Abstract
Tipping is both a personal and social norm, which can also vary according to the consumer’s racial background and sex. This study investigated the extent to which restaurant guests’ personal and social tipping norms vary based on race (White vs. Africa American) and sex. The researchers used a consumer panel comprised of 623 participants in 2016. A two-by-two ANOVA was conducted to examine race and sex effects on personal and social tipping norms. The results demonstrated both main and interaction effects of race and sex in personal and social tipping norms. Based on the results, the researchers discuss implications for scholars, restaurant owners, and managers.
Highlights
1.1 Restaurant TippingTipping is a standard practice to which many restaurant guests adhere by leaving money for restaurant servers after their service experience
This study investigated the extent to which restaurant guests’ personal and social tipping norms vary based on race (White vs. Africa American) and sex
Lynn and colleagues found that African-Americans tip differently than Whites, but the motives were inconsistent across a variety of different studies; for example, some studies found that African-Americans are unfamiliar with the norm of tipping restaurant servers (Lynn, 2000; Lynn, 2004a, 2004b; Lynn, 2006a; Lynn & Thomas-Haysbert, 2003)
Summary
Tipping is a standard practice to which many restaurant guests adhere by leaving money for restaurant servers after their service experience. Koku (2005) found that gender made a little difference in tipping behavior in restaurants, but not in-service encounters outside the restaurant industry It is both timely and necessary that scholars re-examine restaurant guests’ tipping behavior, most especially the effects of race and sex interactions or preferences during the dining experience. With respect to consumer tipping behavior based on racial motives, habitus implies that groups, or subgroups of individuals, will behave in the same way based upon past and present social structures when interacting with others (e.g., “actors” such as restaurant servers) Tipping is both a social construct and socially-imposed obligation (Azar, 2010). Discussion and implications provide specific information on how restaurant owners and managers can better serve their guests based on race and sex
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