The independent sample t-test and the ANOVA test were used to further compare the responses received against the respondent’s sociodemographic profiles, so as to determine the significant relationships and differences among the relevant variables.
Gender
In terms of gender, an independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare perceptions by gender for intentions to avoid food waste (f1); personal beliefs on food waste (f2); beliefs regarding environmental sustainability (f3), financial attitudes (f4), and personal norms (f5). The results, as can be seen in Table 4.21 below, showed that there was a significant difference in the scores of f1 for the men (M = 3.76, SD = 0.693) and women (M = 3.99, SD = 0.805), t (203) = -2.107, ρ = 0.036. The female respondents were more in agreement with the statements than were the male respondents. However, no significant difference in the perceptions for f2 was obtained for the men (M = 3.76, SD = 0.720) and women (M = 3.86, SD = 0.982), t (108.43) = -0.791, ρ = 0.431; for f4 for the men (M = 3.42, SD = 0.902) and women (M = 3.31, SD = 0.885), t (203) = -0.789, ρ = 0.431; for f5 for the men (M = 3.76, SD = 0.720) and women (M = 3.86, SD = 0.982), t (108.43) = -0.791, ρ = 0.431; and for f3 for the men (M = 3.50, SD = 0.084) and women (M = 3.72, SD = 0.133), t (203) = -1.477, ρ = 0.141, therefore indicating that the male and female respondents tended to respond to the factors in the same way.
Table 4.22: Independent sample t-test results relating to gender
Factors Gender Mean ρ-value Intention to avoid food waste Male 3.763 0.360
Female 3.990
Personal beliefs Male 3.759 0.431 Female 3.864
Financial attitudes Male 3.419 0.431 Female 3.314
Personal norms Male 3.715 0.170 Female 3.871
Beliefs regarding environmental sustainability Male 3.501 0.141 Female 3.724
Age
When the age variable was considered, an ANOVA test was performed, according to which the respondents’ age was divided into four groups (Group 1: >21; Group 2: 21–30; Group 3: 31– 40; Group 4: >40). The results obtained, according to Table 4.23 below, show that there was a significant difference in the intention to avoid food waste, F(3) = 17.555, ρ-value = 0.000; in personal beliefs, F(3) = 3.851, ρ-value = 0.010; in financial attitudes, F(3) = 4.623, ρ-value = 0.004; in personal norms, F(3) = 7.594, ρ-value = 0.000; and in beliefs regarding environmental sustainability, F(3) = 8.666, ρ-value = 0.000. A post-hoc comparison conducted using the Sheffe test for intentions to avoid food waste indicated that the mean scores for Group 1 (M = 3.00, SD = 0.77) were significantly different from those of groups 2 (M = 4.07, SD = 0.563), 3 (M =
3.96, SD = 0.750), and 4 (M = 3.76, SD = 0.529). Consequently, it was plausible to determine that the younger cohorts of respondents were more in disagreement with the statements of intention to avoid waste than were the older age groups. Perhaps because the younger hotel staff who worked in the restaurants and kitchen would have had relatively little experience in terms of managing food waste, they would have had rather a nonchalant perception regarding it. Consequently, years of experience might be seen to influence the intention to avoid food waste. The conclusion is further strengthened by the recordings in Table 4.23 below. Moreover, the post-hoc comparison, using the Sheffe test for personal beliefs, indicated that the mean score for Group 1 (M = 3.48, SD = 0.600) were significantly different from that for Group 2 (M = 4.04, SD = 0.670), thus leaning towards the idea that the 21- to 30-year-old age group was more in agreement with the personal belief statements than the younger age group was.
In relation to financial attitude, the post-hoc comparison, using the Sheffe test, revealed that the mean score for Group 2 (M = 3.70, SD = 0.857) was significantly different than were the mean scores for groups 1 (M = 3.12, SD = 0.729) and 3 (M = 3.24, SD = 0.899). The above means that the 21- to 30-year-old age group was more in agreement with the statements than were the younger-than-21-year-old and the 31- to 40-year-old age groups.
The post-hoc comparison, using the Sheffe test for personal norms, indicated that the mean score for Group 1 (M = 3.21, SD = 0.666) was significantly different from the mean scores for groups 2 (M = 3.91, SD = 0.707) and 3 (M = 3.92, SD = 0.785). The younger age group was clearly more in disagreement with the statements made than were the older age groups. When the post-hoc comparison, using the Sheffe test for beliefs regarding environmental sustainability, was performed, the test indicated that the mean score for Group 1 (M = 2.85, SD = 0.834) was significantly different from the mean scores for groups 2 (M = 3.92, SD = 0.847) and 3 (M = 3.64, SD = 1.003), thus the younger age group was more in disagreement with the statements than were the older age groups.
Table 4.23: ANOVA test for age groups
Factors Age group Mean ρ-value Intention to avoid food waste Younger than 20 years 3 0.000
21–30 years 4.07 31 40 years 3.96 41 years or older 3.76
Personal beliefs Younger than 20 years 3.48 0.010 21–30 years 4.04
31–40 years 3.75 41 years or older 3.65
Financial attitudes Younger than 20 years 3.12 0.004 21–30 years 3.70
31–40 years 3.24 41 years or older 3.28
Personal norms Younger than 20 years 3.21 0.000 21–30 years 3.91
31–40 years 3.92 41 years or older 3.57
Beliefs regarding environmental sustainability Younger than 20 years 2.85 0.000 21–30 years 3.92
31–40 years 3.64 41 years or older 3.31
Duration in current job
The respondents’ duration of employment in the current place of work was divided into three groups (Group 1: less than a year; Group 2: 1–3 years; Group 3: 3 or more years). There was a significant difference in the intentions to avoid food waste, F(2) = 7.298, ρ-value = 0.001. Table 4.24 reveals that there was, however. no significant difference in personal beliefs, F(2) = 1.145, ρ-value = 0.320; financial attitudes, F(2) = 0.422, ρ-value = 0.657; personal norms, F(2) = 0.650, ρ-value = 0.523; beliefs towards environmental sustainability, F(2) = 1.324, ρ-value = 0.268. Additionally, the post-hoc comparison, using the Sheffe test, for intentions to avoid food waste indicated that the mean score for Group 1 (M = 3.54, SD = 0.943) was significantly different from those for groups 2 (M = 4.06, SD = 0.660) and 3 (M = 3.88, SD = 0.603).Therefore, the respondents who had been in the company longer than the others were more in agreement with the statements than were those who had worked for under a year.
Table 4.24: ANOVA results for duration in the current job
Factors Duration in current job Mean ρ-value Intention to avoid food waste Less than a year 3.54 0.001
1–3 years 4.06 3 or more years 3.88
Personal beliefs Less than a year 3.66 0.320 1–3 years 3.90
3 or more years 3.81
Financial attitudes Less than a year 3.29 0.657 1–3 years 3.44
3 or more years 3.40
Personal norms Less than a year 3.66 0.523 1–3 years 3.82
3 or more years 3.80
Beliefs regarding environmental sustainability Less than a year 3.38 0.268 1–3 years 3.69
Duration of employment in the food and beverage sector
To further determine whether the length of employment within the food and beverage subsection had influenced the perceptions and attitudes of the respondents, the duration of employment of the respondents was divided into three groups (Group 1: less than a year; Group 2: 1–3 years; Group 3: 3 or more years). The ANOVA test, according to Table 4.25 below, shows that there was a significant difference in the intentions to avoid food waste, F(2) = 3.897, ρ-value = 0.022; personal beliefs, F(2) = 3717, ρ-value = 0.026, and financial attitudes, F(2) = 3.728, ρ-value = 0.026. There was, however, no significant difference for the personal norms, F(2) = 0.344, ρ-value = 0.710 and for the beliefs regarding environmental sustainability, F(2) = 1.723, ρ-value = 0.181. The post-hoc comparison, using the Sheffe test, for intentions to avoid food waste indicated that the mean score for Group 1 (M = 3.69, SD = 0.7839) was significantly different from that for Group 2 (M = 4.08, SD = 0.641). As such, it is therefore conceivable that the respondents who had worked in the food and beverages sector for between 1 and 3 years were in more agreement with the statements of intention to avoid food waste than were those who had worked in the sector for less than a year.
However, the post-hoc comparison, using the Sheffe test, for personal beliefs indicated that the mean score for Group 1 (M = 4.06, SD = 0.881) was significantly different from that for Group 2 (M = 3.69, SD = 0.812). The above, therefore, inclined towards the view that the respondents who had worked in the food and beverages sector for under a year were in more agreement with the statements made in relation to personal beliefs than were those who had worked in the sector for 1 to 3 years.
An additional post-hoc comparison, using the Sheffe test, for financial attitudes indicated that the mean score for Group 1 (M = 3.62, SD = 0.909) was significantly different from that for Group 2 (M = 3.23, SD = 0.904). Conclusively, the respondents who had worked in the food and beverages sector for under a year were in more agreement with the statements of financial attitude than were those who had worked in the sector for between 1 and 3 years.
Table 4.25: ANOVA tests for experience in the food and beverage sector
Factors Experience sector Mean ρ-value Intention to avoid food waste Less than a year 3.69 0.022
1–3 years 4.08 3 or more years 3.79
Personal beliefs Less than a year 3.77 0.026 1–3 years 4.06
3 or more years 3.69
Financial attitudes Less than a year 3.49 0.026 1–3 years 3.62
3 or more years 3.23
Personal norms Less than a year 3.71 0.710 1–3 years 3.84
3 or more years 3.76
Beliefs regarding environmental sustainability Less than a year 3.61 0.181 1–3 years 3.79
3 or more years 3.47
Level of education
In terms of the level of education, the ANOVA test revealed that there was no significant difference in the intentions to avoid food waste, F(2) = 0.184, ρ-value = 0.832; in personal beliefs, F(2) = 0.418, ρ-value = 0.659; in financial attitudes, F(2) = 0.578, ρ-value = 0.562; in personal norms, F(2) = 1.870, ρ-value = 0.157; and in beliefs regarding environmental sustainability, F(2) = 1.886, ρ-value = 0.154 (see Table 4.26). Therefore, the level of education of the respondents was found not to influence the need to manage food waste.
Table 4.26: ANOVA test for highest educational qualification obtained by the respondents
Factors Qualification Mean ρ-value Intention to avoid food waste Grade 11 or lower (Std 9 or lower) 3.79 0.832
Grade 12 (Matric, Std 10) 3.87 Post-matric qualification 3.83
Personal beliefs Grade 11 or lower (Std 9 or lower) 3.72 0.659 Grade 12 (Matric, Std 10) 3.85
Post-matric qualification 3.77
Financial attitudes Grade 11 or lower (Std 9 or lower) 3.27 0.562 Grade 12 (Matric, Std 10) 3.45
Post-matric qualification 3.37
Personal norms Grade 11 or lower (Std 9 or lower) 3.56 0.157 Grade 12 (Matric, Std 10) 3.81
Post-matric qualification 3.83
Beliefs regarding environmental sustainability
Grade 11 or lower (Std 9 or lower) 3.30 0.154 Grade 12 (Matric, Std 10) 3.66