Bakgrund: Forskning inom socialt arbete indikerar att omvårdnadspersonal inom arbetet med äldre människor kan agera i strid med vårdtagares rätt till autonomi i situationer då en potentiell risk för skada uppstår. Syfte: Studiens syften var att: a) undersöka omvårdnadspersonalens förhållningssätt till autonomifrämjande och riskaverta omvårdnadssituationer och b) att använda Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) för att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar personalens intentioner till agerande i dessa situationer. Metod: Studien nyttjade en kvantitativ tvärsnitts- och kvasi-experimentell design, med vinjettbaserade enkäter skildrandes tre omvårdnadssituationer som skiljer sig i autonomifrämjande och riskaverta ageranden hos omvårdnadspersonalen. Urval: Urvalet bestod av omvårdnadspersonal (n=62) från fem vård- och omsorgsboenden för personer med demens. Resultat: Sammantaget tyder omvårdnadspersonalens bedömningar av situationerna att riskaverta ageranden var vanligare än autonomifrämjande ageranden både hos dem själva och bland deras kollegor. Genom analyser av TRA ges belägg för att de subjektiva normerna påverkar personalens intentioner till agerande mer än attityder. / Background: Research within social work indicates that staff working in care for older people can act in a way that conflicts with the care-recipient’s right to autonomy in situations where there is a risk of harm. Purpose: The study’s aims were a) to investigate staff’s response to autonomy-promoting and risk-averse care situations and b) to use the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to investigate which factors influence staff’s intentions to act in these situations. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional quasi-experimental design, with vignette-based surveys depicting three care situations differing in terms of autonomy-promoting or risk-averse staff behavior. Sample: Nursing staff (N = 62) recruited from five specialist dementia care homes. Results: Overall, staff ratings of the vignettes suggested risk-aversion is more common than autonomy-promotion, both among their colleagues and in their own behavior, while the TRA analyses indicated that subjective norms more than attitudes influence the behavioral intentions of staff.

The time from onset of a cardiac arrest to defibrillation is crucial hence access to and use of a defibrillator by all nurses essential. The purpose of this study was to use an established theoretical framework to examine and describe the defibrillation practices and beliefs of rural registered nurses in the Australian state of Queensland. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) guided the research processes for this two phase study. In the first phase, focus group (n = 13) discussions identified the salient beliefs of the population. By eliciting nurses' beliefs, the subsequent quantitative study (n = 434) was conducted to determine the influences of these beliefs on nurses' use or non-use of defibrillators. The results showed that: (1) less than half of the cohort of participants were permitted to defibrillate; (2) the defibrillation beliefs of those nurses permitted to defibrillate were significantly more positive than those not permitted to do so; (3) the direct measures of TPB and selected variables external to the model predicted a significant portion of the variance in the measure of nurse-initiated defibrillation intention; and, (4) subjective norm emerged as the strongest predictor of intention. In conclusion, Queensland rural hospital nurses and employers still have some distance to travel down the path of nurse-initiated defibrillation. The TPB is a viable framework on which to base interventions designed to promote defibrillation by rural nurses. Understanding the role of social norms is of central importance to ensure all nurses can initiate the chain of survival expeditiously whenever the need arises.

Adopting new technologies enable enterprises to improve employees¡¦ performance and competitive advantages. The differences in natures of adopting processes of organizations and individuals need further clarify for better understandings regarding to their framework in adopting new technologies. This paper based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and existed research to construct the relations amongst the effective factors which affect the adopting new technologies in either individual or organization perspectives. In the individual level, the constructed research framework indicated employees¡¦ e-Learning satisfaction could be measured by three major dimensions, the perceived e-Learning qualities, individual internal beliefs (usefulness and ease of use), and social influence. Eight proposed hypothesis were confirmed by Structured Equation Modeling analysis of 428 valid samples. Path analyses verified the original path in TRA, TAM, and D&M ISS Model. The perceived e-Learning qualities and social influence cause significantly influence to employees¡¦ e-Learning satisfaction in both directly and indirectly, which by way of individual internal beliefs, positive paths. The results also showed that perceived information quality, usefulness, system quality, social influence, ease of use, and than service quality positively affect employees¡¦ satisfaction of e-Learning in descend sequences. Where, in the organization level, decision framework of adopting new technology of oil refinery was composed by modified Delphi method and was verified by Analytic Network Process from the survey of 15 experts. The consistency opinions confirmed four inter-depended dimensions and seventeen criteria were included. The results suggested that process fitness, environmental fitness, actors¡¦ organizational fitness, and new technology characteristics are important dimensions of adopting new technology in descend sequences. On the other hand, economic feasibility, relative advantages, government, environment acceptance, and engineering feasibility are the top five important factors to be evaluated during the adopting process. The different natures of adopting processes of organizations and individuals cause their different framework in adopting new technologies. This paper concluded that new technology, actors¡¦, environmental characteristics are three interdepended dimensions which influence the adopting behavior no matter in individual or organization context. In organization level of oil refinery case, actors¡¦ characteristics consist not only of actors¡¦ organizational fitness but also process fitness, which is the most important dimension while adopting new technology. In final, the implications of findings were discussed and directions were also suggested for future research.

Purpose – This thesis aimed at investigating students’ beliefs influencing their personal attitudes and subjective norms not to choose the accounting profession by using the simplified Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) model. Theoretical framework – This study used the simplified TRA model to investigate the beliefs that influence students not to choose the accounting profession. From an accounting context, prior research has indicated that, there are intrinsic and extrinsic factors that determine the behavioural beliefs of students about the accounting profession. Likewise, normative beliefs are another construct of the simplified TRA model that influences students’ intentions towards the accounting profession. Methodology – Through a quantitative approach, questionnaires were sent electronically to first and second year students at five major universities in Sweden. In total, 323 students replied to the questionnaire. Since this study focused on students intending to choose business administration, non-business administration students were deleted from the sample giving an actual sample size of 228. The data collected was analyzed in two steps using multiple regression analysis. Findings – The findings of the study confirmed the simplified TRA model. The results showed that both behavioural and normative beliefs influenced students’ intentions not to choose the accounting profession. For behavioral beliefs, no personal interest in accounting, the belief that accounting is boring and the belief that other occupations (for instance, marketing and management) negatively influenced students’ attitudes not to choose the accounting profession. Similarly, for normative beliefs, teachers and peers influenced students’ subjective norms not to choose the accounting profession. Practical implications – The practical implications of this study are two-folded. Firstly, program directors at universities should engage in hiring qualified teachers in accounting, organize supportive activities to encourage students about the accounting profession. Also, program directors should include compulsory internships in the curriculum so that students can learn about the accounting profession. Secondly, former accounting students should get involved in the process of encouraging students about the accounting profession. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the beliefs influencing the personal attitudes and subjective norms of students not to choose the accounting profession. Therefore, the thesis provides an up-to-date theory about the TRA in the accounting profession in Sweden.

This research explores the relationship between intention and actual usage of self-service technology (SST), and investigates the effects of facilitating conditions and customer readiness on customer adoption of SST. In recent years, self-service technologies have created many new service contents; nevertheless, the actual utilization is not actually common yet. Therefore, this research try to explore the relationship between customer readiness and facilitating conditions on the actual use of SST, then focus on narrowing the gap between intention to use SST and actual usage of SST. We believe that this understanding is imperative for service providers to make proactive strategies for fostering customers’ intention and actual usage of the SST. The framework makes it possible to understand and predict customer trial related to using self-service technology by thoroughly examining underlying customer readiness degree and use the internet to illustrate how our framework can be applied to study customer behavior related to a specific self-service technology. To analyze the longitudinal effect, a two-stage survey was conducted and lasted for seven months. As it is well known that behavior intention does not necessary lead to actual behavior, our findings offer proactive strategies to service providers in turning intention into actual usage. Implications are discussed for managerial strategy as well as for future research. The research can be referred as marketing strategy for self-service or kiosk industry, and on academic contribution of narrowing the gap between intention and actual use. It is expected that it is helpful to facilitate self-service development and to enrich customer experience and competitiveness in Taiwan.

The influence of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on consumers’ purchase intentions has long been known. However, the emergence of social media has brought a new perspective to eWOM through enabling users to communicate with their existing networks on the Internet. On social media, conversely to the other online platforms, users are able to exchange their opinions and experiences about products or services with familiar people, which refers to people who they already know such as friends and acquaintances. This new way of eWOM has the potential for greater impact on consumers. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions. To do so, the research in this thesis involved two major phases. In the first phase, in order to explore the determinants of eWOM information on social media which influences consumers’ purchase intentions, a theoretical model was developed based on the integration of Information Adoption Model (IAM) and related components of Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). The new model, which is named as Information Acceptance Model (IACM), was validated through structural equation modelling (SEM) based on surveys of 384 social media users in the UK. The results have highlighted that quality, credibility, usefulness and adoption of information, needs of information and attitude towards information are the key factors for eWOM in social media which influence consumers’ purchase intentions. Furthermore, to provide better understanding of the influence of eWOM on social media, the second phase of this research was designed as a comparative study. To explore whether the eWOM between familiar people on social media or the eWOM between anonymous people on other online platforms was more influential on consumers’ purchase intentions, the data collected through survey was reanalysed with a different perspective; and a comparison was conducted based on multiple regression analysis. The results have revealed significant differences and found anonymous reviews to be more influential on consumers’ purchase intentions than friends’ recommendations on social media. However, since these results were contrary to expectations, 10 in-depth interviews were also administered to enlighten the insightful results found through the survey. The interview findings uncovered the survey results. Information quantity, information readiness, detailed information, and dedicated information were discovered as the factors which make online reviews superior than friends’ recommendations in terms of the influence of eWOM. This research contributes to theoretical implications through its validated model and found key dimensions. The research model, IACM, brings a new approach to information adoption by extending IAM and provides new insights to researchers who study Information Systems (IS). In addition, the model highlights the information adoption process as an antecedent of behavioural intention, which is a very important finding for the related literature. Future studies can build new models through considering this relationship between information adoption process and behavioural intention. Moreover, the second phase of this research provides new constructs for future studies through its qualitative findings. The findings reached through in-depth interviews, which explain why consumers prefer anonymous online reviews, can either be tested as components of new theories and models or they can be tested as inclusion of existing theories and models. Both types have potential to provide valuable results for the literature. On the other hand, in terms of practicality, this research provides marketers with a frame of reference to understand the influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions. Both the contextual and the comparative studies in this research offer valuable insights for marketers; marketers thus can develop better strategies for marketing on social media.

Children, growing up in this digital era incorporate technology into play, communication and learning. Therapists working with children endeavour to use mediums with which children are familiar and thus need to make a decision whether to include technology in or exclude technology from their therapeutic environments. This is no easy decision, in the midst of negative publicity regarding the role technology plays in children‘s lives. A deeper understanding of what encourages or discourages therapists from using technology as a therapeutic medium with children could guide practitioners in their decisions regarding the use of technology in therapy. The aim of this study was to explore and describe experiences of therapists using technology, as a therapeutic medium with children. A qualitative multiple case study design was used. Experiences were defined as the “active process" of reinterpreting the "physical, perceptual, affective and cognitive aspects" of being exposed to events to bring about a change in response options (McKnight & Sechrest, 2003:471). Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and visual data. Seven therapists participated in the research, selected by means of non-probability purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Collected data and reflective field notes were analysed thematically, using an inductive, interpretive approach, guided by a theoretical framework, the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Findings indicated that all participants were aware that children find technology appealing, but participants who were older or psychodynamically orientated were less inclined to incorporate technology as a therapeutic medium. Participants who were experimental by nature used technology as a therapeutic medium with some caution. Experimentally inclined participants who had received training in using technology used technology not only as a therapeutic medium, but also more confidently as a play medium. Participants were deterred mainly by the uncertainty of the therapeutic value of technology, the lack of ethical guidelines regulating the use of technology in therapy and the concern that technology may interfere with the therapeutic process. Further research regarding parents’ and child-clients’ perspectives of using technology in therapy would perhaps reduce speculative perceptions. Research regarding therapists’ values and perceptions of technology as a therapeutic medium could guide stakeholders in their development of training programs and necessary ethical guidelines. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Children, growing up in this digital era incorporate technology into play, communication and learning. Therapists working with children endeavour to use mediums with which children are familiar and thus need to make a decision whether to include technology in or exclude technology from their therapeutic environments. This is no easy decision, in the midst of negative publicity regarding the role technology plays in children‘s lives. A deeper understanding of what encourages or discourages therapists from using technology as a therapeutic medium with children could guide practitioners in their decisions regarding the use of technology in therapy. The aim of this study was to explore and describe experiences of therapists using technology, as a therapeutic medium with children. A qualitative multiple case study design was used. Experiences were defined as the “active process" of reinterpreting the "physical, perceptual, affective and cognitive aspects" of being exposed to events to bring about a change in response options (McKnight & Sechrest, 2003:471). Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and visual data. Seven therapists participated in the research, selected by means of non-probability purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Collected data and reflective field notes were analysed thematically, using an inductive, interpretive approach, guided by a theoretical framework, the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Findings indicated that all participants were aware that children find technology appealing, but participants who were older or psychodynamically orientated were less inclined to incorporate technology as a therapeutic medium. Participants who were experimental by nature used technology as a therapeutic medium with some caution. Experimentally inclined participants who had received training in using technology used technology not only as a therapeutic medium, but also more confidently as a play medium. Participants were deterred mainly by the uncertainty of the therapeutic value of technology, the lack of ethical guidelines regulating the use of technology in therapy and the concern that technology may interfere with the therapeutic process. Further research regarding parents’ and child-clients’ perspectives of using technology in therapy would perhaps reduce speculative perceptions. Research regarding therapists’ values and perceptions of technology as a therapeutic medium could guide stakeholders in their development of training programs and necessary ethical guidelines. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Bakgrund: Forskning om missförhållanden visar att äldre som bor på särskilda boenden utsätts för olika former av missförhållanden. De olika formerna av missförhållanden som sker inom äldreomsorgen kommer till uttryck på olika sätt, såsom psykisk och fysisk vanvård samt försummelse. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur omvårdnadspersonal uppfattar eventuella missförhållanden inom äldreomsorgen och varför de tror att missförhållanden uppstår på särskilda boenden. Syftet var även att utifrån Theory of Reasoned Action tolka omvårdnadspersonalens potentiella agerande i situationer då det uppstår missförhållanden. Metod: Studien nyttjade en kvalitativ forskningsmetod i form av en vinjettstudie medfokusgrupper. Materialet analyserades genom tematisk analys. Resultat: Resultatet visade att omvårdnadspersonalen hade olika uppfattningar kring missförhållanden. Brist i arbetsmiljö såsom tidsbrist, personalbrist och stress var troliga orsaker till missförhållanden. Genom Theory of Reasoned Action indikerades att kollegors påverkan, så kallade ”subjektiva normer” och egna attityder kan bidra till en förståelse om varför missförhållanden uppstår på särskilda boenden. / Background: Research on elder abuse shows that elderly people living in nursing homes are exposed to various forms of abuse. The various forms of abuse that occur in elderly care are expressed in different ways, such as mental and physical abuse, and neglect. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate how nursing staff perceive possible elder abuse in elderly care and why they believe that elder abuse occurs in nursing homes. The aim was also to interpret the nursing staff's potential actions in situations where elder abuse occurs based on the Theory of Reasoned Action. Method: The study used a vignette methodology with four focus group interviews. The material was analysed through thematic analysis. Results: The results showed that nursing staff had different perceptions of elder abuse. The respondents believed that, among other things, deficiencies in the work environment such as lack of time, staff shortages and stress were likely reasons for elder abuse. The Theory of Reasoned Action indicated that colleagues' influence, also known as "subjective norms" and their own attitudes can contribute to an understanding of why elder abuse occurs in nursing home.

<p>This research work investigates and reports on the contribution of usability and perceptual frameworks towards understanding and ultimately increasing usage of a sales website and a corporate marketing website for a major insurance company in South Africa. It investigates whether the application of usability principles to the sales web positively influences the usage of the sales web system as a tool by intermediaries, and in so doing help the organisation recoup their investment and lower operational costs. This financial services (traditionally insurance) company, like many organisations, is in the process of migrating key operational systems onto web platforms to take advantage of benefits such as the ubiquity of web access and services orientated architecture among others. The research reviewed key frameworks in the area of technology acceptance or usage namely  Nielsen‟s usability attributes (Nielsen, 2003)  The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), (Davis, 1989)&nbsp /  The Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein &amp / Ajzen, 1975)  The Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985) / and derived a theoretical summative model (the Conceptual Research Model) that combined both usability and perceptual dimensions. The applicability of this summative model was empirically tested using quantitative data relating to system&nbsp / usage and user perception. Empirical evidence was gathered to prove and refine the Conceptual Research Model (CRM), and the data substantiated the inclusion of the constructs in the CRM, as well as the efficacy of the model in a financial services organisation. Through testing of the CRM, this research has also confirmed which specific attributes of usability can be focussed on to bring about positive change in users‟ usage behaviour and adoption of a website or web application.</p>