The main purpose of this study was to examine the constructs of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in two different exercise settings structured versus unstructured. Owing to the assumption that individuals may perceive less volitional control in a structured setting versus an unstructured setting, it was hypothesized that perceived behavioural control would be a stronger predictor of exercise behaviour in the structured setting. A secondary purpose of the current study was to assess the utility of using two different exercise outcomes energy expenditure and exercise frequency to assess exercise behaviour. Participants (N = 207) were recruited from a first-year kinesiology university class. Data collection occurred over two time periods, nine days apart, and was conducted during class periods. During the first testing session, participants were provided with a questionnaire that assessed TPB constructs and physical activity level in the two settings (structured versus unstructured) using the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire (MAQ). Half of the participants were requested to complete the TPB constructs using energy expenditure as the outcome measure and half were requested to complete the constructs using exercise frequency as the outcome measure. In the second testing session, all participations were asked to report their exercise levels over the previous seven days using the MAQ. In terms of predicting intention, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, contrary to the hypothesis, perceived behavioural control was more predictive in the unstructured setting versus the structured setting. Although not predicted, it also was found that subjective norms were a significant predictor of activity intention in the structured but not the unstructured setting. The results using the two different outcome measures (e.g., energy expenditure versus frequency) also revealed differences; however, no consistent pattern emerged. One relationship that did emerge was the finding that perceived behavioural control was found to be a stronger predictor of intention in the unstructured setting using energy expenditure as an outcome versus exercise frequency. <p> Finally, the results revealed little support for the TPB constructs predicting self-reported physical activity behaviour. Practical implications and future directions are discussed.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the constructs of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in two different exercise settings structured versus unstructured. Owing to the assumption that individuals may perceive less volitional control in a structured setting versus an unstructured setting, it was hypothesized that perceived behavioural control would be a stronger predictor of exercise behaviour in the structured setting. A secondary purpose of the current study was to assess the utility of using two different exercise outcomes energy expenditure and exercise frequency to assess exercise behaviour. Participants (N = 207) were recruited from a first-year kinesiology university class. Data collection occurred over two time periods, nine days apart, and was conducted during class periods. During the first testing session, participants were provided with a questionnaire that assessed TPB constructs and physical activity level in the two settings (structured versus unstructured) using the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire (MAQ). Half of the participants were requested to complete the TPB constructs using energy expenditure as the outcome measure and half were requested to complete the constructs using exercise frequency as the outcome measure. In the second testing session, all participations were asked to report their exercise levels over the previous seven days using the MAQ. In terms of predicting intention, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, contrary to the hypothesis, perceived behavioural control was more predictive in the unstructured setting versus the structured setting. Although not predicted, it also was found that subjective norms were a significant predictor of activity intention in the structured but not the unstructured setting. The results using the two different outcome measures (e.g., energy expenditure versus frequency) also revealed differences; however, no consistent pattern emerged. One relationship that did emerge was the finding that perceived behavioural control was found to be a stronger predictor of intention in the unstructured setting using energy expenditure as an outcome versus exercise frequency. <p> Finally, the results revealed little support for the TPB constructs predicting self-reported physical activity behaviour. Practical implications and future directions are discussed.

With this study we aim to create an understanding about motivational effect of using centralized goal-setting in multiunit organizations. Multiunit organizations are often decentralized in their structure, allowing units and their employees to have control over their day-to-day activities and decisions. At the same time, the organization requires control in order to create uniformity. A way to impose control is by using performance targets for the units and its employees. The employees are used to being self-directed in their work, and we have researched how this central form of control will affect their motivation.   In order to illustrate this, we have conducted a qualitative case study at different units in a banking and insurance company in Sweden. Goal-setting has increased in this industry, and at the same time, employees have the mandate to make decisions about their daily work at a local level. We therefore argue that using a multiunit company in this industry will illustrate the motivational effect of centrally assigned goals. We have conducted ten semi-structured interviews with sales employees and with two managers of Organization X. Our research approach to this study is of an abductive character, as our process has been back and forth between existing theory and findings from our research.             The mainly intrinsically motivated employees in this case expressed an understanding of the assigned goals. However, they had difficulties being committed to the goals because they felt that the goals were set too far away from their local market. Sales employees in this type of organizational structure are used to have the mandate to control their day-to-day work activities, and therefore it becomes frustrating for them to partly be controlled in terms of sales targets. Centralized assigned goals have a negative effect on motivation for most of the employees, who have trouble accepting and feeling committed to the goals. However, the assigned goals can temporarily trigger motivation to sell certain products, for example through a competition. We argue that the distribution of the centrally assigned goals have to be well communicated and explained to the employees, and that organizations give room for local adjustment of the centrally assigned goals.

McCombs and Shaw¡¦s studies of agenda-setting theory showed that mass medium can not only maintain or change acceptors¡¦ perceptions of political issues but also guide electors¡¦ favoritism by setting agenda. Thus, in this thesis, we want to find the relation between framed-issues and the political positions of China Times and The Liberty Times by analyzing and comparing the agenda-setting behaviors of these two newspapers(including headline news, editorials, and their contents¡K) during the period of 2006 Kaohsiung mayoral campaign. The conclusion shows that in the same period of time there exist different framed-objects and attitudes toward those political issues operated by these two medium. It means that mass medium aim at framing issues to conduct what people would focus on. Nevertheless, this thesis find that the agenda-setting behaviors of China Times during the period of 2006 Kaohsiung mayoral election was intended to use error issues so agendas could connect with the framed political issues, while the agenda-setting behaviors of The Liberty Times, especially political issue, was of uncertainty. Most of its headlines are not related to politics, but still the framing activity occurred in the political edition.

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Recent research has demonstrated that over time, consecutive high performance goals can increase unethical behavior by depleting one's self-regulatory resources (Welsh & Ordóñez, 2014). In this study, I extend the mediated model connecting goals, depletion, and unethical behavior. First, I propose that the depleting effects associated with a single goal can increase depletion and facilitate unethicality both in pursuit of the goal and also in unrelated areas. Second, I draw from the goal-setting literature to hypothesize that high levels of goal commitment will moderate the relationship between high performance goals and depletion by strengthening this effect. Third, I integrate research related to information processing to hypothesize that because automatic processing influences behavior more when participants are depleted, subconscious ethical priming will moderate the relationship between depletion and unethical behavior by attenuating this effect. A laboratory study is presented to test the expanded model combining mediation and moderation, adding to our understanding of the factors that influence the strength of the relationship connecting high performance goals and unethical behavior. Results generally did not support the developed model and a number of potential limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

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This dissertation examines media content. Specifically, I ask why the media reports the issues that it does. Many explanations have been provided in the past, including theories of journalistic integrity, media bias, and event-driven coverage. This dissertation further develops and tests the profit-seeking theory of news coverage. In this framework, news firms report stories that attract and hold the attention of the audience so as to increase market share of the audience.Chapter 2 reexamines the agenda setting hypothesis, asserting that much of the research that supported it relied upon inappropriate methodology and design to explain a temporal and cyclical phenomenon. To address these problems, I propose and test the profit-seeking theory of media content. In this, and contrary to the agenda-setting hypothesis, public issue salience drives issue content in the news, rather than issue content in the news driving public issue salience. Chapter 3 examines the affect of public opinion, specifically macropartisanship upon issue coverage in the news. As such, I ask if reporters follow the ebb and flow of mass opinion in deciding which issues are newsworthy and which are not. Chapter 4 asks if the public opinion affects the ability of institutional actors, specifically the president, to influence the media agenda.Findings indicate that public opinion does affect subsequent news coverage. The public's perception of the importance of some issues affects the amount of subsequent coverage of those issues. Changes in macropartisanship affect subsequent issue coverage in the news and public issue salience and presidential popularity affect the ability of the president to assert his agenda into the media.

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