Motivational factors towards fast-food joint selection in under-developed country setting: A Partial Least Square and Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach

Abstract

The abrupt rise in the fast food business the world over calls for research attention to the phenomenon, especially, in underdeveloped and developing economies. Research is scanty regarding the phenomenon; especially what motivates patrons to select fast food joints in under developed economies such as Ghana. The study sought to ascertain the motivational factors that actuate (or stimulate) consumers' intent to select a fast-food joint in an under-developed country setting, particularly, in Ghana, a sub-Sahara African region. Additionally, the partial goal of this survey is to examine the mediating role of convenience (CONV), and taste and preference (TASPRE) given the indirect effect of traditional advertising communication medium (ACM); Radio/Tv and word-of-mouth. Using a quantitative research approach, a structured survey questionnaire was used to intercept buyers of fast-food at vantage points in the Cape Coast metropolis in the Central region of Ghana. A non-randomized sampling technique, precisely, the convenience sampling, was adopted to consider popular fast-food joints that aided the researchers to intercept customers/buyers for the study. Results from the application of partial least square and structural equation modelling (PL-SEM) of 305 valid responses revealed that the mediation (indirect) analysis supported all the mediate-hypotheses. The research implications and future study directions are discussed in the concluding part of the paper.