Does the Gender of Quick-Service Franchisees and Corporate Supervisors and Managers Affect Restaurant Appearance and Food Safety Performance?

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether restaurant customer ratings for store appearance and food safety performance are associated with manager gender. Data were collected over a 1-year period utilizing two samples: (1) franchise owners and corporate supervisors and (2) corporate managers. The results of this study showed that female franchise owners and corporate supervisors had higher scores on store appearance than those units owned or supervised by males. Similarly, by utilizing a sample of corporate restaurant managers, and controlling for the leader-member exchange with employees, the results found that female managers had higher store appearance and food safety scores than their male counterparts. This study suggests that hospitality researchers and practitioners should utilize gender differences when identifying ways to improve restaurant cleanliness and food safety dimensions.

KEYWORDS:

• gender
• service quality
• cleanliness
• appearance
• food safety
• restaurant management