scholarly journals The Impact of Social Media Use on Consumers’ Restaurant Consumption Experiences: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6581
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Hwang ◽  
Anita Eves ◽  
Jason L. Stienmetz

Travellers have high standards and regard restaurants as important travel attributes. In the tourism and hospitality industry, the use of developed tools (e.g., smartphones and location-based tablets) has been popularised as a way for travellers to easily search for information and to book venues. Qualitative research using semi-structured interviews based on the face-to-face approach was adopted for this study to examine how consumers’ restaurant selection processes are performed with the utilisation of social media on smartphones. Then, thematic analysis was adopted. The findings of this research show that the adoption of social media on smartphones is positively related with consumers’ gratification. More specifically, when consumers regard that process, content and social gratification are satisfied, their intention to adopt social media is fulfilled. It is suggested by this study that consumers’ restaurant decision-making process needs to be understood, as each stage of the decision-making process is not independent; all the stages of the restaurant selection process are organically connected and influence one another.

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 515
Author(s):  
Inayah Hidayati

Objective: This research aims to explain the impact of social media on the migration decision-making process of Indonesian student migrants in University of Groningen who used a social media account. In detail, this research will consider the role of social media in the migration decision-making process of students who emigrated from Indonesia and how they uses social media in the context of the migration decision-making process. Methods: The data collected included qualitative data from in-depth interviews and supported by study literatures. An interview guide was formulated to facilitate the indepth interviews and generate a better understanding of migration behavior. Expectation: Social media help Indonesian student migrants on migration decision making process and they use social media for searching information about destination area. Result: Student migrant in University of Groningen use their social media to gain information before they choose that university for study. They use Facebook to making contact with their friends and collagues in the destination country. Student group on Facebook help Indonesian student to get information about school and daily life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikas Gupta

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the role of social media on the hotel decision-making process of consumers during the evaluation stage of searching, identifying the alternatives and selecting a hotel in India. It will help the stakeholders in the hotel industry of India to make the social media platform more efficient for consumers by providing inputs on the factors consumers consider while making online hotel purchase. Design/methodology/approach This study involves an exploratory qualitative approach which includes 32 face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews with the social media platform users. The selection of interviewees for this study has been done on the basis of a non-random purposive sampling approach. Findings The findings reveal that social media plays an important role in affecting the way consumers search, decide and book hotels. It also suggests that social media helps consumers in collecting information about products and services, assessing alternatives and making their choices. It confirms that while negative facets exist, the positive benefits outweigh the negative aspects of using social media when selecting a hotel. The results also reveal the impact of circumstantial influence related to social media on hotel selection, on the basis of content source and the level of trust and accuracy in the content. Practical implications This study has some strategic implications for hospitality marketing and management related to a better understanding of the influence of social media on the hotel customer decision-making process. The study shows that a variety of social media with associated content sources and levels add to the complexity of hotel-related information search and decision behaviour. Originality/value The study makes a contribution by addressing the existing gaps and bridging the arena of consumer behaviour and social media literature in a hotel context and sheds light on how consumer decisions while selecting a hotel are influenced through social media. The core contribution is the generation of factors through in-depth interviews which are based on real-life scenarios relating to the influence of social media on hotel decision-making.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uiara Raiana Vargas de Castro Oliveira Ribeiro ◽  
Liliane Mayumi Swiech ◽  
Waldir Souza ◽  
Úrsula Bueno do Prado Guirro ◽  
Carla Corradi-Perini

Abstract Background: moral-uncertainty-distress (MUD) is defined as moral distress related to moral conflict about best course of action, impacting the clinical decision making process in morally complex situations. This study aims to correlate physician’s perception about advance directives (AD) with presence or absence of MUD, identifying the impact that AD promotes on clinical decision making.Methods: this is a qualitative, cross-sectional, exploratory study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with physicians of a hospital in southern Brazil. Interviews content was submitted to categorization analysis content technique by Laurence Bardin.Results: eight physicians were interviewed. The analysis contend identified two categories: (1) AD as a morally challenging element and (2) recognition of AD as instruments that exercises patient’s autonomy. In the first, paternalistic attitude; insecurities in uncertain prognoses; uncertainty about patient values and motivations to write the document; and little previous knowledge about AD, were elements of MUD for physicians. In second category, autonomy in AD was seen as prima facie principle and as shared autonomy.Conclusion: although AD were comprehended as instruments of exercise of patient’s autonomy by the participants, some elements were morally challenging for them, which can be a source of MUD to physician during decision making process.


Author(s):  
Olena SOKHATSKA ◽  
SIDDHARTH SIDDHARTH

This research studies the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behaviour. The aim of this research is to explore how social interactive tools have an influence on buying decision process and how others’ productrelated opinions collected from social and digital environment are influential on buying decisions in different markets. This project sought to assess the impact of social media on the decision making process among the consumers. The study’s general objective was to establish the impact of social media on consumer’s decision making process among the consumers across different level of the society. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: to find out how social media influences the pre-purchase stage in buyer’s decision process, to determine how social media influences the purchase stage in buyer’s decision process, and to determine how social media influences the post purchase stage in buyer’s decision process. The study aims at integration of social media marketing communication tools and consistency in the message communicated via social media tools. In addition, it aims to have conclusive recommendations for further study which should include involvement in marketing research with a core purpose of delivering per consumer needs, as well as gaining an understanding of trending social media activities so as to meet demands of changing technological world.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.21) ◽  
pp. 338
Author(s):  
Nurshikin Mohamad Shukery ◽  
Roslan Amirudin ◽  
Nafisah Abdul Rahiman ◽  
Hamizah Liyana Tajul Ariffin ◽  
Syamsul Hendra Mahmud

Contractors are the main players in construction industry. Appropriate selection of contractor is crucial in determining the future performance of a project in any case. Sometimes this selection procedure is performed without proper consideration and deliberate methodology that it merits, thus bringing negative outcomes. This paper proposes a performance-based contractor selection approach that will empower the utilization of expert’s experience and data. A flexible performance-based contractor selection system is proposed to bolster this decision-making process. To characterize and design the system, semi structured interviews and questionnaire surveys were led within public sector concentrating on the way that the selection process is carried out in practice and the evaluation connected with it. A prototype of a Flexible Performance-Based Contractor Selection System (FPCSS) was developed by using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The system is validated by construction industry professionals in public sector. As a conclusion, the FPCSS is a significant tool for contractor selection, by helping organizations to select a competent contractor and decrease the subjectivity of the decision-making process. The advantage as gave by the system favours a reliable indicator to predict performance of construction project by selecting a contractor based on his best performan 


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleftherios Varkaris ◽  
Barbara Neuhofer

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore “how social media influence the way consumers search, evaluate and select a hotel within the ‘evaluation stage’ of the wider hotel decision-making process”. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative research has been carried out, conducting 12 individual face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with social media users, followed by a qualitative thematic analysis. Findings Social media transform the consumers’ hotel decision journey by influencing the way consumers search, decide and book hotels. The findings reveal the determinants shaping this process, by shedding light on the perceived value of using social media, consumers’ information search behaviour “then and now”, the advantages and disadvantages of social media use for decision-making, their trustworthiness and the factors that influence the consumers’ hotel decision-journey. The findings are conceptualised in an integrated theoretical model, entitled “hotel consumer decision-journey through social media”. Research limitations/implications The study’s scope for qualitative in-depth insights into the “hotel consumer decision-journey through social media” asked for a compromise on a larger sample size and in turn the transferability of the theoretical model beyond service, hospitality and tourism consumer decision-making contexts. Practical implications This paper provides strategic implications for hospitality marketing and management for a better understanding of the influence of social media on the hotel customer decision journey. The study shows that a variety of social media with associated content sources and levels add to the complexity of hotel-related information search and decision behaviour. The developed framework not only helps hotel professionals understand consumers’ different levels (e.g. type of content, content source, content level) through which social media might influence decision-making. Various real-life scenarios presented also help practitioners understand the fine nuances of how consumers are influenced by social media and how this causes them to iteratively change their minds and make a final decision towards the rejection or selection of a hotel. Originality/value Consumers use social media for a wide spectrum of scenarios in tourism and hospitality, while the influence of social media on the consumers’ hotel decision-making process remains little understood. This study makes a theoretical contribution in that it addresses these existing gaps and bridges consumer behaviour and social media literature in the hotel context to shed light on the “hotel consumer decision journey through social media”. The core contribution is an integrated theoretical model and real-life scenarios that depict the impact of social media on the hotel decision-making.


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