Introduction and research questions sections - Assignment Example

Dining Experience Introduction Restaurants face a compulsion of keeping up with the expectations s. This is because they operate in an industry that is highly competitive and one, which values quality. The dining experience of customers determines whether they can return to the same restaurant exhibiting customer loyalty. Different aspects of the food items in the menu affect the emotions and preferences exhibited by customers. Many restaurants have faced the challenges of serving some of the traditional and cultural dishes.

Worth noting is the fact that some cultural dishes are regarded as a taboo in other cultures. There is a salient need for restaurants to find strategies of presenting such cultural dishes, making them more appealing and acceptable. It is not an easy task for many restaurants who intend to offer traditional delicacies as they were cooked in the previous era (Axtell 15). Most of the cultures do not just consider certain foods as taboos without evidential basis, but rather based on cultural and religious beliefs.

In the 21st century, hotels are striving to ensure that customers can learn to enjoy some foods regarded as taboos and enjoy their nutritional values. However, if such foods are served with the traditional labels, identifying them as taboos, customers are less likely to be interested. Restaurants are compelled to engage in rigorous research if they are to identify some of the factors contributing to viewing some foods as taboos. The value of research in any business cannot be underestimated.

In the dining industry, the most critical aspect is being able to discern the customer’s preferences. When hoteliers understand the customer preferences, they can improve their services hence ensure customer loyalty. In the specific case of taboo dishes, restaurant owners should consider the presentation of the dish, its name, health benefits, and the effect of peer pressure while determining whether to eat a taboo food. Many of the taboo food present desirable nutritional values. Such foods contain elements that are needed by the body and that can serve to improve an individual’s health immensely.

Therefore, it is critical for restaurants to engage in rigorous research to identify the steps that can be taken to make taboo foods acceptable (20). Research Questions In order to identify the factors that determine the consumption of taboo dishes, it is critical to define research questions that will address different aspects of consumer behavior. The criticality or research questions cannot be overemphasized because they present the research problem to be tackled. Research questions must be addressed by the data to be collected in the research (25).

Therefore, they must clearly identify the research problem to be tackled. For this research, the following research questions will be addressed. 1. Does the presentation of taboo foods determine whether customers will like the dish?2. Does the name of a taboo dish affect the customer’s preference?3. Does the presentation of the health benefits of taboo foods increase the customer’s preference to the taboo dish?4. Can the placing of informational advertisements alter the perception of taboo dishes?5. Does peer pressure contribute to the rejection of taboo dishes?

Work CitedAxtell, Roger E. Essential Dos and Taboos: The Complete Guide to International Business and Leisure Travel. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2007. Print.