Chain restaurant patrons' well-being perception and dining intentions The moderating role of involvement

Purpose - The purpose of this research was to investigate the structural relationships between chain restaurant patrons' brand attitude, utilitarian value, hedonic value, well-being perception, and behavioral intentions with the moderating role of involvement. Design/methodology/approach - A review of the current literature in these areas revealed ten theoretical hypotheses, from which the authors derived a structural model. The model was tested utilizing data collected from 433 chain restaurant patrons. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were utilized to test the proposed theoretical relationships. Findings - Data analysis indicates that brand attitude and hedonic value bear a positive impact on patrons' well-being perception. However, it was revealed that utilitarian value does not have significant impact on patrons' well-being perception. It was also found that well-being perception is the most powerful determinant of patrons' positive behavioral intentions. More importantly, well-being perception played a full mediating role in the relationship between hedonic value and behavioral intentions. Lastly, it was revealed that the moderating role of involvement in the relationships between well-being perception and behavioral intentions is significant. Research limitations/implications - The findings emphasize the significance of the study variables in maximizing patrons' well-being perception and in inducing positive behavioral intentions. Since there has been little study of consumer well-being (CWB) in the chain restaurant industry, the model verified here may serve as a guide for future research aimed at understanding the formation of CWB and its potential impact on other marketing variables in the chain restaurant industry. Originality/value - The model verified in this study is the first that explains the formation of CWB and its impact on patrons' behavioral intentions.