Racial differences in restaurant tipping: Evidence from the field

Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly

Volumn 45, Issue 1, 2004, Pages 23-29

  Noll, Emily D ^a   Arnold, Susan ^b  

^a AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH   (United States)

^b NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 3242782612     PISSN: 00108804     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/0010880403260104     Document Type: Article

References (29)

1. J. Williams, of National Public Radio (NPR) reports, The Tipping Divide: Study Finds Differences in Tips by Black, White Restaurant Patrons, July 11, 2003, available online at http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1329241.html.
2. The following studies present evidence of the difference in tipping between African Americans and Caucasians: M. Lynn, " Black-White Differences in Tipping Various Service Providers," Journal of Applied Social Psychology, in press (2004), available online at http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/wm13/working_papers.htm.
3. M. Lynn, "Ethnic Differences in Tipping: A Matter of Familiarity with Tipping Norms," Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, forthcoming (2004) (an earlier draft of this article is at http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/wm13/ working_papers.htm.
4. M. Lynn and C. Thomas-Haysbert, "Ethnic Differences in Tipping: Evidence, Explanations, and Implications," Journal of Applied Social Psychology, forthcoming (2003).
5. E. Diggins (Noll) and S. Arnold, "Racial Differences in Restaurant Tipping," (unpublished manuscript, University of Florida, 1999).
6. In addition to other studies mentioned, studies have examined how tip size varies by characteristics of servers, such as their attitudes and gender. For example, see: B. Rind and P. Bordia, " Effect on Restaurant Tipping of Male and Female Servers Drawing a Happy, Smiling Face on the Back of Customers' Checks," Journal of Applied Social Psychology, vol. 26, no. 3 (1996), pp. 218-25.
7. B. Shamir, "A Note on Tipping and Employee Perceptions," The British Psychological Society, 1983, pp. 255-58.
8. In the first study, servers from suburban Maryland and Florida restaurants completed a survey that asked them to categorize customers of various races and other factors (e.g., gender) into tipping categories of below 15 percent (1), about 15 percent (2), or more than 15 percent (3). Average tip reported for blacks (Mean = 1.25) was less than that for whites (Mean = 2.24; t(87) = 15.52, p < .001) and less than 15 percent (Mean = 2.00; z = 16.30, p < .001).
9. In the second study, 2,151 dining parties in a Duval County, Florida, restaurant were observed by two servers, who recorded observed (e.g., race) and actual (e.g., tip) information. Analysis of that data indicated that blacks, on average, (Mean = 14.29) tipped less than did whites (Mean = 17.27, t(130) = 1.94, p = .054) and, excluding one extreme case, tipped less (Mean = 11.97) than 15 percent (z = 1.99, p < .02).
10. The study also attempted to explore if servers' beliefs were consistent with findings of the previous research regarding the effects of other customer variables on tipping. See: K. Garrity and D. Degelman, "Effect of Server Introduction on Restaurant Tipping," Journal of Applied Social Psychology, vol. 20, no. 2 (1990), pp. 168-72.
11. M. Harris, "Waiters, Customers, and Service: Some Tips About Tipping," Journal of Applied Social Psychology, vol. 25, no. 8 (1995), pp. 725-44.
12. M. Lynn, "The Effects of Alcohol Consumption on Restaurant Tipping," Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 14, no. 1 (1988), pp. 87-91.
13. M. Lynn and B. Latane, "The Psychology of Restaurant Tipping," Journal of Applied Social Psychology, vol. 14, no. 6 (1984), pp. 549-61.
14. Within-subject t-tests were conducted. Means for tip size and results of significance tests were examined, along with percentages of servers indicating various tip sizes, to illustrate the distribution of servers across the three categories.
15. t(87) = 15.52, p < .001.
16. As compared with a mean of 2.00; z = 16.30, p < .001.
17. Black servers reported that black female customers (Mean = 1.82) tipped them more than the level that white servers reported (Mean = 1.17; t(75) = 4.5, p < .001).
18. t(87) = 3.77, p < .001.
19. t(51) = 6.91, p < .001.
20. t(36), p < 1.00.
21. t(76) = 2.20, p < .05.
22. t(89), p < .001.
23. t(97) = 25.24, p < .001.
24. t(97) = 12.09, p < .001.
25. t(130) = 1.94, p = .054.
26. t(125) = 4.76, p < .001; needless to say, this was also less than 15 percent (z = 1.99, p < .02).
27. Including all cases: t(143) = 1.65, p < .10.
28. t(137) = 1.74, p < .08.
29. 2 = .001).