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Investigating International Students’ Perception of Foodservice Attributes in Malaysian Research Universities

Author

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  • Anisa Zahwa Akbara

    (Department of Food Service and Management, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia)

  • Bee-Lia Chua

    (Department of Food Service and Management, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia)

  • Heesup Han

    (College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Gwanjin-Gu, Seoul 143-747, Korea)

  • António Raposo

    (CBIOS (Research Center for Biosciences and Health Technologies), Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

University foodservice is expected to satisfy students’ food needs and is one of the necessities at a university. However, serving a community of international students who are multicultural is not an easy task. Thus, it is necessary to recognize international students’ needs and wants in order to increase their satisfaction with the overall on-campus dining experience. This study conducted an importance–performance analysis to examine international students’ perceived importance and perceived performance of university foodservice attributes. Using a self-administered questionnaire, a total of 620 international students who were studying in Malaysian research universities comprised the sample of this study. The results showed that food price was the most satisfactory foodservice attribute as perceived by international students. Food quality was deemed unsatisfactory and represented the main weakness. Results from this study can assist in determining how international students perceive the quality of the key attributes of on-campus foodservices and identify fields in which improvements are required.

Suggested Citation

  • Anisa Zahwa Akbara & Bee-Lia Chua & Heesup Han & António Raposo, 2021. "Investigating International Students’ Perception of Foodservice Attributes in Malaysian Research Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8190-:d:599054
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Mensah, Ishmael & Dei Mensah, Rebecca, 2018. "Effects of Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction on Repurchase Intention in Restaurants on University of Cape Coast Campus," MPRA Paper 88449, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    Cited by:

    1. António Raposo & Heesup Han, 2022. "The Multifaceted Nature of Food and Nutrition Insecurity around the World and Foodservice Business," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-3, June.

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