Managing diversity: challenges and strategies of International Ethnic 91 Restaurant in Malaysia.
Malaysia, known as a "food paradise", offers its residents and tourists a diverse culinary landscape with a wide variety of local and international dishes. However, operating a successful international ethnic restaurant in Malaysia presents unique obstacles that may differ from those in...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Conference or Workshop Item |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Universiti Teknologi Mata
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121346/1/121346.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121346/ https://aicobm.uitm.edu.my/2024/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AiCoBM-2024-Proceeding-4.pdf |
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| Summary: | Malaysia, known as a "food paradise", offers its residents and tourists a diverse culinary
landscape with a wide variety of local and international dishes. However, operating a successful
international ethnic restaurant in Malaysia presents unique obstacles that may differ from those in
other countries. Cultural adaptation is crucial as they strive to cater to local preferences while
maintaining the authenticity of their cuisine. Customer preferences present another hurdle, with
Malaysian diners having diverse tastes and expectations. Adapting menus and presentation styles
while preserving the essence of the cuisine is complex but necessary. In fact, managing a diverse
workforce from different cultural backgrounds adds complexity to operations. Thus, the objectives
of this research are to explore the challenges faced by international ethnic restaurant in Malaysia and
to identify the strategy in managing these restaurants. This study adopted a qualitative research
approach. 13 in-depth interviews were conducted with restaurant owners and managers, allowing for
a comprehensive understanding of the challenges they faced. These interviews were guided by a
semi-structured interview protocol to ensure consistency and facilitate in-depth exploration of the
research topic. Observations were also conducted to complement the interview data, providing
additional insights into the operational dynamics of international ethnic restaurants. Data were
analyzed thematically where codes, categories and themes were formed. The findings of this research
found that the challenges faced by international ethnic restaurants are labor force obstacles, issues
with ingredient acquisition, atmosphere hurdles creation and complexities in restaurant management.
Moreover, the finding provided effective strategies such as culinary adaptation, maintaining
consistency, customer engagement, effective workforce management, crafting ambience and creating
a unique value proposition. By exploring and addressing these challenges, the research aimed to
contribute to the growth and success of international ethnic |
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