Food waste in group dining: the interplay of shame and conflict aversion in the “last piece of food” dilemma

Group dining at social or business occasions frequently encounters the “last piece of food” dilemma, where a single item remains uneaten when food is served to event guests on a shared plate. Despite its contribution to food waste generation in event catering, the socio-cultural and psychological drivers of this phenomenon remain unexplored. Using a mixed methods research design, this study examines the underlying factors of the “last piece of food” dilemma. The study identifies event guests’ sense of anticipated shame and desire to avoid conflict as primary drivers. The study highlights individual concern about food waste as a potential countermeasure to the “last piece of food” phenomenon. The study calls for management interventions to strengthen this concern among event guests by communicating that consuming all food on a shared plate will not be negatively judged.