Team Cohesion in the Restaurant Industry: The Influence of Core Evaluations

Team cohesion has been clearly established in the literature as an essential component of effective work teams, yet little research has been conducted in regard to what factors lead to cohesion within a restaurant management team. What is currently known about the antecedents of cohesion indicates that it emerges from individual team member attitudes and perceptions as a collective property of the team. This, in turn, suggests cohesion is influenced by the dispositional traits of team members. The core evaluations construct, which represents a model of dispositional traits existing within each individual at the most basic level, offers implications for the emergence of cohesion in both of its forms, task cohesion and social cohesion. To help bridge the gap in prior research, this study was conducted to investigate the influence of core evaluations on team cohesion within restaurant management teams. This study first adopted and modified Judge et al.\u27s (1997) theoretical model of core evaluations, advancing a model in which two types of core evaluations, self and external, were both second-order latent constructs each reflected by four first-order evaluative traits. The proposed trait structure was then tested. Finally, drawing on approach/avoidance theory and social exchange theory, this study hypothesized a multilevel model in which the dispositional traits of core self-evaluation (CSE) and core external-evaluation (CEE) at the individual front-line manager level have positive effects on task and social cohesion within restaurant management teams. To accomplish the objectives of this study, a survey research design was employed. The survey instrument was comprised of four sections: core self-evaluation, core external-evaluation, team cohesion, and demographic profile. Data were collected from managers employed by four restaurant franchise groups, resulting in a useable sample of 317 individual responses composing 76 teams ranging in size from 2-6 members. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the factor structure of CSE and CEE, as well as the overall measurement model. The task and social cohesion items were then aggregated to the team level and multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was conducted to test the relationships between latent constructs. The results of this study supported the second-order factor structure of core evaluations. CSE was shown to be reflected by self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, emotional stability, and locus of control. CEE was shown to be reflected by belief in a benevolent world, belief in a just world, and belief in people. Due to sample size, a reduced-parameter model was developed in which CSE and CEE were treated as sub-dimensions and measured by mean scores. MSEM results from this model showed that CSE had significant positive effect on team task cohesion whereas CEE had a significant positive effect on team social cohesion. These results offer numerous theoretical and practical implications for the study of core evaluations, team cohesion, and micro-macro phenomena, which are discussed in the final chapter. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed

How Drinking Vessels Influence Customer Taste Perceptions

First impressions count and it takes just a fraction of a second for us to decide whether we like someone when we meet them for the first time. With a collaborator, Rosen College of Hospitality Management\u27s Dr. Marissa Orlowski is looking at how similar perceptions can be made about products and what implications this has for the food and beverage sector. They have discovered that the kind of vessel in which drinks are served affects both people\u27s taste perceptions and their willingness to pay

Preparation (mis)perception: Effects of involvement on food attributes and desirability

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of involvement in food preparation on estimated calorie content, perception of portion size, and desirability of the food item. Design/Methodology/Approach: To test the hypotheses, three between-subjects experiments (one online, two in a laboratory setting) were conducted. Across the three experiments, participants were presented with a food item either ready for consumption (low involvement) or with the individual ingredients in need of assembly prior to consumption (high involvement). Findings: Results showed that when a consumer is involved in the preparation of their food, they perceive the food to be lower in calories and smaller in portion size than when the same food is presented fully prepared and ready-to-eat. In addition, the effect of food preparation involvement on perception of portion size has negative downstream consequences on food desirability, as a smaller perceived portion resulted in a less desirable food item. Originality/Value: To the authors knowledge, the results of this research are the first to focus on the impact of preparation involvement on perceptions of the specific product attributes of calorie content and portion size, and the downstream effect on desirability

Let\u27s \u27Meetup\u27 at the Theme Park

Many people enjoy theme park and other leisure experiences with their families; however, today a great number of single, geographically mobile individuals desire to partake in such experiences. ‘Meetup’ is the world’s largest social network of local groups and thus allows for both online and off-line (in person) interactions. Using an ethnographic approach, this study examines how individuals can enjoy activities centered on common activities, interests, and opinions (AIO) via immersion in a Meetup group over the course of a year. Notably, members visited with greater frequency, had less tolerance for long lines, and were more likely to attend special events, eat at specialty restaurants, and consume alcohol. Group members also exchanged travel advice and both contributed and detracted from the enjoyment of the theme park experience. Membership in this Meetup group increased the frequency of visits and deeper exploration of the theme park resort, thus improving behavioral loyalty among annual pass holders. Managers can learn from these online communities to foster interactions among their guests and better target this new market

Can, Cup, or Bottle? The Influence of Service Vessel on Consumer Perceptions of Taste and Willingness to Pay

This study examines the influence of beverage service vessel on taste evaluations and willingness to pay through two experiments, each with four conditions: an aluminum can, a glass cup, a plastic cup, and a glass bottle. Study 1, a virtual scenario-based design with 141 participants, showed that taste expectations and willingness to pay were lowest for the beverage served in the aluminum can and that taste expectations mediated the effect of beverage vessel on willingness to pay. Study 2, a lab-based experiment with 82 participants, assessed taste perceptions and willingness to pay. Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1 in a live context with real consumption, extending the findings from expectations to actual perceptions. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed

What am I tipping you for? Customer response to tipping requests at limited-service restaurants

Tipping within the foodservice industry has traditionally been reserved for full-service restaurants. However, there is a growing trend of tip requests at limited-service restaurants, where tipping occurs prior to consuming the product. This research aims to examine the effect of a point-of-sale tip request at limited-service restaurants on return intentions via customer irritation. It also aims to analyze the moderating effects of check amount and perceived deservingness

The unintended effects of tamper-evident food closures

Restaurant-to-consumer food delivery has experienced disruption with the growth of third-party services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. However, this platform-to-consumer delivery method introduces increased opportunities for food tampering and contamination due to additional touchpoints in the delivery process. To mitigate these concerns, more restaurants are implementing tamper-evident closures such as seals attached to the food containers used for delivery items. Drawing on signaling theory, we examine the effect of tamper-evident closures in the third-party delivery context through two experimental studies and a focus group. Our results revealed a negative effect of tamper-evident seals on willingness to pay through lowered food quality evaluations, suggesting the seal sends contamination signals rather than the intended message of food safety. This negative effect appears robust for both food and beverages. We also demonstrate that consumers’ food safety risk perception (FSRP) acts as a boundary condition, attenuating the negative indirect effect for high-FSRP consumers

The Unintended Effects of Tamper-Evident Packaging

Third-party food delivery (TPFD) services such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub introduces increased opportunities for contamination through the introduction of unknown variables between the restaurant and consumer. Across two studies, we examine the effect of tamper-evident food packaging closures in a TPFD context, revealing a negative effect of a tamper-evident seal on willingness to pay through decreased satisfaction. This negative effect is robust across both food and beverages. Finally, consumers’ perception of risk of illness (PRI) from TPFD moderates this effect

Thinking outside the bottle: Effects of alternative wine packaging

Packaging communicates intrinsic product attributes to consumers, which can influence consumer response and decision-making; however, little is known about the impact of non-traditional packaging formats. The current research aims to bridge this gap. Across five studies, we demonstrate that non-traditional packaging negatively influenced purchase intention of a complex product, wine, through product appeal and taste perceptions (Study 1A)/expectations (Studies 1B–4). We also demonstrate that the consumer response to non-traditional packaging is a function of individual differences (desire for unique products) and label attributes (eco-friendly labels)

Student Engagement and Satisfaction with Online Labs

Hospitality and tourism is a ‘people business.’ So what happened when the need for social isolation as a result of COVID-19 forced hospitality educators to rethink their pedagogical strategies and move previously face-to-face courses online? In one of the first studies of its kind, Marissa Orlowski, Cynthia Mejia, Robin Back and Jason Fridrich from UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management researched student engagement and satisfaction in online culinary and beverage labs