctly analyze riority level of imortance and erformance Hu, Chiu, Cheng, and Yen, 2011; Cheng et al., 2012). However, the methodology of the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory DEMATEL) can change a comlicated system into a causal relationshi with a clear structure, and determine the core issues and imrovement directions in a comlicated system through interaction levels between quality characteristics Cheng et al., 2012). Many scholars used DEMATEL to solve roblems of different fields Nanayo and Toshiaki, 2002; Tamura et al., 2006; Tseng, 2009; Hu et al., 2011). Tsai et al. 2011) and Cheng et al.

2 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March ) combined the ersectives of customers with those of exerts and used a two-stage decision-making model integrating IPGA with DEMATEL to investigate the cause-and-effect relationshis between imrovement riorities and resource investments in service quality as imortant guidelines for service quality imrovement strategies. Obviously, the decision-making model integrating IPGA with DEMATEL is an effective aroach to develo quality imrovement and resource investment strategies. Food quality imrovement strategies of casual-dining restaurants also involve the issues of quality ga and effective allocation of resources, which have never been discussed in revious studies. Therefore, the use of a quality imrovement decision-making model integrating IPGA with DEMATEL in the investigation of quality imrovement strategies for casual-dining restaurants is of significant ractical contribution and value. The uroses of this study are to use IPGA model to investigate the food quality of casual-dining restaurants and to understand the core factors for imroving food quality, as well as their riority. In addition, this study interviewed restaurant chefs and scholars, and used DEMATEL to analyze the effect of resource investment and deendent relationshis cause-andeffect relationshi) of various dimensions of food quality of casual-dining restaurants, as well as to identify critical quality attributes in order to imrove overall food quality under resource-limited conditions. Based on the research results of IPGA and DEMATEL, this study intended to determine the critical factors affecting food quality that demand the most urgent imrovements, and the highest effect of resource investment, and rovide such information as reference for casualdining restaurants to develo food quality imrovements and resource reallocation strategies, in order to significantly imrove the food quality of casual-dining restaurants. II. LITERATURE REVIEW Food quality Palmer 1985) suggested that food is a roduct constrained by culture, as it is the most fundamental and rofound consumer culture affecting daily life. Comared with other roducts, it is harder to change the behavior consumtion of food from among various consumer behaviors. From a commercial ersective, food quality is the henomenon develoed for commercial roducts based on ercetual/evaluative construe assessment on any factors concerning eole, lace, and time, which can affect exectation factors, as assessed by sensory ercetion Cardello, 1995). Food quality refers to quality that is accetable to both the roducers and consumers, namely, it is roducers roduction of the quality most desirable to consumers at the most rational rice under limited economic conditions Cheng et al., 2011). With the develoment of economy, consumers demand for quality of food has gradually increased. They not only intend to meet their hysical needs, but also take food quality, health, and safety into account Barbas, 2003; Henson, Maowicz, Masakure, Sockett, Jones, Hart, Carr, and Knowles, 2006). Therefore, food quality attributes have begun to attract the attention of consumers. Moreover, food quality becomes one of the most imortant factors affecting customer satisfaction Pettiohn, Pettiohn, and Luke, 1997). Mattila 2001) confirmed that food quality is the most imortant reason for resondents to atronize a casualdining restaurant. Kim et al. 2009) indicated that food quality is the strongest redictor of customer satisfaction, as well as revisit intention. Imrovement of visual aeal, food taste, freshness, and nutritional content might hel food service oerators meet or exceed customer exectations and imrove intention to return. In terms of the evaluation indicators of food quality, Molnaar 1995) indicated that the characteristics of food quality evaluation include sensory attitude, chemical and hysical asects, microbiological hazard, texture damage, and the labeling of ackage and aearance. For the food quality of the meals rovided by the army and ublic grous, consumers will consider the factors of taste, texture, and nutritional value Cardello, Bell, and Matthew, 1996). Verbeke and Loez 2005) used nine food attributes as evaluation indicators for reference and attitude, including rice, color, aeal, taste, siciness, convenience, leanness, safety, and healthiness, in order to analyze the attitude and behavior of Belgians and Belgian Sanish for ethnic food. Tsai et al. 2006) found that, the evaluation factors for food quality of fast food industry mainly include three dimensions, freshness and hygiene, menus and menu content, and attractiveness of food, with a total of 16 items. Jang et al. 2009) develoed 20 main attributes of Asian food, and used such attributes to determine 6 Asian foods as the new constructs of food attributes from the ersective of American consumers. Kim et al. 2009) used four items, taste of food, eye aeal of food, freshness of food, and overall quality of food, to assess the food quality of restaurants. Cheng et al. 2011) also summarized relevant revious studies to obtain five maor dimensions, including aeal of food, taste, cooking, hygiene, and other factors, for 22 items in order to assess consumers satisfaction with food quality of fine-dining restaurants. This study found that, such restaurants should give riority to the imrovement of hygiene and taste. Based on the above, this study suggested that the dimensions and items of the food quality assessment, as roosed by Cheng et al. 2011), are more secific and comlete. Moreover, the emirical validity for restaurant food quality assessment is accetable. Consequently, this study intended to use the food quality scale develoed by Cheng et al. 2011) as the basis for the evaluation of food quality of casual-dining restaurants. Imortance-erformance and ga analysis IPGA) Imortance-Performance Analysis IPA) is regarded by scholars and managers as an effective tool for imroving service quality and customer satisfaction. Its analysis results can rovide enterrises with relevant information for lanning resource allocation. The IPA model, as roosed by Martilla and James 1977), is an analysis technique for determining whether to strengthen or adust the resource allocation for analyzed strategies. The vertical and horizontal axes of a strategy matrix is constructed to denote resondents erceived degrees of imortance and satisfaction. The overall average imortance and satisfaction can be regarded as the intersecting oint of two axes to facilitate the division of the coordinate matrix into four quadrants. Managers can understand enterrise erformance based on IPA analysis, which facilitates the develoment of revitalization strategies in the future. Although the IPA model has been regarded as a convenient tool for assessing quality, it

3 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March has several deficiencies in terms of ractical alication. For examle, the IPA model can neither distinguish roerties Tarrant and Smith, 2002) in the same quadrant, nor integrate the concets of quality ga the difference between customers exectations and ercetions) Lin et al., 2009). Moreover, the assessment of means may easily lead to subective conflict Cheng et al., 2012). IPGA was extended and develoed from IPA as a model integrating the traditional IPA model with a resource reallocation analysis model for ga analysis Imortance-Performance and Ga Analysis; IPGA), as develoed by Lin et al. 2009), and based on function conversion. IPGA converts the axes of traditional IPA matrix into relative imortance RI) and relative erformance RP). The vertical axis of the amended matrix is relative imortance of the evaluated attributes, while the horizontal axis is the relative erformance of the evaluated attributes. The resource allocation strategies, as denoted by the various quadrants of the IPGA model, are as shown in Figure 1 Lin et al., 2009). Figure 1 IPGA Model Quadrant I: is the quadrant consisting of high relative erformance and high relative imortance, and is located in the uer right area of the two-dimensional matrix. It reresents the situation where there is a ositive ga between erformance and imortance in the evaluated attribute, and because the imortance of evaluated attributes is higher than the average imortance, it is necessary to kee u the good work. Quadrant II: is the quadrant consisting of low relative erformance and high relative imortance, and is located in the uer left area of the two-dimensional matrix. It resents the situation where there is a negative ga between erformance and imortance in the evaluated attribute, and because the imortance of evaluated attributes is higher than the average level of imortance, it is necessary to concentrate here. Moreover, the larger the distance between the evaluated attributes and coordinate center 0, 1), the more urgent it is to make imrovements. Quadrant III: is the quadrant consisting of low relative erformance and low relative imortance, and is located in the lower left area of the two-dimensional matrix. It resents the situation where there is a negative ga between erformance and imortance in the evaluated attribute, and because the imortance of evaluated attributes is lower than the average imortance, the quadrant is the area of low riority. Quadrant IV: is the quadrant consisting of high relative erformance and low relative imortance, and is located in the lower right area of the two-dimensional matrix. It resents the situation where there is a ositive ga between the erformance and imortance in the evaluated attribute. However, because the imortance of evaluated attributes is lower than the average imortance, this quadrant is the area of ossible overkill. Moreover, the larger the distance between the evaluated attribute and the coordinate center 0, 1), the higher the level of received resource transfer. The analysis rocess of the IPGA model includes the following 6 stes Lin et al., 2009; Tsai et al., 2012; Cheng et al., 2012): Ste 1: Collect information on users erceived degree of imortance and erformance of quality attributes. Ste 2: Calculate the average imortance erformance P. I. ) and average ) erceived for each attribute, as well as the average imortance I ) and average erformance P ) of all the items. Ste 3: Use aired samle T test to understand whether there is a ositive ga i.e. erformance larger than imortance) or a negative ga i.e. erformance smaller than imortance), or there is no ga i.e. erformance equals to imortance) between users exectation and actual ercetion of various attributes. Ste 4: Calculate the relative imortance RI) and relative erformance RP) of various quality attributes, resectively. Relative imortance RI) is the value of the imortance of an assessment factor divided by the average imortance of all the assessment factors. The formula is I / I. In addition, relative erformance combines the concet of ga analysis model. The average erformance of various attributes, as evaluated by resondents, is converted into erceived erformance. In other words, after aired samle t-test is alied to erform ga analysis on the imortance and erformance of evaluated attributes, the formula was used to convert the values to obtain the RP values as shown in Table 1) of various food quality attributes as shown in Table 1). Table 1 Relative erformance RP) calculation regulation table Factor s ga analysis result P P P P I I I I or Paired samles t-test Significant 0.05) Significant 0.05) Not significant >0.05) Factor s RP value P / P P / P) Note: The average erformance of Assessment factor is P, the imortance is I, and the average erformance of all assessment factor is P 0 1

4 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March Ste 5: Draw the IPGA strategy matrix as shown in Figure 1), where relative imortance RI) and relative erformance RP) are used as vertical axis and horizontal axis, resectively. The intersecting oint of the horizontal and vertical axes is 0, 1). The resource allocation strategy and management definitions of various quadrants of IPGA strategy matrix are as follows: Ste 6: Determine the riority of resource allocation for attributes requiring imrovement in quadrant II, namely, the larger the distance, the higher the riority for imrovement. The formula is: D ) [ RP / max RP q rq 2 2. r ] [ RI. 1) / max RI. r 1)] rq Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory DEMATEL) The decision making trial and evaluation laboratory DEMATEL) was develoed by the Battelle Memorial Association in Geneva Gabus and Fontela, 1973; Fontela and Gabus, 1976). At the time, the DEMATEL method was used to research comlex, and difficult to solve, global roblems, including ethnic issues, hunger, energy, environmental rotection, etc. Fontela and Gabus, 1976). The DEMATEL method takes comlicated systems and directly comares the relative relationshis between different quality characteristics, using a matrix to calculate all direct and indirect cause and effect relationshis, as well as the level of influence between quality characteristics, esecially through the use of a visual structure cause-effect diagram to determine the core questions of a comlex system, thus, simlifying decision making Cheng et al., 2012). Measurements are searated into four levels 0, 1, 2, 3), which are labeled no influence, low level of influence, high level of influence, and extremely high level of influence Lin and Wu, 2008). Recent studies have comrehensively used DEMATEL to solve the roblems of different fields. For examle, Nanayo and Toshiaki 2002) used amended DEMATEL to conduct an integrated assessment on a medical care system. Tamura et al. 2006) used DEMATEL to investigate the factors leading to customers sense of insecurity regarding food and its imrovement. Tseng 2009) combined the Fuzzy set theory with DEMATEL to evaluate the interrelationshis of service quality evaluation criteria and to comare grou ercetions for a cause-and-effect model regarding uncertainties. Hu et al. 2011) used DEMATEL to imrove the order-winner criteria in the network communication equiment manufacturing industry. Tsai et al. 2011) used DEMATEL to determine the critical factors affecting customers needs for quality of an online tax-filing system. Cheng et al. 2012) used DEMATEL to investigate the riority of imrovements in the service quality of fine-dining restaurants. However, such a research method has never been used in revious studies to resolve issues concerning food quality imrovement strategies and resource allocation of casual-dining restaurants. This study adoted the exlanation of the stes of DEMATEL, as described by Tsai et al. 2011) and Cheng et al. 2012), as follows: Ste 1: Build the initial average direct-relation matrix Suose n is the number of exerts consulted, and is the number of ractices that each exert considers. The integer score k xi refers to the degree that ractice i affects ractice for the k- th exert. The average matrix A is realized by averaging all exert scores, and can be reresented mathematically by the following equation: 1) A a i 1 n n k1 x k i Ste 2: Calculate the normalized direct-relation matrix The normalized direct-relation matrix Z is obtained by normalizing the direct-relation matrix A, and can be reresented mathematically by the following equation: 1 i i 1 1 i1 1 Z A, where max max a,max a ) 2) Since the sum of each row i of matrix A reresents the direct effects that ractice i gives to the other ractices, and the sum of each column of matrix A reresents the direct effects that ractice i receives from the other ractices; therefore, max max 1 i i 1 1 i1 a,max a ) reresents the direct effects of i the ractice with the most directly given and received effects on others. Ste 3: Derive the total relation matrix The total relation effects include both the indirect effects and direct effects. Since there is a continuous decrease of the indirect effects of roblems along the owers of matrix Z, the total relation matrix, T, is defined as a matrix, and I is the identity matrix. The mathematical equation can be reresented, as follows: 2 k 1 T lim Z Z Z ) Z I Z) 3) k Ste 4: Calculate the total effects and net effects. Define r and c as 1 vectors as the sum of rows and the sum of columns, resectively, of the total relation matrix T. The mathematical equations can be reresented, as follows: r r i 1 ti 4) 1 c c t 1 i1 i 1 1 The sum r i shows the total given effects, both directly and indirectly, that ractice i has on the other ractices. The sum shows the total received effects, both directly and indirectly, that i 5) c

5 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March all the other ractices have on ractice. Thus, the sum r c ) gives us an index reresenting the total effects i.e. rominence) both given and received by ractice i. In addition, the difference r c ) shows the net effects or the net contribution by ractice i on the system. In other word, r c ) is defined as the cause and reresents the level of influence and being influenced of this secific quality characteristic. III. METHODOLOGY Research Procedures for the Imrovement of Food Quality of Casual-dining Restaurants This study reformed the two-stage decision-making model integrating IPGA with DEMATEL, as roosed by Tsai et al. 2011), and used a questionnaire survey for customers oinions and exert interviews to erform analyses. Firstly, this study conducted a questionnaire survey on customers to obtain information regarding the degree of imortance and satisfaction with various food attributes, and calculated the RI and RP. IPGA was alied to determine the quality attributes i.e. critical factors) requiring imrovement. Secondly, After identifying the key factors of customer s ercetion, by alying IPGA, exerts further analyze the critical factors of these ractices, as based on their ractical exeriences and rofessional udgment, to achieve the cost effective target for resource allocation of food quality of casual-dining restaurants. Therefore, this study further used a DEMATEL questionnaire to investigate cause-and-effect relationshis and total effects of various food quality attributes of casual-dining restaurants. Lastly, the analysis results of IPGA ersective of customers) and DEMATEL ersective of exerts) questionnaires were integrated in order to determine critical food quality factors with the most urgent demand for imrovement and for the highest effect of resource investment as reference for imroving food quality strategies of casual-dining restaurants. Measurement The questionnaire used in this study was develoed based on food quality, and the characteristics of food quality, of casualdining restaurants. The content of the reliminary questionnaire included five maor dimensions, visual aeal, taste, cooking, hygiene, and other factors, with 25 items totally. This study mainly investigated the imortance and erformance of various attributes of food quality, and used a 5-oint Likert scale for measurement. The resondents comleted the questionnaires anonymously. Before the formal questionnaires were distributed, 50 re-test questionnaires were distributed to analyze reliability Cronbach s α). The results showed that the reliability of various dimensions of the questionnaire was larger than 0.7, which suggested that there is internal consistency among the various dimensions imortance and erformance). Moreover, regarding exert questionnaire, this study develoed the DEMATEL exert questionnaire, as based on the five dimensions of restaurant food quality, and the measurement was searated into four levels 0, 1, 2, 3), labeled no influence, low level of influence, high level of influence, and extremely high level of influence. Research samles and data collection The maority of restaurants in Taiwan are casual dining USDA, 2012), which suggests that casual-dining restaurants lay an imortant role in the hositality industry in Taiwan. Taiei City is the largest international city in Taiwan, and in 2011, there were 16,764 restaurants, ranking it the highest in Taiwan Financial Data Center, Ministry of Finance, Taiwan, 2012), thus, market cometition in the hositality industry will inevitably become more intense in Taiei City. In order to attract customers and maintain sustainable oeration, oerators in the hositality industry must rovide good food quality. Therefore, the riority of food quality evaluation and food quality resource investment has become an imortant research issue for casualdining restaurants in Taiei City. By customer questionnaire survey, this study selected the customers of 10 casual-dining restaurants in Taiei City as the subects. A systematic samling method was utilized to collect the questionnaires. Questionnaires were distributed to customers willing to articiate in this research after their dining exerience. The questionnaires were distributed once for every 10 customers dining in the restaurants. The questionnaires were distributed for 3 months, from January 1 to March 31, 2012, with 600 questionnaires distributed. After invalid questionnaires e.g. incomlete questionnaires) were removed, 562 valid questionnaires were returned, for a valid return rate of 93.67%. In terms of exert questionnaire, this study interviewed 12 exerts 6 executive chefs of restaurants and 6 scholars that had studied restaurant food quality in Taiwan) as the resondents to comlete the DEMATEL questionnaires. Data analysis methods The data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 12.0 for descritive statistical analysis on the effective questionnaires. Second, this study then assessed the roerties of measurement scales for convergent validity and discriminant validity, and constructed comosite reliability by confirmatory factor analysis CFA) using maximum likelihood to estimate arameters. Third, the allocated quadrant of restaurant food quality attributes, with the two dimensional matrix constructed by RI and RP through IPGA analysis, was examined to understand the strategy meaning of food quality attributes of casual-dining restaurants. Through exert questionnaire, this study analyzed the total effects and deendent cause-effect) relationshis among 5 dimensions of food quality of casualdining restaurants by using the DEMATEL method. IV. RESULTS Profile of the resondents This study selected the customers of 10 casual-dining restaurants in Taiei City as the subects, and successfully retrieved 562 valid samles. The samle structure distribution is as shown in Table 2. Most of the resondents are females 56.57%), aged %), followed by %), have unior college education 46.98%), are married 50.53%), have an average monthly income of NTD 20,001~40, %), followed by NTD 40,001~60, %), work in the service 34.52%) and manufacturing industries 23.49%), and

6 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March have dined in restaurants twice or less 40.93%) or for 3~5 times 38.08%) within the ast 3 months. Table 2 Profile of the resondents Characteristics Items Frequency Percentage Gender Male % Female % Below % % Age % % More than % Junior high or lower % Education Senior high or vocational school % University or college % Graduate school or above % Marital status Unmarried % Married % Below $20, % $20,001-$40, % Monthly income $40,001-$60,000 NT$) % More than % $60,001 Student % Industrial and commercial % industry Occuation Service industry % Public sector % Housewives or retirees % Others % Number of meals within three months Below % % % More than % Reliability and Validity Analysis In accordance with acceted ractice, this study assessed the roerties of measurement scales for convergent validity, discriminant validity, and construct comosite reliability CR) i.e. construct reliability). Table 3 lists standardized coefficient loadings of the confirmatory factor analysis CFA) results, and construct CR and the average variance extracted AVE) of food quality scales using customer satisfaction scores of casual-dining restaurants. The measurement model of this study rovided a good overall fit with the data GFI =0.94, AGFI=0.87, CFI=0.97, 2 NFI=0.96, NNFI=0.97, IFI=0.97, / d. f =2.51, RMR=0.038, and RMSEA=0.057). Comosite reliability CR) for all dimensions of food quality scales was more than 0.8, resectively. In general, the measurement scales used in this study were found to be reliable. The average variance extracted AVE) for all dimensions were more than 0.5, resectively, all exceeding the benchmark of 0.50 for convergent validity Fornell and Larcker, 1981). Discriminant validity is established if the AVE is larger than the squared multile correlation SMC) coefficients between constructs Fornell and Larcker, 1981). Our results demonstrate that the AVE values for all dimensions were more than SMC coefficients in Table 4. This result indicates sufficient discriminant validity of the five dimensions of restaurant food quality scales in this study. Table 3 Construct reliability and validity analysis of food quality scales Dimension Items Loading CR AVE 1. Alternativeness of cuisine tyes Dish lating is beautiful and attractive 0.77 A.Visual aeal B.Taste C.Cooking D.Hygiene E.Other 3. Dishes served are identical to those in the 0.82 menu 4. Dishes on the menu are always available Visual aearance meets the secific needs of 0.78 customers, as ossible 1. Scent of dishes Dishes are delicate Overall texture of dishes Taste of dishes The taste of dishes is unique Temerature of cold and hot dishes drinks) Color of dishes after cooking Doneness of dishes Tenderness of cooked food Crisness and uiciness of fried food Hygiene of dishes Hygienic quality of tableware Personal hygiene of staff Cleanness of dining environment Service rocess meets hygienic requirements Freshness of food Nutritional balance of dishes Side dishes are delicious Alternativeness of seasonings Meal size

7 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March Table 4 Discriminant validity of the five dimensions of food quality scales Dimensions Mean S.D. A B C D E A.Visual aeal a B.Taste b C.Cooking c D.Hygiene d E.Other e a,b,c,d,e, reresent AVE of each dimension. Other numbers reresent SMC coefficients between dimensions IPGA Analysis The IPGA analysis quantified the imortance and erformance of various food quality attributes of restaurants. The coordinate axes of a traditional IPA matrix were converted into relative imortance RI) and relative erformance RP) to develo the IPGA strategy matrix Lin et al., 2009). IPGA analysis results of food quality dimensions showed that as shown in Table 5), the attributes located in quadrant II Concentrate here) included cooking and hygiene. Those located in quadrant III included visual aeal, taste, and other factors. Therefore, riority should be given to the imrovement of cooking and hygiene, followed by taste, visual aeal, and other factors. Table 5 IPGA analysis of the dimensions of food quality scales of casual-dining restaurants Dimensions T-test P-I) RI RP Quadrant D q ) Visual aeal -4.03* III - Taste -4.12* III -- Cooking -6.19* II Hygiene * II Other -4.63* III - *<0.05 After analysis of food quality through IPGA as shown in Table 6), various items of food quality were located in quadrant II, including dish lating is beautiful and attractive and dishes in the menu are always available in the dimension of visual aeal, dishes are delicate, overall texture of dishes and taste of dishes in the dimension of taste, temerature of cold and hot dishes drinks), color of dishes after cooking, doneness of dishes, and tenderness of dishes in the dimension of cooking, hygiene of dishes, hygienic quality of tableware, ersonal hygiene of staff, cleanness of dining environment, and service rocess meets hygienic requirement in the dimension of hygiene, and freshness of food in the dimension of other factors, with 15 items totally. The items located in quadrant III were alternativeness of cuisine tyes and dishes served are identical to those in the menu in the dimension of visual aeal, scent of dishes and the taste of dishes is unique in the dimension of taste, crisness and uiciness of fried food in the dimension of cooking, and nutritional balance of dishes, side dishes are delicious, and meal size in the dimension of other factors, with 8 items totally. Only visual aearance can meet the secific needs of customers as much as ossible in the dimension of visual aeal and alternativeness of seasonings in the dimension of other factors were located in quadrants III and IV. ) D q, the Moreover, in quadrant II, the larger the value of higher the riority for imrovement Lin et al., 2009). This study further calculated the distance between various items and the ) coordinate center 0,1), and the order of the value of from the largest to smallest was freshness of food, ersonal hygiene of staff, hygienic quality of tableware, cleanness of dining environment, service rocess meets hygienic requirement, color of dishes after cooking, hygiene of dishes, doneness of dishes, temerature of cold and hot dishes drinks), tenderness of cooked food, dish lating is beautiful and attractive, dishes in the menu are always available, dishes are delicate, taste of dishes, and overall texture of dishes. The aforementioned order could be rovided as reference for the riority imrovements to be made to food quality of casual-dining restaurants. Table 6 IPGA analysis of the items of food quality scales of casual-dining restaurants Dimensions Items T-test P-I) RI RP Quadrant Dq) Rank A1-2.02* III A2-5.75* II A.Visual A3-5.07* III aeal A4-5.66* II A Boundary B1-2.34* III B2-5.45* II B.Taste B3-4.61* II B4-4.14* II B5-3.94* III C1-6.25* II C2-7.81* II C.Cooking C3-6.74* II C4-6.22* II C5-5.31* III D * II D2-8.87* II D.Hygiene D * II D * II D5-9.73* II E * II E2-3.97* III E.Other E3-4.26* III E Boundary E5-3.00* III *<0.05 D q

8 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March DEMATEL analysis This study used five dimensions of food quality to erform DEMATEL analysis in order to understand the deendent causeand-effect) relationshis between the different dimensions of food quality of casual-dining restaurants. Using formulas 1)~3), the direct-relation matrix is formed from the oinions of 12 exerts, and after erforming regularization and calculating a direct/indirect-relation matrix, used formulas 4) and 5) to calculate the ri value of each column and the ci value of each row. To simlify the relationshi of various attributes, this study referred to Cheng et al. 2012) to use the maximum value of the diagonal 1.44) of the total relation matrix T as the threshold value, and deleted the values smaller than [1.44] in the total relation matrix T to re-obtain a new total relation matrix. This study also obtained the total effects r c ) and net effects r c ) by the new total relation matrix T, as shown in Table 7 and Figure 2. The results of DEMATEL analysis showed that there was a highly deendent relationshi among visual aeal, taste, cooking, and hygiene of food quality. As shown in Table 7 and Figure 2, the dimension with both a high level of rominence total effects) and cause net effects) were visual aeal and cooking, suggesting that these were core dimensions that influenced other dimensions of food quality of casual-dining restaurants. Among them, the total effect of resource investment in cooking 6.09) was the highest. The dimension with both a low level of rominence total effects) and cause net effects) were hygiene and taste. Further analysis, as seen in Figure 2, showed that cooking and visual aeal would affect each other, taste would be affected by visual aeal and cooking, and hygiene would be affected by cooking. Since the total effect r A c A 0) and net effect r A c A 0) of other factors of food quality scales were very weak, other factors could be ignored and regarded as an indeendent factor. Table 7 Total effects and net effects of the five dimensions of food quality scales of casual-dining restaurants Dimensions A: Visual aeal total given effects r i ) total received effects c i ) total effects r c ) net effects r c ) B: Taste C: Cooking D: Hygiene E: Other Mean Figure 2 The DEMATEL analysis diagram V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The contribution of this study was the integration of the ersective of customers with that of exerts to roose a twostage decision-making rocedure for food quality imrovement strategies of casual-dining restaurants. Firstly, this study used the IPGA strategy matrix model to investigate the critical factors affecting food quality of restaurants, from the ersective of customers. Secondly, this study further used DEMATEL to determine the effect of resource investment and cause-and-effect relationshis of various attributes of food quality in casual-dining restaurants, from the ersective of exerts. Lastly, this study integrated the results of IPGA and DEMATEL to determine the critical food quality factors most in demand for urgent imrovement and the highest effect for resource investment, and rovide such information as reference for oerators of casualdining restaurants to develo food quality imrovement strategies, as well as to determine the riority of resource allocation, thus, enabling food quality imrovements for casualdining restaurants to achieve the maximum effect. In the IPGA model, the dimensions of cooking and hygiene were located in the area of Concentrate here, which were factors of high relative imortance but low relative erformance from the ersective of customers, and were the food quality dimensions most in demand for urgent imrovement. This research result is different from the IPGA result of food quality of fine-dining restaurants Cheng et al., 2011): [hygiene and taste were the dimensions most in demand for urgent imrovement], suggesting that the guidelines for food quality imrovement strategies of fine-dining restaurants were significantly different from those of casual-dining restaurants. This study resumed that the characteristics and aeals of general casual-dining restaurants focused on low rice, convenience, and large meal size. However, they tended to ignore hygiene and taste. Therefore, casual-dining restaurants should give riority to the imrovement of cooking and hygiene to imrove customers satisfaction with food quality of casual-dining restaurants. Moreover, dimensions such as visual aeal, taste, and other factors, were in the area of Low riority, which were factors of low relative imortance and low relative erformance from the

9 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March ersective of customers, and were the food quality dimensions less in demand for imrovement. Thus, the oerators of casualdining restaurants do not have to excessively invest resources in imroving food quality attributes, such as visual aeal, taste, and other factors, and can adequately allocate investment resources in visual aeal, taste, and other factors to the dimensions of hygiene and cooking, to meet customers needs for food quality of casual-dining restaurants. Furthermore, worthy of note, in the research results of IPGA, none of the food quality dimensions of casual-dining restaurants was located in the area of [Kee u the good work]. The investigation showed that, although the imortance of some of the quality dimensions was higher than the average imortance, there was no [ositive ga i.e. satisfaction imortance were both>0)] in the dimensions of food quality. Consequently, the food quality of casual-dining restaurants must be continuously imroved to increase customers satisfaction to a degree higher than imortance, in order to develo substantial cometitive advantage of food quality. Among the 25 items of food quality, further IPGA analysis ersective of customers) showed that a total of 15 items were located in the area of Concentrate here, including 2 items in the dimension of visual aeal, 3 items in the dimension of taste, 4 items in the dimension of cooling, 5 items in the dimension of hygiene, and 1 factor in the dimension of other factors. From the ersective of customers, oerators of casual-dining restaurants should give riority to the imrovement of the 15 items mentioned above. The riority, from the highest to the lowest, was freshness of food, ersonal hygiene of staff, hygienic quality of tableware, cleanness of dining environment, service rocess meets hygienic requirement, color of dishes after cooking, hygiene of dishes, doneness of dishes, temerature of cold and hot dishes drinks), tenderness of cooked food, dish lating is beautiful and attractive, dishes in the menu are always available, dishes are delicate, taste of dishes, and overall texture of dishes. Moreover, a total of 8 items were in the area of Low riority, including 2 items alternativeness of cuisine tyes and dishes served are identical to those in the menu) in the dimension of visual aeal, 2 items scent of dishes and the taste of dishes is unique) in the dimension of taste, 1 item crisness and uiciness of fried food) in the dimension of cooking, and 3 items nutritional balance, side dishes are delicious, and meal size) in the dimension of other factors. There was 1 item visual aearance can meet the secific needs of customers as much as ossible) in the dimension of visual aeal, and 1 item alternativeness of seasonings) in the dimension of other factors, which were located on the boundary between low riority and ossible overkill. This study suggested that oerators of casual-dining restaurants should not excessively invest resources in the quality items on the boundary between Low riority area and Low riority and Possible overkill area. However, the riority for quality imrovement, as obtained from IPGA results mentioned above, was from the ersective of customers. In terms of the ractical riority of quality imrovement, there remains a need to consider the total effect of resource investment and cause-and-effect relationshis, in order to obtain actual effect. Therefore, based on the results of the DEMATEL model, this study further found that, among the five dimensions of food quality of casual-dining restaurants, the dimension of the highest total effect of resource investment was cooking. In addition, this critical quality factor had an effect on visual aeal, hygiene, and taste. Moreover, although the total effect of resource investment in visual aeal was not the highest, it would also affect cooking and taste. The results of IPGA and DEMATEL as shown in Table 8) showed that, casual-dining restaurants should give riority to the imrovement of quality attributes of hygiene and cooking, esecially the items in the dimension of hygiene including ersonal hygiene of staff, hygienic quality of tableware, hygiene of dining environment, service rocess meets hygienic requirement, and cleanness of dishes, with 5 items totally), from the ersective of customers. However, cooking was the imortant factor of the highest effect of resource investment, which can affect food quality dimensions of visual aeal, taste, and hygiene, from the ersective of exerts. As a result, this study suggested that oerators of restaurants should give to riority to cooking, in order to achieve better effects in terms of food quality imrovement measures. In terms of the imrovement of cooking, as the quality of cooking e.g. temerature of cold and hot dishes drinks), color of dishes after cooking, doneness of dishes, and tenderness of cooked dishes ) is mainly subect to the rofessional caacity and skill of chefs, this study suggested that casual-dining restaurants can focus on finding excellent rofessional chefs to significantly imrove the food quality of restaurants. DEMATEL analysis found that, the deendent relationshi between other factors and the remaining four food quality dimensions were weak, and thus, was regarded as an indeendent factor, and could not achieve any secific effect. Table 8 Integrated Strategies for Food Quality Imrovement of Casual-dining Restaurants Methods Dimensions IPGA strategy DEMATEL strategy Visual aeal Low riority Investment with high effect; Cause class Taste Low riority Investment with low effect: Effect class Cooking Concentrate here Investment with high effect; Cause class Hygiene Concentrate here Investment with low effect: Effect class Other factors Low riority Indeendent factor VI. RECOMMENDATIONS The IPGA model not only overcomes the deficiency of the subective udgment of the traditional IPA, but also combines the concet of quality ga to fully reflect consumers exectations, ercetions, and evaluations Cheng et al., 2012). Moreover, the use of DEMATEL can hel understand the effect of resource investment and cause-and-effect relationshis among various food quality attributes, and such information can be rovided as reference for restaurant oerators resource investment to achieve the obective of cost minimization. It has been verified that a decision-making model, integrating IPGA with DEMATEL for quality imrovement, can be alied to the service quality

10 International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 3, March imrovement of IT and hositality industries Tsai et al., 2011; Cheng et al., 2012). However, as food quality imrovement strategies of restaurants continue to involve issues concerning [quality ga] and effective resource allocation, a decisionmaking model integrating IPGA with DEMATEL for quality imrovement can combine the ersectives of customers and exerts to effectively determine the critical factors most in demand for urgent imrovement and of the highest effect of resource investment. The research results can be rovided as reference for restaurant oerators to develo more adequate guidelines for quality imrovement strategies and resource allocation. The research results may have a considerable ractical contribution and value to the food quality imrovement strategies of casual-dining restaurants, which will be beneficial to the enhancement of casual-dining restaurants cometitiveness in the market, and thus, the develoment of sustainable oeration. Owing to restrictive factors, such as cost and geograhy, the main research limitations of this study were that only customers in 10 casual-dining restaurants in Taiei City were selected as the subects, and the oinions from customers in other areas or dining at restaurants of other rice levels could not be reflected. Therefore, future researchers are advised to exand the research scoe to restaurant customers in different areas and countries, or even use other research methods e.g. Kano model, ANP), to investigate food quality imrovement strategies for restaurants from different ersectives in order to effectively analyze factors affecting the food quality of restaurants. 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