Food Waste Reduction from Customers’ Plates: Applying the Norm Activation Model in South Korean Context

Modelling the mass adoption potential of food waste composting among rural Chinese farmers

As a safe alternative to hazardous agrochemicals, food waste compost could prevent human health hazards and environmental degradation. Food waste composting has not garnered much popularity among farmers given their sole dependence on synthetic fertilizers for high yields and commercial returns. Hence, this study aimed to identify the factors influencing farmers' adoption of food waste composting for regular use. Empirical data were collected from 399 farmers residing in different second-tier cities in China through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling was used to statistically examine the models and construct correlations. Based on the study outcomes, the perceived usefulness of food waste compost, awareness of the consequences, social influence, anticipated guilt, and attitude towards food waste composting substantially impacted food waste composting intention. Intriguingly, the perceived value of sustainability and ascription of responsibility did not have a significant impact on food waste composting intention, whereas food waste composting intention substantially influenced food waste composting behavior. The results of the multi-group analysis revealed differences in the relationship between awareness of consequences and food waste composting intention across genders and educational levels. This intriguing finding provides new avenues for future research and offers novel insights into the practical applications and promotion of food waste composting. These results will improve the relevant aspects among farmers for eco-friendly farming practices, innovate food waste management strategies, and mitigate environmental deterioration resulting from hazardous agrochemicals. This study expands the current body of literature by providing government regulators and other social enterprises with effective laws, policies, and strategy development guidelines for adopting natural composting on a large scale and enhancing the nutritional value of food to prevent unforeseen health risks caused by toxic chemicals.

Determinants of Preschool Teachers’ Knowledge-Sharing Behavior from a Thinking Style Perspective

Knowledge sharing not only promotes communication among teachers to achieve self-professional growth but also facilitates knowledge innovation. Thus, knowledge sharing among preschool teachers deserves attention. This study explored the factors influencing preschool teachers’ knowledge-sharing behaviors. A questionnaire was administered to 297 preschool teachers using a Norm Activation Model from a thinking style perspective. Data analysis was performed using partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that executive thinking style preschool teachers showed a significant positive influence of awareness of consequences; legislative thinking style preschool teachers showed a significant positive influence of awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility; awareness of consequences had a significant positive influence on ascription of responsibility; awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility had a significant positive influence on personal norms; and personal norms had a significant positive influence on knowledge-sharing behavior. Meanwhile, the influence of executive thinking style on ascription of responsibility, legislative thinking style on ascription of responsibility, and awareness of consequences on personal norms emerged as significantly different among preschool teachers in two different contexts: interpersonal sharing and Internet sharing. This study confirmed the factors influencing preschool teachers’ knowledge-sharing behaviors from a thinking style perspective and provides suggestions for improving preschool teachers’ knowledge-sharing behaviors.

Consumer intentions to reduce food waste in all-you-can-eat restaurants based on personal norm activation

Norm activation theory (NAT) is a theoretical foundation often used by academics to explain behavioral intention in the context of pro-environmental consumer behavior. This research aimed to analyze the essential role of NAT in ascertaining consumer intentions to reduce food waste based on social marketing. The unit of analysis was an individual, namely consumers who have visited an "all-you-can-eat" restaurant in the last month during the research time and intend to visit again in the future. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire instrument which was created and distributed online. Furthermore, the Likert scaling technique with five answer options was used to measure each item of the latent variable measurement. This research used purposive sampling with a size of 500 respondents, and the quality of the measurement was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. The covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that personal norm as the core of NAT can be active when consumers feel they are responsible for the negative impacts of food waste. Active personal norm has a significant effect on behavioral intentions and the formation of consumer intentions to reduce food waste. Contextually, the implementation of NAT to reduce food waste with a focus on the social marketing approach is the essential originality of this research. Further research will be more comprehensive if it involves actual behavioral factors as a translation of intentions.

NAM and TPB Approach to Consumers' Decision-Making Framework in the Context of Indoor Smart Farm Restaurants

The movement toward smart farming, which has productivity and eco-friendly roles, is emerging in the foodservice industry in the form of indoor smart farm restaurants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumer decision-making processes in the context of indoor smart farm restaurants. The investigational framework was designed around the norm activation model (NAM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), with the moderating role of age. In particular, this study merged NAM and TPB to assess the effect of awareness of consumption consequences on consumers' attitudes as well as the role played by subjective norms in the formation of personal norms. Data were collected from 304 respondents in South Korea. As a result of structural equation modeling, the proposed hypotheses of causal relationships were generally supported, excluding only the relationship between subjective norm and behavioral intention. The moderating role of age was identified in the relationships between (1) subjective norm and attitude, and (2) personal norm and behavioral intention. This study presents not only theoretical contributions as the first empirical study on consumer behavior in the context of indoor smart farm restaurants but also presents practical suggestions from the perspective of green marketing.