Assignment #7 Testing the Hypothesis (Part 1)

Testing the Hypothesis (Part 1)

Opportunity: Fast food companies in the United States are unable to provide all three elements of healthy, cheap, and fast. They are only able to reach a maximum of 2 of these elements because of trade offs relating to cost-benefit analysis, consumer demand, and lack of correct resources.

• The who: fast food companies in the United States
• The what: They are unable to provide all three elements of healthy, cheap, and fast
• The why: trade offs relating to cost-benefit analysis, understanding consumer demand, and lack of correct resources. 

Boundaries of the Hypothesis (my beliefs)

• Testing the who: Do other food companies, not just fast food, have this problem? It seems that dine-in restaurants also have this problem: they are neither fast nor cheap, however, they are relatively the healthier option. 
• Testing the what: Are healthy, fast, and cheap the only trade offs that fast food restaurants face? Fast food restaurants face numerous trad off that their products face, such as if it tastes good, whether or not it is fresh, and even how large the portions should be. 
• Testing the why: Are these the only reasons fast food companies face these trade offs? All companies face trade offs for several different reasons. Some examples of other reasons for trade offs in the fast food industry include newer food regulations, laws and ethics they must abide by, or lack of adequate employees. 

Interview #1 Summary:

This individual has stated that they don't look at the nutritional value of anything that they eat. Therefore they don't recognize this as a "trade off". They only see a benefit in the situation of a fast food restaurant with unhealthy yet cheap and fast option. They do recognize that every restaurant does have pros as well as cons. Although they live this type of lifestyle, they still recognize that there are other trade offs that fast food companies face like store cleanliness, lower employee appreciation for customers, and increased likelihood of a broken machine or the store running out of something. 

Interview #2 Summary:

This student is very unhappy with the trade offs that fast food companies face because they want fast, cheap, and healthy food. This is an issue they face in their everyday live when they have to decide for themselves whether or not they want to spend a lot of money on healthy food or save some money and choose the more unhealthy option. As a college student on a college budget, this student, more often than they would like, chooses the unhealthy option more frequently. They identify with this problem and hopes that an opportunity arises where they can get heap, fast, and healthy food. 

Interview #3 Summary:

As an individual that loves good food, these three trade offs do not affect her specifically. She doesn't really care about the price, time it takes, or healthiness of the food, as long as it tastes good. She has noticed that chain restaurants versus standalone restaurants have separate aspects to them that are beneficial, however, she focuses on the quality and reputation of the food item itself. One reason she thinks that many people face this issue is because of where their priorities lie and what they value in their meal. 

Interview #4 Summary:

This interviewee has experienced many problems when trying to order her meal. She values quick and efficient service. Oftentimes, she noticed, that the slow service is cause by counterproductive customers but blames the slow pace on the company rather than the customer. This has lead to her frustration in the food industry. She has also identified that many fast food companies are focused on other issues at hand such as productivity, customer satisfaction, and net revenue. 

Interview #5 Summary:
One thing that this individual pointed out when I told her this statement was that many people don't even eat what the fast food chains offer because of the company's policy. Some people are very into politics which helps them decide where they want to buy from and where they refuse to buy from. He says this is their form of protesting. This was a very political view that hadn't even crossed my mind that people choose where to eat, shop, or buy based on the political views of the company itself. 

What I Know Now:
I now know that there are many defenses to my hypothesis statement. Many different viewpoints, ideas, and boundaries contribute to the complexity of this problem. Some individuals face this problem on a daily basis, some only few times, and others not at all, and every individual has a different reason for whether or not they have this issue and to what extent if affects them. This opportunity has increased in dimension by providing specifics on who faces this problem, what specifically is the problem, and why people face this problem. One main thing that I point out after these interviews helped me realize that fast food chains face so much more that 3 trade offs and they have many more problems than just the idea of a trade off.