Developing Business Performance Improvement Strategies in Religious Family Food Service: An Integrated SWOT–TOWS Approach

Abstract

Improving business performance has become increasingly challenging for established service firms operating in highly competitive and digitally mediated markets. This study explores how business performance improvement strategies can be formulated in the context of religious family food services, where operational excellence, trust, and customer experience jointly influence competitive advantage. A qualitative single-case study design was employed involving six purposively selected informants representing key organizational functions and the industry. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, company documents, secondary data, and a management focus group discussion. Internal organizational conditions were analyzed using the Resource-Based View, while external pressures were examined through PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces. The findings were integrated into a SWOT analysis, translated into strategic alternatives using the TOWS matrix, and prioritized through management scoring. The study identifies valuable organizational resources, including brand reputation, operational experience, halal and legal compliance, service quality, and customer trust. However, these strengths are constrained by coordination gaps, uneven operational support, underutilized assets, limited capability development, and ineffective value communication. Twelve strategic alternatives were generated, with three implementation priorities emerging: strengthening response speed and lead management, integrating the digital customer journey, and enhancing marketing communication targeting young Muslim families. The findings demonstrate that sustainable business performance in religious family food services depends not only on organizational resources but also on the firm's ability to integrate digital capabilities, stakeholder trust, and customer experience into a coherent strategic framework. The study contributes to strategic management literature by illustrating how integrated SWOT–TOWS analysis can support evidence-based strategy formulation in trust-intensive service industries.