Date of Conferral
2021
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Robert M. Banasik
Abstract
Customer satisfaction is a factor that significantly influences profits and overall business success. Understanding the dynamics of customer satisfaction and its relationship to profits, job security, and the overall customer experience is critical for restaurant managers. Grounded in the service quality theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies nonfranchised restaurant managers use to improve customer satisfaction. The participants comprised five nonfranchised restaurant managers in central Delaware who successfully improved customer satisfaction. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and research notes, then analyzed using content analysis. Four themes emerged: continuous on-the-job training, manager observations and customer feedback, flexible training strategies, and hiring and enforcement strategies. A key recommendation includes managers conducting on-the-job training rather than formal and time-limited training. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve the perceived self-worth and self-dignity of employees through training, individual development, expanded employment opportunities, and tax revenue for the local community.
Recommended Citation
Graves, Waldell Terrell, "How Managers of Nonfranchised Restaurants Use Training to Improve Customer Satisfaction" (2021). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 10233.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/10233
