Restaurant Tipping Behavior and its Inspiration on Food Service Empathy: A Focus on Two- And Three-Star Hotels in Kenya
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Date
2020
Authors
Were, Simon
Miricho, Moses
Maranga, Vincent
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study was to investigate restaurant clientele tipping behavior and its
inspiration on foodservice empathy within two- and three-star hotels in Kisumu County, Kenya. This was with
the objective of analyzing the tipping effect on restaurant food service quality with an emphasis on
Parasuraman, Zeithmal and Barry’s empathy as a key dimension of quality in accordance to the
SERVQUAL model.
Design/methodology/approach – For the purpose of this study, food service empathy was investigated in
relation to the influence of tipping on restaurant food service quality. Further, a census of all the two and three
star-rated hotels within Kisumu County was carried out. The study applied descriptive research design in the
investigation on the tipping behavior and its inspiration on foodservice empathy. Moreover, simple random
sampling was employed in the selection of clients since it yielded a sample that is representative of the
population. Additionally, the study employed the use of questionnaires for collection of data, which were coded,
analyzed and presented in frequencies, tables and graphs.
Findings – The study findings reveal that there is a significant relationship between rewards upon perception
of service and food service empathy but failed to find a significant relation between incentives for improved
future service as well as the social norms and foodservice empathy. However, in general, the study established a
significant relationship between tipping and foodservice empathy in the sampled hotels in Kenya. Thus, in
summary, at 95% confidence level, the study concluded that there is a significant relationship between tipping
and foodservice empathy.
Research limitations/implications – This study was restricted on two and three-star hotels within Kisumu
County in Kenya with a sample size of 384 respondents, which would otherwise limit the degree to which the
findings were applied. Consequently, the study sought to collect data from restaurant clients although the
access and, therefore, direct interaction were denied by some of the hotels. Further, this study employed a
survey approach in the collection of data from restaurant clients in two and three-star hotels. Accordingly, there
was minimal local and regional research literature available on the study topic.
Practical implications – Tipping in the context of the broad global service industry, including hospitality’s
restaurant food service, is as old as Roman times. However, tipping is practiced differently across the world
with some countries practicing while other countries not practicing the act of tipping. For that reason, tipping is
not regulated in some of the countries including Kenya and therefore the lack of policy. Nonetheless, tipping is
perceived to be the genesis of food service failures as a result of discriminatory restaurant food service in
addition to increasing costs of eating out. This study therefore sought to investigate restaurant tipping
behavior and its inspiration on foodservice empathy. The study results might be applied in policy formulation
in order to curb the negative effect of tipping on food service empathy.
Originality/value – Minimal studies have been instituted and published in the area of tipping and service
quality relationship with an emphasis on each of Parasuraman, Zeithmal and Berry’s dimensions of quality.
This research survey, therefore, sought to collect data from restaurant clients in two and three-star hotels
within Kisumu County in Kenya and therefore investigated restaurant clientele tipping behavior and its
inspiration on food service empathy.
Description
article
Keywords
Tipping, Service empathy, Incentives, Rewards, Social norm
Citation
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Moses+Miricho&btnG=#d=gs_cit&t=1690788398315&u=%2Fscholar%3Fq%3Dinfo%3AhT3fW56G2QAJ%3Ascholar.google.com%2F%26output%3Dcite%26scirp%3D4%26hl%3Den:~:text=Were%2C%20S.%2C%20Miricho%2C%20M.%2C%20%26%20Maranga%2C%20V.%20(2021).%20Restaurant%20tipping%20behavior%20and%20its%20inspiration%20on%20food%20service%20empathy%3A%20a%20focus%20on%20two%2Dand%20three%2Dstar%20hotels%20in%20Kenya.%20International%20Hospitality%20Review%2C%2035(1)%2C%2057%2D69.