Why do people eat alone? An international comparison

PurposeThe solitary consumption market has grown in the hospitality industry. However, research on the behavior of solitary consumers and differences between solitary consumers of different nationalities is rare. The relationships between solo dining motivations and customer satisfaction were investigated for consumers in Taiwan and the United States.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted among Taiwanese and American consumers; 628 valid questionnaires were retrieved. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the hypotheses.FindingsSignificant differences were observed between Taiwanese and American consumer motivations. Higher solo dining motivation was positively associated with customer satisfaction; in particular, “escape and relaxation” and “enjoyment” were both positively associated with customer satisfaction. American consumers had a stronger relationship between motivation for social interaction and customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsOnly solo diners in Taiwan and the United States were investigated. The results might not be generalizable to solo diners in other regions.Originality/valueThe study's findings on the associations between solo dining motivations and consumption experience contribute to food consumption research. Furthermore, the results enable an understanding of differences in the motivations and behaviors of solitary consumers in different countries.

‘Here comes the (Turkish) bride’: American consumer culture and the Turkish bridal industry

This ethnographic study seeks to position Turkish women within the lucrative global bridal industry, which is today heavily influenced by the style, aesthetics and consumer values of the American wedding. It will add to the existing literature by examining Turkish brides’ participation in transnational networks that promote the commodification of weddings in Turkey – a country where, for many, weddings were until quite recently low-budget affairs designed to maximize newlywed profits. We will explore how such networks establish and reinforce bridal rules and codes through wedding props such as gowns, cakes, jewellery, flatware, china and honeymoons. By unpacking the complexities, symbolism and meaning of the contemporary Turkish bride, we will move beyond simple binaries to examine how tradition and modernity overlap and intersect and how modernity is an intrinsic part of the evolution of traditional Turkish wedding practices. This study will also critique processes of (American) cultural assimilation and reveal how Turkish brides are negotiating western trends, influences and the ‘weddingindustrial complex’. Through lifestyle marketing and other industry practices, these networks are prescribing how Turkish women – regardless of their socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, educational and class status and cultural and religious beliefs – should perform the bridal role. Moreover, because of its ties to aesthetics, style and fashion, the lavish American-style wedding has also become the ultimate platform for the display of purchasing power in Turkey – a way to replicate the conspicuous consumption of the wealthier, leisured classes that, for many Turks, has become synonymous with modernity and elevated social status.

Evaluación de la calidad en el servicio mediante el modelo ACSI: caso unidad de matriculación vehicular en Ambato-Ecuador

El presente artículo muestra los resultados de la evaluación de la calidad en el servicio mediante la utilización del modelo American Consumer Satisfaction Model Index (ACSI) en una Unidad de Matriculación Vehicular Pública. Las dimensiones evaluadas fueron: expectativas, valor percibido, calidad percibida, satisfacción, lealtad y reclamos. La metodología está configurada por el análisis bibliográfico, investigación de campo en la que participaron 379 usuarios de los servicios de matriculación y el procesamiento de datos mediante un análisis factorial confirmatorio. Se empleó un cuestionario de 16 preguntas las cuales tuvieron un Alfa de Cronbach de 0.903, el análisis estadístico inferencial se realizó mediante correlaciones de Pearson y regresión lineal. Los resultados más destacados evidenciaron una tendencia negativa que se deriva a una mayor probabilidad de reclamos, además una mayor correlación direccionada a los resultados expresados mediante las quejas del cliente con un valor de correlación de Pearson de 0.681 y un p valor de 0.000, por lo cual las fallas en los procesos de generación de servicios derivan en menores niveles de satisfacción lo cual demostró que la calidad de los servicios depende de las acciones que se realicen para cumplir más allá de las expectativas de los clientes.

A history of early household economics: Improving the family’s contribution to industrial production and rationalizing family consumption

This article contributes to our knowledge of two early phases in the history of household economics. The first is represented by the 19th-century theory of Alfred Marshall and the second by the interwar theories of several North American consumer economists (Hazel Kyrk, Elizabeth Hoyt, and Margaret Reid). The aim is to present the analytical focus and accounts of social good that animated these phases. Since Marshall’s focus was on improving industrial production, his family economics explained how the Victorian family could improve the labour it contributed to industry. But the North American consumer economists sought to improve family consumption. Regarding ethics, 19th-century families were to cultivate an industrious and altruistic character. But the consumer economists thought families needed protection from producer fraud, along with living standards that expressed their individuality. Early household economics also accepted the gendered family form that had accompanied these developments, rejecting more ‘activist’ conceptions.