Research Design Connections: Healthy Eating at Work, More Consequences

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | January 31st, 2022

Watkins, Patel, and Antoine’s work signals the value of healthy eating at work and the consequences of supporting it.  They report that “Food consumption has been conceptualized as an integral aspect of employee well-being. Whereas most research in the organizational literature to date is motivated by individual health outcomes, we assert that eating at work also entails interpersonal implications.. . .In this manuscript, we draw from consumption stereotype theory and suggest that workplace healthy eating affects how employees are perceived and treated at work. Specifically, we posit that workplace healthy eating influences the extent to which a focal employee is attributed the trait of self-control, which subsequently impacts coworker citizenship behavior and social undermining enacted toward the focal employee. . . . when there is a salient healthy eating climate, workplace healthy eating is a weaker signal in the trait attribution process.” Trevor Watkins, Amanda Patel, and Giselle Antoine. “You …