A Study on Beverage Preferences of Students During Break Time at ITM Skills University
Author: Richika Jain (021331025335)
1. Introduction
Beverages play an important role in refreshing students during academic breaks and help in maintaining energy and concentration levels. Students often have different preferences for beverages based on taste, habit, and weather conditions. Educational institutions usually provide or facilitate access to multiple beverage options such as coffee, tea, lemon tea, and cold drinks. Understanding students’ beverage preferences can help campus vendors and administrators improve service quality and satisfaction. This study focuses on analyzing beverage preferences of students from the Operations batch at ITM Skill University. Statistical analysis has been used to identify whether there is any significant difference in preference among the selected beverages.
2. Objective of the Study
To analyze and compare students’ preference ratings for different beverages during break time at ITM Skill University.
3. Literature Review
Review 1:
According to Kotler & Keller (2016), consumer preference studies help organizations understand customer behavior and improve product offerings. In educational institutions, preference analysis assists in aligning food and beverage services with student expectations.
Review 2:
A study by Gupta and Sharma (2020) on beverage consumption among college students found that taste, accessibility, and refreshment value significantly influence beverage choice. The study also highlighted the usefulness of ANOVA in comparing multiple product preferences.
4. Data Collection
The data was collected from 40 students of the Operations batch at ITM Skill University using a Google Form. Respondents were asked to rate four beverages—Coffee, Tea, Lemon Tea, and Cold Drinks—on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 indicated the least preferred and 10 indicated the most preferred. The collected responses were compiled and analyzed using Microsoft Excel.
5. Data Analysis
To analyze whether there is a significant difference in students’ preferences among the four beverages, One-Way ANOVA (Single Factor) was applied.
Hypotheses
Null Hypothesis (H₀): There is no significant difference in mean preference ratings among Coffee, Tea, Lemon Tea, and Cold Drinks.
Alternative Hypothesis (H₁): There is a significant difference in mean preference ratings among the beverages.
ANOVA Summary Table
|
ANOVA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source of Variation |
SS |
df |
MS |
F |
P-value |
F crit |
|
Between Groups |
17.15 |
3 |
5.72 |
0.70 |
0.55 |
2.66 |
|
Within Groups |
1243.08 |
152 |
8.18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
1260.22 |
155 |
|
|
|
|
Interpretation
Since the F value (0.70) is less than F critical (2.66) and the p-value (0.55) is greater than 0.05, the null hypothesis is accepted. This indicates that there is no statistically significant difference in students’ preferences among the four beverages.
6. Conclusion
The study concludes that students at ITM Skill University show similar preference levels for Coffee, Tea, Lemon Tea, and Cold Drinks during break time. Although slight variations in average ratings exist, these differences are not statistically significant. This suggests that all four beverages are equally acceptable among students. The findings can help campus vendors maintain a balanced availability of beverages rather than focusing on a single option.
7. References
1. Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management. Pearson Education.
2. Gupta, R., & Sharma, V. (2020). A study on beverage consumption patterns among college students. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 12(3), 45–52.