How to encourage food waste reduction in kitchen brigades: The underlying role of ‘green’ transformational leadership and employees' self-efficacy

Abstract

Although significant amounts of food are wasted in professional kitchens, research on food waste behaviour among kitchen employees is limited. This study plugs this knowledge gap by examining the determinants of food waste reduction among members of kitchen brigades. The survey (n = 208) results collected in Poland and analysed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) demonstrate the importance of such external/organisational i.e., green transformational leadership and supervisory support, and internal/personal i.e., self-efficacy and attitudes towards food waste reduction, factors in encouraging food waste management by kitchen staff. The results also show that green organisational climate does not influence innovative and collaborative food waste behaviour of kitchen employees, but their self-efficacy and supervisory support do. The study's results suggest that, to manage food waste in professional kitchens more effectively, hospitality organisations should (1) embed the goal of food waste mitigation in organisational values; (2) empower supervisors to encourage food waste reduction among staff; and (3) facilitate pro-environmental innovation and collaboration among kitchen employees.