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Background: Obesity continues to be an epidemic in the United States and is associated with multiple chronic diseases. Greater numbers of people eat in restaurants and select high calorie foods. Labeling laws require calorie information on menus in some restaurants. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of intention to use calorie labels among college students using constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Methods: College students selected a meal from a menu without calories and from the same menu with calorie information, and completed a survey that addressed TPB constructs. Regression analysis was used to determine predictors of intention to use labels and calorie changes of meals ordered. Results: Students (n = 100) ordered significantly fewer calories with posted calorie information. Intention was significantly correlated with attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Discussion: The TPB may help explain factors involved in the intention to use posted calorie information on a restaurant menu. Results support the inclusion of the calorie statements on these menus. Translation to Health Education Practice: Education efforts should include constructs of the TPB. When planning, implementing and evaluating programs, utilizing strategies to influence attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control is suggested.

The current study assessed the relationships between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), perceived quality, price fairness, satisfaction, and conative loyalty in the context of local food restaurants. Given the demand of customers for CSR and local foods in restaurants, stakeholder theory, and social identity theory were used to assess whether promoting these practices add value to organizations. There were 557 surveys collected through an online survey panel that showed there is a significant relationship between CSR and perceived quality, price fairness, and satisfaction. The relationship between CSR and perceived quality has the largest influence of the relationships. Another key finding was that satisfaction and CSR, through the use of local foods, has the strongest influence on conative loyalty. Implications for academics and practitioners are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While extensive research has been conducted on local food and consumer behavior, there is little research investigating college students' intention regarding purchasing local food. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that motivate college students to purchase local food. The theory of consumption values, which uses five primary values to explain buying behavior, is applied in this study. In addition, this study also identified a significant moderator, place attachment, on the relationship between consumption values and consumers' behavioral outcomes. The survey was distributed to college students enrolled in a university in the southeastern United States. The results present that emotional, functional, and epistemic values are significantly related to the intention to consume local food whereas social and conditional values are not. Moreover, place attachment significantly moderated the relationship between social value and intention to consume local food. Significant theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the recent booming of the food truck industry, no research has identified consumers' underlying beliefs in regards to their food truck visits. To discover underlying cognitive structure about consumers' food truck visits, this study utilized the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and examined salient behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs with an elicitation study. A content analysis was performed with a total of 200 responses using Nvivo 10. Consequently, this study identified a range of advantages (e.g., unique and/or different food), disadvantages (e.g., sanitation), referent groups (e.g., family), and barriers and facilitators (e.g., proximity). Based on the findings, practical and theoretical implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critical role of inclusion in organizations has been proposed in the hospitality industry; however, there is still limited scholarly attention given to leadership. This study was to investigate the role of hotel employees’ perceptions of inclusion (i.e. sense of belongingness and sense of uniqueness) for linking inclusive leadership and positive work outcomes (i.e. thriving at work and intention to stay). Five hundred eight responses were used for the data analysis, and the hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. The results presented that inclusive leadership promotes employees’ perceptions of inclusion, sense of belongingness, and uniqueness. These perceptions, in turn, lead to thriving at work and intention to stay. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings were discussed further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine underlying motivations of consumers' intention to visit a restaurant featuring organic menu items and willingness to pay (WTP) for organic menu items. In particular, this study incorporated environmental concerns, social value, and health consciousness as key motivators. An online survey was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire, and a total of 473 responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that environmental concern was the strongest predictor of WTP, followed by social value and health consciousness, whereas health consciousness was the most influential factor on intention to visit, followed by social value and environmental concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food truck industry has become a national phenomenon in the United States by gaining attention and praise. However, there has been limited attention on how and why consumers decide to patronize food trucks. The purpose of the study is to investigate determinants of consumers’ intention to patronize food trucks by applying the model of goal-directed behavior. Structural equation modeling was employed to assess the relationships among constructs in the proposed research model. This study contributes significant theoretical and practical implications by first attempting to examine what specific psychological variables influence the decision-making process regarding consumers’ intention to visit food trucks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a comprehensive model to explain how electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and environmental concern influence on customers’ intention to visit a locally sourced restaurant. The proposed research model was built upon the model of goal-direct behavior (MGB) and extended by incorporating eWOM and environmental concern. The results indicated that environmental concern positively influences desire through affecting attitude toward visiting a locally sourced restaurant. In addition, eWOM positively influences customers’ intention directly and indirectly through predictive variables of the MGB. This study contributed to extend the MGB by revealing the role of environmental concern and eWOM within the model. In addition, managerial implications were discussed in regards to developing effective marketing strategies in locally sourced restaurants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study tested (1) the theory of planned behavior to identify factors influencing customers’ willingness to pay more when visiting a locally sourced restaurant, and (2) assesses the effect of health consciousness and community attachment on willingness to pay more through attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in visiting a locally sourced restaurant. A total of 423 responses were analyzed using a two-step approach of structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that health consciousness and community attachment positively influences attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control in visiting a locally sourced restaurant, which ultimately influence willingness to pay more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]