Effect of social status signaling in an organic restaurant setting

Abstract

Despite the popularity of organic consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic, little research has examined how organic service experience predicts brand-related outcomes. To examine how organic restaurant service providers benefit from signaling social status the authors examine identification, evaluation, and revisit intention as the key consequences. Using data from 204 American customers, the results of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) show that social status signaling has a positive effect on identification and evaluation of restaurant brand. Also, mediating role of identification and evaluation in the relationship between social status signaling and revisit intention is found. However, signaling of social status alone is not enough to elicit positive behaviors from customers. Multigroup analysis identifies that customers' trust has a significant moderating effect on the association of the proposed relations. This empirical evidence contributes to the application of the signaling theory and provides managerial guidelines for organic restaurant service providers.

这项研究检验了该消费者行为的变化是否是由有机餐厅的体验引起，并通过信号理论来解释这种影响。实证数据是通过有机餐厅的客户收集并使用偏最小二乘结构方程模型 进行了验证。结果表明，当有机餐厅可以显示社会地位时，顾客可能会对该餐厅产生关联感和并留下积极的印象。除此而外，认同和评价也会影响客户的再访意图。仅仅是能显示社会地位的话并不足以引起客户的积极行为。客户对于服务供应商的信任所产生的部分调节作用也被证实。