How to influence restaurant employees’ food safety behaviour: an application of the theory of planned behavior and norm activation model

Foodborne illnesses caused by food service establishments can be prevented by shaping employees’ behavior. This study examines factors influencing the food service staff’s compliance of safety procedures regarding food and hygiene at restaurants by integrating the theory of planned behavior with the norm activation model. It also investigates the moderating role of job burnout on the relationship between food safety behavior and its antecedents. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from 325 restaurant employees in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Using structural equation modeling and multiple group analysis, this study confirms that employees’ behavior regarding adoption of food safety standards is directly influenced by behavioral intention and moral norms. Subjective norm is the strongest predictor of behavioral intention and has a significant impact on moral norms. Furthermore, job burnout plays a significant moderating role by weakening the effect of behavioral intention on food safety behavior.