PERCEPTION AND PREFERENCES OF BSHM STUDENTS AMONG DIFFERENT

RESTAURANTS IN MIDSAYAP, COTABATO

RICA S. DIGEÑON

Thesis Outline Submitted to the Department of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality

Management, College of Human Ecology and Food Sciences, University
Of Southern Mindanao PALMA Cluster Campuses, Libungan,
Cotabato in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements
For the Degree of

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

May, 2024
 INTRODUCTION

Significance of the Study

Restaurants are one of the food establishments that focus on providing the needs and

requirements of the customers. People choose restaurants depending on the taste of food, color,

and presentation. Some choose restaurants that provide quality service resulting in customer

satisfaction. In today’s competitive restaurant business, an increase in restaurant business

competition implies that customers nowadays have more dining choices to choose from than ever

before, ranging from fast food to fine dining restaurants. As a result, customer expectations of

restaurant offerings are ever-increasing, and they are now more demanding in choosing better

restaurant choices based on what they can get from their decision (Lia et.al 2020).

The widespread use of location-based services offers the opportunity to gain unprecedented

insights into people's movement patterns, which can also help the food service sector, anticipate

customer-dining behavior (Zhang et.al 2016). Many factors affect customers' perceptions and

preferences when it comes on choosing a restaurant. Once your restaurant has a good image and

feedback, many customers will come back. When a restaurant gains legal customers, it could be

an opportunity for them to gain a good perception and attract more customers. The food quality,

staff behavior, value for money, and location of the restaurant are some of the factors affecting

customers’ choices. When one customer recognizes a need that can be satisfied by using the

goods or services that the establishment provides, the customers will start the decision-making

process (Chua, 2020). Restaurants have many ways to build a good reputation and brand image. It

frequently make substantial expenditures on marketing efforts to attract customers by using

numerous marketing strategies, from menu development to promotions for sale. However, every

change in marketing operations intended to extend the customer base and enhance sales needs

clear and reliable facts to determine whether such efforts are worthwhile. Despite increasing

interest in consumer behavior and restaurant marketing studies among hospitality scholars, proof

of customers' perceived relevance of restaurant selection. Furthermore, restaurants have a great

opportunity to influence their current and future customers. A good reputation can attract new

customers, increase customer loyalty, and ultimately increase your profits and sales. However, a

bad reputation can lead to lost sales, lost customers, and even irreversible damage.

In this study, the researcher recognizes that few have studied the factors that strongly affect

restaurant perception and preferences when it comes to choosing restaurants. The current study

tries to bridge the research gap by understanding how BSHM students' eating habits are influence

by their cultural origins, traditions, and personal experiences may give restaurant owners and

marketers important insights. Studying the relationship between food preferences, eating

environment, pricing, and quality service and on how it intersects with the ethnic diversity of the

student’s population, can help businesses customize their offerings to meet the needs and

expectations of this particular group. The present research aims to explore this correlation by

investigating the role of cultural diversity in shaping the dining experiences and preferences of

BSHM students in Midsayap, researchers can contribute to a better understanding of consumer

behavior in the hospitality industry, as well as practical recommendations for restaurant managers

to improve their services and attract more customers from this demographic.
Objectives of the Study

This study aims to determine students’ perceptions and preferences among different

restaurants.

Specifically, this study aims to:

1. determine the socio-demographic profile of the respondent;

2. identify students preferences in terms of customer service, price and sanitation;

3. determine student perception in terms of meal quality, location, reputation and cleanliness;

4. determine the factors affecting student’s choice in terms of brand image, staff behavior, and

taste;

Expected Output of the Study

1. Determine the socio-demographic profile of the respondent.

2. Identify the student’s preferences in terms of customer service, price and sanitation.

3. Determine student perception in terms of meal quality, location, reputation and cleanliness.

4. Determine the factors affecting student’s choice in terms of brand image, staff behavior and

taste.

Place and Time of the Study

This study will be conduct in the Municipality of Libungan in June 2024.

Scope and Limitation of the study

This study is descriptive in nature and it focuses in the identification of the effects of

Students’ perceptions and preferences among different restaurants in Midsayap. In this study,

there will be 98 respondents from BSHM Students of USM Libungan Campus where data will be

gather This study delimits in USM Libungan Campus. It will be conduct in the School Year: 2024.

Operational Definition of Terms

To full comprehend the study, the researcher define the following terms operationally:

Preferences – a feeling or liking or waiting one person or thing more than another person or thing

Perception – the act of perceiving on the ability to perceive

Reception – the beliefs or opinions that generally held about someone or something

Organizational Culture - refers to the principles, attitudes, and practices that guide how

management and staff at a company interact, carry out their duties, and conduct business.
Brand Image - is the general impression, perception, and association any given customer has

about a brand image

Staff Behavior - the response of an employee towards a specific situation at work

Costumers Behavior - the decision that people make to buy or not to buy a product and the things

that influence their decisions

Conceptual Framework

For this investigation, the optimist and pessimist theories are used. Widespread

expectations of favorable and unfavorable results are the basis of optimistic and pessimistic views

(Milam, Richardson, Marks, Kemper, & Mccutchan, 2004). What you would want to see modified in

this area is reflect in the degree to which people are optimistic and pessimistic about a future

occurrence (Carver et al., 2010, Rasmussen et al., 2009).

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter present the related literature and studies both from local and foreign sources.

Those that were included in this chapter help in familiarizing information that are relevant and

similar to the present study.

Customer’s Perception on Different Restaurants

The two primary determinants of perceived value and customer satisfaction, which in turn

affect customers' positive behavioral intentions, are the pricing and quality perceptions of the

customers. The customer's reasonable assessment of the service's average cost relative to its

rivals known as the perceived pricing. Demand for food services at California State University

exceeded capacity, and it was discover that, for students on a tight budget, the most important

consideration is pricing when choosing a foodservice supplier. If a customer feels that the pricing is

reasonable, they are more inclined to visit the restaurant again. On the other hand, they will

express their dissatisfaction and refuse to utilize the service again if they believe the price is too

much high for students typically have limited budgets, so when it comes to a university's food

service, their top worry is price. Additionally, they showed that if on-campus amenities too costly,

students would rather buy less expensive meals off campus. In order for students to feel they

received value for their money and to be satisfied, the price they pay should be commensurate with

the amount of food they receive. This will increase the frequency of their meals. Additionally, food

service providers should prioritize providing students with value for money and appropriate portion

sizes in order to increase student satisfaction with on-campus food services and dining frequency.
Customer satisfaction can be predict by perceived value, meaning that higher customer satisfaction

levels correspond with higher perceived values of the service. Consequently, it is abundantly

evident from the data that price and value for money have an impact on student happiness.

Ambiance and menu options are other factors that influence a customer's dining experience and

desire to return on a school where eating, facilities are run by a single contract food service

management company, 325 students completed a survey in which they expressed the least

amount of satisfaction with the menu diversity and healthy selection. The mechanism by which

students are given preference when it comes to the information they learn from an object—in this

case, the questions teachers ask in class—is known as student perception. Students are able to

comprehend the view thing using senses. In order to make observations on students, perception is

the process by which they handle knowledge about an object that pertains to the school setting,

particularly in the classroom, by using their own senses to examine and interpret the object

numerous aspects that affect students' understanding and experiences in the classroom have been

identified by research on their perceptions. According to Munfadlila (2022), learning is a great

impact by how well students perceive their lecturer's discussion, particularly with regard to

questioning, feedback, and instruction. A approach for combining instructor reflections with student

assessments was presented by Molina (2016), offering a thorough representation of efficient

teaching techniques. When compared to students with good health attitudes, those who were

recognized as having low health attitudes were more likely to think that unhealthy menu items were

tastier and had a higher buy intention Powers (2017).

Student Preferences in Choosing Restaurants

College students' meal choices are heavily influence by their taste preferences. A study

involving college students revealed that one of the main factors they took into account while

selecting nutrient-dense foods was flavor. Similarly, flavor found to be one of the main elements

influencing students’ judgement in another study that focused on fast food restaurant preferences.

These results imply that a restaurant's food quality is a major factor in luring college students to

select it. Students are more inclined to choose eateries with higher quality and more flavorful

meals. Therefore, to satisfy the tastes of college students, food operators should place a high

priority on preparing food that is both nutrient-dense and aesthetically pleasing. "A greater liking for

one alternative over another or others" is the definition of "preference." Thus, student preferences

can be define as their preferred methods of interacting with the learning elements and their

preferences to certain learning elements. Students' restaurant preferences influenced by various

aspects such as meal quality, location, and cleanliness (Blešić, 2018). The restaurant industry is

fiercely competitive in places like Yogyakarta with a large student population, providing a wide

range of meal alternatives at reasonable costs (Hendrianto, 2017). Students' purchasing intentions

can be greatly influenced by nutrition information on menus, particularly when it comes to calories

and macronutrients (Mayfield, 2014).Expectations and both favorable and unfavorable impression

are among the elements that impact university student dining decisions Nadrizah

(2013).Furthermore, food safety issues have a big influence on where students choose to dine

(Adam, 2014).
Reputation

A person's or a group's reputation is frequently determined by the caliber of their acts, traits,

and achievements. A well-respected person or thing is typically think to be dependable,

trustworthy, and deserving of respect. On the other hand, someone or anything having a poor

reputation is frequently view as dishonest, unreliable, or lacking in moral fiber. A person or entity's

reputation matters because it affects how other people view and deal with them. It may also affect

a person's or an entity's chances for success. Reputation is frequently predicate on the perceived

caliber of an individual's or group's conduct, character, and accomplishments; on the other hand,

reputation "management" is the technique of changing and improving how reputation is perceive. A

well-respected person or thing is typically think to be dependable, trustworthy, and deserving of

respect. On the other hand, someone or anything having a poor reputation is frequently view as

dishonest, unreliable, or lacking in moral fiber. Studies regularly demonstrate that students' views

and impressions have great influenced by the reputation of a university (Merchant, 2015; Nguyen,

2001; Irfan, 2020). A positive institution's reputation can be enhance through positive word-of-

mouth and greater loyalty result of positive reputation and image perceptions (Nguyen, 2001; Irfan,

2020). It is less evident, nevertheless, how reputation affects how students' work evaluated, with

some research showing no discernible effect (Batten, 2013). A restaurant's reputation is a

complicated, multidimensional idea that affect by a number of variables. The importance of

expertise in building, a restaurant's reputation was emphasize, Subakti (2013), especially when

considering Michelin star ratings. Chung (2018) highlights the influence of one's early online
reputation on one's later reputation, emphasizing the credibility of sources and messages. In 2020,

Kiatkawsin explores how patron loyalty develops in upscale dining establishments and connects it

to the credibility and longevity of the Michelin restaurant guide's brand. Chang (2013), who

emphasizes the significance of corporate reputation in fostering customer loyalty, lastly examines

the causal links between perceived trust, value, customer satisfaction, and corporate reputation.

Together, these studies highlight the significance of a number of variables, such as professional

judgement, internet reviews, client loyalty, and company reputation. Students’ opinions of

restaurants influenced by a variety of elements, such as their personal experience (Ibrahim, 2020).

Customer satisfaction and brand image positively correlated, and this has an impact on customer

lifetime value Chen (2014).

Brand Image

Brands have a significant influence on how customers behave. People are more inclined to

follow a brand's recommendations when they believe the brand to be trustworthy and good. This

raises the likelihood that the customer will use the brand again in the future. When it comes to

building consumer trust in a business, brand image is equally crucial. Developing longer-lasting

relationships with clients can be facilitate by this trust. One significant element influencing

consumer behavior is brand image. Customers' perceptions of a company and its products

influenced by the images that the firm projects of itself. The brand image of a business might be

favorable or unfavorable. Customers are more inclined to return business and refer friends to a

company that has a positive brand image. On the other hand, clients may decide not to do

business with a company that has a poor reputation or may choose to shun them completely. The
phrase "brand image" frequently describes the favorable or unfavorable perception that customers

have of a business. Brand perception can have a big influence on customer behavior. For example,

while some people may find a company's brand insulting or unappealing, others may have a strong

brand loyalty. The advantages of having a positive brand image are numerous. One possible

outcome of this is a rise in revenue and earnings. It can also increase consumer loyalty and lessen

customer unhappiness. Positive brand perceptions have been link to higher customer satisfaction

levels with goods and services, according to studies. A restaurant's brand image has a big impact

on how customers make decisions and are satisfied, and both the retail atmosphere and the brand

image are important factors (Juniarto, 2023). This is especially crucial for the chain restaurant

business, since customer loyalty may be negatively impact by brand image's ability to manage the

relationship between dining experience and relationship quality (Tuan, 2018).

Staff Behavior

The majority of the service and hospitality sectors depend on zealous, committed workers to

uphold the company's values while they are on the job. This is especially true in the restaurant

business, where happy servers, devoted chefs, and enthusiastic hosts who are prepared to go

beyond for patrons may boost revenue and foster restaurant expansion. You can use specific

techniques to improve behavior and morale if you are the owner of a restaurant and your staff is

not performing to their full capacity. As a result, earlier studies have shown that one of the main

factors influencing consumer satisfaction is the service quality provided by restaurants and other

food service businesses. The focus here is on enhancing high levels of service quality supplied

through the interaction process in order to increase customers' pleasant experience. Employees'
interactions with customers have a higher impact on customer satisfaction than any other factors.

Both marketing and quality literature highlight the significance of service employees' interpersonal

qualities in the context of service quality. Customer relationship marketing, for example, based on

service interactions and focuses primarily on tailored marketing communications between service

providers and service recipients. In any company or sector, how its personnel behave is very

important particularly in the context of business. Typically, we dine at restaurants. We usually

prefer to eat at establishments with polite staff. We file complaints and avoid returning to a

restaurant if the staff does not treat us well. There are distinct sections on the websites of these

food outlets or restaurants for lodging complaints related to their hotel and restaurant management

systems. The food point's sale suffers if the behavior is negative. Fukuhara (2014) underlined the

significance of comprehending and enhancing staff performance by proposing a method to

measure the skills of waiting staff based on behavior sensing and POS data analysis. Positive

social evaluations of coworkers and managers have shown by Orlowski (2020) to improve extra-

role customer service behavior and work engagement in restaurant personnel. According to Jin's

(2020) investigation into the effects of workplace rudeness on employee conduct and customer

reciprocity, customers' moral discomfort may be aroused when well-treated employees deliver

excellent service, which may result in higher gratuities. Baker (2013) drew attention to the

necessity for customized service delivery models by identifying variations in server behaviors and

time expectations between metropolitan and less urbanized markets. All of these studies highlight

how important employee behavior is in determining the quality of the customer experience and how

important it is for restaurant managers to implement efficient management techniques.

Customer Behavior

Although there are numerous variables and facets that affect and related to one another in

the complicated topic of consumer behavior, these distinctions are frequently addresses

independently. To maintain client loyalty, restaurants should enhance the quality of their food,

maintain a positive brand image, and offer top-notch services. Customer behavior refers to how

people engage with products or services—their choices, activities, and preferences. It takes into

account things like attitudes, loyalty, and purchasing patterns.

Numerous things, such as societal conventions, marketing initiatives, and individual

preferences, had an impact on consumer behavior. Different businesses must have a thorough

understanding on consumer behavior in order to design goods and services that will cater to their

target market's requirements and desires. In addition, to construct marketing plans that convince

prospective buyers of the benefits of what they have to offer. Furthermore, “investigation on how

patron behavior shapes perceived value at restaurants was conducted” Kim (2020), who found that

citizenship behavior (such as advocacy and feedback) had a stronger influence on perceived value

than participation behavior. According to Nusairat (2020), a well-designed restaurant can have a

favorable impact on patron behavior. The study emphasized the noteworthy impact of restaurant

design on patron behavioral intentions. Last but not the least, Su (2000) found that critical elements

influencing customer complaint behavior included the severity of the customer's annoyance, the

significance of the dining experience, and the perceived certainty of problem resolution.
 METHODOLOGY

This chapter includes the research design, locale of the study, respondents, sampling

procedures, data gathering procedure and data analysis. It presents the methods used on how to

conduct this study.

Research Design

The study will use a quantitative research on which defined as a systematic investigation of

phenomena by gathering quantifiable data and performing statistical or computational techniques.

It will collect information from existing and potential respondents using sampling methods and

sending out questionnaires, interview questionnaire, etc. The results of which can be depicted in

the form of numerical. Specially, this study will use descriptive quantitative research that attempts

to collect quantifiable information to be used for statistical analysis of the population sample.

Location of the study

This study will be conducted in USM Libungan Campus, Libungan, North Cotabato.

Respondents of the Study.

The respondents of this study are the BSHM Students of USM Libungan Campus who were

accessible and willing to engage in the study.

Sampling Procedure

The researcher will use Slovins’s formula in selecting the number of respondents out of 122

students. The researcher will collect information to the selected 94 respondents who will choose

randomly using proportional allocation based on the number of students by section.

Instrumentation

The researcher will use adopted modified questionnaire to obtain the demographic profile of

BSHM students that needed for the study. The questionnaire has three part; first, to describe the

socio-demographic profile of the respondent included their name, gender, age, section and

ethnicity. The second set is to know the factors that affect the student perception and preferences

in choosing restaurant. The third set is to know the student perception when it comes on the halal

restaurants and their sanitation.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher will ask permission from the department head and research coordinator for

the approval of conducting this study. After having the permission, the researcher manually

delivered the questionnaire based on the respondent accessibility and willingness. The researcher

sent out the survey questionnaire, gathered data on the responses and produced document. These

will be supervise by the researcher.

Statistical Analysis

In all data collected, the researcher will be used descriptive statistic such as frequency

counts, and percentages to analyze the socio-demographic profile. Weighted mean used to identify

students’ preferences in terms of customer service, price and sanitation. Moreover, to determine

student perception in terms of meal quality, location, reputation and cleanliness. Lastly, the factors

affecting student perception and preferences in choosing restaurant in Midsayap, Cotabato.

To find out the factors affecting student perception and preferences among different

restaurants in Midsayap. The scale below will need.

SCALE RESPONSES

5 Always

4 Often

3 Sometimes

2 Rarely

1 Never
 In determining the student perceptions in terms of meal quality, location, reputation and

cleanliness among different restaurant in Midsayap. The scale below will need.

SCALE RESPONSES

5 Always

4 Often

3 Sometimes

2 Rarely

1 Never
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