An exploration of the impacts of psychological stress and the coping mechanisms utilised by restaurant owners in the Gauteng Province

Abstract

Background The restaurant industry is recognised for its characteristically unconventional operations, which predispose restaurant owners to an array of psychological stressors. The impact that these psychological stressors may have on restaurant owners ability to successfully function in their establishments was explored in this study. Restaurant owners from the Pretoria area in Gauteng were requested to share their experiences of psychological stress as influenced by their varying contexts; casual franchise restaurants (fast-food restaurants), formal franchise restaurants (family style restaurants) and/ or non-franchise restaurants (fine dining restaurants). This explorative study explored the different coping mechanisms utilised by restaurant owners as influenced by their respective contexts. It is through the exploration of the psychological challenges shared by the restaurant owners from their own perspectives that an in-depth understanding of the restaurant industry and its intricacies was hopefully achieved. Research Methodology To further the exploration of the restaurant industry from the restaurant owners viewpoints, an Interpretive ontology and an Interpretive Phenomenology epistemology formed a foundation for this inquiry. This resulted in the researcher s utilisation of the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. Thirteen (13) restaurants were observed throughout the data collection process with only an envisaged number of six (6) restaurants needed as the sample to be interviewed. However, due to the busy nature of the industry and the eventual data saturation, the interview sample was reduced to four (4) restaurant owners. This in no way jeopardised the study s or the data s integrity. Smith and Osborn (2008) affirm that the use of three (3) respondents is sufficient for first time users of the IPA approach. With further consideration of the need for data saturation to guide the conclusion of the data collection process, the researcher included the fourth interview and opted to conclude the data collection process thereafter. The restaurant owners were recruited through convenience sampling methods; snowballing and convenient sample selection. Respondents were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide and the interviews were audiorecorded before being independently transcribed for the data analysis phase (IPA analysis). Findings The restaurant owners shared numerous challenges brought on not only by the industry they functioned within, but by the individually experienced complexities brought on my each respective restaurant s context. For a better understanding of the six (6) main challenges experienced by the respondents, their responses were contextualised into eight (8) broad themes that guided the data collection process, these being the Choice of enterprise type (Entrepreneurship), Traits of an entrepreneur, Partners/ Investors, Psychological Challenges, Understanding of Psychological stress and its causes, coping mechanisms, Support systems, Collaboration between restaurant owners and support agencies. As guided by the aim and objectives of the study, the researcher then narrowed in on the shared challenges as experienced by each restaurant owner and also their respective choice of coping mechanisms used as influenced by their different contexts. For a richer exploration, the researcher also conducted observations within all thirteen (13) restaurants that were visited during the sampling process. Findings from the observations were used with those from the interviews to further enrich the recommendations set forth in this research paper. It was evident from the interviews that the restaurant owners had experienced, although in varying degrees, onsets of psychological stress that had varying impacts on the management of their respective operations. Respondents also shared their experiences of psychological stress as those that could only be experienced, and ultimately, understood by those functioning in the same industry. Although there was an understanding that most entrepreneurs would be inclined to experience incidences of psychological stress due to the dynamic nature of entrepreneurial ventures, the respondents emphasised that their (restaurant owners) experiences were influenced by a unique set of stressors inherently found in the restaurant industry which cannot be understood in isolation from their context. With the over encompassing aim to bring about an understanding of the often overlooked restaurant industry, the researcher drew upon the findings from the interviews and the observations towards the formulation of the study s recommendations. In order for the restaurant industry to flourish beyond being seen as a commonly considered entrepreneurial venture to a recognised contributor to the labour economic market as well as being a tourist attraction, vast partnerships with relevant stakeholders and networks with support/aid agencies need to be formed and strengthened for this industry s sustainability.