The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether a difference existed between attitudes, subjective norms, and behavioral intentions of employees regarding self reported use or nonuse of PHPD. The study also investigated if there was a difference between selected demographic variables and the attitudes, subjective norms, and behavioral intentions of employees regarding use or nonuse of PHPD. Fishbein and Ajzen's (1975) Theory of Reasoned Action was the theoretical framework for this study. A convenience sample of 250 employees at two automotive component manufacturing plants located in the Midwest completed the demographic sheet and Employee Use of PHPD questionnaire.Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine the internal consistency of the questionnaire subscales, and the alpha scores ranged from 0.66 to 0.81. Findings revealed a significant difference in attitudes between the self reported use and nonuse groups (F=93.34, df, 1, p<.0001). A significant difference in subjective norms between the use and nonuse groups (F=52.14, df, 1, p<.0001). Findings also revealed a significant difference in behavioral intentions between the self reported use and nonuse groups (F=128.54, df, 1, p<.001). A significant difference was found between age, gender, and self reported use or nonuse ofPHPD. Younger female respondents used PHPD more frequently than male middle aged respondents.Despite the fact that this study found evidence of positive attitudes and subjective norms, the findings did not support behavioral intentions. Most of the respondents (86.4%) supported the use of PHPD as an important part of responsible work safety, but their self reported use of PHPD was only 33.4%. More than half (65.6%) of the respondents reported never or almost never using PHPD. The findings were not consistent with the constructs of TRA, that attitudes and subjective norms are predictive of behavioral intention and thus behavior. / School of Nursing

Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Globally, institutions of higher learning are characterised by continuous change, which has significant ramifications for the success and functioning of any institution of higher learning. In this context, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the perceptions of academics regarding the work environment in a transforming South African institution of higher learning and their job involvement and organisational commitment. The data were gathered by means of the Academic Work Environment Survey (AWES) measuring instrument. This measuring instrument obtained extraordinarily high reliability coefficients in the study. The results of the study indicate that academics in general have a positive perception of their job involvement and organisational commitment. These positive perceptions of job involvement and organisational commitment can largely be attributed to academics’ positive experience of a number of aspects of the academic work environment, namely low levels of role ambiguity and role conflict and high levels of autonomy, task identity, work challenge, feedback and supervisory consideration. However, attention should be paid to certain aspects such as role ambiguity, role conflict, feedback, work challenge and supervisory consideration where differences among academics’ perceptions occur as a result of personal and professional characteristics, which might pose a threat to these positive experiences in future.