Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Establishing a behavioral model for achieving good food safety behaviors by foodservice employees in Taiwan

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study explores food safety and sanitation-related competence, self-efficacy, overall behavioral motives, behavioral intentions, behaviors, and the effects of the organizational environment on foodservice employees. Significant positive correlations are found between food safety and sanitation-related competence, self-efficacy, overall behavioral motive, behavioral intention, and food safety-related behavior. A structural equation modeling analysis of those paramters indicated that competence positively affects self-efficacy and overall behavioral motive. The affect on the behavior applied for both self-efficacy and overall behavioral motive and positively influenced behavioral intention and behavior. Thus, the model we obtained a goodness of fit. Improving the organization environment can increase the influence of self-efficacy and behavioral intention on behavior.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acikel C, Ogur R, Yaren H, Gocgeldi E, Ucar M, Kir T (2008) The hygiene training of food handlers at a teaching hospital. Food Control 19:186–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen I (1985) Form intention to action: a theory of planned behavior. In: Kuhl J, Beckmann J (eds) Action control form cognition to behavior. Springer, New York, pp 11–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen I (1988) Attitudes, personality and behavior. Open University Press, Milton Keynes

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen I (1991a) The theory of planned behavior. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 50:179–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen I (1991b) The theory of planned behavior. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 50(2):179–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen I, Fishbein M (1980) Understanding Attitudes and predicting social behavior. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson JC, Gerbing DW (1988) Structural modeling in practice: a review and recommended two-step approach. Psychol Bull 103:411–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashkanasy NM, Wilderom CPM, Peterson MF (2000) Handbook of organizational culture and climate. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi RP, Yi Y (1988) On the evaluation of structural equation models. J Acad Mark Sci 16:74–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A (1977) Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev 84(2):191–215

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A (1982) Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. Am Psychol 37:122–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A (1986) Social foundations of thought and action: a social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Barth S (2004) How to prevent food and beverage liability. Lodg Hosp 60(7):36–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Beavers A, Richards J, McCallum RS, Davidson PM, Skolits G, Brandon M (2013) Measuring self-efficacy of food safety in adolescent populations. Food Prot Trends 33(3):127–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Beavers AS, Murphy L, Richards JK (2015) Investigating change in adolescent self-efficacy of food safety through educational interventions. J Food Sci Educ 14(2):54–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Brief AP (1998) Attitudes in and around organizations. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Byham WC, Moyer RP (1996) Using competencies to build a successful organization. Development Dimensions International Inc, Bridgeville

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrd-Bredbenner C, Maurer J, Wheatley V, Schaffner D, Bruhn C, Blalock L (2007) Food safety self-reported behaviors and cognitions of young adults: results of a national study. J Food Prot 70(8):1917–1926

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carrasco H, Martínez-Tur V, Peiró JM, Moliner C (2012) Validation of a measure of service climate in organizations. Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones 28(2):69–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark J, Crandall P, Reynolds J (2019) Exploring the influence of food safety climate indicators on handwashing practices of restaurant food handlers. Int J Hosp Manag 77:187–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins JE (1997) Impact of changing lifestyles on the emergence/reemergence of foodborne pathogens. Emerg Infect Dis 3:471–479

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Davis FD (1989) Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Q 13(3):318–339

    Google Scholar 

  • De Boeck E, Jacxsens L, Bollaerts M, Vlerick P (2015) Food safety climate in food processing organizations: development and validation of a self-assessment tool. Trends Food Sci Technol 46:242–251

    Google Scholar 

  • De Boeck E, Jacxsens L, Bollaerts M, Uyttendaele M, Vlerick P (2016) Interplay between food safety climate, food safety management system and microbiological hygiene in farm butcheries and affiliated butcher shops. Food Control 65:78–91

    Google Scholar 

  • De Boeck E, Mortier AV, Jacxsens L, Dequidt L, Vlerick P (2017) Towards an extended food safety culture model: studying the moderating role of burnout and jobstress, the mediating role of food safety knowledge and motivation in the relation between food safety climate and food safety behavior. Trends Food Sci Technol 62:202–214

    Google Scholar 

  • DeBess EE, Pippert E, Angulo FJ, Cieslak PR (2009) Food handler assessment in oregon. Foodborne Pathog Dis 6(3):329–335

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fishbein M, Ajzen I (1975) Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: an introduction to theory and research. Addison-Wesley, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Fishbein M, Ajzen I (2010) Predicting and changing behavior: The reasoned action approach. Psychology Press (Taylor & Francis), New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Fornell C, Larcker DF (1981) Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. J Mark Res 18:39–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Greig JD, Todd EC, Bartleson CA, Michaels BS (2007) Outbreaks where food workers have been implicated in the spread of foodborne disease. Part 1. Description of the problem, methods, and agents involved. J Food Prot 70(7):1752–1761

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haapala I, Probart C (2004) Food safety knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors among middle school students. J Nutr Educ Behav 36(2):71–76

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hair JF, Black WD, Babin BJ, Anderson RE, Tatham RL (2006) Multivariate data analysis, 6th edn. Pearson Education Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinsz VH, Nickell GS (2004) A motivational model of product safety and security behaviors. In: Paper presented at the 19th annual meeting of the society for industrial and organizational psychology, Chicago, IL

  • Hinsz VB, Nickell GS (2015) The prediction of workers’ food safety intentions and behavior with job attitudes and the reasoned action approach. J Work Organ Psychol 31:91–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinsz VB, Nickell GS, Park ES (2007) The role of work habits in the moti-vation of food safety behaviors. J Exp Psychol Appl 13:105–114

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hislop N, Shaw K (2009) Food safety knowledge retention study. J Food Prot 72(2):431–435

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hu L, Bentler P (1999) Cutoff criteria for fit indices in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Struct Equat Model 6:1–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Ko WH (2013) The relationship among food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported HACCP practices in restaurant employees. Food Control 29(1):192–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Ko WH, Hsiao IF, Ni SH (2016) Establishing competency indicators for food industry workers on food safety and hygiene. In: Apac CHRIE 2016, May 11–13. Bangkok

  • Lillquist DR, McCabe ML, Church KH (2005) A comparison of traditional handwashing training with active handwashing training in the food handler industry. J Environ Health 67(6):13–16

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McIntyre L, Vallaster L, Wilcott L, Henderson SB, Kosatsky T (2013) Evaluation of food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported hand washing practices in FOODSAFE trained and untrained food handlers in British Columbia, Canada. Food Control 30(1):150–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Osaili TM, Abu Jamous DO, Obeidat BA, Bawadi HA, Tayyem RF, Subih J (2012) Food safety knowledge among food workers in restaurants in Jordan. Food Control 31:145–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Pacholewicz E, Barus SAS, Swart A, Havelaar AH, Lipman LJA, Luning PA (2016) Influence of food handlers’ compliance with procedures of poultry carcasses contamination: a case study concerning evisceration in broiler slaughterhouses. Food Control 68:367–378

    Google Scholar 

  • Park SH, Kwak TK, Chang HJ (2010) Evaluation of the food safety training for food handlers in restaurant operations. Nutr Res Pract 4(1):58–68

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Parry BS (1998) Just what is a competency? And why should you care? Training 35(6):58–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell DA, Jacob CJ, Chapman BJ (2011) Enhancing food safety culture to reduce rates of foodborne illness. Food Control 22:817–822

    Google Scholar 

  • Rentsch JR (1990) Climate and culture: interaction and qualitative differences in organizational meanings. J Appl Psychol 75:668–681

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts KR, Barrett BB (2011) Restaurant managers’ beliefs about food safety training: an application of the theory of planned behavior. J Foodserv Bus Res 14(3):206–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Scallan E, Griffin PM, Angulo FJ, Tauxe RV, Hoekstra RM (2011) Foodborne illness acquired in the United States–unspecified agents. Emerg Infect Dis 17:16–22

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Seaman P, Eves A (2006) The management of food safety-the role of food hygiene training in the UK service sector. Hosp Manag 25:278–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Seaman P, Eves A (2008) Food hygiene training in small to medium-sized care settings. Int J Environ Health Res 18(5):365–374

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith L, Sirsat SA, Neal JA (2014) Does food safety training for non-profit food service volunteers improve food safety knowledge and behavior? Food Prot Trends 34(3):156–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer LM, Spencer SM (1993) Competence at work: model for superior performance. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor MR (2011) Will the food safety modernization act help prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness? N Engl J Med 365:e18. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1109388

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Triandis HC (1977) Interpersonal behavior. Brooks/Cole, Monterey, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (2015). Burden of foodborne diseases. https://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/foodborne-diseases/ferg/en/. Accessed June 2109

  • York VK, Brannon LA, Shanklin CW, Roberts KR, Barrett BB, Howells AD (2009) Intervention improves restaurant employees’ food safety compliance rates. Int J Contemp Hosp Manag 21(4):459–478

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZJ, Li XQ (2010) Competency assessment study based on IPCA-fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. Mongolian Natural Science Foundation

Download references

Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by MOST, Taiwan (Grant No. MOST 105 - 2511 - S - 030 - 001 - MY2).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wen-Hwa Ko.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ko, WH., Ni, SH. Establishing a behavioral model for achieving good food safety behaviors by foodservice employees in Taiwan. J Consum Prot Food Saf 15, 63–72 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00003-019-01240-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00003-019-01240-6

Keywords

Navigation