The Influence of Online Reviews on Customer Restaurant Selection in Invercargill, New Zealand
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Authors
Choi, Jinwook
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Degree
Master of Applied Management
Grantor
Southern Institute of Technology
Date
2023-11
Supervisors
Acharya, Sanjeev
Type
Masters Dissertation
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
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ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
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Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of online reviews on restaurant selection in Invercargill, New Zealand, to provide useful insights to improve the dining experience for both restaurants and customers and to inform decision-making in the restaurant industry.
Methodology: This study collected 80 valid questionnaires from residents of Invercargill, New Zealand, through an online survey using Google Forms, which was mainly composed of multiple-choice questions. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the collected quantitative data using SPSS.
Findings: Customers consider Word-of-Mouth and online reviews to be the most influential factors when choosing a restaurant. Google Maps was identified as the most popular review platform, with online review ratings having a significant impact on restaurant selection, with review comments, ratings, and menu information playing an important role. Additionally, age and length of residence play a role in mediating the influence of online reviews on restaurant choice. However, other demographic characteristics such as gender, marital status, and annual income are not significantly related to the influence of online reviews.
Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into the restaurant industry to guide how restaurant owners and managers can use online reviews to improve their management strategies. These insights also suggest that similar strategies can be applied to improve various service sectors, such as hotels, travel, and healthcare.
Recommendations: Future studies should use larger and more diverse samples to get more reliable and generalisable results. Comparative studies across different industries, like restaurants and others, can also provide deeper insights into the influence of online reviews.
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CC BY-NC Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International