Food allergy accommodation policies in colleges and universities

283 Pages·2017·3.1 MB·English

Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Dissertations
2015
Food allergy accommodation policies in colleges
and universities: an investigation using
organizational culture as a theoretical framework
Kelly Nicole Abdelmassih
Iowa State University
Follow this and additional works at:https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd
Part of theBusiness Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, and the
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons
Recommended Citation
Abdelmassih, Kelly Nicole, "Food allergy accommodation policies in colleges and universities: an investigation using organizational
culture as a theoretical framework" (2015).Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 14650.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/14650
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Food allergy accommodation policies in colleges and universities: An investigation
using organizational culture as a theoretical framework

by

Kelly Nicole Abdelmassih

A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Major: Hospitality Management

Program of Study Committee:
Susan W. Arendt, Co-Major Professor
Lakshman Rajagopal, Co-Major Professor
Ruth Litchfield
Derrick Rollins
Catherine Strohbehn

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

2015

Copyright © Kelly Nicole Abdelmassih, 2015. All rights reserved.
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DEDICATION
I dedicate this dissertation to my husband, Matt, and my parents, Julie and Clyde.
They encouraged me to begin this journey and have supported me every step of the way.
I share this accomplishment with them.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... vii
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..............................................................................................x
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
Significance of Study ...................................................................................................... 3
Objectives of the Study ................................................................................................... 4
Hypotheses ...................................................................................................................... 5
Definition of Terms......................................................................................................... 6
Dissertation Organization ............................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................................12
Overview of Food Allergy ............................................................................................ 12
Food Allergies and Foodservice Operations ................................................................. 15
Food allergy legislation affecting foodservice operations ........................................ 16
Challenges to providing food allergy accommodations ............................................ 18
Food Allergy Accommodation in Schools .................................................................... 22
Prevalence of food allergies among children and adolescents.................................. 22
Food allergy accommodation guidelines for school nutrition programs .................. 24
Food Allergy Accommodation in Colleges and Universities ....................................... 27
Legal implications of food allergies in colleges and universities ............................. 27
Resources available to colleges and universities ...................................................... 28
Risk taking behaviors of young adults ...................................................................... 29
Food allergy accommodation efforts ........................................................................ 32
Organizational Culture: A Theoretical Framework ...................................................... 35
Organizational culture in higher education ............................................................... 36
Competing Values Framework ..................................................................................... 37
Applications .............................................................................................................. 39
Organizational Culture in the Service Industry ............................................................ 43
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................53
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 53
Hypotheses .................................................................................................................... 54
Use of Human Subjects ................................................................................................. 54
Research Design............................................................................................................ 55
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Questionnaire ................................................................................................................ 55
Sample selection ....................................................................................................... 55
Content ...................................................................................................................... 56
Pilot study ................................................................................................................. 57
Distribution ............................................................................................................... 59
Data analysis ............................................................................................................. 59
Interviews ...................................................................................................................... 60
Sample selection ....................................................................................................... 60
Content ...................................................................................................................... 61
Data collection .......................................................................................................... 61
Data analysis ............................................................................................................. 62
CHAPTER 4: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH TO EXAMINING FOOD
ALLERGY ACCOMMODATION EFFORTS IN COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES ...............................................................................................................64
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 64
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................ 64
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 64
Food Allergy Accommodations in Schools .............................................................. 65
Food Allergy Accommodations in Colleges and Universities .................................. 66
METHODS ................................................................................................................... 68
Phase One: Questionnaires ....................................................................................... 68
Phase Two: Interviews .............................................................................................. 70
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................................... 71
Profile of Respondents and Institutions .................................................................... 71
Questionnaire ............................................................................................................ 71
Interviews .................................................................................................................. 72
Presence of Food Allergy Policies ............................................................................ 72
Motivating Factors for Allergen Accommodations .................................................. 74
Accommodation Policies and Procedures ................................................................. 76
Accommodation Practices by Demographics ........................................................... 81
Accommodation Efforts in the Absence of Policy ................................................... 82
CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH .......................................................... 83
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CHAPTER 5: COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FOODSERVICE
PROFESSIONALS’ PERCEPTIONS OF DEPARTMENTAL CULTURE IN
RELATIONSHIP TO FOOD ALLERGY ACCOMMODATIONS EFFORTS ........94
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 94
ACKNOWLEDGMENT............................................................................................... 95
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 95
LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 96
Competing Values Framework ................................................................................. 97
Organizational Culture in Colleges and Universities................................................ 98
Organizational Culture in the Hospitality Industry ................................................... 99
Purpose Statement and Hypotheses ........................................................................ 102
METHODS ................................................................................................................. 103
Questionnaire Phase ................................................................................................ 103
Interview Phase ....................................................................................................... 105
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................................ 106
Participant and Institutional Characteristics ........................................................... 106
Hypotheses Testing ................................................................................................. 107
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS .................................................................. 113
CHAPTER 6: GENERAL CONCLUSIONS...............................................................122
Summary of Results .................................................................................................... 122
Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 130
Limitations of the Study.............................................................................................. 131
Recommendations for Future Research ...................................................................... 132
APPENDIX A: HUMAN SUBJECTS APPROVAL ...................................................133
APPENDIX B: INVITATION E-MAILS ....................................................................135
APPENDIX C: QUESTIONNAIRE INFORMED CONSENT .................................137
APPENDIX D: PERMISSION TO USE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT ...................................................................................138
APPENDIX E: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ASSESSMENT
INSTRUMENT COPYRIGHT NOTICE ....................................................................143
APPENDIX F: ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE ............................................................144
APPENDIX G: PILOT TEST INVITATION E-MAIL .............................................155
APPENDIX H: PILOT TEST INFORMED CONSENT ...........................................156
APPENDIX I: PILOT TEST EVALUATION ............................................................157
APPENDIX J: FOOD CODE INQUIRY .....................................................................158
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APPENDIX K: INTERVIEW INFORMED CONSENT ...........................................160
APPENDIX L: INTERVIEW GUIDE .........................................................................162
APPENDIX M: INTERVIEW DATA ANALYSIS ....................................................168
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1 Questionnaire Participants’ Demographics ..................................................86
Table 4.2 Questionnaire Participants’ Departmental and Institutional
Characteristics..................................................................................................................87
Table 4.3 Interview Participants’ Personal, Departmental, and Institutional
Characteristics..................................................................................................................88
Table 4.4 Questionnaire Results: Food Allergy Accommodation Policy Content .....89
Table 4.5 Questionnaire Results: Operational Aspects Available to Food Allergic
Students .............................................................................................................................89
Table 4.6 Questionnaire Results: Actions Students are Advised to Take in
Absence of Policy..............................................................................................................90
Table 5.1 Departmental and Institutional Characteristics ........................................114
Table 5.2 Organizational Culture Assessment Instrumenta Results .........................115
Table 5.3 Overall Means and Standard Deviations for Culture Types ....................116
Table 5.4 Departmental Culture Characteristics Explained by Interview
Participants .....................................................................................................................117
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ABSTRACT
A sequential explanatory mixed methods design (questionnaire and interview)
was used to examine current food allergy accommodation practices, policies and
procedures in colleges and universities. Also, organizational culture of college and
university foodservice operations using the Competing Values Framework was
investigated. A web-administered questionnaire was developed based on previous
literature, and distributed to a national sample of foodservice professionals who were
current members of the National Association for College and University Food Services.
Seventy-six questionnaires (22.2% response) were used for analysis. Questionnaire
results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, pooled sample t-tests and
population proportion tests. Interview guides were developed based on questionnaire
data and interviews (n=11) were conducted with a subsample of the questionnaire
participants. Fifty-five (74%) questionnaire participants reported food allergy
accommodation policies were in place at the departmental level and 25 (34%) reported
policies at the institutional level. Departmental level policies were more prevalent at
public institutions in comparison to private institutions; and more prevalent among
contract-managed foodservice operations in comparison to self-operated. Interview data
revealed considerable variation in approaches to food allergy accommodations
irrespective of policy presence. Clan culture, characterized by a nurturing, environment
emphasizing personal relationships, was the most prominent culture among represented
foodservice operations. Due to low statistical power, significant differences in food
allergy accommodation policies and practices were not detected based on organizational
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culture type, however interview data suggested organizational culture may impact
accommodation efforts.