EVALUATION OF RESTAURANTS LOCATED IN SHOPPING MALLS WITH SUSTAINABILITY POLICIES: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROPOSAL AND PRACTICE

Abstract

The massive promotion of social, ethical and environmentally friendly practices within companies has begun to take on a negative trend in the corporate world, with some companies promoting an image of defending sustainability without meeting the good practices and criteria required for this – only seeking to attract consumers interested in consuming sustainable products. This is the practice of “greenwashing”, a term in English that defines the false promotion of the sustainability of a product or business practice. This study sought to evaluate the commitment to good practices of restaurants in shopping malls that defend the principles of sustainable governance. The results were obtained through data collection carried out in person, with a questionnaire developed on the Google Forms platform and tabulated in Microsoft Office Excel®. The survey data indicate a contradiction between the discourse of shopping malls and the practices in restaurants: more than 50% of the sample denied involvement in food donation practices and social partnerships, none of the establishments surveyed acquire food that generates social impact and only 50% stated that they offer training in environmental sustainability for employees. Regarding job opportunities for minority groups and people with disabilities, more than 25% of participants stated that they do not offer jobs for these groups. Among the positive highlights of this survey are the equal pay for men and women, formal employment contracts and written contracts in all participating establishments. Even so, the lack of interest and knowledge among managers in exploring the possibilities of sustainable initiatives and social actions within food-producing establishments is still evident. Further studies are suggested to enable a more detailed assessment of sustainable practices in restaurants located in shopping malls.