STUDY ON THE RELIABILITY OF THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF A SERVICE USING THE KANO MODEL OF ATTRACTIVE AND OBLIGATORY QUALITIES

Abstract

The Kano Model of Attractive and Obligatory Qualities classifies the attributes of a product or service into attractive, one-dimensional, obligatory, neutral or reverse qualities. This allows us to better identify which attributes are critical and which are a differential from the point of view of the consumer. This paper studies the influence of the form of presentation of questions in the questionnaire of the Kano Model, attempting to improve its reliability. The identification of the classification of attributes by the Kano model is established through a questionnaire made up of two questions for each attribute: one question with the (positive) presence of the attribute, and the other with the (negative) absence of the attribute. This survey attempts to answer the following questions: a) Does a sequential or random form of presenting the positive and negative questions influence the result? b) Does the description of the negative question with “no” or “not” tend to increase the number of one-dimensional classifications? Using the attributes of a Brazilian local bakery and cake shop as the elements under study, four different types of questionnaires were established and applied to a sample of approximately 160 respondents. The classifications obtained from each type of questionnaire were tested for differences between proportions with 95% reliability. The results discovered were that the best form of presentation is the sequential form, with the use of “no” or “not” for negative questions. This sequential order allows for greater discrimination on the part of the respondent, actually increasing the number of attractive and obligatory replies. The use of “no” or “not” avoids ambiguities in negative questions, thereby reducing the number of neutral or indefinite replies.