Kai Victor Hansen - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Kai Victor Hansen

Foods

There is a tendency towards greater expectations of consumer goods and services in society—what w... more There is a tendency towards greater expectations of consumer goods and services in society—what was once judged as ideal may now be a bare minimum. This presents a challenge for food providers in the upcoming decades. As the more demanding baby boomer cohort ages, health institutions of the future will face challenges meeting their food expectations. The purpose of this study was to explore expectation type dynamics and function with updated empirical material on aging consumers expectations of institutional food and advance our current understanding of how consumers evaluate their expectations. This qualitative study employed in-depth semi structured interviews with 14 informants between the age of 58–79. Content analysis was performed to capture the informants’ food expectations based on the expectation hierarchy proposed by Santos and Boote. Analyzing the content and relationship between different expectation types led to three main findings: expectation functions and content, in...

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Qualitative Report at NSUWorks... more This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Qualitative Report at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in The

The Qualitative Report, 2020

Older adults, also known as the silver generation, are the new healthy generation. This generatio... more Older adults, also known as the silver generation, are the new healthy generation. This generation has for many decades formed the basis for the prosperity found in Norway. The ageing population is growing rapidly in many countries around the world. The aim of this paper is to understand healthy active older adults’ interpretations of food and meals and their focus on food and future living. Nine CurroCus® group interviews, or fast focus groups, were conducted, lasting 37 to 56 minutes with an average of 45 minutes. Altogether, 76 persons from both genders participated, with an age span of 60 to 87 years, although participants were predominantly female (80%). The main findings indicated that older adults expect good overall experiences at nursing homes, including food and drink with good standards adapted to the individual’s needs and smaller apartments with common rooms for activities; they also actively use technology in their everyday lives. Future research should focus on areas ...

The Qualitative Report, 2015

This paper investigated food development in the southern part of Rogaland County in south-western... more This paper investigated food development in the southern part of Rogaland County in south-western Norway. Food is considered a local development part in many municipalities in Norway in terms of new business, employment, etc. This region includes some of the more spectacular geographical structures openly visible in nature. The aim of the study was to investigate the development of food based on a broad understanding in this region. The method used was CurroCus® group interviews, or fast focus groups. Six CurroCus® groups were used, and they completed their participation in six hours. Altogether, 39 persons participated from different age groups consisting of both genders. They were asked to discuss different conditions concerning local food, food festivals, food offers, food producers, and different sales outlets in the region. All interviews were recorded, and two observers took notes during each interview. The empirical data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Accordi...

Journal of Population Ageing, 2020

In a relationship, it is natural that one person lives longer than the other, leading to many cha... more In a relationship, it is natural that one person lives longer than the other, leading to many challenges, including the possibility of loneliness. This article focuses on how food and meals can help reduce loneliness among the elderly. There are many reasons for loneliness or emptiness, including being a widow or a widower, illness, and poverty. As the number of elderly people is greatly increasing in all welfare states, meals are an important function that should be maintained throughout life. This study used CurroCus® group interviews, or fast focus groups. Nine CurroCus® groups were conducted, lasting for 37–56 min (average = 45 min). Altogether, 76 persons participated, ranging in age from 60 to 87 years; participants were predominantly female (> 80%). The collected empirical data were recorded, transcribed, and entered into NVivo 11.0. Interviews were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The main findings of this article fall into two main categories: togetherness and ...

Sustainability, 2020

The problem of unsustainable food consumption among vulnerable residents of nursing homes who suf... more The problem of unsustainable food consumption among vulnerable residents of nursing homes who suffer from dementia is often multifaceted. From an individual perspective, people with dementia who do not finish their meals are likely to encounter serious health issues associated with malnutrition. Moreover, at the institutional level, nursing homes generate tons of nonrecoverable food waste each year, impairing not only their economic position but also the natural and social environment at large. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of reducing food waste in Norwegian nursing homes by appraising how large this reduction could be as one replaces traditional dining white porcelain with plates with diverse color combinations. A quasi-experimental method was adopted. The results of the pilot study were extrapolated to the annual amount of food wasted at the national level. The findings indicate that, on average, 26% of food was thrown away when served on white plates co...

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 2016

Purpose – With the growing older population, the increasing interest in the elderly’s eating habi... more Purpose – With the growing older population, the increasing interest in the elderly’s eating habits and the meal situation go hand in hand and are challenges in many countries, including Norway. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, part of an ongoing project in Norway, address four categories of elderly people: healthy elderly (HE), old people with home care, elderly living in institutions, and critical ill elderly. Design/methodology/approach – The aim of this study was to investigate related articles concerning food and the elderly in the four identified categories, defining six different meal experience categories to disclose possible gaps in the research in terms of core product, room, personal service, company, atmosphere, and management control systems (MCS). Database searches, conducted through JSTOR and Web of Science, started with words in combination with “elderly and meal experiences” and were narrowed down to the most relevant papers with words from the six meal ...

FAMM as a tool for illuminating the focus in paper abstracts from the two ICCAS Conferences

Journal of Food Products Marketing, 2016

ABSTRACT This study has investigated the domestic food choices of consumers in an affluent protec... more ABSTRACT This study has investigated the domestic food choices of consumers in an affluent protectionist market, and the role of consumer ethnocentrism in relation to those choices. A short focus group method called CurroCus-groups were chosen for the study. Seven group interviews were conducted with a total of 54 respondents. The data was analyzed using a two level Grounded Theory approach. The analysis resulted in two main categories and five subcategories, all indicating the consumers’ different reasons for choosing domestic food. The two main categories are social involvement and quality whereas the five subcategories are sensory quality, food safety, products, environmental care and Jobs and producers. Consumer ethnocentrism was discussed in relation to the categories and different levels of consumer ethnocentrism were found in some, but not all of the categories.

The purpose of this doctoral dissertation has been to increase the knowledge of customers’ view o... more The purpose of this doctoral dissertation has been to increase the knowledge of customers’ view on relation to commercial restaurant meals and thereby to increase the knowledge within the restaurant industry about customers’ perspectives about meals. The dissertation is based on four studies of customers’ meal experiences in a la Carte restaurants in Norway. In addition, a methodological paper has been written to illuminate central aspects of the method used in the dissertation. An explorative and qualitative approach was selected in the data collection, focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews of experienced restaurant customers from a la Carte restaurants were used and analysed within a modified grounded theory approach. The participants were from the cities of Oslo and Stavanger in Norway. The conceptual models in the four studies are first of all the result of the analysis of the data collected. The first study includes a conceptual model illustrating different aspects of the payment process of the bill; important aspects were expectations, sensibility, and reactions. It was demonstrated how a delay in the payment process had negative affects on the customers meal experiences. In the second study, the five important elements of customers’ meal experiences were: The core product, the restaurant interior, the personal social meeting, the company, and the restaurant atmosphere. These five aspects were woven tightly together and the restaurant atmosphere occurred as the “glue” that connected the different meal experience aspects into a whole. The third study focused on the customers’ choices of restaurants, and the occasion occurred as an important element in the decision-making process of choosing a restaurant. The fourth study revealed which consumer values were important by restaurant visits, and identified 13 single values that were integrated into five consumer value categories: Excellence, harmony, emotional stimulation, acknowledgement, and circumstance value. The fifth paper provides a thorough discussion of the usefulness of the modified grounded theory applied in the studies. When an overall comparison of the different studies is made, there are several indications that the restaurant employees, and especially the waiting staff, represent the restaurant’s most important assets in the meetings with customers. Increasing the knowledge level of the staff about the customers seems to be an actual element, and thus education and training will be of great importance for development of the restaurant field.

Food Service Technology, 2004

The research presented in this paper focuses on the service performance of the staff in à la Cart... more The research presented in this paper focuses on the service performance of the staff in à la Carte restaurants, and how this could influence the meal experience from the customers' point of view. Following a mainly grounded theory approach, the empirical material that formed the background for this article was five focus group interviews of restaurant customers from the cities of Oslo and Stavanger in Norway. The participants represented persons from different lines of work. Payment is initially considered here as a component of the meal, and the results indicate that payment represents an important part of the service aspect. Hence, payment operations represent the main component within the last stage of the meal experience. When customers experience the payment process in an unsatisfactory way, it can have a negative effect on their meal experiences as a whole. This could in turn have a negative impact on the customers' incentive to revisit the particular restaurant or even other restaurants. Payment 'just in time' as perceived by the customers can have a positive effect on the number of customers in the restaurant in the long term. The data analysis uncovers nine specific aspects of payment that are important to the customers. A conceptual model is developed to show the process from raw data to results.

International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2007

The research presented in this article focuses on consumer values in restaurant meal experiences ... more The research presented in this article focuses on consumer values in restaurant meal experiences from the restaurant customers' points of view. Based on a set of data, the purpose is to evaluate the customers' perceived consumer values in restaurant meal experiences and to compare the results with other studies on consumer values and service quality and with studies of meal experiences. A modified grounded theory approach has been followed. The empirical data are based on seven semistructured interviews of experienced restaurant customers in two cities in Norway. A conceptual model illustrates the coding process that shows the connection between the different categories. The data analysis produces different categories of consumer-specific values on three levels of integration. The lowest level includes 29 consumer values that are integrated into 13 specified values. On the highest level, five value categories of consumer-oriented values are specified. These are excellence, harmony, emotional stimulation, acknowledgement, and circumstance value, of which harmony is the most emphasised value among the restaurant customers. This study offers the restaurant industry increased insight into consumer values among their actual and potential customers. It also lays a foundation for conducting a quantitative study in the future to test the validity of the determined values in customer meal experiences.

The purpose of this doctoral dissertation has been to increase the knowledge of customers' view o... more The purpose of this doctoral dissertation has been to increase the knowledge of customers' view on relation to commercial restaurant meals and thereby increase the knowledge within the restaurant industry about customers' perspectives about meals. The dissertation is based on four studies of customers' meal experiences in á la Carte restaurants in Norway. In addition, a methodological paper has been written to illuminate central aspects of the method used in the dissertation. An explorative and qualitative approach was selected in the data collection, and focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews of experienced restaurant customers from à la Carte restaurants were used and analysed within a modified grounded theory approach. The participants were from the cities of Oslo and Stavanger in Norway. The conceptual models in the four studies are the result of the analysis of the data collected. The first study includes a conceptual model illustrating different aspects of the payment process of the bill; important aspects were expectations, sensibility, and reactions. It was demonstrated how a delay in the payment process had negative affects on the customers' meal experiences. In the second study, the five important elements of customers' meal experiences were: The core product, the restaurant interior, the personal social meeting, the company, and the restaurant atmosphere. These five aspects were woven tightly together and the restaurant atmosphere acted as the "glue" that connected the different meal experience aspects into a whole. The third study focused on the customers' choices of restaurants, and the occasion occurred as an important element in the decision-making process of choosing a restaurant. The fourth study revealed which consumer values were important in restaurant visits, and identified 13 single values that were integrated into five consumer value categories: Excellence, harmony, emotional stimulation, acknowledgement, and circumstance value. The fifth paper provides a thorough discussion of the usefulness of the modified grounded theory applied in the studies. When an overall comparison of the different studies is made, there are several indications that the restaurant employees, and especially the waiting staff, represent the restaurant's most important assets in the meetings with customers. Increasing the knowledge level of the staff about the customers seems to be an actual element, and thus education and training will be of great importance for development of the restaurant field.

The Qualitative Report

The population over 60 years old is growing rapidly in Norway and in many other countries, and re... more The population over 60 years old is growing rapidly in Norway and in many other countries, and researchers often focus on elderly people and various diseases. This article examines the healthy elderly who are active in their daily lives to understand their motivation and knowledge about food and meals. The method used was CurroCus® group interviews, or fast focus groups. Nine CurroCus® groups were conducted, lasting for 37 to 56 minutes (average = 45 minutes). Altogether, 76 persons participated, ranging in age from 60 to 87 years; participants were predominantly female (>80%). The article discusses two areas: motivation and knowledge regarding food and meals. The collected empirical data were recorded, transcribed, and entered into NVivo 11.0. Interviews were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The results show that the respondents are concerned with six main areas: food intake, purchasing pattern, meal knowledge, community, service experience, and sensory triggers. The m...

Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 2014

Abstract During the last two decades, SERVQUAL and DINESERV have been widely used to measure serv... more Abstract During the last two decades, SERVQUAL and DINESERV have been widely used to measure service quality in the hospitality industry. At the same time, interest in and research of meal experiences have increased. This article develops a measurement tool for meal experiences by combining SERVQUAL, DINESERV, and meal experience models. By measuring the meal experience, eating establishment owners should be able to increase the number of customers returning to their restaurants. Three sets of statements based on SERVQUAL were discussed in terms of six meal experience aspects, resulting in 14 new statements covering different parts of the meal experience; 11 were included in the new set of statements. Both old statements and new statements were assembled into a list of 89 statements and then randomized; the entire list was presented to three professional experts in the hospitality industry who favored statements that would cover an entire meal experience. This resulted in 29 new and old statements that together cover six meal experience aspects: core product, restaurant interior, personal social meeting, company, restaurant atmosphere, and management control system. This article develops new statements that will be adjusted to meal experience and its complexity in eating establishments. This instrument needs testing in real settings, which will be reported on in future research.

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance