The process of organizational change in Food Waste Management in the Food and Beverage production industry in Thailand:  From the lens of loop learning

Abstract: Thailand is called the kitchen of the world; the country produces food and beverage products and exports around the globe. According to previous studies, there is not enough data on food waste in Thailand and worldwide. This study aims to analyse the characteristic of the loop of learning in assisting the process of organizational change and explain how it can support sustainable change in Food Waste Management. Even though a loop of learning is used frequently to develop changes in organizations, the relationship between organisational learning methods and organisational change is still not yet identified.  The qualitative method, particularly a case study, was used to accomplish the aim. The case study focuses on how production companies develop their organisational change toward sustainable Food Waste Management in Thailand by aligning the management's thinking level with a loop of learning. The data collection method is a semi-structured interview with 12 managers of different food and beverage manufacturing companies. The results show that current actions are 1) following the existing regulation and finding solutions for challenges, 2) developing better methods and re-using waste, and 3) setting new strategies to achieve sustainable Food Waste Management. Thus, those actions have the quality of single, double and triple-loop learning.  Furthermore, the research findings indicate that changing norms with environmental concerns can influence other factors, such as laws and stakeholder expectations. The organizational change process must involve continually thinking in the loop of learning from an individual and organisational perspective. These authors conclude that the nature of loop learning is a process that individuals and organizations can use to identify and reclaim problems; this process assists organization to realise the need for changes and continue developing solutions for those matters. The outcomes of continuous thinking will present changes in action which reach organisational change.