Uncertainty avoidance as a moderator for influences on foreign resident dining out behaviors

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of uncertainty avoidance (UA) on the relationships among subjective knowledge, attitude toward Korean foods and dining out behavioral intentions (BI) of foreign residents in Korea. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 247 foreign residents in Korea were participated through a street intercept survey at several locations in metropolitan areas of South Korea. Subsequently, the samples were divided into two groups (a low UA group and a high UA group) for multiple group analysis to examine the moderating role of UA. Findings: The results of structural equation modeling showed that subjective knowledge and attitude toward Korean foods significantly influenced intention to visit Korean restaurants. Furthermore, multiple group analysis results showed that UA had a significant moderating effect as a cultural dimension on the relationships between subjective knowledge and BI, as well as between attitude and BI. Research limitations/implications: This research has made the first attempt to account for UA in examining the relationships among subjective knowledge, attitude and BIs, especially for ambiguous situations where foreign residents who are new to the mainstream Korean food culture face challenges in visiting Korean restaurants. Practical implications: The findings indicate that enhancing subjective knowledge about Korean foods should increase the probability of foreign residents visiting Korean restaurants, so restaurant marketers should consider subjective knowledge as they work to encourage foreign residents to try Korean foods. Furthermore, planning strategies for marketing to foreign residents should consider level of UA among foreigners. Originality/value: This study first illustrates the value of considering the cultural trait of UA in examining dining out behavior at ethnic restaurants. The UA trait sheds light on how subjective knowledge helps predict attitude and dining out BI at ethnic restaurants.