Trust in Workplace Canteens – using Germany and the UK as Market Examples Sarah Price A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Bournemouth University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy October 2016 Copyright Statement: This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with the author and due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. ii Trust in Workplace Canteens – Using Germany and the UK as a Market Example Sarah Price Abstract It is estimated, that most employees eat one or more meals per day whilst they are at work, which is forming an important element of their overall diet. However, consumers struggle to make an informed dish decision due to a lack of information provided. Additionally, past food scares in Germany and the UK have created distrust and interest in food information. This study is identifying what is important to consumers, indicating their information needs and establishes the format that is most appropriate for the delivery of food information in workplace canteens in Germany and the UK. Providing consumers with enhanced food information can strengthen the relationship between consumer and canteen operator as well as establish trust in the food served. A mixed methodological, sequential approach was employed. Four focus groups were used to inform the design of a questionnaire (n=317), which tested criteria of importance and types of information provision that are relevant when making food choice in a workplace setting using Best-worst scaling. Through semi-structured interviews (n=10) canteen operators’ views on meeting customer needs and establishing trust in the food served were identified. Informational criteria of importance have been identified whereby, Nutrition, Value for Money and Naturalness are key elements that consumers require to make a decision about dish selection. Consumers fall into different segments; Health Conscious, Socially Responsible and Value Driven and hence rate the importance of certain informational criteria differently impacting on dish selection. Traffic Light Labelling, Information Boxes and Quality Assurance have been shown to be the most favourable way of receiving food information. Consumers align to different segments; Tech-savvy, Heuristic Processors, Brand Orientated and Systematic Processors, hence various communication channels can be explored to most effectively target consumers. This study has provided an understanding of consumers’ information requirements thus enabling canteen operators to be more competitive. The provision of food information that targets different consumer segments can demonstrate shared customers’ values and consequently, evidence operators’ commitment towards a relationship that is based on transparency and trust. iii Table of Contents Copyright Statement ii Table of Content v List of Figures viii List of Tables x Acknowledgements xi Declaration xii Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Rationale for the Research 13 1.2 Research Aims and Objectives 17 1.3 Structure of the Thesis 18 Chapter 2 Trust and Food 2.1 Food and Trust 20 2.2 Trust as an Abstract Concept 21 2.3 Trust: Enduring of Vulnerable? 23 2.4 Reflexive Trust 24 2.5 Trust in Food Survey 26 2.6 Different Cultural and Institutional Food Related Trust Theories 26 2.6.1 Knowledge Deficit Model 32 2.6.2 Consumer Sovereignty Theories 33 2.7 The Active Consumer 34 2.8 Socio-demographic Differences of Trust in Food 36 2.9 Trust in Actors of the Food Chain 36 2.9.1 Trust in Agriculture and Retail 37 2.10 Eating Out 39 2.11 Dining Out Trends 39 2.12 Reasons for Dining Out 40 2.13 Demographic Segmentation in Foodservice 41 2.13.1 Baby Boomers 42 2.13.2 Generation X 42 2.13.3 Generation Y 42 2.14 Socio-economic Status 43 2.15. Diet and Disease 43 2.16 Business and Industry Foodservice 44 2.17 The Workplace Canteen 48 2.18 Consumer Need for Information 51 Chapter 3 Information Quality and Ways of Providing Food Information 3.1 Information Quality 52 3.2 Processing of Information 53 3.3 Consumer Right to Information 56 3.4 The EU Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to 57 Consumers 3.5 Different Ways of Providing Food Information to Consumers 59 3.5.1 Nutritional Labelling 59 3.5.2 Nutritional Labelling among Different Population Segments 59 3.5.3 Menu Labelling 60 3.5.4 Different Ways of Delivering Nutritional Information 61 iv 3.5.4.1 Nutrition Information Displayed by Weights or Percentage 61 Guideline Daily Allowance 3.5.4.2 Traffic Light Labelling 62 3.5.4.3 Nutrition Information Through the Use of Symbols 63 3.6 Quality Assurance as Means of Providing Food Information 65 3.6.1 Quality Assurance as a Proxy for Quality 66 3.6.2 Cost of Quality Assurance 68 3.6.3 Quality Assurance in the Meat Sector 68 3.6.4 The Plethora of Quality Assurance Schemes 69 3.6.5 Quality Assurance in the Eating Out Sector 72 3.7 Brands as an Indicator for Quality 73 3.7.1 Brand Associations as a Signal for Quality Attributes 74 3.7.2 The use of Brands in Workplace Canteens 75 3.8 Food Information provided through Electronic Communication 76 3.8.1 Applications used in a Canteen Setting 77 3.8.2 Challenges of Alternative Information Provision Systems 77 3.8.3 QR Codes used to Provide Food Information 78 3.9 Relationship Marketing as a Way to bridge the Gap between 79 Industry and Consumer 3.10 Summary and Conceptual Framework 82 Chapter 4 Methodology 4.1 Research Approach 84 4.2 Research Design 85 4.2.1 Data Analysis: Triangulation and Thematic Synthesis 90 4.3 Empirical Study 1 – Focus Groups 91 4.3.1 Focus Groups 91 4.3.2 Data Analysis 92 4.4 Empirical Study 2 – Questionnaire 94 4.4.1 Best-Worst Scaling 95 4.4.2 Framework and Design of the Experiment 97 4.4.3 Structure of the Questionnaire 98 4.4.4 Translation of the Survey 104 4.4.5 Pilot Testing the Questionnaire 104 4.4.6 Questionnaire Administration 105 4.4.7 Data Analysis 106 4.4.7.1 Latent Class Cluster Analysis 107 4.4.8 Validity, Reliability and Generalisability 109 4.5 Empirical Study 3 – Stakeholder Interviews 109 4.5.1 Sampling Approach and Sample Size 110 4.5.2 Pilot Interviews 111 4.5.3 Administration of the Interviews 111 4.5.4 Thematic Approach to Data Analysis 112 4.5.5 Quality of the Data Analysis 113 4.6 Evaluation of the Methodological and Analytical Approach 114 4.6.1 Qualitative Data Approach: Elements of Construct Validation 114 4.6.2 Quantitative Data Approach 117 4.6.3 Mixed Methods Approach: Elements of Construct Validity 118 4.7 Ethical Considerations 122 Chapter 5 Results 5.1 Empirical Study 1 123 5.1.1 Preceding Factors for Making Food Choices 123 5.1.2 Factors Directly Affecting Food Choice 125 5.1.3 Food Information 130 v 5.1.4 Similarities and Differences between the UK and Germany 132 5.2 Empirical Study 2 135 5.3 Empirical Study 3 150 5.3.1 Perception of Criteria of Importance 150 5.3.2 Customer Relationship 158 5.3.3 Bad Image and Consumer Perception of the Canteen 159 5.3.4 The Menu as a Source of Information 160 5.3.5 Provision of Information 161 5.3.6 Barriers to Meeting Consumers’ Informational Requirements 164 5.3.7 Enablers of Meeting Consumer Demands and Increasing 167 Consumer Trust Chapter 6 Discussion 6.1 Model of the Role Information Provision based on Consumer 175 Criteria of Importance can have on the Relationship between Consumer and Operator that Fosters Trust 6.2 Preceding Factors to Making use of Workplace Canteens 178 6.3 Food Criteria of Importance 179 6.4 Preferred Food Information Formats 183 6.5 Information currently provided in Workplace Canteens 186 6.6 Barriers to Meeting Customer Requirements 189 6.7 Enablers of Meeting Customer Requirements 192 6.8 Recommendations for Practice 195 Chapter 7 Conclusions, Limitations and Recommendations for Further Study 7.1 Revisiting the Research Questions, Aim of the Study and 198 Methods Used 7.2 Conclusions 200 7.3 Recommendations for Workplace Canteens 202 7.4 The Contributions of this Study 202 7.4.1 Contribution to Knowledge 203 7.4.2 Implications for Practice 203 7.4.3 Implications for Policy 204 7.5 Limitations 204 7.6 Recommendations for Further Study 205 7.7 Critical Reflection of the Researcher’s Journey 206 Appendices 208 References 223 vi List of Figures Figure 2.1 Trust in Faceless in Faceless Systems and Trust in Systems 22 relying on Facework Figure 2.2 Trust in the Food System according to Luhmann’s 22 Understanding of Trust Figure 2.3 Factors influencing Trust 31 Figure 2.4 Food Values influencing Consumers’ Food Choice 35 Figure 2.5 Wave of Consumer Trust Placed in Different Actors of the 38 Food System Figure 2.6 The Generations 41 Figure 2.7 Public and Private Sector Foodservice 46 Figure 3.1 Goals of Consumer Orientated Communication for Food, 54 Enabling and Disabling Factors Figure 3.2 The Processing of Food Information 55 Figure 3.3 Nutrition Information Box 62 Figure 3.4 Examples of Traffic Light Labelling 63 Figure 3.5 Swedish Keyhole Symbol and the American Hear-Check Mark 64 Figure 3.6 The Concept of Providing Food Information throughout 78 different Production Stages Figure 3.7 The Conceptual Dimensions of Relationship Marketing 80 Figure 3.8 Application of the Commitment Trust Theory of Relationship 81 Marketing to the Relationship between Contract Caterer and Canteen Guest Figure 3.9 Conceptual Framework of the Role of Meaningful Information 83 Provision which Relates to Trust in Workplace Canteens Figure 4.1 Incorporation of the Multiple Levels of the Food