Benefits and transaction costs of purchasing local foods in school districts

Although there are several benefits associated with the consumption and increased awareness of locally grown foods in school districts, there are also costs that prevent increasing the purchase of local foods. This study examined the main benefits and transaction costs perceived by school foodservice directors in a Northeastern State when purchasing local foods. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with school districts’ foodservice directors (N = 11) were conducted. The main criteria for participation was to target school districts who previously or currently purchased locally grown food items. The study showed that school foodservice directors categorized price, food safety and availability as the main components of transaction costs associated with the purchase of locally grown products. They also identified several benefits, such as supporting the local economy, providing better quality food, and ensuring students have access to healthier foods. Future studies could build on these findings to identify specific measures of transaction costs.     

Analysis and benchmarking of greenhouse gas emissions of luxury hotels

Hotels are one of the most energy intensive building types due to their multi-usage functions and round the clock operations. We investigated the energy consumption of 58 Taiwanese luxury hotels for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄). The average yearly GHG emission density of the investigated hotels is 132 kg-CO₂e/m². The results show an expected 29 kg of equivalent carbon dioxide emission (CO₂e) for each accommodated guest/night, or 50 kg-CO₂e generated for each room/night sold. A multiple regression model was established to normalize the GHG emission intensity, which includes GHG emissions potential variables and a benchmark model, plotted as a cumulative percentile distribution, in which hotels can rank their GHG emissions intensity. By comparing hotel GHG emission performances, hotel managers can determine if and where improvements should be implemented.     

Food waste management in ethnic food restaurants

The foodservice sector generates excessive amounts of food waste. This wastage remains however understudied, especially in the context of specific foodservice sub-sectors catering for a large number of consumers. This holds true for ethnic food restaurants holding a noticeable share of the global out-of-home food consumption market. This paper contributed to knowledge with an exploratory study of food waste and its management in Chinese cuisine restaurants operating in the UK. By applying a novel approach to estimating food waste in foodservice operations, it demonstrated the magnitude, established the drivers and revealed managerial approaches to food waste mitigation. The study showcased the role of contextual, UK market-specific, and cultural, ethnic cuisine-related, factors in food waste generation and its management. Drawing upon perspectives of foodservice operators, the study outlined the key barriers to more effective mitigation of food waste and proposed how these could be at least partially overcome in the future.     

The Effect of Healthy Food Knowledge on Perceived Healthy Foods’ Value,Degree of Satisfaction,and Behavioral Intention: The Moderating Effect of Gender

ABSTRACT

This study seeks to determine how knowledge about healthy food impacts its perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention among college students to access healthy foods, and to investigate the moderating effect of gender on the formulated relationships. The results show that knowledge about healthy food positively influences perceived value and behavioral intentions, and perceived value is a significant predictor of satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward healthy foods. In addition, knowledge about healthy food does not significantly influence on satisfaction in this study. The results regarding the moderating effects of gender show that gender only moderates the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intentions toward healthy foods. These results offer useful information for foodservice companies and educational institutions; more specifically, for gaining a better understanding of college students’ behaviors and perceptions toward healthy foods and developing marketing strategies accordingly.     

Investigating the effects of self-efficacy on foodservice industry employees’ career commitment

Compared to workers in other kinds of occupations, such as technology services, foodservice industry workers face much higher psychological pressure with relatively lower pay. In an ideal foodservice industry, the human factor should not be neglected. With a relatively high turnover rate, understanding the psychological needs and conditions of foodservice industry workers would be helpful for the organizations and management to allow them to react properly and effectively. Previous research indicates that career commitment is the factor which most affects turnover rate. Researchers have discussed numerous motivation factors affecting career commitment, but they have not examined the relative contributions of self-system, i.e. individuals exercising control over their thoughts, feelings and actions. Among the beliefs with which an individual evaluates the control s/he has over his/her actions and environment, self-efficacy beliefs are the most influential arbiter of human activity. This empirical study examines the relationship between self-efficacy and career commitment in the foodservice sector. ANOVA of survey data from 1025 foodservice employees supported the relationship between self-efficacy and career commitment. A chi-square test found that high self-efficacy degrees indicate a higher level of career commitment. Our findings suggest that the higher an employees’ self-efficacy, the higher their career commitment will be.     

Restaurant's decision to purchase local foods: Influence of value chain activities

In this paper we investigate how restaurant managements’ attitudes and behaviors influence decisions to purchase local foods as inputs to their products. An enhanced investigation of chefs’ and managers’ decision-making criteria could improve understanding of local food systems linkages with the restaurant industry. We apply a value chain framework to investigate activities that influence restaurants’ decision to purchase local foods. Results indicate that attitudes and behaviors associated with sourcing and product characteristics play an important role in local food purchase decisions in the restaurant value chain. Order processing time and uniqueness of products are the most significant reasons in restaurant managements’ decisions to purchase local foods. The implications of these findings for restaurants and producers are discussed. Our study contributes to the literature by expanding upon the criteria used by restaurants to make local food purchasing decisions.     

Developing green management standards for restaurants: An application of green supply chain management

Hospitality businesses influence the sustainability of their natural environment by consuming significant amounts of natural resources. However, research on applying green supply chain management (GrSCM) with process of food production to construct green management indicators for restaurants is lacking. This study thus establishes a green management standard with GrSCM that green restaurants can implement. This study combines GrSCM and food and beverage management to develop green restaurant standards, and primarily adopts the Delphi Technique to develop green standards of restaurant management. A total of 23 experts from government, industry, and academia were invited to participate. The results show that green restaurant management standards comprise three facets (green foods; green environment and equipment; and green management and social responsibility), nine sub-facets, and 81 indicators: besides five indicators for the new established restaurant, the remaining 76 were standards for existing restaurants in Taiwan. In addition to its practical implications, an important contribution of this study is its application of GrSCM to establish a green management standard for restaurants.     

‘Bin it and forget it!’: The challenges of food waste management in restaurants of a mid-sized Hungarian city

Although research on food waste and its management in foodservices is gradually evolving in developed countries, it remains limited in transitional economies. This holds true for many EU-28 member states located in East-Central Europe, where no studies have assessed to date the magnitude of food waste occurring in foodservices, identified its key drivers and established the scope for minimisation. By interviewing 18 managers of foodservice businesses in a historical, mid-sized, city of Veszprem, this paper explores the phenomenon of food waste in the foodservice sector of Hungary, an EU-28 economy in transition. It provides a first benchmark of food waste generation in Hungarian foodservices. It also identifies institutional, contextual, locational, organisational and cultural factors that impede food waste prevention and mitigation. Drawing on international experience and best practices in food waste management, recommendations are made on how these factors should be addressed.     

Food service research: An integrated approach

Food production demands competencies in both natural science and management principles. The suggested framework includes the following areas of research: technological innovation, process design (including Industrial Cuisine), product development (including Molecular Gastronomy, Industrial Gastronomy and Functional Meal) and risk management (including quantitative risk assessment and predictive microbiology). Developments stemming from food science and engineering could be combined with studies in operations management, consumer psychology, cognitive psychology, sociology and economics. The paper concludes that in order to meet societal demands for health, sustainability and efficiency a radical shift is needed—from ‘low tech’ recipe development and proliferation of marketing concepts to ‘cutting edge’ technological innovation supported by advanced research in management and consumer studies.     

Foodservice hygiene factors—The consumer perspective

Food safety is important to today's food industry operators as consumers have become increasingly concerned about risks related to food. Unlike foodservice operators or health inspectors, consumers can only rely on the visible cues, particularly those associated with food hygiene to judge the level of food safety in eating establishments. While previous research highlighted the influence of foodservice hygiene perception on consumer dining out decision, study examining the constructs of food safety cues that consumers employed is scant. This research aims to bridge the gap by exploring the topic from the consumer perspective. Results indicate that foodservice hygiene is one of the top three considerations when consumers select a dining place. Results of confirmatory factor analysis reveal a four-factor model encompasses staff and handling, food and location, premise and practices, and scent aspects. Further substantiation in different settings is needed for generalization purpose.     

Minimising food miles: issues and outcomes in an ecotourism venture in Fiji

The tourism sector's demand for food, and the distance some food travels, has significant impacts on greenhouse gas emissions and implications for climate change, especially in long haul small island state destinations. This paper describes the development of the concept of food miles, and the many measurement issues involved. It analyses a small island ecotourism project in Fiji where the source, and transport mode, of all food consumed over 35 months was recorded in detail, during which time conscious efforts were made to minimise imported foods and increase island-grown food. In 2008, the share of imported “non-Fiji” food was 18%, by 2010 it was reduced to 5%. On-site production had risen from zero to 15%. Off-island, but Fijian, food accounted for the balance. Food miles were reduced by over 50%; carbon emissions from food transport fell by over 20%. Some problems were encountered by the largely young (average age 27 years), largely UK/US visitors who were unused to “low carbon” diets with reduced meat levels. Ideas are put forward to overcome that challenge, including new/fashionable cooking techniques, and interpreting local food and farming to visitors. Management issues involved in larger scale ventures are outlined.     

Tourists' Perception of International Air Travel's Impact on the Global Climate and Potential Climate Change Policies

Tourism's increasing contribution to climate change, especially through the use of air travel, is now acknowledged. This study seeks to explore tourists' knowledge and awareness of aviation's impact on the climate, their sense of personal responsibility and their reactions to specific climate change policies. A focus group approach – informed by interviews with international tourists leaving New Zealand – was chosen to involve tourists in discussing climate change and travel. In the focus groups, three policy options were discussed: voluntary initiatives, a global air travel charge and a per capita carbon budget. The global air travel tax emerged as a realistic compromise between restricting travel and achieving emissions reduction. When discussing individual responsibility for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, tourists distinguished between their travel and their everyday life, where responsibility for mitigation was perceived to be greater. The value of freedom to travel is firmly established in the minds of many tourists and limiting travel is considered unacceptable by the (hyper) mobile tourists who participated in this research. Only major societal changes to bring about behavioural change seem likely to reduce air travel's contribution to climate change.     

Comments on Smith's: Restaurants and dining out

Stephen Smith's article (Annals 10:515–549, 1983) provides an interesting insight into the geography of dining out and is a timely contribution to tourism literature. However, as a regular observer and student of the foodservice industry, I would like to comment on the two topics which he addresses: the national patterns of foodservice development and the tendency to dine out, and the local patterns of foodservice site selection.     

The effects of employees’ business ethical value on person–organization fit and turnover intent in the foodservice industry

Given the growing importance of ethical values and social responsibilities in the workplace, the purpose of this study was to investigate interrelationships among employees’ business ethical value, person–organization fit and turnover intent in the foodservice industry. A total of 788 employees in Korea participated. The results showed a positive relationship between employees’ perceptions of business ethics and their person–organization fit. Participants expressing a high person–organization fit were less likely to leave their positions. These findings have important implications for creating and facilitating an ethical business environment in the foodservice industry. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.     

Consumers’ prestige-seeking behavior in premium food markets: Application of the theory of the leisure class

Premium food markets have emerged as a new form of foodservice establishment. They feature a unique eating and shopping experience that offers a wide variety of high-quality food in a sophisticated environment with distinctive consumer services. Based on the theory of the leisure class, this study explored how consumers’ prestige values influence their behavioral intentions, particularly their customer citizenship behavioral intention and revisit intentions, toward premium food markets. The study sample included customers who have shopped at premium food markets. Using a self-administered survey, 247 valid responses were obtained for analysis. The results showed the positive effects of prestige values on affective commitment and the positive influences of affective commitment on customer citizenship behavioral intention and revisit intention. This study significantly extends prestige-consumption knowledge in the foodservice and hospitality industries.     

产业关联视角下中国住宿业碳排放结构路径研究

识别中国住宿业碳排放增长路径,是应对气候变化、精准制定旅游减排政策的关键。本研究从产业关联的视角出发,采用环境投入产出和结构路径分析方法,探究1997—2017年中国住宿业碳排放演变特征与影响住宿业碳排放变动的关键路径。结果表明：（1）研究期间中国住宿业碳排放量波动增长,但排放强度持续下降,电力和热力消耗是住宿业碳排放最主要的能源消耗类型。（2）最终需求引致的直接住宿业碳排放对住宿业全部碳排放量贡献始终较大,但住宿业消费中间产品投入引致的隐含碳排放量逐渐增多。（3）从供应链路径来看,"（上游供应部门）→食品制造业→住宿业→最终需求"与"（上游供应部门）→电力、热力的生产和供应业→住宿业→最终需求"是驱动中国住宿业碳排放变动的主要路径类型,上游供应部门涉及农林牧渔、道路运输、化学工业等部门。实现住宿业低碳发展应实施"源头减量、过程控制、末端治理"的综合治理战略,优化住宿业的中间产品投入结构,引导住宿业传统供应链向绿色供应链转型。     

Training Issues

Abstract

This paper reviews issues relating to the vision-impaired (V-I) foodservice management program and subsequent training supported by the Randolph-Sheppard Act and the Randolph-Sheppard foodservice program (henceforth referred to as RS) of 1936. The act gives vision-impaired foodservice managers preference for the award and operation of vending operations in all types of federal and government buildings as well as road-side rest areas. As a pilot study, this paper investigates the perception of V-I respondents pertaining to training and other issues covered under the RS program. The results spur suggestions for potential improvement to the RS program in the State of Florida, as well as a need for improved training and inspection of V-I sites nationwide. Tips for those who might train the vision-impaired foodservice manager are also included.     

Communication of food waste messages: The effects of communication modality,presentation order,and mindfulness on food waste reduction intention

This study investigates how businesses can persuade customers to participate in food waste reduction efforts by using communication strategies. Grounded in information processing and persuasion theories, we conducted two studies. In study 1, a focus group interview was performed to explore how customers process food waste communication from foodservice operations. In study 2, a 2 (communication modality: written vs. verbal) × 2 (presentation order: before meals vs. during meals) × 2 (mindfulness: low vs. high) between-subjects design quasi experiment was conducted to examine these interaction effects on customers’ intention to support the restaurants’ food waste reduction efforts. The findings are consistent across the two studies. The findings indicate that people with low mindfulness have lower intention to participate when the message is delivered verbally (vs. written) and the message is prompted before meals (vs. during meals). Conversely, people with high mindfulness tend to have higher intention to participate regardless of communication modality and presentation order.     

Burnout and food safety: Understanding the role of job satisfaction and menu complexity in foodservice

This study measures job motivation, satisfaction, and burnout amongst foodservice employees, as well as the menu complexity in foodservice establishments. It verifies the relationship between these factors and food safety practices. We visited 20 foodservice establishments and interviewed 202 foodservice employees. Job motivation, satisfaction, and burnout were assessed using validated questionnaires. Menu complexity was evaluated by considering the number of meals prepared in different courses. Data relating to food safety violations were obtained using a food safety checklist. Our findings show that foodservice employees exhibit high levels of job motivation, job satisfaction, and personal burnout. In restaurants with more complex menus, instances of burnout as well as food safety violations are higher, and these have a negative impact on foodservice employees’ job motivation. Job satisfaction is positively affected by job motivation and negatively affected by burnout. Cognitive aspects of food safety, practical implications, and limitations of this study are discussed.     

中国环境规制对旅游业碳排放绩效的影响

在碳达峰、碳中和的时代背景下,合理设置环境规制强度,提高旅游业碳排放绩效对于实现旅游业高质量发展具有重要意义。基于2001—2019年中国省际面板数据,利用Super-SBM和熵值法分别测度旅游业碳排放绩效及环境规制强度,并进一步运用面板固定效应模型和面板门槛模型探讨环境规制对旅游业碳排放绩效的影响。结果表明：（1）研究期内,中国旅游业碳排放绩效整体呈缓慢上升趋势,东部地区呈波动变化趋势,中部地区处于较低水平但始终呈稳定上升态势,西部地区增长最快;中国环境规制整体强度同样呈增长态势,且表现出"东部>西部>中部"的空间分布格局。（2）环境规制与旅游业碳排放绩效之间存在先促进后抑制的"倒U"型关系,当前中国环境规制整体强度处于拐点之前。以技术创新为门槛变量,发现环境规制对旅游业碳排放绩效具有显著的技术创新双门槛效应。（3）东部、中部和西部均存在技术创新单一门槛效应。在科技创新水平的影响下,东部地区环境规制对旅游业碳排放绩效的促进作用实现飞跃;西部地区科技创新水平较低时,环境规制阻滞旅游业碳排放绩效提升;当科技创新跨过门槛后,环境规制有助于旅游业碳排放绩效提高;中部地区环境规制则始终抑制旅游业碳排放绩效增长。