Fast-food restaurant customer satisfaction in Thailand: A structural equation model path analysis

Abstract

This study explored the theoretical evidence and empirical data of factors influencing fast-food restaurant customer satisfaction (ST) in Thailand. The analysis was conducted on the six hypotheses relationships between ST, marketing communications (MC), brand value (BV), and brand quality (BQ). Initial analysis was conducted with use of confirmatory factor analysis [CFA], followed by a structural equation model [SEM] path analysis using LISREL 9.1 of the study's four latent variables. From the sample of 478 fast food restaurant patrons, the factors determined affecting ST were MC, BV, and BQ, which total effect [TE] values of 0.77, 0.39 and 0.27, respectively. The research also determined that further investigation needs to be undertaken to evaluate the influence of social media within the fast-food restaurant environment. This study is also original and timely as it identified the growing importance of social media tools in the fast-food marketing communications process in Thailand.