International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality in Asia Pasific
Vol 9, No 2 (2026): June 2026

Service Quality, Employee Personality, Satisfaction, Trust, and Customer Loyalty in Malaysia’s Restaurant Industry

Kok Ban Teoh (National Higher Education Research Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia)
Wang YongDuo (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
Wang QiMei (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
Wang Yang (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
Wang YiLing (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
PRIYA SETH (IMS Ghaziabad)
ANWESHA HAZARIKA (21st Century Open University Texas)
Daisy Mui Hung Kee (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Jun 2026

Abstract

Customer loyalty has become increasingly important for sustaining competitiveness and long-term success in the restaurant industry. This study examines the effects of service quality and employee personality on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, as well as the roles of customer satisfaction and trust in shaping customer loyalty among restaurant customers in Malaysia. A quantitative approach was employed using a structured questionnaire distributed to customers of Haidilao Malaysia. A total of 220 valid responses were collected and analyzed using regression analysis. The results indicate that service quality (b = 0.30, p = 0.001) and employee personality (b = 0.56, p 0.001) have significant positive effects on customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction also positively influences trust (b = 0.68, p 0.001), while trust significantly affects customer loyalty (b = 0.59, p 0.001). In addition, service quality (b = 0.25, p = 0.014) and employee personality (b = 0.54, p 0.001) directly contribute to customer loyalty. The findings suggest that employee personality plays a more prominent role than service quality in driving customer satisfaction and loyalty. Both operational and interpersonal service factors contribute to customer loyalty through customer satisfaction and trust.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

IJTHAP

Publisher

Subject

Humanities

Description

IJTHAP aims to enhance theoretical development in the field of hospitality and tourism. In order to promote those innovations and fresh ideas, the journal alsso accepts conceptual research, book review, as well as essays of experience belongs to hospitality practitioners. The mission of IJTHAP is to ...