The aim of this study was to derive determinants that affect the behavior associated with using self-order kiosks among fast-food restaurant consumers through the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model, and to analyze the moderating effect of consumers’ difference age (difference between individuals’ cognitive age and chronological age) among the variables. From December 1 to 30, 2019, a survey was conducted on 316 customers using four different fast-food restaurants in the Seoul Station. The results showed that the higher the price value, social influence, performance expectancy, and hedonic motivation, the higher the behavioral intention of ordering through the kiosk; furthermore, the higher the difference age, the higher the behavioral intention of using a kiosk. Therefore, fast-food restaurant operators need to ensure that customers who are unfamiliar with using kiosks can order and make payments through kiosks with minimal effort and reasonable price value.

Work–life balance (WLB) is an important concern for all workers irrespective of their age, sex, education level, family structure, or occupation. This study analyzes WLB’s mediating effects and the ease of using WLB programs in the relationship between WLB organizational culture of hotels and turnover intention of its culinary staff. We conducted a survey featuring 320 culinary staff members at hotels in Incheon from 10 to 30 August 2020 and performed statistical analysis using 290 responses. We find that the company’s willingness for WLB, empathetic communication with colleagues, material support of colleagues for WLB, and the ease of using WLB programs in organizational culture had a positive impact on WLB. The company’s willingness for WLB, boss’s consideration for WLB, empathetic communication with colleagues, and material support of colleagues for WLB in organizational culture had a negative impact on turnover intention. The ease of using WLB programs had no indirect effect on the relationship between organizational culture and turnover intention. However, WLB had an indirect effect on the relationship between the four components except for the boss’s consideration for WLB and turnover intention. Hotel management should create an organizational culture that supports the WLB of culinary staff.

This study aims to analyze the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between technology readiness and willingness to continue using self-service kiosks in fast-food restaurants among middle-aged and older consumers. We conducted a survey from 1 May to 30 May 2020 among 320 consumers born in or before 1980 who only used kiosks in fast-food restaurants. The findings are as follows: First, the more innovative and optimistic the consumer, the more they are willing to continue using kiosks, whereas the more discomfort the consumer feels, the less likely they are to continue using them. Second, among technology readiness factors, a sense of insecurity does not have a significant effect on the willingness to continue to use kiosks. Third, among innovative consumers, men were found to be more likely to continue using kiosks than women. Thus, fast-food restaurant managers need to know that men and women perceive technology-based self-service differently.

The purpose of this study was to analyze employment support programs that should be prioritized for hospitality undergraduate students in Korea, given the lack of such programs that are tailored to students’ majors. Using a questionnaire survey, we measured the differences between the perceived importance and the perceived current level of availability of employment support programs recognized by 384 students enrolled in hospitality-related courses. Both 2-year and 4-year majors recognized employment information support, certificate programs, career seminars, overseas training support, field practice programs, and overseas employment support as high-priority programs. Individual career counseling, mentoring, and industry–academic cooperation courses were the highest priority programs that should be applied to 2-year majors, but in the case of 4-year majors, these three programs were found to be relatively well supported by universities. Mock interviews, language programs, and employment-related courses were the top priority programs to support 4-year majors. However, 2-year majors perceived that mock interviews and language programs were of low importance, and there was little difference between the importance and current level of employment-related courses. It is necessary to develop support programs from the learner’s point of view by accurately grasping the needs for employment support programs.

No abstract