KOREASCHOLAR

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of relationships between food service companies and their client companies by surveying employees working at cafeterias among a food service companies' client companies. For this purpose, previous research was reviewed, and confirmatory research was conducted using a questionnaire. In the questionnaire survey, the subjects were sampled through convenience sampling from the client companies of A Food Service Company, and 182 valid questionnaires were used in the analysis. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, the characteristics of the relationship between the food service company and its client companies, which were reputation, communication, operation skill, and contact-point employees' service quality, had a significant effect on trust, and the effect was high in the order of contact-point employees' service quality, communication, operation skill, and reputation. Satisfaction was significantly affected by reputation, operation skill, and contact-point employee' service quality, but not by communication. The effect was high in the order of contact-point employees' service quality, reputation, and operation skill. In addition, reputation, communication, operation skill, and contact-point employees' service quality had a significant effect on long-term orientation, and the effects were high in the order of reputation, contact-point employees' service quality, communication, and operation skill. Second, with regard to the quality of relationships between a food service company and its client companies, trust had a significant effect on satisfaction. Third, among the factors related to the quality of relationships between the food service company and its client companies, trust and satisfaction had a significant effect on long-term orientation, and the effect of satisfaction was higher than that of trust. This study has scientific significance as one of only a few studies on factors affecting the long-term relationship between food service companies and their client companies, along with managerial implications that contact-point employees' capabilities are most important in service businesses, and thus efforts should be made at employing and educating them properly.

• 김은희 | Ki, Eun-Heui
• 김태희 | Kim, Tae-Hee
• 이덕영 | Lee, Dug-Young