scholarly journals Consumer perceptions of food quality in Malaysia

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 1168-1187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norshamliza Chamhuri ◽  
Peter J Batt

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the quality cues that consumers look for in purchasing fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables in Malaysia. Through a perceived quality model, this paper identifies the implicit, intrinsic, extrinsic and credence quality cues consumers’ use in their decision to purchase fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables. Design/methodology/approach – This study utilised the shopping mall intercept survey method. Data were collected from traditional markets and modern retail outlets in the Klang Valley region in Malaysia. A structured questionnaire was designed to measure consumer’s perceptions and experiences of food quality when purchasing fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables from retail outlets. In this study, univariate data analysis (descriptive analysis, one-way analysis of variance) and exploratory factor analysis were performed to analyse the data sets. Findings – Freshness (intrinsic cue), was the most frequently cited variable when respondents thought about the quality of both product categories. Other variables included price and cleanliness (extrinsic cues) and Halal (credence cue), which was associated with the quality of fresh meat. Quality was associated with freshness, food safety, nutrition and value. Exploratory factor analysis identified food safety (implicit cue) as the most important construct in the respondents’ evaluation of quality for both fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables. Originality/value – There is a paucity of research focusing on consumer’s perceptions and experiences of food quality in the purchase of fresh meat and fresh produce in Malaysia. The findings of this research may assist the Malaysian food industry by providing new insights into the consumers’ perceptions of food quality.

2021 ◽  
Vol 123 (13) ◽  
pp. 511-528
Author(s):  
Yugang Ji ◽  
Wen-Hwa Ko

PurposeThis study used the literature review and the modified Delphi method to evaluate the importance of the catering quality indices of university canteens in China. In order to compile the catering quality indices of university canteens in China as reference for the subsequent improvement of Chinese canteens.Design/methodology/approachThis study first analysed literature data to establish the preliminary quality indices and used the modified Delphi method for measurement. After three rounds of Delphi analysis by 35 experts, the results of the catering quality indices of university canteens in China are summarised.FindingsThe research results show that university canteen catering quality issues are divided into six dimensions, including catering safety management, employee hygiene management, catering service, food quality, environmental atmosphere and corporate social responsibility. Catering safety management is the most important index, followed by employee hygiene management.Originality/valueThe research results can be used as suggestions for follow-up improvements in the quality of university canteens in China and a basis of reference for amendments to relevant national or local laws and regulations. The food prices, food quality and whether food hygiene and safety standards are met by university canteens are all related to the health and vital interests of the teachers and students, as well as the stability of the university. Therefore, the government should increase supervision in these aspects to avoid decline in the quality of meals due to low profits and enforce strict requirements for food safety.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ningning Feng ◽  
Airong Zhang ◽  
Rieks D. van Klinken ◽  
Lijuan Cui

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an integrative model where perceived competence, perceived warmth and “clean green image” of an exporting country are drivers for Chinese consumers' trust in food quality and food safety, which in turn predict their willingness to buy fresh fruit from this country.Design/methodology/approachParticipants (N = 1,583) from the three metropolises in China were surveyed on their perceptions of the competence, warmth and clean green image of seven contrasting exporting countries and their trust in quality, trust in safety and willingness to buy fresh fruit imported from those countries.FindingsResults support the proposed integrative model, explaining 39%–55% of the variance in willingness to buy. Clean green image was the strongest predictor of willingness to buy through enhanced trust in food quality. The effects of country competence and warmth on willingness to buy through trust in food safety and quality varied with exporting country.Research limitations/implicationsThe integrative model and findings of this study can help agri-food industries develop an in-depth understanding of Chinese consumers and to develop targeted strategies to increase willingness to buy through improving consumer trust in food quality and safety.Originality/valueThis study extends the country image framework which previously only consisted of human characteristics (i.e. perceived competence and warmth) by incorporating environmental characteristics (i.e. clean green image) in examining consumers' willingness to buy imported fresh fruit.


2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (7) ◽  
pp. 2139-2158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Tufano ◽  
Riccardo Accorsi ◽  
Riccardo Manzini

PurposeThis paper addresses the trade-off between asset investment and food safety in the design of a food catering production plant. It analyses the relationship between the quality decay of cook-warm products, the logistics of the processes and the economic investment in production machines.Design/methodology/approachA weekly cook-warm production plan has been monitored on-field using temperature sensors to estimate the quality decay profile of each product. A multi-objective optimisation model is proposed to (1) minimise the number of resources necessary to perform cooking and packing operations or (2) to maximise the food quality of the products. A metaheuristic simulated annealing algorithm is introduced to solve the model and to identify the Pareto frontier of the problem.FindingsThe packaging buffers are identified as the bottleneck of the processes. The outcome of the algorithms highlights that a small investment to design bigger buffers results in a significant increase in the quality with a smaller food loss.Practical implicationsThis study models the production tasks of a food catering facility to evaluate their criticality from a food safety perspective. It investigates the tradeoff between the investment cost of resources processing critical tasks and food safety of finished products.Social implicationsThe methodology applies to the design of cook-warm production. Catering companies use cook-warm production to serve school, hospitals and companies. For this reason, the application of this methodology leads to the improvement of the quality of daily meals for a large number of people.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a new multi-objective function (asset investment vs food quality) proposing an original metaheuristic to address this tradeoff in the food catering industry. Also, the methodology is applied and validated in the design of a new food production facility.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Lithopoulos ◽  
Peter A. Dacin ◽  
Tanya R. Berry ◽  
Guy Faulkner ◽  
Norm O’Reilly ◽  
...  

Purpose The brand equity pyramid is a theory that explains how people develop loyalty and an attachment to a brand. The purpose of this study is to test whether the predictions made by the theory hold when applied to the brand of ParticipACTION, a Canadian non-profit organization that promotes active living. A secondary objective was to test whether this theory predicted intentions to be more physically active. Design/methodology/approach A research agency conducted a cross-sectional, online brand health survey on behalf of ParticipACTION. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis established the factor structure. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model. Findings A nationally representative sample of Canadian adults (N = 1,191) completed the survey. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported a hypothesized five-factor brand equity framework (i.e. brand identity, brand meaning, brand responses, brand resonance and intentions). A series of structural equation models also provided support for the hypothesized relationships between the variables. Practical implications Though preliminary, the results provide a guide for understanding the branding process in the activity-promotion context. The constructs identified as being influential in this process can be targeted by activity-promotion organizations to improve brand strength. A strong organizational brand could augment activity-promotion interventions. A strong brand may also help the organization better compete against other brands promoting messages that are antithetical to their own. Originality/value This is the first study to test the brand equity pyramid using an activity-promotion brand. Results demonstrate that the brand equity pyramid may be useful in this context.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 573-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sita deliyana Firmialy ◽  
Yunieta Anny Nainggolan

Purpose This study aims to focus on developing the sustainability reporting index (SRI) with combined perspectives from varied social rating agencies, along with integrated combined perspectives from academics experts and Indonesian companies. Design/methodology/approach The first section discusses the theoretical framework along with the sustainability challenges faced by companies in Indonesia. The second section develops the methodology of the study to measure the SRI by considering practical and theoretical perspectives, starting from the identification of initial disclosure, selecting the final disclosure and developing the hierarchical framework. Lastly, the third section confirms the validity of the study’s framework by the exploratory factor analysis method and its comparability by comparing the content analysis result of the study with the Kinder–Lydenberg–Domini (KLD) method. The content analysis was used to analyze annual reports, sustainability reports and companies’ websites based on indicators found in the resulted model. Findings The main finding is the SRI framework (SRIF) of the study, which is built on the basis of the stakeholder relationship theory and is focused on three main dimensions (social, economic and environmental). Specifically, the framework consists of 17 indicators and 93 sub-indicators. On the basis of factor analysis method, it can be safely said that the study’s SRIF is quite valid. The high score of correlations between the SRIF and KLD results at the composite and dimension levels, along with the statistically significant results show that the study’s SRIF results and KLD results are fairly similar. Research limitations/implications The present study has its limitation as it only gathers data from publicly available reports issued by the firms (secondary data). Owing to time limitation, primary data are not collected. However, this is also the strength of this research as it will allow investors to replicate the study’s methodology to measure companies’ sustainability. Practical implications The study is useful to organizations and statutory bodies toward finding a replicable method to measure the Indonesian companies’ social performance. In addition, the study also introduced the usefulness of the qualitative program Atlas TI to perform content analysis, the exploratory factor analysis method to ensure validity and comparability by comparing it to the KLD methodology, which is known globally as the most widely accepted methodology to measures social performance. Lastly, this study will provide implications to the Government to ascertain the level of SRI reporting among the Indonesian public-listed companies. Originality/value The resulted framework in this study simultaneously considers social, environmental and economic factors in the context of companies in Indonesia, while previous researchers have constructed reporting index separately (i.e. Sumiani et al., 2007; Zhao et al., 2012). Especially in the context of Indonesia, there is no such index simultaneously focused on the three main dimensions, namely, social, environmental and economics. The current study tries to fill the gap by using the constructed SRI index based on three perspectives combined, namely, social rating agencies, academic theorist and Indonesian companies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Helmi Ali ◽  
Mohammad Iranmanesh ◽  
Kim Hua Tan ◽  
Suhaiza Zailani ◽  
Nor Asiah Omar

Purpose The current complex halal food supply chain (SC) has caused food scandals, which have illustrated the weakness of multiple food quality standards and certification and audits in ensuring food safety. Drawn on the resource-based view (RBV) theory, the purpose of this study is to explore the impacts of SC integration (SCI) on halal food SC integrity and, consequently, food quality. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data were collected from 275 halal-certified food companies in Malaysia and analysed using structural equation modelling – SmartPLS3.0. Findings The results confirmed that SCI, including internal, supplier and customer integrations, has significant effects on the dimensions of the halal food SC integrity which, in turn, lead to halal food safety and quality. Practical implications The importance of SCI in halal food SC is highlighted in this study. The impact of SCI is contexted in halal food SC integrity and food quality. Therefore, it provides a clear understanding to managers of SC applicability in the halal food industry. Originality/value Based on the RBV theory, this study contributes to the limited body of research of the relationships among SCI from the context of the halal industry with a specific focus on food supply chain integrity and food quality.


Author(s):  
Lilian Otaye ◽  
Wilson Wong

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the contours of fairness by showing how different facets of fairness impact three important employee outcomes (job satisfaction, turnover intention and employer advocacy) and examining the mediating role of quality of management and leadership (through perceptions of both senior management and the quality of exchange with immediate supervisors) in attenuating negative impacts of unfairness on these outcomes. The study extends the concept of fairness beyond the traditional focus on organizational justice and models the mediating role of leadership on the relationship between (un)fairness and the three employee-level outcomes in a sample of employees representative of the UK workforce. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 2,067 employees in the UK. Exploratory factor analysis and then confirmatory factor analysis is used to refine three unfairness factors and address their dimensionality of the unfairness scale and then multiple regression analysis is used to test a fairness-leadership-employee performance outcome model. Findings – Results of multiple regression analysis revealed that both trust in leadership and leader-member exchange partially mediate the relationship between organizational (un)fairness and job satisfaction, advocacy and turnover intention, respectively. Practical implications – The findings highlight the important role that leaders play in influencing the relationship between perception of unfairness and employee outcomes. This has implications for both theory and practice as it suggests that the pattern of inclusion that leaders create through the relationships that they develop with their followers has a significant impact on the relationship between unfairness and the work outcomes. They not only must manage traditional perceptions of justice, but also the assessments employees make about trust in management judgements and the perceived consequences of such judgements. Originality/value – In an environment where perceptions of unfairness are becoming both more endemic but also more complex, the study shows that both senior leaders and immediate supervisors have important agency in managing negative consequences. Through the measurement of satisfaction, turnover intention and employer advocacy it also provides potential links to link fairness into the engagement literature.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Iddris

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of innovation capability construct measures in the context of supply chain and to objectively identify the key dimensions for stimulating focal firms’ innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach The scale items for this research were obtained from extant literature. The data were collected from homogenous sample of 117 Ghanaian middle level managers (respondents). Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the main dimensions of innovation capability. Based on the statistical analysis, four dimensions were obtained – idea management, idea implementation, collaboration and learning – and the convergent validity, discriminant validity, nomological validity and reliability tests indicate that the scales are valid and reliable Findings Four dimensions (factors) of innovation capability were identified from the exploratory factor analysis. These dimensions were labelled as idea management, idea implementation, collaboration and learning. The results indicate that the integration of the dimensions of innovation capability may stimulate a focal firm’s innovativeness. Research limitations/implications First, the measurement scale might not capture all the important dimensions of innovation capability. Second, the judgmental sampling used in this study means that the result cannot be generalised to the entire supply chain population, third, the sample was drawn from one geographical location using non-probability sampling technique. Practical implications The measures provide supply chain managers with a better approach of understanding the innovation capability in their supply chain. For instance, the measurement of supply chain’s innovation capability should help supply chain managers to determine the important innovation areas that need attention most and to permit them to respond to challenges posed by any kind of innovation capability dimension that needs to be enhanced. Originality/value The unique contribution of this paper is the development innovation capability measurement scale in the context of supply chain.


2021 ◽  
pp. 59-80
Author(s):  
Valentina Lacivita ◽  
Matteo Alessandro Del Nobile ◽  
Amalia Conte

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document