The Impact of Operational Transparency on Brand Image and the Mediating Role of Perceived Reliability
Restaurants’ Customers' Perspectives in Sulaimani City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14500/kujhss.v9n1y2026.pp524-534Keywords:
Operational Transparency, Brand Image, Perceived Reliability, Restaurants, Sulaimani cityAbstract
This study examines the impact of operational transparency on brand image and the mediating role of perceived reliability in restaurants in Sulaimani City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A descriptive analytical approach was used. The questionnaire was designed to collect data from restaurant customers within Sulaimani city, as an infinite population. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses. The results present a strong positive correlation and a direct impact of operational transparency on brand image, and perceived reliability has a statistically significant mediating role in this relationship. The main conclusions show that operational transparency is not only related to brand image but also affects it directly and indirectly by mediating perceived reliability; hence, focusing on operational transparency is essential to improving the level of brand image among restaurant customers. The paper recommends the importance of perceived reliability for restaurant customers due to its direct impact on the brand, on the one hand, and activating an indirect path to the impact of operational transparency on the brand image, on the other hand, which ensures continuity and enables them to use resources effectively, which enhances survival in the competition by improving the brand image.
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