Food waste is a significant global issue in which the hospitality industry plays an increasingly important role. In behavioral economics, emotions can serve as interventions to promote sustainable customer behavior. However, the effectiveness of self-conscious emotions, such as shame and pride, in reducing food waste in social dining contexts remains uncertain. Using the cognitive appraisal theory of emotion, we examine how shame and pride appeals influence customers’ overordering intentions (OOIs) in the Clean Your Plate Campaign in China. Our findings suggest that shame appeals associated with waste and pride appeals linked to frugality effectively reduce OOI by arousing impression management motivation. Additionally, including authoritative information in these appeals significantly enhances the interactivity of emotional appeals and impression management motivation and further reduces OOI. This study fills the research gap of emotions in overordering decision-making, offering practical guidance for preventing food waste and promoting environmental sustainability.
AgrawalN.DuhachekA. (2010). Emotional compatibility and the effectiveness of antidrinking messages: A defensive processing perspective on shame and guilt. Journal of Marketing Research, 47(2), 263–273. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.47.2.263
2.
AgrawalN.HanD.DuhachekA. (2013). Emotional agency appraisals influence responses to preference inconsistent information. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 120(1), 87–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2012.10.001
3.
AhmadS. N.LarocheM. (2015). How do expressed emotions affect the helpfulness of a product review? Evidence from reviews using latent semantic analysis. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 20(1), 76–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/10864415.2016.1061471
4.
AmatulliC.De AngelisM.PelusoA. M.SosciaI.GuidoG. (2019). The effect of negative message framing on green consumption: An investigation of the role of shame. Journal of Business Ethics, 157, 1111–1132. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10551-017-3644-X
5.
AmoniniC.PettigrewS.ClayforthC. (2015). The potential of shame as a message appeal in antismoking television advertisements. Tobacco Control, 24(5), 436–441. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-051737
6.
AntonettiP.MaklanS. (2014). Feelings that make a difference: How guilt and pride convince consumers of the effectiveness of sustainable consumption choices. Journal of Business Ethics, 124, 117–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1841-9
BagozziR. P.SekerkaL. E.SgueraF. (2018). Understanding the consequences of pride and shame: How self-evaluations guide moral decision making in business. Journal of Business Research, 84, 271–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.11.036
9.
BahjaF.HancerM. (2021). Eco-guilt in tourism: Do tourists intend to behave environmentally friendly and still revisit?Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 20, Article 100602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2021.100602
10.
BarrettL. F.LindquistK. A.GendronM. (2007). Language as context for the perception of emotion. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 11(8), 327–332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2007.06.003
11.
BerettaC.StoesselF.BaierU.HellwegS. (2013). Quantifying food losses and the potential for reduction in Switzerland. Waste Management, 33(3), 764–773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.11.007
12.
BergkvistL.ZhouK. Q. (2016). Celebrity endorsements: A literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Advertising, 35(4), 642–663. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2015.1137537
13.
Bissing-OlsonM. J.FieldingK. S.IyerA. (2016). Experiences of pride, not guilt, predict pro-environmental behavior when pro-environmental descriptive norms are more positive. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 45, 145–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.01.001
ChangY. Y.-C. (2022). All you can eat or all you can waste? Effects of alternate serving styles and inducements on food waste in buffet restaurants. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(5), 727–744. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1870939
16.
DolanP.HallsworthM.HalpernD.KingD.MetcalfeR.VlaevI. (2012). Influencing behaviour: The mindspace way. Journal of Economic Psychology, 33(1), 264–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2011.10.009
17.
DolnicarS.JuvanE.GrünB. (2020). Reducing the plate waste of families at hotel buffets–A quasi-experimental field study. Tourism Management, 80, Article 104103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104103
18.
DuhachekA.AgrawalN.HanD. (2012). Guilt versus shame: Coping, fluency, and framing in the effectiveness of responsible drinking messages. Journal of Marketing Research, 49(6), 928–941. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.10.0244
19.
EllsworthP. C.SmithC. A. (1988). From appraisal to emotion: Differences among unpleasant feelings. Motivation and Emotion, 12(3), 271–302. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00993115
GuanB.LiX.LuoZ.LiuP. (2024). Can (A) I arouse you? The impact of AI services on consumer pro-environmental behavior. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480241256602
22.
HanS.LernerJ. S.KeltnerD. (2007). Feelings and consumer decision making: The appraisal-tendency framework. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 17(3), 158–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1057-7408(07)70023-2
23.
HayesA. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Publications.
24.
HerraldM. M.TomakaJ. (2002). Patterns of emotion-specific appraisal, coping, and cardiovascular reactivity during an ongoing emotional episode. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(2), 434–450. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.83.2.434
25.
IsmagilovaE.DwivediY. K.SladeE. (2020). Perceived helpfulness of eWOM: Emotions, fairness and rationality. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, Article 101748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.02.002
26.
La FerleC.MuralidharanS.KimE. (2019). Using guilt and shame appeals from an eastern perspective to promote bystander intervention: A study of mitigating domestic violence in India. Journal of Advertising, 48(5), 555–568. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2019.1668893
LegendreT. S.LeeR. H.DingA.HwangE. M.GravesN. (2024). Clean technology and food waste reduction in on-site foodservice management companies. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 48(4), 684–697. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480231171325
29.
LeiS. S. I.AgyeiwaahE.FongL. H. N.ChoeJ. Y. (2024). Exploring food waste at a hospitality staff canteen with meteorological data. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 48(4), 607–621. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480231188001
LiS. (2019). Emotional appeals in tourism TV commercials: A psycho-physiological study. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 43(6), 783–806. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348019828440
32.
LiangY.SongQ.LiuG.LiJ. (2021). Uncovering residents and restaurants’ attitude and willingness toward effective food waste management: A case study of Macau. Waste Management, 130, 107–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.05.021
33.
LinX.SpenceP. R.LachlanK. A. (2016). Social media and credibility indicators: The effect of influence cues. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 264–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.002
34.
LwinM.PhauI. (2013). Effective advertising appeals for websites of small boutique hotels. Journal of Research in interactive Marketing, 7(1), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.1108/17505931311316725
35.
MkonoM.HughesK. (2020). Eco-guilt and eco-shame in tourism consumption contexts: Understanding the triggers and responses. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(8), 1223–1244. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1730388
36.
NiedenthalP. M.TangneyJ. P.GavanskiI. (1994). “If only I weren’t” versus “If only I hadn’t”: Distinguishing shame and guilt in conterfactual thinking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(4), 585–595. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.67.4.585
37.
OkumusB. (2020). How do hotels manage food waste? Evidence from hotels in Orlando, Florida. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(3), 291–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2019.1618775
38.
OnwezenM. C.AntonidesG.BartelsJ. (2013). The Norm Activation Model: An exploration of the functions of anticipated pride and guilt in pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Economic Psychology, 39, 141–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2013.07.005
SakaguchiL.PakN.PottsM. D. (2018). Tackling the issue of food waste in restaurants: Options for measurement method, reduction and behavioral change. Journal of Cleaner Production, 180, 430–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.12.136
41.
SchlenkerB. R. (1980). Impression management (Vol. 526). Brooks/Cole.
42.
SchneiderC. R.ZavalL.WeberE. U.MarkowitzE. M. (2017). The influence of anticipated pride and guilt on pro-environmental decision making. PLOS ONE, 12(11), Article e0188781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188781
43.
SeptiantoF.KemperJ. A.NortheyG. (2020). Thanks, but no thanks: The influence of gratitude on consumer awareness of food waste. Journal of Cleaner Production, 258, Article 120591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120591
44.
SeptiantoF.SeoY.ErrmannA. C. (2021). Distinct effects of pride and gratitude appeals on sustainable luxury brands. Journal of Business Ethics, 169, 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04484-7
45.
ShipleyN. J.van RiperC. J. (2022). Pride and guilt predict pro-environmental behavior: A meta-analysis of correlational and experimental evidence. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 79, Article 101753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101753
46.
SmithC. A.EllsworthP. C. (1985). Patterns of cognitive appraisal in emotion. Journal of Personality and Ssocial Psychology, 48(4), 813–838. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.48.4.813
47.
SoJ.AcharC.HanD.AgrawalN.DuhachekA.MaheswaranD. (2015). The psychology of appraisal: Specific emotions and decision-making. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(3), 359–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2015.04.003
48.
Souza-NetoV.MarquesO.MayerV. F.LohmannG. (2023). Lowering the harm of tourist activities: A systematic literature review on nudges. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(9), 2173–2194. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2036170
49.
StenmarckÂ.JensenC.QuestedT.MoatesG.BukstiM.CsehB.JuulS.ParryA.PolitanoA.RedlingshoferB. (2016). Estimates of European food waste levels. IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.4658.4721
TalwarS.KaurP.AhmedU.BilgihanA.DhirA. (2023). The dark side of convenience: How to reduce food waste induced by food delivery apps. British Food Journal, 125(1), 205–225. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-02-2021-0204
53.
TalwarS.KaurP.OkumusB.AhmedU.DhirA. (2021). Food waste reduction and taking away leftovers: Interplay of food-ordering routine, planning routine, and motives. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 98, Article 103033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.103033
54.
TalwarS.KaurP.YadavR.SharmaR.DhirA. (2023). Food waste and out-of-home-dining: Antecedents and consequents of the decision to take away leftovers after dining at restaurants. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(1), 47–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1953512
55.
TangneyJ. P.NiedenthalP. M.CovertM. V.BarlowD. H. (1998). Are shame and guilt related to distinct self-discrepancies? A test of Higgins’s (1987) hypotheses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(1), 256–268. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.75.1.256
TetlockP. E.MansteadA. S. (1985). Impression management versus intrapsychic explanations in social psychology: A useful dichotomy?Psychological Review, 92(1), 59–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.92.1.59
58.
TracyJ. L.RobinsR. W. (2004). Putting the self into self-conscious emotions: A theoretical model. Psychological Inquiry, 15(2), 103–125. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1502_01
59.
TracyJ. L.RobinsR. W. (2007). The psychological structure of pride: A tale of two facets. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(3), 506–525. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.3.506
WangL.-e.LiuG.LiuX.LiuY.GaoJ.ZhouB.GaoS.ChengS. (2017). The weight of unfinished plate: A survey based characterization of restaurant food waste in Chinese cities. Waste Management, 66, 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.04.007
63.
WangM.RasoolimaneshS. M.KunasekaranP.ZhaoY. (2024). Understanding over-ordering behaviour in social dining: Integrating mass media exposure and sense of ‘Mianzi’ into the Norm Activation Model. The Service Industries Journal, 44(13–14), 1018–1037. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2138356
64.
WangX.ChaoF.YuG.ZhangK. (2022). Factors influencing fake news rebuttal acceptance during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating effect of cognitive ability. Computers in Human Behavior, 130, Article 107174. https://doi.org//10.1016/j.chb.2021.107174
65.
WhiteK.PelozaJ. (2009). Self-benefit versus other-benefit marketing appeals: Their effectiveness in generating charitable support. Journal of Marketing, 73(4), 109–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.107174
66.
WilcoxK.KramerT.SenS. (2011). Indulgence or self-control: A dual process model of the effect of incidental pride on indulgent choice. Journal of Consumer Research, 38(1), 151-163. https://doi.org/10.1086/657606
67.
WilliamsL. A.DeStenoD. (2008). Pride and perseverance: The motivational role of pride. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(6), 1007–1017. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.94.6.1007
68.
WuJ.WuH. C.HsiehC.-M.RamkissoonH. (2022). Face consciousness, personal norms, and environmentally responsible behavior of Chinese tourists: Evidence from a lake tourism site. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 50, 148–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.01.010
69.
YanL.KehH. T.MurrayK. B. (2024). Feeling the values: How pride and awe differentially enhance consumers’ sustainable behavioral intentions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 52(1), 75–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-023-00928-4
70.
YinD.BondS. D.ZhangH. (2014). Anxious or angry? Effects of discrete emotions on the perceived helpfulness of online reviews. MIS Quarterly, 38(2), 539–560. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26634939
71.
YuZ.JuX.BaiL.GongS. (2021). Consumer’s over-ordering behavior at restaurant: Understanding the important roles of interventions from waiter and ordering habits. Appetite, 160, Article 105092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.105092
72.
ZeelenbergM.NelissenR. M.BreugelmansS. M.PietersR. (2008). On emotion specificity in decision making: Why feeling is for doing. Judgment and Decision Making, 3(1), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1930297500000139
73.
ZhangC. X.PearceP.ChenG. (2019). Not losing our collective face: Social identity and Chinese tourists’ reflections on uncivilised behaviour. Tourism Management, 73, 71–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.01.020
74.
ZhangL.PengT.-Q.ZhangY.-P.WangX.-H.ZhuJ. J. (2014). Content or context: Which matters more in information processing on microblogging sites. Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 242–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.10.031
75.
ZhaoX.YaoY.RenL.JiaG. (2023). Message framing strategies in promoting tourists’ pro-environmental behavioral intentions: The interaction of social distance and message framing. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 40(8), 678–692. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2023.2285930
76.
ZhengF.ZhaoC.AjinaA. S.PoulovaP. (2023). Decoding the dilemma of consumer food over-ordering in restaurants: An augmented theory of planned behavior model investigation. Sustainability, 15(11), Article 8735. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118735
77.
ZhuO. Y.LiH.GrünB.DolnicarS. (2024). The power of respect for authority and empathy–Leveraging non-cognitive theoretical constructs to trigger environmentally sustainable tourist behaviour. Annals of Tourism Research, 105, Article 103681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2023.103681
78.
ZouH.WangH.LiJ.HuaH.WuS. (2024). Ordering alone or together? The effect of ordering situation on over-ordering behavior. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, Article 103658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103658
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
