Job Crafting and Burnout as Predictors of Food Safety Behaviors in the Foodservice Industry

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate whether job crafting, burnout, and work engagement predict food safety behaviors in the foodservice industry. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Cuiabá (Brazil) among foodservice workers. Four instruments were used among foodservice workers for the examination: (a) job demands and resources, (b) job satisfaction, (c) burnout, and (d) work engagement. Food safety practices were measured using a validated risk-based checklist. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis model. In this study, 22 restaurants and 302 foodservice workers were examined. It was found that the “job demands-resources” model was valid for foodservice workers, i.e., burnout was strongly predicted by job demands (β = 0.550; p < 0.001); job resources were a positive predictor of work engagement (β = 0.258; p < 0.001); and burnout was a negative predictor of work engagement (β = −0.411; p < 0.001). Food safety violations were predicted by job crafting (β = −0.125; p = 0.029) and burnout (β = 0.143; p = 0.016). The results indicate that mitigating burnout and increasing job crafting can be important supporting strategies to improve food safety behaviors.

Food safety culture in food companies amid the Lebanese economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic

“…Although, Tomasevic et al [ 20 ] did not assess the relationship between food safety culture and conscientiousness or feelings of burnout/job stress, it was mentioned as a study limitation. Nascimento et al [ 56 ] on the other hand indicated that mitigating burnout can be an important strategy to improve food safety behavior in the food service industry in Brazil. The low mean score for burnout/job stress in this study could be related to fear of job loss, salary drop, work overload as well as possible work-unrelated stresses (Covid-19 pandemic and the Lebanese economic crisis).…”