Employee absenteeism costs organizations billions of dollars annually in losses in revenue and productivity, temporary labor costs, and low morale. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies information technology (IT) managers in the manufacturing industry used to reduce employee absenteeism. The theory of planned behavior provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 5 IT managers in Maryland and a review of organizational documents addressing nutritional education information, employee participation rates in health programs, and physical activity. Data were analyzed using compilation, disassembly, reassembly, interpretation, and development of conclusions. Through thematic analysis, 4 themes emerged: workplace wellness and health programs, employee engagement, work-life balance programs, and organizational culture. Findings of this study may be used by IT managers to bring about positive change by reducing employee absences, encouraging employment opportunities, contributing to organizational sustainability, and improving quality of life for community members.

Influenza vaccination is recommended for persons with high-risk health conditions such as chronic diseases to prevent flu-related complications and death. African Americans 65 years and older have consistently been reported to have the lowest influenza vaccination rates compared to all other racial groups, despite having higher rates of chronic diseases. A review of the literature indicated that there is a dearth of qualitative studies examining the grounds for these low rates. In this study, 15 African Americans 65 years and older were interviewed to explore the factors that contribute to low rates of flu vaccination among this racial group. Research questions using the constructs of the theory of planned behavior gathered the behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs (social norm), and control beliefs affecting low influenza vaccination uptake among older African Americans. Data analysis yielded 5 major themes: (a) fear of illness, (b) vaccine does not work, (c) self-advocacy, (d) have access to flu vaccine, and (e) education needed. These findings suggest that older African Americans would benefit from system, organization, and policy changes that support improved provider efforts and community interventions specifically targeting their concerns about flu vaccination. Implementation of strategies supported by evidence found in this study may improve understanding of flu vaccination from the perspective of older African Americans, and potentially increase the rates of influenza vaccination among this racial group to bring about positive social change.

[Truncated abstract] Current literature about university teaching argues that online teaching requires online social learning based on social interaction to be effective. This implies a shift in pedagogy based on engagement and collaboration, instead of trying to reproduce face-to- face teaching, in online environments. However, when a university adopts an elearning platform (or Learning Management System, LMS), most teachers tend to reproduce their traditional teaching, delivering, through the LMS, educational material. This study explored factors which influence university teachers to adopt teaching models based on online social interaction (OSI) when an e-learning platform is used to complement undergraduate classroom teaching. Online teaching model adoption was considered in the framework of technology adoption and post-adoption behavior, i.e., adoption and use by individuals after an organization has adopted an ICT-based innovation (Jasperson, Carter, & Zmud, 2005). Behaviors were investigated using a model based on Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). In total, 26 university teachers 15 from Australia and 11 from Italy holding undergraduate courses, were recruited. They responded to a semi-structured interview based on the TPB, built on purpose for this research. Teachers were divided into three different groups on the basis of their approach to online teaching, corresponding to three different levels of adoption of OSI. The three different online teaching models were:

<p>Uppsatsen presenterar två studier som med den socialpsykologiska modellen ’teorin om planerat beteende’ (Ajzen, 1991) undersöker hur väl en webbaserad måltidsplaneringstjänst lyckas med att få dess användare att regelbundet äta varierat.</p><p>Tjänsten bestod huvudsakligen av en sökbar receptdatabas på 250 recept, en kalender för att planera in recepten i, och en inköpslista som genererades automatiskt utifrån recepten i kalendern. Tjänsten byggdes under tiden som uppsatsen skrevs, och författaren deltog som interaktionsdesigner i detta projekt.</p><p>I  uppsatsen presenteras  två sekventiella studier för att mäta användarnas intention till beteendet. I vardera studie presenteras först webbtjänsten och den funktionalitet den hade vid tiden för testet. Detta följs av en hypotes om tjänstens påverkan över användarnas vilja att äta varierat. I vardera studie genomfördes sedan ett användartest av tjänsten, där 13 respektive 15 personer fick använda webbsidan och svara på enkätfrågor. Enkäterna mätte attityd, subjektiv norm, upplevd beteendekontroll och intention till beteendet att regelbundet äta varierat, och en mätning gjordes före och en efter användartestet av tjänsten.</p><p>Testen visade på signifikanta ökningar för användarna givet att de skulle använda tjänsten; för upplevd beteendekontroll i den första studien; för subjektiv norm i den andra studien, och för intention i båda studierna.</p><p>Uppsatsen presenterar också interaktionsdesignsbeslut tagna för att anpassa tjänsten efter resultaten av mätningarna av användarnas intention. Avslutningsvis lyfter författaren fram forskningsfrågor för framtida studier i ämnet att förjupa sig i.</p> / <p>This report used the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991); a model from social psychology, to determine how well an online meal planning service succeeds in making its users regularly eat varied.</p><p>The service consisted mainly of a searchable recipe database of 250 recipes, a calendar to schedule the recipes, and a shopping list that was generated automatically from the recipes in the calendar. The service was being constructed during the time that this report was written, and the author participated as an interaction designer in this project.</p><p>The report consists of two sequential studies to measure the users’ intention to the behavior of interest. In each study are first presented the meal planning service and its current functionality by the time of the testing; followed by a hypothesis about the effect it should have on the user's intent to regularly eat varied. In each study were then held a user testing of the product, where 13 and 15 people, respectively, were using the website and answering survey questions. The questionnaires were measuring attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and intention to the behavior to regularly eat varied, and these measurements were made once before and once after the user test of the product.</p><p>The tests showed significant increases for the users given that they would use the service; for perceived behavioral control in the first study; for subjective norm in the second study, and for intention in of both studies.</p><p>The report also presents interaction design decisions made to adapt the service due to the results of the measurements of the users' intention. Finally, the author presents his proposals for future research work in this domain.</p>

Elektriskt och elektroniskt avfall (WEEE) är den snabbast växande avfallskategorin inom EU, samtidigt som det är en av de mest skadliga formerna av avfall för människors hälsa och miljön om det inte samlas in och tas om hand på rätt sätt. Sverige påbörjade insamlingen av el-avfall 2001 och samlar idag in 16,27 kg el-avfall perperson vilket är av de högsta insamlingsnivåerna inom EU, men trots det slängs fortfarande smått el-avfall så som hushållsprodukter, mobiltelefoner och lågenergilampor i andra avfallsfraktioner. För att lösa detta problem talar man om behovet av ökad tillgänglighet på insamlingsplatser och information, men undersökningar av hushållsavfallets sammansättning visar att innehållet av el-avfall i stort sett är oförändrat, trots ökad tillgänglighet och information. De studier som ligger till grund för dagens förbättringsåtgärder har antingen tittat på insamlingssystemets brister utifrån ett nationellt perspektiv eller på effektiviteten av alternativa lokala insamlingssystem. Utifrån dessa har slutsatser dragits om allmänna brister och potentiella förbättringsåtgärder. Statistik visar samtidigt att insamlingen av el-avfall skiljer sig åt markant mellan olika platser i landet, och att somliga kommuner har förvånansvärt effektiva system jämfört med andra. Med hänsyn till detta så finns en uppenbar risk att dagens förbättringsåtgärder är suboptimala. Istället för att undersöka styrkor och svagheter med specifika insamlingssystem så studeras i denna uppsats skillnaderna mellan två svenska kommuner, en med hög och en med låg insamlingsnivå av diverse elektronik ochgasurladdningslampor, med syftet att skapa en bättre förståelse för vilka faktorer som bidrar till en effektiv insamling. Skillnaderna som studeras är tillgängligheten på insamlingsplatser och informationen i anslutning till dessa, kommunernas arbetsinsatser samt invånarnas kunskap, attityder och preferenser, uppgivna beteenden och subjektiva uppfattning om insamlingssystemens tillgänglighet och funktion. Vidare studeras även om kommuninvånarna informerats i enlighet med den lagstiftning som finns på området och vad invånarna har för attityder till, och preferenser kring, ett eventuellt pantsystem för lågenergilampor och smått el-avfall. Frågeställningarna studeras genom en kombination av intervjuer med nyckelpersoner, inventering av insamlingsplatser samt en enkätundersökning. Resultaten av studien visar att det finns skillnader på samtliga undersökta områden, med undantag för invånarnas kunskap. Av skillnaderna dras slutsatsen att det finns ett antal åtgärder som sannolikt skulle kunna öka insamlingen av el-avfall i Sverige. På lokal nivå kan sannolikt ett ökat kommunalt engagemang och arbete med frågan om el-avfall, i kombination med ökad tillgänglighet på insamlingsplatser samt god och välanpassad information i anslutning till dessa, öka insamlingen av el-avfall. På nationell nivå kan sannolikt en skärpt tillsyn som tvingar kommunerna att följa informationskravet i aktuell lagstiftning leda till en ökad medvetenhet bland svenska medborgare, vilket i sin tur sannolikt kan bidra till minskade mängder felsorterade lågenergilampor och smått el-avfall. Slutligen tycks ett eventuellt pantsystem för lågenergilampor och annat smått el-avfall vara ytterligare ett sätt att öka insamlingen. Studien tyder på att ett pantsystem skulle kunna öka människors benägenhet att lämna in dessa produkter till återvinning, minska mängden upplagrad elektronik i hemmen, erbjuda nya möjligheter vad gäller märkning och uppföljning av produkter samt potentiellt kunna minska insamlingskostnaderna. / Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste stream within the EU, and at the same time of the most hazardous forms of waste, threatening both human health and the environment if not properly collected and treated. Sweden started a separate collection of WEEE in 2001, and with 16,27 kg of WEEE collected per person in 2011 it has one of the highest collection rates within the EU. Despite this, small WEEE is still ending up in all types of household waste. To solve this issue, the need for increased availability of collections points and information is frequently discussed, but despite improvements in these areas the content of WEEE in household waste remains relatively stable. The studies that make up the basis of today’s improvement work, have either been looking at shortcomings of the collection system from a national point of view, or on the effectiveness of alternative local collection systems. Based on these studies, conclusions about the general shortcomings of the system and potential ways of improvement have been drawn. At the same time, statistics show that the collection of WEEE differs substantially between different parts of Sweden, and that some municipalities have surprisingly efficient collection systems compared to others. With regard to his, current improvement strategies may not be optimal. Instead of looking at the strengths and weaknesses of specific collection systems, this study looks at the differences between two Swedish municipalities, one with a high and one with a low collection rate of small WEEE and compact fluorescent lamps, with the aim of creating a better understanding of factors that may contribute to high collection rates. The differences that are studied are the availability of collection points and the information in connection to these, the municipalities’ work and the resident’s knowledge, attitudes, preferences, subjective behavior and subjective perception of the collection system’s availability and functionality. Furthermore, the thesis examines whether the residents have been informed in accordance with European and national WEEE-legislation and what their attitudes and preferences are regarding a potential deposit system for small WEEE and compact fluorescent lamps. The results show that differences can be seen in all areas but the residents’ knowledge. From the observed differences, conclusions about possible ways of improving the collection of WEEE in Sweden are drawn. On a local level, increased municipal engagement and work efforts, in combination with increased access to collection points along with appropriate and well customized information in connection to these, is likely to increase the collection of WEEE. On a national level, increased supervision that forces municipalities to comply with the information requirements in European and national legislation, may lead to an increased awareness among Swedish citizens, which may in turn lead to a decrease in wrongly sorted small WEEE and compact fluorescent lamps. Finally, a potential deposit system for small WEEE and compact fluorescent lamps may be yet another way of increasing collection rates. The results suggest that a deposit system may in fact increase the motivation of citizens to recycle these products, decrease the amount of old electrical and electronic equipment currently stockpiled in private households, offer new possibilities to mark and track products and potentially lower the costs of collection. / <p>Granskare:</p><p>Lisa Dahlén, Universitetslektor vid Institutionen för samhällsbyggnad och naturresurser, avdelningen för Geovetenskap och miljöteknik, Luleå tekniska universitet*Lisa.Dahlen@ltu.se</p><p></p><p>Thesis evaluator:</p><p>Dahlén, Lisa, University Lector (Luleå University of Technology, Division of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering)*Lisa.Dahlen@ltu.se</p>

Introduction. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to be highly prevalent among young women, and STIs continue to be a challenging health issue on college campuses. Studies have shown that the highest prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) is among young adult women, ages 20 to 24, including female college students. While the HPV vaccine has proven to be highly effective in preventing certain high-risk types of HPV, it is not effective in preventing all types of HPV or other STIs. Practicing other safer sex behaviors, in addition to condom use, also can help individuals protect themselves and their partners from acquiring HPV and other STIs. Purpose. Relationships between knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine, beliefs about HPV, acceptance of the HPV vaccine, and intentions to practice safer sex behaviors were assessed to determine if female college students who had a high acceptance of the HPV vaccine were also more likely to practice safer sex behaviors. Methods. A convenience sample of 2,706 undergraduate female college students, ages 18 to 24, from three U.S. public universities, completed an online survey that measured the following study variables: knowledge about HPV; knowledge about the HPV vaccine; acceptance of the HPV vaccine, specifically influential factors and barriers to vaccination; as well as attitudes, normative beliefs, control beliefs and intentions for practicing safer sex behaviors. Results. The majority of participants had a high level of knowledge of HPV (70.4%) and the HPV vaccine (73.7%). Over one-third of the participants (37.3%) received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine. Most participants thought they had a low susceptibility to HPV, as 54% thought they were unlikely to contract HPV; however, most (53.6%) thought that HPV would be a serious problem for them. The safer sex behavior that participants thought was the easiest was refusing to have sex with a partner that would not use a condom (51.8% “Strongly agree”) and the safer sex behavior that participants thought to be the most difficult was asking a partner to get tested for STIs (54.5% “Disagree”). Attitudes, normative beliefs, and control beliefs combined to strongly predict intentions (R = .730, p < .001), and attitudes was the strongest predictor for intentions to practice safer sex behaviors (β = .666), 95% CI [.649, .711]. There was a significant positive correlation between vaccine acceptance and intentions to practice safer sex behaviors (r = .087, p < .001), including likelihood of getting vaccinated against HPV (r = .098, p < .001). Conclusions. Findings from this study demonstrate the need for university student health centers to provide information about the HPV vaccine as part of broader STI prevention and social marketing campaigns, targeting female college students who are single, as well as those in monogamous relationships. Furthermore, because young men can be carriers of HPV and the HPV vaccine is now available to them, follow-up studies are needed to determine acceptance of the HPV vaccine among male college students as it relates to HPV knowledge, knowledge of the vaccine, and intentions to practice safer sex behaviors.

Η πρόθεση για ανάπτυξη της επιχειρηματικότητας αποτελεί το αντικείμενο του ενδιαφέροντος της παρούσας μελέτης. Ο Bird (1988) και οι Souitaris et al. (2007) ορίζουν την εν λόγω έννοια ως μια κατάσταση που κατευθύνει την προσοχή και τις δράσεις ενός ατόμου προς την αυτό-απασχόληση, έναντι της απασχόλησης από κάποιον άλλο. Σκοπός της μελέτης είναι η μέτρηση της «πρόθεσης για ανάπτυξη επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial intention)» των φοιτητών του 1ου και του 4ου έτους του τμήματος Διοίκησης Επιχειρήσεων του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών, ο προσδιορισμός των παραγόντων που τη διαμορφώνουν, αλλά και οι διαφορές μεταξύ των δύο ετών. Το μοντέλο που σχεδιάστηκε βασίζεται στη Θεωρία της Προ-Σχεδιασμένης Συμπεριφοράς (Theory of Planned Behavior), ένα καθιερωμένο μοντέλο της βιβλιογραφίας που συνδέει την πρόθεση με τις επακόλουθες ενέργειες (Ajzen, 1987, 1991). Ο Ajzen (1991) προτείνει ότι η «στάση ενός ατόμου απέναντι στη συμπεριφορά (attitude towards behavior)», στους «υποκειμενικούς κανόνες (subjective norm)», και στον «αντιλαμβανόμενο έλεγχο της συμπεριφοράς (perceived behavioral control)» είναι οι παράγοντες που καθορίζουν τις προθέσεις του. Για το σκοπό της παρούσας μελέτης, προστέθηκαν μεταβλητές δανεισμένες από τη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία οι οποίες αναμένεται ότι επιδρούν στο σχηματισμό της «πρόθεσης για ανάπτυξη επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial intention)». Αυτές είναι το «αρμονικό πάθος (harmonious passion)», το «υπερβολικό πάθος (obsessive passion)», το «πρόγραμμα σπουδών του τμήματος και το περιεχόμενο των μαθημάτων (entrepreneurial curriculum and content)» (μόνο στο 4ο έτος), καθώς και κάποιες μεταβλητές σχετικές με το προφίλ των φοιτητών του τμήματος. Η μεθοδολογική προσέγγιση που επιλέχθηκε στην παρούσα μελέτη είναι η ποσοτική έρευνα με την μορφή ερωτηματολογίου. Ο πληθυσμός της έρευνας αποτελείται από το σύνολο των 413 προπτυχιακών φοιτητών που φοιτούν στο 1ο (264 φοιτητές) και στο 4ο (149 φοιτητές) έτος του τμήματος Διοίκησης Επιχειρήσεων του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών, το ακαδημαϊκό έτος 2013-2014, εκ των οποίων 186 ανταποκρίθηκαν (108 φοιτητές από το 1ο έτος και 78 από το 4ο), οι οποίοι αποτελούν το δείγμα της έρευνας. Αρχικά, χρησιμοποιήθηκε η ηλεκτρονική, ενώ στη συνέχεια η προσωπική μέθοδος συλλογής δεδομένων. Η έρευνα διεξήχθη από τις 28/03/2014 έως 14/05/2014. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν πως το δείγμα χαρακτηρίζεται από ουδέτερη «πρόθεση για ανάπτυξη επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial intention)», με τους τεταρτοετείς να εκφράζουν μειωμένη πρόθεση σε σχέση με τους πρωτοετείς. Τα τρία συστατικά της Θεωρία της Προ-Σχεδιασμένης Συμπεριφοράς (Theory of Planned Behavior) συσχετίζονται θετικά με τη «πρόθεση για ανάπτυξη επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial intention)» του δείγματος. Όμοια είναι και τα ευρήματα του «αρμονικού πάθους (harmonious passion)» και για τα δύο έτη, καθώς και του «προγράμματος σπουδών και του περιεχομένου των μαθημάτων για την ενίσχυση της επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial curriculum and content)» των τεταρτοετών. Οι μεταβλητές που προβλέπουν την «πρόθεση για ανάπτυξη επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial intention)» και για τα δύο έτη είναι κατά σειρά σημαντικότητας η «στάση απέναντι στην αυτό-απασχόληση (attitude towards behavior)» και ο «αντιλαμβανόμενος έλεγχος της συμπεριφοράς (perceived behavioral control)», ενώ είναι εμφανής η συμβολή του «αρμονικού πάθους (harmonious passion)» στην «πρόθεση για ανάπτυξη επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial intention)» των πρωτοετών και των «υποκειμενικών κανόνων (subjective norm)» στους τεταρτοετείς. Η μεταβλητή «πρόγραμμα σπουδών και το περιεχόμενο των μαθημάτων για την ενίσχυση της επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial curriculum and content)» συμβάλλει στο ποσοστό που ερμηνεύει τη μεταβλητότητα της «πρόθεσης για ανάπτυξη επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial intention)» των τεταρτοετών, αλλά δεν έχει στατιστικά σημαντική επίδραση. Τέλος, οι τεταρτοετείς με γονείς που δραστηριοποιούνται στην επιχειρηματικότητα, παρουσίασαν υψηλότερη «πρόθεση για ανάπτυξη επιχειρηματικότητας (entrepreneurial intention)». / The entrepreneurial intention is the subject of interest of the present study. Bird (1988) and Souitaris et al. (2007) define this concept as a condition that directs the attention and actions of an individual towards self-employment, against employment by someone else. The purpose of the study is to measure the “entrepreneurial intention” of the 1st and 4th year students of the Business Administration Department, University of Patras, the definitions of the factors that shape it, as well as the differences between the two years. The model which has been designed is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), an established model of literature linking the intention with the subsequent actions (Ajzen, 1987, 1991). Ajzen (1991) suggests that "a person's attitude towards behavior”, the “subjective norm”, and the “perceived behavioral control” are the factors that determine his intentions. For the purpose of this study, variables have been added, borrowed from the international literature which are expected to affect the formation of the "entrepreneurial intention”. These are the “harmonious passion”, the “obsessive passion”, the "entrepreneurial curriculum and content” (only in the 4th year), and some variables related to the profile of the students of the department. The methodological approach that has been chosen in this study is the quantitative research in the form of a questionnaire. The survey population consists of all 413 undergraduate students enrolled in the 1st (264 students) and 4th (149 students) year of the Business Administration Department, University of Patras, in the academic year 2013-2014, of which 186 have responded (108 students from the first year and 78 in the fourth), who constitute the sample of the study. Originally, the electronics method of data collection was used, while later on the personal one. The survey was conducted from 03.28.2014 to 05.14.2014. The results have shown that the sample is characterized by a neutral “entrepreneurial intention”, with the fourth-year students expressing a reduced intention, compared with the first-year ones. The three components of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) are positively related to the "entrepreneurial intention” of the sample. Similar are the findings of the “harmonious passion” for both years, and the “entrepreneurial curriculum and content” of the fourth-year students. The variables which provide the “entrepreneurial intention” for both years are, in order of importance, the “(attitude towards behavior” and the “perceived behavioral control”, while there is a clear contribution of the “harmonious passion” in the “entrepreneurial intention” of freshmen and the “subjective norm” of the fourth-year students. The variable “entrepreneurial curriculum and content” contributes to the percentage which reflects the variability of “entrepreneurial intention” of the fourth-year students, but it has no statistically significant effect. Finally, the fourth-year students with parents involved in entrepreneurship have shown a higher “entrepreneurial intention”.

Maintaining independence is a primary reason that many older drivers continue to drive. Safety, however, is a growing concern for all older drivers. Numerous studies have noted that many older drivers lack an awareness of their driving abilities and driving safety issues for older adults. Identifying the awareness level of older drivers from a theoretical standpoint is important. The current educational interventions for older drivers show promising results and suggest that educational programs can impact older driver knowledge, self-reported awareness, and behaviours. However, rarely have older drivers with cognitive deficits been included. This research study fills a gap in the current literature regarding the utility of a theoretically-based intervention program to increase older driver awareness, improve attitudes towards driving, and increase behaviours around older driver safety. The purpose of this research study was to develop, pilot, and examine the effectiveness of a novel, theoretically based, in-class education program entitled “Safety Awareness for Elderly Drivers” (SAFE) for older drivers both with and without cognitive impairment. The SAFE education program was based on five relevant models/theories: 1) Driving as an Everyday Competence, 2) Hierarchical Awareness Theory, 3) Toglia & Kirk’s Awareness Model, 4) Theory of Planned Behaviour, and 5) Transtheoretical Model. A convenience sample of 47 current older drivers aged 70 years or older currently contemplating changing their driving behaviours and their passengers were recruited and randomly assigned. Participants in the intervention group received the group education session, while those in the treatment as usual control group received a copy of the Insurance Board of British Columbia’s “Roadsense for Driver’s” handbook. We measured general knowledge, awareness of individual driving abilities, attitudes, intention to change driving behaviours, driving behaviours, and readiness to change before, immediately after the intervention (intervention group only), and at 2-month follow-up. Results indicated that the “Safety Awareness for Elderly Drivers” education program was well received by older drivers. The education program demonstrated immediate impacts, such as increased knowledge of older driver safety issues (general level awareness), increased individual awareness, and some changes in attitude and intentions toward changing driving behaviours. Older drivers with mild cognitive impairment showed similar benefits from the education program. However, the program did not appear to be more effective than the review of a drivers handbook available though ICBC in follow-up, with most follow-up measures being similar to baseline. Implications of this research and further research suggestions for older drivers are discussed.

CORRELATES OF SEAT BELT USE AMONG TURKISH FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS SimSekoglu, &Ouml / zlem M.S., Department of Psychology Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Timo Lajunen June, 2005, 79 pages This thesis included three separate studies, which were observational, interview and survey studies, on seat belt use among Turkish front seat occupants. The observation study investigated occupant characteristics and environmental factors affecting seat belt use. Seat belts were used significantly more among females and older occupants than among males and younger occupants / and on intercity roads, at weekends and in the afternoons than on city roads, at weekdays and in the evenings. The interview study investigated the common reasons for using and not using a seat belt in different trip types, qualitatively. Safety, situational conditions, habit and avoiding punishment were the commonly reported reasons for using a seat belt, while situational conditions, not believing the effectiveness of seat belt use, discomfort and no habit of using a seat belt were the commonly reported reasons for not using a seat belt, for most of the trip types. In the third study, seat belt use both on urban and rural roads were explained with the basic and extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) models and Health Belief Model (HBM), using Structural Equation Modeling. Basic TPB model showed a good fit to the data, while extended TPB model and HBM showed a low fit to the data. Within TPB constructs, attitudes and the subjective norm had a positive and significant relation to intentions to use a seat belt. Results were discussed for their implications to traffic safety in Turkey, along with limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies.

Les motivacions entorn al programari lliure han estat sempre un tema de gran interès, sent la pregunta més obvia, "perquè les persones treballen de forma gratuïta?". Les motivacions dels desenvolupadors han estat establertes (per exemple, von Hippel (2001), Lerner and Tirole (2002)). De la mateixa manera que ho han estat per a les empreses grans i petites que adopten programari lliure basat en models de negoci (per exemple, Lakhani and von Hippel, 2003; Fitzgerald, 2006; Krishnamurthy, 2004). No obstant això, un nombre cada vegada més elevat de les PIMES amb estratègies que no estan directament relacionades amb aquest model de negoci estan contribuint a les comunitats de programari lliure. En aquest estudi s'investiga les motivacions d'aquestes empreses des d'un punt de vista de comportament mitjançant un model d'investigació basat en TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior). Hem demostrat que factors com la "obertura" d'una PIME, la importància percebuda del programari lliure, els desenvolupadors (empleats) d'una PIME, juntament amb l'ambient extern, podrien influir en la decisió d'una PIME a participar en comunitats de programari lliure. A més, hem demostrat que es poden identificar algunes diferències entre empreses d'alta base tecnològica i empreses amb poca base tecnològica. Aquestes conclusions poden ajudar governs nacionals o regionals per millorar el disseny de polítiques per tal d'incentivar l'ús i la participació de les empreses en les comunitats de programari lliure. Especialment ara, degut a la forta crisi econòmica que pateix Europa, el programari lliure pot ser una solució adequada per a fomentar la innovació. / Motivations in FLOSS have always been a subject of great interest, by starting with the most obvious question, “why people work for free?”. The motivations of developers have been well established (eg von Hippel (2001), Lerner and Tirole 2002). The same exists also for big and small companies adopting FLOSS based Business Models (eg Lakhani and von Hippel, 2003; Fitzgerald 2006; Krishnamurthy, 2004). However an increasing number of SMEs with strategies not directly related to the Business Model are contributing to FLOSS communities. In this study we try to investigate these motivations under a behavioral perspective by using a research model based on TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior). We demonstrated that factors like the “openness” of a SME, the perceived importance of FLOSS, the developers (employees) of a SME along with the external environment of a SME, could influence the decision of a SME to participate in FLOSS communities. Also, we have demonstrated that some differences can be identified between high tech firms and non high tech firms. These findings can help national or regional governments to design better policies in order to better promote the use and the participation of firms to FLOSS communities. Especially now, in times of heavy economical crisis in Europe, FLOSS can be an adequate solution to foster innovation.