Cultural Practices, Decision-Making Process and Food Consumption Behaviour of Guests Dining in Four and Five Star Hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Mwanzia, Rachel Ndunge | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-09-01T12:06:11Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-09-01T12:06:11Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-06 | |
| dc.description | A Thesis Submitted to the School of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Hospitality Management, June, 2025 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Cultural aspects in four- and five-star hotels influence dining experiences through diverse menu offerings, adherence to religious dietary laws, accommodation of traditional food preferences, and observance of dining etiquette and service customs to enhance guest satisfaction. The shift in today’s restaurant customer expectations in terms of food preferences and concerns about their diet puts the restaurant industry in challenging situations as they strive to achieve customer expectations and preferences that befit their concerns and provide for the varying tastes of each guest. In a culturally diverse market such as Kenya, consumers form a mindset of foods to consume while dining out, have different food preferences, and assume different consumption behavior patterns while making food purchases. Cultural practices may influence their decisions, prohibiting them from eating certain foods. The study sought to investigate the influence of cultural practices on behaviors regarding food consumption of guests when dining out in restaurants found in 4–5-star hotels in Nairobi County. Providing insights into the extent to cultural practices influences guests food preferences, choices, and purchasing decisions. This illustrates the restaurants' need to deliver great food products geared toward fulfilling the guests’ preferences that do not disappoint them due to cultural biases. The information will guide the restaurants on how to prioritize their decisions when planning their products offered and services for the benefit of their guests. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study’s target population was guests dining out in restaurants in four and five-star hotels in Nairobi County and respective restaurant managers. A suitable pretest sample of 10 respondents was selected from walk-in guests and three restaurant managers from three restaurants picked from the hotels that were not part of the sample. Cronbach's Alpha obtained from the pre-tested 13 participants was 0.743. The ideal sample size of respondents drawn from restaurants in hotels classified as four- and five-star hotels according to the Tourism Regulatory Authority classification 2016 was determined by proportionate stratified sampling. The sampling technique for the Managers was purposive, selecting each Restaurant's Manager. The sample size comprised 385 respondents from a sample of restaurants in 21 hotels ranked as four and five-star hotels in Nairobi County. Data collection involved questionnaires and direct interviews, yielding an 80.5% response rate with 310 adequately completed questionnaires and seven interviews. The analysis utilized descriptive and inferential statistics, presenting the data in tables, charts, and graphs for each category of variables. The Chi-square Test was employed to assess the relationship between dependent and independent variables at a 95% confidence level. The findings showed a significant association between food taboos and the dining habits of patrons in four and five-star hotel restaurants in Nairobi County (χ2=8.980, p=0.003), a notable link between cultural beliefs and dining habits in the same context (χ2=22.099, p<0.05), and a significant influence of rituals on these dining habits (χ2=5.361, p=0.021<0.05). The study further established that the decision-making process significantly moderated the relationship between cultural practices and consumption behavior of diners in restaurants in four and five-star hotels in Nairobi County. The study concludes that modern-day food consumption behaviors are influenced by several factors, including culture, taboo, religious beliefs, rituals, and thus food choice diversity. Therefore, four and five-star hotel professionals should factor in the cultural element during menu planning to balance the policies on catering, finance, and marketing. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/31344 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Cultural Practices, Decision-Making Process and Food Consumption Behaviour of Guests Dining in Four and Five Star Hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Thesis |