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

abstract: Increasingly, wildfires are threatening communities, forcing evacuations, damaging property, and causing loss of life. This is in part due to a century of wildfire policy and an influx of people moving to the wildland urban interface (WUI). National programs have identified and promoted effective wildfire mitigation actions to reduce wildfire risk; yet, many homeowners do not perform these actions. Based on previous literature and using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study proposes an integrated wildfire mitigation behavioral model to assess and identify the factors that influence homeowners’ wildfire mitigation behaviors. Specifically, the study tests the validity of the theory of planned behavior as a foundational model in exploring wildfire mitigation behaviors, develops and empirically tests a wildfire mitigation behavioral model, and explores the role of homeowner associations (HOA) on wildfire mitigation behaviors. Structural equation modeling was used on data collected from homeowners with property in the WUI in Prescott, Arizona. Results suggest TPB provides an acceptable model in describing homeowner wildfire mitigation behavior. For HOA residents, attitudes toward wildfire mitigation behaviors play an important role in predicting intentions to perform these behaviors. Additionally, perceived constraints directly influenced actual mitigation actions. For non-HOA residents, subjective norms influenced intentions to mitigate. Implications for research and local wildfire mitigation programs and policy are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Community Resources and Development 2016

Eating disorders can lead to a negative impact on students' academic growth, nutrition and can cause death (Claude-Pierre, 1997; Manley, Rickson, & Standeven, 2000; Romeo, 1996). Early intervention by referring students to professional counseling might help counter these negative consequences. The teacher is in the position to assist students by providing health information, identifying those with problems, and intervening for a variety of dysfunctions that may include the eating disorders called anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (Myers-Clark & Christopher, 2000). However teachers are in a difficult position to know when to address student concerns and judge what action to take (Ransley,1999). Teachers' engagement seems crucial (Smolak, Harris, Levine, & Shisslak, 2001) since eating disorders are being identified in younger children.The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the relationships of the theoretical constructs, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control of the theory of planned behavior as predictors of behavioral intention (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) of middle school teachers to identify and refer suspected anorexia nervosa (AN) and/or bulimia nervosa (BN) students for professional help; and (b) the actual behavior of middle school teachers who reported having ever referred a student suspected of having AN and BN and those teachers who reported not having made such a referral. One hundred fourteen middle school teachers in Broward County, Florida volunteered to participate in the ex post facto research. Data were collected from a questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the constructs of subjective norm (perception of what others think about one's performance of behavior combined with motivation to comply) and perceived behavioral control (perception regarding the extent of the difficulty of performing the behavior) were predictive of teachers' intent (likelihood of engaging in a behavior) to refer. However, the analysis revealed that attitude (overall positive or negative feeling with respect to performing the behavior) was not predictive of teachers' intent. Discriminant function analysis revealed that both intent and perceived behavioral control were predictive of group membership, either having referred a student suspected of having an eating disorder for counseling or not having made such a referral. Attitude and subjective norm were not predictive of group membership.

Background: Depression is a major health concern and self-management of depressive symptoms using patient-initiated strategies has the potential to reduce the burden of this condition. A better understanding of behaviour change related to these patient-initiated strategies is needed. Method: This randomized controlled trial study used an online survey and Knowledge Translation and Transfer theory-based educational intervention to examine the Theory of Planned Behavior model in the context of nine patient-initiated strategies for the self-management of depression and low mood. Results: Perceived Behavioural Control was identified as the single greatest predictor of Intentions to engage in strategies. Attitudes predicted Intentions to a lesser degree. Subjective Norms were not identified as unique predictors. Theory of Planned Behavior antecedent variables together explained over one third of the variance in Intentions. Intentions to engage in patient-initiated strategies were shown, in some cases, to significantly predict actual engagement in strategies. Level of depressive symptoms did not meaningfully impact any of the antecedent variables or Intentions. Results also suggest that an educational intervention based on Knowledge Translation and Knowledge Transfer principles significantly improved both Attitudes and Subjective Norms – Physician towards patient-initiated strategies. Perceived Behavioural Control and Intentions were not improved as a result of the educational intervention. Theoretical Conclusions: Findings suggest that the Theory of Planned Behavior functions well in the context of patient-initiated strategies for depression and low mood. Perceived Behavioural Control was identified as the greatest predictor of Intentions to engage in patient-initiated strategies. Results also suggest mood difficulties are not captured by the model’s antecedent variables but instead should be included as an additional variable in this model. The findings of the current study support an integrated model of Knowledge Translation and Transfer and Theory of Planned Behavior. Practical Conclusions: The current study’s findings provide a better understanding of behaviour change in the context of patient-initiated strategies and will help guide interventions aimed at improving engagement in these behaviours. Findings also provide support and recommendations for the use of Knowledge Translation and Transfer theory-based educational interventions to improve self-management of depression and low mood.

This study assessed the relationship of variables from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with intentions to use condoms at next sex and action planning for condom use for main partners and for casual partners among an online of men who have sex with men (MSM) in a Midwestern state. The purpose of this study was to investigate variables of TPB among an online sample of HIV negative, Midwestern MSM and assess significant predictors of intentions separately by casual partners and main partners. Next, action planning was assessed as a potential variable to address the intention-behavior gap. The sample was recruited through an online social networking site, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) - themed statewide newspaper and website. Participants completed an online survey that took 15-20 minutes to complete. Items assessed variables related to the TPB as well as action planning, stages of change, alternative strategies to reduce risk of HIV, and demographic variables including age, urban or rural residence, and HIV status. The results revealed that all TPB variables were strongly, significantly related for both casual and for main partners. The final regression models to predict intentions to use condoms at next sex accounted for 62% of the variance for main partners and 68% for casual partners. The regression models to predict action planning differed by partner type. For main partners, perceived behavioral control and intentions were significant predictors and explained 40% of the variance in action planning. For casual partners, self-efficacy was the significant predictor in the final model and explained 72% of the variance. Potential reasons for the differences in models by partner type for action planning are offered. Action planning is suggested as a potential mediating variable between intention and behavior that requires further research. Implications for HIV prevention interventions with MSM are discussed in light of reduced funding for low incidence states.

Purpose The purpose of this master’s thesis is to investigate consumers’ perceptions of the end-of-life stage of a garment. Overall, the objective is to determine influencing factors that impact consumers’ disposal decisions to conceive a better understanding of post-purchase consumer behavior and formulate implications for both business and society. Design/Methodology/Approach The research of this study follows a deductive approach, whereby hypotheses are derived from existing literature and the Theory of Planned Behavior. A single quantitative data collection method is applied to collect primary data, namely, a cross-sectional self-administered online questionnaire. An effective sample size of 398 respondents is statistically analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The conducted descriptive research design investigates the causal relationships between the latent variables and the Behavioral Intention. Findings The empirical findings reveal that consumers’ Attitude positively and individuals’ Subjective Norm negatively influences the intention to dispose of garments. The Personal Value of consumers highly negatively impacts the Attitude and therefore indicates an indirect relationship to an individual’s behavioral intention. There is no significant correlation between consumers’ Endeavor to Change to their Attitude towards garment disposal and between Perceived Behavioral Control and an individual’s disposal intention. Implications Fashion enterprises are advised to act as educators to raise awareness of the adverse effects of frequent garment disposal and elucidate lifetime-extension measures, such as creating emotional attachment through customization or co-creation. Furthermore, emphasizing longevity during the production phase is crucial to hinder the influential factor of disposal due to damage. Therefore, policymakers’ importance is decisive in establishing industry-wide standards regarding garment production and lifetime-extension practices. Furthermore, societal education about garment disposal opportunities should be provided, for example, through implementation in the general curriculum of schools and governmental or nongovernmental organizations’ campaigns. Originality/Value By taking the general development toward a throwaway society into account, a connection to the textile industry is drawn in this thesis. When looking at the literature, it is visible that increasing attention is placed on the post-consumer phase. However, the technical constitution and the actual disposal approaches were mostly covered in this context. Therefore, the authors of this thesis examine the particular consumers’ determination of the end-of-life stage of garments to contribute to current circumstances and related literature.

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the persuasive effects personal stories have on the university recruitment process. Specifically, this study explored how Fisher's (1984) concepts of narrative probability and fidelity influenced Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior model using a four-staged quasi-experimental study. Jablin's (1982) anticipatory socialization phase of organizational assimilation theory acted as a context for this applied dissertation. This study evolved over four stages while working with the North Dakota State University Office of Admission. The first stage provided qualitative data exploring students' opinions of using story-based recruitment material. Focus groups also revealed what types of stories would be helpful for prospective students during the college admission process. Stage two developed and tested the narrative probability and fidelity scales based on Fisher's (1984) narrative paradigm. These newly created scales were used to determine the level of narrative probability and narrative fidelity in each of the experimental conditions. Stage three consisted of the creation and testing of the recruitment videos used in each experimental condition. The final stage tested the story-based recruitment and control videos on prospective students visiting North Dakota State University. The results of this dissertation were obtained using a series of ANOVAs, regression analyses, and path model testing techniques. Overall, the results suggested that high levels of narrative probability and narrative fidelity do positively influence prospective students' attitudes toward choosing a university and have a less powerful, but still positive, influence on their subjective norms beliefs and perceived behavioral control of choosing a university. The theory of planned behavior model was also supported by this data. The results of each stage of this study produced theoretical and practical implications. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of the results, implications, limitations, and future research opportunities.