Counterproductive work behaviors have been studied extensively, but much less work has been done on cyberloafing - the personal use of the internet at work. The purpose of this investigation was threefold: a) replicate a previous finding and test the Theory of Planned Behavior as a model of the antecedents of cyberloafing, b) investigate the influence of cyberloafing on task performance in actual organizations, and c) examine the relationship between cyberloafing and job satisfaction in actual organizations. Four hundred forty seven subordinates and 147 supervisors from various organizations participated in the current investigation. Results suggest that a) the Theory of Planned Behavior is an appropriate model of the antecedents of cyberloafing, b) cyberloafing might not have a strong influence on task performance, except when done frequently and in long durations, and c) job satisfaction is unrelated to cyberloafing on a desktop but is related to cyberloafing on a cellphone. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Purpose: To explore and reveal specific factors that affect consumers’ environmental concern, attitude and intention to use carsharing. Background: Due to the current environmental problems especially air pollution, the consumption of sustainable products has developed to be an upcoming trend. Consumers are increasingly concerned of the environmental issues and are more willing to act on those concerns. However, this willingness is not always translated into sustainable consumer behavior due to different reasons such as availability, affordability, convenience, product performance, skepticism and force of habit. One of the examples of sustainable consumption is carsharing which is often referred to as an alternative to owning a car. The service is eco labeled and all the cars in the fleet are driven on alternative and environmentally friendly fuel. Carsharing in Sweden is not so developed as in other European countries and companies which provide this service predominantly turns to business companies and municipalities. There is quite little research conducted when it comes to carsharing use by private households. The main focus of this study is to look at carsharing as a part of the sustainable consumption, studying consumers’ environmental concern, attitude and intention to use carsharing. Method: In order to answer the purpose a deductive approach has been applied where the data was collected through the questionnaires. Theories and previous research has been used in order to form the hypothesis which later has been tested. The data retrieved through the research has been processed and analyzed using SPSS software. Conclusion: The results show that personal environmental concern has an influence on attitude and intention to use carsharing. Control beliefs and behavioral beliefs have a stronger impact on formation of attitude and intention compare to normative beliefs which has a low impact. Perceived consumer effectiveness has a strong impact on intention to sustainable behavior where respondents believe that carsharing can contribute to a better environment. Government regulations and information about the service are strong triggering factors for intention to use carsharing. The study showed that consumers have insufficient amount of information about carsharing service and indicate that local authorities and government should provide incentives in order to facilitate usage of this service.

The purpose of this research is to examine how the ethical decision making of a salesperson is influenced by job characteristics, and how ethical decision making then influences job outcomes. This research is important because the field of ethics draws from diverse disciplines that have minimal agreement with each other. While calls have been made for a uniform standard of ethics, a better decision may be for each discipline to look internally to determine both what ethics is and how it functions in relation to other variables on in each disciplines unique field. This study examines first how the exogenous job characteristic variables of perceived organizational support, sales force control system and ethical values of the salesperson affect ethical decision making. Perceived organizational support and the behavioral-based sales force control system are hypothesized to positively influence ethical decision making. The link between perceived organizational support and ethical decision making has been observed in the field of accounting, and sales research has found that perceived organizational support leads to organizational citizenship behavior, which contains ethical decision making under its umbrella. Behavior-based sales force control systems are predicted to lead to ethical decision making because this type of control system has been shown to both lead to increased affective organizational commitment and reduce the benefits of acting unethically. The ethical values of the salesperson are predicted to moderate the relationships between the independent variables and ethical decision making. Ethical values and the independent variables in the study are influenced by similar antecedent constructs. The study also examines how ethical decision making influences the endogenous job outcomes variables of affective organizational commitment and salesperson performance. Ethical decision making is hypothesized to positively influence both performance and commitment. Ethical climates have been found to increase commitment, and performance is considered a key outcome of ethical decision making. Azjen’s (1985) theory of planned behavior ties the hypotheses together.

The introduction of FMD into the US would have serious economic and societal effects on the livelihoods and sustainability of affected livestock producers. Livestock producers serve as an important line of defense in both detecting an introduction of FMD as well, helping to prevent disease spread. However, due to the complexity of moral, social, and economic issues surrounding the control of highly contagious diseases, producer cooperation during an outbreak may not be assured. This study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative analysis of interviews and quantitative analysis of a postal survey, in order to explore the factors likely to influence producer cooperation in FMD detection and control in Texas. Reporting of cattle with clinical signs of FMD in the absence of an outbreak was related to producers´ beliefs about the consequences of reporting, beliefs about what other producers would do, trust in agricultural agencies, and their perception of the risk posed by FMD. During a hypothetical outbreak, intentions to report were determined by beliefs about the consequences of reporting, and perception of the risk posed by FMD. Intentions to gather and hold cattle when requested during an outbreak were determined by beliefs about the consequences of gathering and holding, beliefs about barriers to gathering and holding, trust in other producers, and perception of the risk posed by FMD. Compliance with animal movement restrictions was determined by experiential attitudes, beliefs about the availability of feed, space, and disinfection procedures, beliefs about what other producers would do, and perception of the risk posed by FMD. Recommendations for improving producer cooperation include targeting specific beliefs in both planning and communication, increasing transparency in the post-reporting process, planning for and communicating plans for maintaining business continuity in order to better inform risk perception, and partnering with organizations to ensure sustained and meaningful communication that supports trust between producers within the affected agricultural community.

Many adolescents are at risk of injury as a result of lifestyle, with high morbidity and mortality rates primarily affected by engagement in risk-taking behaviour (AIHW, 2004b). The study aimed to reduce injury through the design, implementation and evaluation of an intervention to affect risk-taking behaviour. The intervention was guided by theory,(Theory of Planned Behavior, TPB Ajzen, 1985) and selectively focused on increasing protective behaviour toward friends. To meet the aim, the intervention focused on the following risk-taking behaviours: alcohol use, interpersonal violence, being a passenger of, and own risky use of a motor vehicle or bicycle. The average age of participants of the study was fourteen. The program of research was divided into three stages that, as a whole, met the aim of designing and evaluating an intervention to reduce risk-taking behaviour among adolescents. The aim of the first stage was to provide the detail required for the program design (Stage 2). Stage 1 comprised a number of research processes including (i) a comprehensive literature review. The literature review included the rationale for reducing injury and risk-taking behaviour among adolescents, examination of the friendship relationship and assessing key issues and components of previously evaluated behaviour change programs. Stage 1 also included (ii) an assessment and operationalisation of the theoretical design (Theory of Planned Behavior and cognitive behavioural strategies). It was also found, in this Study 1, that the constructs of the TPB could explain friends' protective behaviour. Further, Stage 1 included (iii) Study 2, a qualitative evaluation of injury, risk-taking behaviour and key risk and protective factors for risk-taking behaviour from the perspective of young people conducted through focus groups. The information gathered in Stage 1 was used to develop the design of the program which comprised Stage 2. The next stage (Stage 3) involved an impact evaluation of the program. Firstly, in Study 3, a qualitative study was conducted to assess intervention participants' and teachers' perceptions of the program and adolescents' change in behaviour and attitudes. Intervention participants felt that they reduced their risk-taking behaviour and increased their protective behaviour toward their friends. Overall, adolescents and teachers viewed the program favourably. Secondly, in Study 4, a quantitative evaluation was conducted. Preliminary investigations found significant differences in change and behaviours among individuals from different ethnic backgrounds and, as such, analyses were conducted with the majority, Caucasian group only. The results indicated a reduction in risk-taking behaviours from baseline to follow-up in the intervention group and an increase in the comparison group. There was no support for the prediction that intervention students would increase their protective behaviour relative to the control group. Overall, the findings indicated challenges associated with designing and implementing an effective program to reduce risk-taking behaviour among adolescents.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Communication, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 42-46).

Background: The problem of increasing amounts of food packaging waste especially in Germany leads to the challenge of how to minor waste by using no packaging in order to listen to environmental-conscious generation y consumers. This is why retailers need to understand the factors impacting the purchase intention and thus, need to act in higher extend in terms of a preventive sustainable approach. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the purchase intention of German generation y consumers towards packaging-free products. An extended Theory of Planned Behavior forms the theoretical foundation to investigate which factors are influencing the purchase intention the most. In addition to the original TPB factors attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, the research model was extended by two new factors, namely environmental concern and barriers. Method: Through an explanatory research method, the data was collected in a quantitative online survey based on a sample of 422 respondents. In order to investigate the relationships among the factors and to further support or reject the study’s hypothesis, the data was analyzedby using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and simple and multiple regression. Finally, to determine differences among groups additional tests have been conducted. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed new insights about predictors of the purchaseintention: German consumers’ intention is mainly impacted by their attitude, followed by thefactor barriers, and perceived behavioral control, whereas subjective norms do not. Further, the other newly added factor environmental concern indirectly impacts the purchase intention through attitude. Moreover, the importance of including new added factors to the original TPB model is shown as the extended TPB model has improved its power in explaining German generation y’s purchase intention towards packaging free. By that, the respondents of this studyare highly environmental concerned and overall intent to purchase packaging-free products in mainstream grocery stores, oats and milk respectively. This study’s results provide valuable insights for marketers of German mainstream grocery stores who are interested in selectively integrating packaging-free shopping to their stores.

Master of Science / Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Kevin R. Roberts / Many pathogenic microorganisms are spread by contaminated hands and may lead to foodborne illness. The use of hand sanitizers can significantly reduce bacterial contamination and is an efficient and inexpensive method to prevent infections and sickness. Previous researchers have found that the routine use of hand sanitizers allowed the U.S. Army to significantly reduce illness. However, few studies have been conducted within a U.S. Army dining facility, which is considered to be one of the primary sources of foodborne illness within the U.S. Army. Therefore, using the Theory of Planned Behavior, the purpose of this study was to identify the behavioral intention, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceptions of control of using hand sanitizer among military personnel. The study targeted soldiers using a written survey during their lunch hour on the U.S. Army base at Fort Riley, KS. A total of 201 surveys were collected. All data were screened and entered into IBM SPSS for analysis. Results indicated that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control explained 64% of the variance in behavioral intention. Attitude and subjective norms were found to be significant predictors of behavioral intention, with attitude being the strongest predictor. In general, behavioral beliefs were positive among soldiers. Related to normative beliefs, soldiers did perceive negative social pressure from other soldiers not to use hand sanitizers. Analysis of control beliefs found soldiers perceived hand sanitizers were readily available, but disliked their smell and feel after application. Food production managers and Army commanders can use these results to implement hand sanitation behavioral interventions within military dining environments. Practical implications will likely translate to reduced healthcare costs, decreased absenteeism rates, and improved mission readiness. Some of the limitations include commonly perceived social psychology bias. Further, clustered samples were collected within one military installation in a relatively short amount of time.

abstract: Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University recently adopted a "technology infusion" approach to prepare teacher candidates (TC) to integrate technology into their instruction and meet the International Society for Technology in Education Standards for Teachers (ISTE Standards*T) by infusing technology integration approaches into methods courses. At the onset of the technology infusion approach, one important ISTE Standard-T was neglected in the curriculum--that is, digital citizenship (DC), i.e., the responsible, legal, and ethical use of technology. To address this problem of practice, a suite of teaching materials and support services was created, the Technology Infusion Support System (TISS), to help instructors effectively teach DC. The suite consisted of four online modules on essential DC topics including copyright/fair use, digital footprint/social media, acceptable use policies, and responsible student behavior. The support component consisted of ongoing just-in-time support from a technology integration specialist, an instructor's guide, and a resource folder. This mixed methods action research study was conducted to examine: DC instruction by those who used the TISS and the influence of DC instruction on TC's intention to promote and model DC in their future classrooms. With respect to the second objective, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) guided study efforts. Participants included teacher education faculty members who taught DC in technology-infused methods courses, their students, and the technology infusion specialists who provided ongoing support to instructors throughout the duration of the study. Data gathered included survey data, observations, focus group interviews, instructor interviews, and researcher journal entries. Results suggested the TISS was a useful intervention in a college using a technology infusion approach. Course instructors provided consistent instruction on a topic outside of their area of expertise. Further, there was a significant increase in the students' intention to promote and model DC in their future classrooms. The discussion focuses on explaining: the effectiveness of DC instruction; how instruction in DC changes students' intentions to promote and model DC; and the usefulness of the TPB model in understanding how attitudes toward DC, and perceived behavioral control, i.e., efficacy, influence intention to promote and model DC. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2015

abstract: Los Angeles, California and Phoenix, Arizona are two naturally water-scarce regions that rely on imported water to meet their local water needs. Both areas have been experiencing an ongoing drought that has negatively affected their local water supply. Populations in both cities continue to grow, increasing overall demand for water as the supply decreases. Water conservation is important for the sustainability of each town. However, the methods utilized to conserve residential water in the two areas differ drastically; Los Angeles has implemented involuntary water rationing and Phoenix has not. The widespread effectiveness of involuntary restrictions makes them a popular management scheme. Despite their immediate effectiveness, little is known about how involuntary restrictions affect attitudinal precursors towards the behavior in question and thus, whether or not the restrictions are potentially helpful or harmful to lasting behavior change. This study adapted the Theory of Planned Behavior to survey 361 homeowners in Los Angeles and Phoenix to examine how involuntary water restrictions shape attitudinal precursors to outdoor water conservation. This study found that when involuntary water restrictions are present, residents feel less in control of their outdoor water use. However, in the presence of involuntary water restrictions, stronger social norms and stronger support for policy prescriptions over outdoor water use were found. The favorable societal support towards water conservation, conceptualized as social norms and policy attitudes, in the presence of involuntary water restrictions is potentially promising for lasting behavior change. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Sustainability 2016