THE PERCEPTIONS OF CASUAL DINING

RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES ON ERGONOMICS

A Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of the
College of Commerce, Secretarial and Accountancy
Saint Louis College
City of San Fernando, La Union

In Partial Fulfillment of the

By:
ALMAZAN, CHARLES GODWIN F.
BALUYOT, SOPHIA MARIE C.
CABAGBAG, CHERRY MAE P.
MANIAGO, JIEZEL MYKA V.
SUBIDO, VINCENT JOHN L.

ARIANNE FAYE M. CAMAT, LPT

Co-Author

October 2023
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Ergonomically-designed facilities have become integral in numerous

international contexts, offering improved workplace productivity and efficiency

while simultaneously enhancing the well-being of customers and employees.

Research indicates that such designs significantly reduce the risk of workplace

injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (Reiman et al., 2021).

The hospitality industry, encompassing a vast range of services catering

to travelers and tourists, extends its influence across the globe. Businesses in

this sector, such as hotels, bars, restaurants, and resorts, prioritize delivering

exceptional customer experiences through comfortable accommodations,

delectable food and beverages, entertainment, and leisure facilities (HSE, 2021).

Focusing on casual dining restaurants, they occupy a distinctive position

within the dining spectrum, offering moderately priced meals in a relaxed setting.

These establishments, with characteristics bridging those of fast-food and fine

dining, provide table service, a selection of alcoholic beverages, and primarily

target families as their core clientele (Prayag, Taheri, & Ekiz, 2019). Addressing

challenges in today's ever-evolving business landscape, the science of

ergonomics plays a critical role in creating work environments that align with

employees' physical and mental capacities. The adoption of ergonomic principles

ensures workplace safety, enhancing organizational capabilities (Reiman et al.,

2021).

At the global level, casual dining restaurants face common ergonomic

issues, with limited workspace, high lifting, and repetitive motions posing health,

safety, and productivity concerns. These challenges can lead to musculoskeletal

Bachelor's Thesis, 2019). In another vein, the interrelationship between human

capabilities and equipment comes to the forefront. In Indonesia, there's a clear

need for the workforce to complement technological advancements in achieving

an ergonomically-designed work environment. Fulfilling these dual requirements

is crucial for reducing the risk of work-related injuries and disorders (Lukiyanti,

2022).

In the Philippines, research highlights a lack of awareness and training

regarding ergonomics among restaurant workers and owners. This gap in

knowledge and practice extends to equipment usage and workstation

adjustments, potentially leading to injuries and discomfort. Moreover, ergonomic

principles are not consistently prioritized in restaurant establishments, affecting

various aspects such as pricing, employee management, service reliability, food

quality, location, and ambiance (Dingin et al., 2023). In the Region 1, particularly

in Pangasinan, restaurants confront multiple ergonomic challenges. These

include economic instability, competition, changing customer preferences,

diverse employee behaviors, and financial issues (Sison, 2021). Space

limitations and design constraints also affect the creation of ergonomic

workstations, further complicating the situation.

Noteworthy, in La Union, a province known for its beautiful beaches and

vibrant dining scene, hosts numerous restaurants catering to locals and tourists.

The challenges faced by these establishments involve staff recruitment and

retention, particularly in roles related to cooking, serving, and management. This

shortage of skilled workers can diminish efficiency, service quality, and increase

operational costs (Marcos, 2023). In the City of San Fernando, La Union, which

serves as the specific locale for this study, casual dining restaurants are central

to providing a wide range of dining options to a diverse population. These

tourists without compromising the well-being of their employees (Sison, 2023).

The gap analysis of the above mentioned literatures create backdrop for

this research. The study aims to explore how the adoption of ergonomically-

designed facilities impacts casual dining restaurants in the City of San Fernando,

La Union. By contextualizing the global, regional, and local dynamics, this

research seeks to provide valuable insights and recommendations that align with

the unique characteristics of the study's locale, ultimately benefiting the local

restaurant industry and its stakeholders.

Definition of Terms

This part of the study delves in the terms used in the study and it is

defined operationally:

Ergonomically- refers to the work environments, layouts, tools, and equipment

specifically engineered and structured to accommodate and support the

physical and mental capacities of employees.

Ergonomically-designed commercial kitchens - refers to the application of

ergonomics principles to the design and layout of kitchen spaces in

restaurants.

Hospitality industry - this refers to businesses such as hotels, bars,

restaurants, and resorts that provide services like comfortable accommodation,

food and beverages, entertainment, and leisure or relaxation, with a primary

focus on creating memorable experiences and delivering excellent

customer service to guests.

chosen based on the following criteria: (1) operating at least five years, (2)

with at least 10 regular employees, (3) can accommodate at least 30

seating capacity, and managers or owners.

Perceptions of casual dining restaurants - refers to the subjective beliefs,

opinions, and attitudes held by individuals, including customers,

employees, or industry experts, regarding the attributes, quality, and

overall experience associated with casual dining establishments.

Casual dining restaurants - refers to the respondents of this study which is

chosen based on the following criteria: (1) operating at least five years, (2)

with at least 10 regular employees, (3) can accommodate at least 30

seating capacity, and managers or owners.

San Fernando City, La Union - refers to the locale where the study will be

conducted providing context and focus to the research, allowing

researchers to collect data, conduct surveys, and analyze information in

the specific geographical context of San Fernando City, La Union.

Hospitality Management students - refers to the researcher of the study who

are currently fourth year college student enrolled in Hospitality

Management Program in Saint Louis College.

The researchers will use interview as data gathering technique to gather

information from the respondents. The primary aim of the interview is to

determine and explore the perceptions towards the casual dining restaurants in

the City of San Fernando La Union in adopting the ergonomically-designed

facility. With that, this study will also us guided interview wherein interviewer can

plan ahead on what language features to look for and either elicit anticipated

responses or record unexpected responses for later analysis. During the

conduction of the interview, respondents are free to express their perceptions

towards the casual dining restaurants. Researchers will use coding content

analysis to analyze the data which was gathered from the perception of the

respondents. Coding is a way of indexing or categorizing the text in order to

establish a framework of thematic ideas about it. In qualitative research, coding

is how to define what the data they are analyzing are about. Coding is a process

of identifying a passage in the text or other data items, searching and identifying

concepts and finding relations between them. Therefore, coding is not just

labelling; it is linking of data to the research idea and back to other data

(CESSDA 2020). The codes will enable the researchers’ to organize data so

they can examine and analyse them in a structured way. Researchers will also

use content analysis. Using content analysis, the researchers have quantified

and analyzed the presence, meanings and relationships of such certain words,

themes, or concepts. The researchers have tallied the result of the data

collected using frequency count and ranking in all the parts of the instrument.
 The gathering of relevant data needed will be done through the use of

face-to-face interview. The questions that will be used in the interview will

carefully crafted based on the priori.

Face-to-face interview will be used in this qualitative study in which it

gives the researchers an opportunity to clarify pertinent issues and questions

that occurred during the interviewing process. This type of interview also allows

the researchers to capture verbal and non-verbal cues and to have the answers

which is necessary for the data analysis. A non-judgmental attitude of the

researcher towards the participants is a crucial aspect in rapport building

between the researcher and the participants as it encourages some participants.

The researchers will also be cautious of the emotional aspect that could affect

the efficacy and the authenticity of the data.

The researchers will ask for consent from the participants before

conducting the study, informing them about the topic and nature of the research.

After seeking for their approval to participate, the researchers will schedule an

interview. The interview will be recorded and will use a recording tool for the

interview and it will last not more than an hour. The researchers will also ask

permission to the participants to record the entire conversation or answer sheets

and ensures confidentiality in the participant’s information.

Dingin, A., et al. (2023). Lack of awareness and training regarding ergonomics in

the Philippines. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page numbers.

Kapulainen, B. (Bachelor's Thesis) (2019). Global ergonomic issues in casual

dining restaurants. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page numbers.

Marcos, A. (2023). Staff recruitment and retention challenges in La Union

restaurants. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page numbers.

Reiman, T., et al. (2021). Ergonomically-designed facilities in international

contexts. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page numbers.

Sison, J. (2021). Ergonomic challenges in restaurants in Pangasinan, Region 1.

Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page numbers.

Sison, J. (2023). Ergonomic design features in casual dining restaurants in the

City of San Fernando, La Union. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page

numbers.