AMES, Iowa — Iowa State University has released an online version of “Your Motivation Toolkit,” a self-guided training program in food safety for foodservice managers and supervisors.
Developed by ISU’s SafeFood© research team, the toolkit is a valuable tool for managers who are interested in how to better motivate employees to follow safe food handling procedures, said research team member Catherine Strohbehn, an ISU Extension specialist in hotel, restaurant and institutional management.
The toolkit is designed for managers and supervisors who have prior food safety training and includes two modules: using communication to motivate, and using recognition and discipline to motivate.
The modules include case studies, narrated PowerPoint presentations, assessments and resources, Strohbehn said. “The online format allows busy managers and supervisors the freedom to access and complete the modules when it is most convenient to them, either a little at a time or all in one setting. It is estimated each module will take about an hour to complete.”
The free online version of the training toolkit can be accessed at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/. A limited number of hard copy toolkits are available for purchase; an order form is available at the same Web address.
The ISU SafeFood© research team developed these materials with funding from the USDA, Project No. 2007-51110-03806.
The SafeFood© research team is headed by Susan W. Arendt, PhD., RD and Strohbehn, PhD., RD, CP-FS, both in the hospitality management program at Iowa State University. They have worked on several projects with the goal of improving food safety behaviors in retail foodservice operations.
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Additional Contacts
Susan W. Arendt, Apparel, Educational Studies and Hospitality Management, 515-294-7575, sarendt@iastate.edu
Janell Meyer, 515-294-4494, Apparel, Educational Studies and Hospitality Management jrcmeyer@iastate.edu