Why are we usually unable to find a table during peak hours?

Title : Why are we usually unable to find a table during peak hours?

Date : 29th July 2008, AY 2008/09, Semester 1
Conducted by :
Nur Azlin Mohd Afendy p0623407
Nur Afidah Binte Afandi p0733078
Tang Tat Chong p0741060
Mohamed Hizam p0763701
Fazli
Sheila p0759010
Jingxian p0748588
Flex p0661094


AIM OF STUDY
The aim of this study is to answer the main research question as below:
Our main aim of the study conducted was to the find out how students react and behave in a situation where there is a crowded food court and they needed that time to have their lunch. Ultimately, to further support the aim of the study, research questions posed by the group had to be answered.


This main research question is fragmented into the following sub questions:
a) Why students hang around the table after eating?
b) What are the areas where the student cannot find seats?
c) How does the student overcome this lack of seats during lunchtime?


DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS METHODS
This study employs a qualitative social-psychological research paradigm. The research is conducted in all food courts in Singapore Polytechnic. The research takes a total of four weeks to complete. The research stretches from 9th July 2008 to 30th July 2008.

The forms of data collection for the research are as below:
a) Non participant observation of about 5 groups of students’ behaviours in a crowded food court during peak hour, taking a total of 5 observation sessions of 15 minutes each. An example of an observation in this study is shown in Findings.
b) Selected informal open-ended interviews of selected random students in the crowded food court, taking an average of 10 minutes per interviews. An example of an interview in this study is shown in Appendix A.

Data Collection and Analysis Methods
After, we had conducted the interviews for our questions; we obtained a wide different and similar answer. We have written data to give our interviews more credibility. Using the data collected we made our analysis and compile the data.
Subsequently analyzing what we have, we drew a mind map for understanding.

The forms of analysis used are as follow:
a) Interviews
b) Sharing Data

FINDINGS (use diagrams or tables to supplement your report when needed)
The findings for this research are as follows:
a) The condition that causes overcrowding during lunch hour at a certain food court is as follows:

i) Timing
In this study, it is shown that all the students studying in SP are having the same lunch break. Due to this, during lunch break almost every time students need to wait for a long time before they can get a seat. Sometimes students will attend lesson late because of overcrowding at food court.


ii) Peers
Student likes to have lunch together with their friends. Therefore many of them will have lunch in big group and it is hard to find seats for big group. Many will continue waiting in food court for seats. If they get sick and tired of waiting then they will proceed to buy packet food and eat somewhere else.

iii) Area
One of the factors is that after their last lesson, students will prefer to go to the nearest food court to have lunch. If a certain area of students has the same lunch break, then there will be an overcrowding of students at that particular food court.
The above findings answer the first, second and third sub research questions for this study.

b) Categories that will help in solving the overcrowding of food court during lunch hour. They are cohesiveness and social psychology. This answers the fourth sub research question for this study.

i) Cohesiveness
The strength of the relationships that link members of a group together and are essentially what keeps people in a group or causes them to stick together.

After lesson, students will always gather together and they will proceed to have lunch together. This will result in students having lunch in big group or as a class. This will make their bonding even closer and they can discuss their school work together and if they encounter any problems they will solve it together. Having lunch in big groups is good and fun but the only problem is that it is hard to find table for such a big group in a crowded food court.

Furthermore, every time when we are eating in food court we can see that group of students eating in food court are always in big group of 4 and above. Even if there’s table, it only can fit 4-5 persons. If they sit separately, slim chances that they can sit side by side. Some students when gotten a seat and had their lunch, they will sit and wait till their next lesson is about to start then they will leave their seat. Only a minority will quickly finished their food and give up their seats for others. This will only add on to the problems of overcrowding of students at a certain period like lunch hour.

ii) Social psychology
The scientific study of how individual thinks about, interact with, and influence each other.

Students would rather go to the nearest food court to have their lunch, as they wouldn't want to waste their time travelling to another food court which will eat into their one hour lunch break time. Moreover, they will also consider where is the next location they'll be going to and then decide where to eat for their convenience. Furthermore, all students in Singapore Poly are having the same break time at 12noon. This leads to overcrowding of students at a particular food court.

Eg. Students from business school will usually have their lunch at Food court 6. They are seldom seen in other food courts as most of their lectures are held in business block. And with the same break time for all Singapore Poly students, every food court will face the same problem, Overcrowding. Business students wouldn't want to waste their time travelling back to business block where their lectures will be held at from the other food court which they had their lunch earlier on. As it is time consuming and inconvenient for them to do so.

Food courts in SP preferred
FC1
5.13%
FC2
5.13%
FC3
20.51%
FC4
28.21%
FC5
5.13%
FC6
35.90%

Waiting queue timing
Time
5mins
10mins
15mins
20mins
Peak Hours
Fast

Average
Moderate
Worst Scenario

Choice in a crowded food court ended up in
Wait for a table
Make the food take away
Totally skip lunch
Likely (45%)
Less likely
(40%)
Rarely
(15))


Findings

The causes:

Insufficient time
1hr = break time (total time given)
5mins = to the FC
15mins = queue time
15mins = ordering food
20mins = consume food
5mins = back to class

Utilization of tables/chairs

Clearing table:
Short of manpower is one of the most challenging face by cleaners. A lack number to clear could hardly manage to keep up with the continuous large amount of students occupying and reoccupying the seats and tables. Most area is not easily to be cleared with the overcrowding students all around.

Misused:
Not all seats have been used, most of the spaces were occupied by their laptops, bags and some even their tray. Naturally no one seems to clear their table at all after each meal. There are even students who would loiter even at a peak hours not giving up relentlessly to the jam pack timing.

Mindsets:
Many of us would not share or would occupy an empty seat on a table sharing with the others.

Large number of students:
As many of them used up all of the tables and chairs, those who also want to have their lunch may not have any enough time to eat. One of the causes of a crowded food court is due to the same lunch time. In addition, there are also long queues and that may lead to long waiting time. An alternative way to find seats and have lunch is by having packet food.

DISCUSSION (Note: not compulsory, teams that work on this section are graded more favourably and there is no need to relate your findings to other studies since there is no literature review)

We took a step back looking at the situation as a whole, from ground up. The mind set of where to go for lunch, where to buy or if all fails what student would do.

We discover on different outcome that could lead to the lack of seats. It became interesting when we notice on social behaviour among students in a crowded food court. (E.g. when a table have 4 seats and 3 is occupied would you taken up that seat if you need one?) . This is a point we observe that tables are use in form of groups, where not all seats is been used utmost.

Most normal behaviour we understand long queues means something worth waiting to buy but if the line move too slowly this could also slow the amount of the student using the food courts in the end. (So how long will you able to wait to satisfy the long queue and the hunger? It’s a race against time!)

For every satisfying conquest of ending battle in the food court, plates, bowls and other items are left on the table waiting to be cleared for the next group of student. Many tables occupying and re-occupying, we wonder would it be quicker if we just did the cleaning for faster usage of the seats.

CONCLUSION
We believe hunger is a strong motivation for us to create or our biggest flaw of all. Even though we are uniquely different from one another all became familiar to each other when urge for food comes in mind. There would be some who would care and realize too well to share, while some use them as if they had gain a plot of land. The system of lunch time is less than perfect but everyday student would endure to wait, to either take the challenge for a seat or just give up overall. Our thought to the conclusion, even with the rules in queuing and courtesy in providing seat for the next person is totally limited. We concur careful planning in the schedule dividing the time between 1st, 2nd and 3rd years student might at least give a fighting chance for having a decent lunch period.