Ordering alone or together? The effect of ordering situation on over-ordering behavior

Abstract

Although social dining is prone to over-ordering that can lead to food waste, few studies to date have shown how the ordering situation of social dining influences over-ordering behavior. In this study, we analyzed how companion effects in ordering situations contribute to and inhibit over-ordering behavior through two laboratory experiments. By using a contextual manipulation method, we sourced data from 565 participants situated in Chengdu, China. The results showed that the presence of ordering companions significantly exacerbated tendencies to over-ordering, which was driven by the mediating mechanism of impression management motivation. In addition, ordering orientation significantly moderated this relationship. This study also showed that in the presence of a boundary condition of waiter intervention in the ordering situation, the ordering decision maker's over-ordering behavior was significantly inhibited, thus avoiding food waste. The findings of this study provide a better understanding of companion effects in the ordering situations and offer practical guidance for promoting sustainability in the food system.