Perceived quality association as determinant to re-patronise Shariah-compliant brand restaurants

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between perceived quality association and purchase intention to re-patronise Shariah-compliant brand restaurants among Muslims in Malaysia, particularly in the Klang Valley. Design/methodology/approach By purposive sampling, the researcher focused on particular characteristics of a population that are of interest that are best to answer the questionnaires and have a specific type of people who can provide the coveted information. By using a self-reporting questionnaire, data from 531 respondents were obtained and analysed using structural equation modelling-partial least square. Findings The results showed that perceived quality association has significant and positive influences on intention to re-patronise Shariah-compliant brand restaurants. Atmospheric ambience, food taste, value for money and service personnel were indicators of perceived quality rather than characterising the content of perceived quality. Amongst the four indicators, service personnel were the most important elements for the perceived quality association and were followed by food taste. Delicious food at a reasonable price was the third criterion that is prioritised by consumers in choosing restaurants. Moreover, the atmospheric factor loading showed the lowest among the three dimensions because atmospheric ambience was the last choice when consumers re-patronise Shariah-compliant brand restaurants. Therefore, it is important for Shariah-compliant brand restaurants to concentrate on service personnel aspect and food taste in formulating their marketing strategies to sustain their competitive advantage. These insights could be used to overcome the challenges of purchase intention of Shariah-compliant brand restaurants. Research limitations/implications The first limitation is that the data for this paper were gathered from casual dining sit-down restaurants in Malaysia, especially in the Klang Valley. Thus, the findings may not be generalised to other types of restaurants. There are various types of restaurants in Malaysia; thus, the outcomes might be not similar to this research. Second, it was found that several respondents asserted that the topic of this paper is sensitive in nature, even for Muslim consumers. Thus, the researcher had to clarify the reasoning of the paper and the definition of Shariah-compliant brand restaurants despite the definition has been written on the first page of the questionnaire. Originality/value Measuring service quality by making comparisons between the customers’ expectations and the perceived performance has received much attention from both researchers and marketers. The importance of perceived quality originates from its beneficial impact on purchase intentions. This paper represents the perceived quality association as a second-order reflective model consisting of four dimensions: atmospheric ambience, food taste, value for money and service personnel, and these dimensions must be highly correlated. Buying patterns of food consumption vary between individual, from culture to culture, society to society and country to country. In managing Shariah-compliant brand restaurants, the production and food process should be governed by specific rules in Shariah. By giving real information and no false promise, the Shariah-compliant brand restaurants will gain welfare and consumers’ trust to purchase.