Systems‐practice framework: An integrated approach for foodservice management

Abstract

Aim There is increasing pressure on foodservice organisations to improve the sustainability of their operations and to do so practitioners must be equipped with appropriate tools. In this paper, a tool to guide management strategies for pro‐environmental behaviour change is introduced. The tool is based on a new framework that combines two existing models: the widely used foodservice ‘systems model’ and a model from sociology proven to be effective for understanding sustainable practices, the ‘social practice model’. Methods This new hybrid ‘systems‐practice’ framework is applied to an ethnographic case study, using document analyses, observations, focus groups and interviews, to investigate food waste in hospital kitchens. The present case study illustrates the practical implications of employing this approach and enhances the external validity of the proposed framework. Results The present study showed how the social practice model added to the existing systems model emphasised the role of foodservice personnel for generating pro‐environmental practices, and thus offered a more people‐based approach to foodservice management. Conclusions The case study data provided evidence for the efficacy of a systems‐practice approach to foodservice. This is especially relevant for encouraging a more environmentally aware behavioural orientation within foodservice systems. Based on easy‐to‐follow steps presented in the adjoined ‘application of the systems‐practice guide’, practitioners can use the framework to either understand practices that already exist in their operations, with the purpose being to ensure further systemisation of positive practices, or to effect change by creating new sustainable practices and phasing out existing unsustainable practices.

University foodservices’ potential for providing environmental education to students

“…Managers could motivate staff by finding a common positive perspective to initiate changes. Goonan et al suggest a framework combination of the commonly used ‘systems model’ and ‘social practice model’ as a tool to introduce sustainable practices in a foodservice . This combination approach may also be useful for introducing environmental education into university foodservice.…”

“…Although the Skeptics were the minority group, there is a chance this factor might be represented in some foodservices. To overcome these obstacles, the framework by Goonan et al . could show Skeptics that financial accountability, hygiene and customer service outcomes can still be withheld.…”

“…Goonan et al suggest a framework combination of the commonly used 'systems model' and 'social practice model' as a tool to introduce sustainable practices in a foodservice. 19 This combination approach may also be useful for introducing environmental education into university foodservice. The system-practice model allocates images, materials and skills to each component of the systems model.…”

“…In order to ensure the successful implementation of environmental education initiatives within university foodservice, it is necessary to understand foodservice staff perceptions about the desirability and the reality of environmental education in their foodservice . While previous studies from the USA and New Zealand have shown a gap in knowledge about what motivates foodservice managers to integrate sustainable practices, there has been no academic discussion surrounding university foodservice staff attitudes towards environmental education as a goal of a university foodservice. Understanding stakeholder perspectives is an effective step that will give direction to implementing environmental education in university foodservice.…”

Australian residential aged care foodservices menu design, quality and standards - a time for action

“…In this framework, the system is an open system which impacts and is impacted upon, by its environment (Gregiore, 1913). A search of literature of research on foodservice management systems revealed very few articles, however a very recent article combined the systems framework with the social practice model with ethnography (Goonan, Mirosa, Spence 2015). So while this study did not use the terms critical realism the approach was similar to work carried out in this thesis.…”