Nataka chakula” (i'd like food): critical success factors in attracting and retaining customers in Kenyan restaurants

Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Sciences 2013. 23-25 January 2013. Organized by Department of History, Tourism and Travel Managament.The restaurant industry has developed and expanded to gain a global presence in thelast fifty years largely fuelled by the change of lifestyles. Urban populations have grown throughout the world, mobility of people has increased and people spend a lot of time commuting to and from work (Schlosser , 2001). This has been compounded by the increased presence of women in the workplace which has resulted in less time available for them to prepare meals at home(Jekanowski, Binkley & Eales, 2001). These busier consumer lifestyles and dual-working families have led to solutions being sought in using readymade meals (Atkins and Bowler , 2001).For a long time, growth and expansion in the restaurant industry has been associated particularly with the fast food concept (Lashley & Morrison, 2004; Sen 1998). Viewed from the customers' perspective, Anderson and Fornell (2000) assume that businesses exist and compete to satisfy the customers. They suggest that it is not possible to grow a business without at the same time increasing customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer will become a repeat customer and this could in turn grow a business. Following this general business imperative therefore it means that a satisfied customer will have a critical effect on the long-term success of restaurant business. A satisfied restaurant customer will remain loyal to an outlet or restaurant business and continued patronage can follow a global pattern. On the other hand a dissatisfied customer of restaurant will not only avoid the entire franchise or chain outlets but may also make bad publicity and persuade many people to go elsewhere (Gilbert et al, 2004). This presents an eating establishment (such as a restaurant) with a challenge. They need to satisfy customers to gain repeat business, but what do they need to do? Where should a restaurant focus their energies and attention if they are to not only attract new customers but also to keep existing customers satisfied? The focus of attention is on what are regarded as the Critical Success Factors (CSFs), but there is little published research on CSFs in the restaurant industry in Africa, a gap this study aims to fill. The paper will investigate the nature of CSFs specifically in the restaurant (food) sector and then discuss the study that has been carried out. The paper will conclude with the discussion and implications of the research for the Kenyan restaurant marketThe restaurant industry has developed and expanded to gain a global presence in the last fifty years largely fuelled by the change of lifestyles. Urban populations have grown throughout the world, mobility of people has increased and people spend a lot of time commuting to and from work (Schlosser , 2001). This has been compounded by the increased presence of women in the workplace which has resulted in less time available for them to prepare meals at home(Jekanowski, Binkley & Eales, 2001). These busier consumer lifestyles and dual-working families have led to solutions being sought in using ready made meals (Atkins and Bowler , 2001).For a long time, growth and expansion in the restaurant industry has been associated particularly with the fast food concept (Lashley & Morrison, 2004; Sen 1998). Viewed from the customers' perspective, Anderson and Fornell (2000) assume that businesses exist and compete to satisfy the customers. They suggest that it is not possible to grow a business without at the same time increasing customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer will become a repeat customer and this could in turn grow a business. Following this general business imperative therefore it means that a satisfied customer will have a critical effect on the long-term success of restaurant business. A satisfied restaurant customer will remain loyal to an outlet or restaurant business and continued patronage can follow a global pattern. On the other hand a dissatisfied customer of restaurant will not only avoid the entire franchise or chain outlets but may also make bad publicity and persuade many people to go elsewhere (Gilbert et al, 2004). This presents an eating establishment (such as a restaurant) with a challenge. They need to satisfy customers to gain repeat business, but what do they need to do? Where should a restaurant focus their energies and attention if they are to not only attract new customers but also to keep existing customers satisfied? The focus of attention is on what are regarded as the Critical Success Factors (CSFs), but there is little published research on CSFs in the restaurant industry in Africa, a gap this study aims to fill. The paper will investigate the nature of CSFs specifically in the restaurant (food) sector and then discuss the study that has been carried out. The paper will conclude with the discussion and implications of the research for the Kenyan restaurant market

A planning methodology for integrating management support systems

"September 1984."Bibliography: p. 36-37.John C. Henderson, John F. Rockart, John G. Sifonis

Critical success factors of medical technology supply chains

This paper investigates Critical Success Factors that affect the performance of organisations involved in Medical Technology supply chains (MTSCs) in Germany. The Medical Technology sector in Germany is considered an innovative, fast-growing and promising industry, being third behind the USA and China as the biggest market in the world, worth 29.9 billion euros in 2017. MTSCs in this country are under pressure from health service funding and cheaper imports, primarily from China. Consequently, supply chain success is of high importance and OEM operational improvements are critical. This exploratory study involved a multiple case study approach where 15 OEMs within German MTSCs were investigated. Following within-case and cross-case analysis, empirical results led to the development of testable propositions, which constitute a foundation for further research investigation. The findings show that there are six, prioritised Critical Success Factors for MTSCs that include sales and operations planning, product development process, and quality and compliance. These findings challenge existing assumptions about Critical Success Factors within MTSCs, providing practitioners with strategies showing that re-prioritised CSFs should improve operational performance of OEMs

Motivations and critical success factors of social entrepreneurship initiatives : a case study

Mestrado em Ciências EmpresariaisWithin the last three decades, social entrepreneurship has emerged as a relevant field of practice and research. By using management skills and market-based methods to address social problems, social entrepreneurship shows a high economical and social potential and has been the target of increasing attention. Despite its growing popularity, academic research in this area is still disperse and fragmented, far from being consensual. This case study seeks to fill a gap in the existing literature and its purpose is to identify which main motivations and critical success factors are associated with social entrepreneurship initiatives. Obtained results identify five key motivations, which include (1) achievement orientation, (2) personal fulfillment, (3) contribute to a better society, (4) closeness to a social problem and (5) focus towards financial sustainability. Additionally, five critical success factors were also identified: (1) good acceptance of the concept by the public, (2) motivation and commitment of employees, (3) social entrepreneur’s leadership skills, (4) training and development of employees and (5) collaboration with private sector organizations.Nas últimas três décadas, o empreendedorismo social emergiu como uma área relevante de prática e investigação. Ao utilizar competências de gestão e metodologias de mercado para combater problemas sociais, o empreendedorismo social apresenta um elevado potencial económico e social e tem sido alvo de cada vez mais atenção. Apesar da sua crescente popularidade, a investigação académica realizada nesta área é ainda dispersa e fragmentada, estando longe de atingir o consenso. Este estudo de caso visa complementar uma lacuna da literatura existente e tem como objetivo identificar as principais motivações e fatores críticos de sucesso associados a iniciativas de empreendedorismo social. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, foram identificadas cinco motivações chave, que incluem (1) orientação para o êxito, (2) realização pessoal, (3) contribuir para uma sociedade melhor, (4) proximidade de um problema social e (5) foco na sustentabilidade financeira. Adicionalmente, cinco fatores críticos de sucesso foram também identificados: (1) boa aceitação do conceito pelo público, (2) motivação e dedicação dos colaboradores, (3) capacidade de liderança do empreendedor social, (4) formação e desenvolvimento dos colaboradores e (5) colaboração com organizações do setor privado

Exploring critical success factors for partnering in architectural design process

Thesis (Master)--İzmir Institute of Technology, Architecture, İzmir, 2010Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 98-108)Text in English;Abstract: Turkish and Englishxi, 112 leavesPartnering is common to construction companies and success increases by effective partnering. Objective of this thesis is to analyze the critical success factors of partnering and to determine the most important critical success factors of partnering particular to architectural design offices in .zmir. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey is conducted for 104 practicing architects in .zmir. The collected data are analyzed with factor analysis and multiple regression methods. By factor analysis, 7 critical success factors of partnering are determined for the architectural design process. These are; (1) establishment of efficient communication towards mutual goals, (2) willingness to effective coordination, (3) commitment to mutual objectives by clear definition of responsibilities, (4) willingness to eliminate non-value added activities, (5) commitment to win-win attitude by focusing on long-term relationship, (6) mutual trust and (7) support from top management. Multiple regression analysis is conducted to identify the most important critical success factors for partnering success of the architectural design process. The results of the regression analyses suggest that architects state the most important critical success factors leading to partnering success to be respectively as follows: (1) willingness to effective coordination, (2) willingness to eliminate non-value added activities and (3) commitment to win-to-win attitude

Desenvolvimento de um sistema de controlo de gestão para a empresa Reúnia: gestão de ativos imobiliários, lda.

Atualmente, vive-se um clima de constante evolução e mudança nos mercados europeus. O aparecimento de novas tecnologias, a globalização, o aumento da concorrência e o aumento do grau de exigência por parte dos consumidores, leva a que as empresas sintam a necessidade de possuir processos que permitam acompanhar estas mudanças e combater a incerteza gerada pelas mesmas, procurando sempre obter um maior grau de eficácia e eficiência, de forma a suceder no mercado. Deste modo, é cada vez mais importante os gestores terem acesso a informação relevante e atempada, que permita tomar decisões com base em dados fiáveis e, desta forma, conseguir fazer face às incertezas do mercado. É nesta ótica que surge os sistemas de controlo. Este projeto de empresa tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de um sistema de controlo de gestão que, recorrendo a instrumentos de pilotagem como o Tableau de Bord e instrumentos de orientação comportamental e de diálogo, permitam aos gestores da empresa Reúnia o acesso a informação pertinente e oportuna, e que ajude no processo de tomada de decisão. Os instrumentos antes mencionados irão deter um papel fundamental também na implementação e controlo das estratégias fixadas pela gestão ao promover o alinhamento estratégico da empresa com os seus colaboradores.Nowadays, there is a climate of constant evolution and change in European markets. The emergence of new technologies, globalization, increased competition and increased demand from consumers, leads companies to feel the need to have processes that allow them to keep up with these changes and fight uncertainty generated by them, always seeking to obtain a greater degree of effectiveness and efficiency, in order to succeed in the market. In this way, it is increasingly important for managers to have access to relevant and timely information, enabling decisions to be made based on reliable data and thus being able to address market uncertainties. It is from this perspective that the control systems arise. This project aims to develop a management control system that, using piloting tools such as Tableau de Bord and behavioral guidance and dialogue instruments, allows the company's managers to gather the access to relevant and timely information, and to assist in the decision-making process. The instruments mentioned above will also play a key role in the implementation and control of the strategies set by management by promoting the company's strategic alignment with its employees

Critical success factors : an annotated bibliography

Includes bibliographical references.Nancy S. Foster, John F. Rockart

Factors influencing effective information management using information technology systems in a public sector department

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM)The Public Sector encounters great challenges in its attempts to strengthen its public services. Public servants are in need of accurate and up-to-date information that can be readily accessible. They need information to be made available for effective and efficient decision-making. In order to improve service delivery, the Public Sector must aim to reach its objectives by increasing and improving accountability, transparency, efficiency, productivity and quality of services. This study focuses on factors, which influence information management in a Public Sector Department in an effective way to manage information properly. An extensive literature review was conducted of information, the role of information management, the possible critical failure and success factors of information management. This led to the discovery of four main categories for critical failure factors: (i) people; (ii) process; (iii) policy and; (iv) technology; and three categories for critical success factors: (i) organizational culture; (ii) top management support; and (iii) strategies. A conceptual model was then developed for these categories with seventeen factors. This model was subsequently tested in the empirical setting of the studied Public Sector Department in South Africa by utilising a qualitative approach through the case-study method. The findings suggest that the following factors would impact the successful implementation of an information management initiative for this Public Sector Department: information management; change management and communication strategies; culture; roles of responsibility for information; information lifecycle process; and information management policy. The intended audience for this study includes both academics and practitioners, as it introduces a conceptual model, as well as guidelines to implement these factors for information management in a Public Sector Department

Information for monitoring : a simple model of its value and a new determination technique

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1984.MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY.Bibliography: leaves 167-172.by Michael Edmond Francis Treacy.Ph.D