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Leader integrity is a virtue and is frequently associated with better company reputation, performance in organizations, and trust from followers. Integrity seems to be a desirable quality an organization leader wants to encompass. Nevertheless, research in implementing integrity for better leadership has been facing quandaries: the ambiguity in referral of integrity domains and definitions, and the dilemma that integrity calls for consistency yet in reality leaders have to be adaptive to cope with changes. In addition, it is not unusual that leaders in various contexts behaving inconsistently yet trust from their followers is retained. Will there be other characteristics that facilitate trust in leaders even if the perceived behavioral integrity (PBI) is low? This research tries to address these leader integrity issues¡Xambiguity, dilemma, and maintenance of trust in order to provide a leader with concrete and concise guidance in implementing integrity. From a perspective of Contractarian coupled with ancient Chinese notions, this research investigates the relationship between a leader¡¦s perceived behavioral integrity and trust from his/her followers and proposes that leaders hold the core¡Xmorality, and work accordingly to identify norms, tackle and solve problems, craft negotiations, yet maintain their awareness in essence. Two core values are identified of moderating effect that a leader with lower PBI is able to maintain a certain level of trust. Should a leader be perceived processing authenticity and righteousness, higher level of trust would be maintained even if he/she were perceived low in behavioral integrity. This research advances the theory of integrity research by clarifying the domains and frees the coercion of consistency issues by proposing a morality-based Contractarian integrity view versus the traditional consistency-based integrity. An empirical attempt to investigate and provide explanation for the phenomena why a leader perceived low in behavioral integrity still obtain trust by their followers is added to the moderated consequences of the framework of integrity research. For practical business practitioners to implement leader integrity, this research suggests they (1) understand the characteristics and domains of integrity, (2) uphold morality and work in harmony with the tides in accordance to the leaders immediate environs, and (3) be salient in authenticity and righteousness. This research believes leader integrity is not merely a personal virtue but a practice that could be learned and implemented. The reward this understanding is better trust from their followers and subordinates.

A disproportionate number of African American women are at risk for illness and mortality due to obesity. The aim of this study was to explore perceived behavioral control (PBC), stress, body image, and exercise intentions (EI) using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the primary theoretical framework. The TPB is a leading model in health research to predict behavioral intentions, yet its application to the general female African American population is lacking. Seventy-nine African American women were sampled utilizing a cross-sectional, online survey method. A series of bivariate correlations tested the relationships among PBC, stress, body image, age, and physical activity with EI as the dependent variable. Findings showed that PBC and EI were significantly correlated (r = .62, p<.001). There was also a significant correlation between physical activity level and EI (r = .34, p=.003). Stress, body image, and age were not significantly correlated with EI. A standard multiple regression analysis was used to test if PBC, stress, and body image significantly predicted EI. PBC and stress explained 42% of the variance (R-² = .42, F(3,75)=18.49, p<.001). These findings highlight the importance of strengthening PBC beliefs and reducing stress to enhance successful weight loss. Social change implications include a culturally-sensitive approach to weight loss that could help decrease obesity rates and related health problems.

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a public health concern due to the possible lifelong physical and cognitive effects in offspring. Prevention of alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEP) should begin preconceptionally, either by preventing unintended pregnancies or by discouraging alcohol consumption in women who are at-risk for pregnancy. The purpose of this dissertation is to utilize the Theory of Planned Behavior's construct of perceived behavioral control (PBC)--including perceived power and control beliefs--to guide the measurement and understanding of two behaviors related to AEP among non-pregnant women: birth control use and binge drinking. For the first specific aim--to estimate the prevalence of alcohol-exposed pregnancies--a secondary data analysis was conducted using surveillance data from North Dakota and South Dakota women who have had a child with FAS. The FAS prevalence estimates (per 1,000 live births) in both states (ND=0.8/1,000; SD=0.9/1,000) were found to be higher than that calculated from national averages (0.7/1,000) using a comparable surveillance methodology. The goal of Specific Aim 2 was to determine risk for AEP among a random group of women, while Specific Aim 3 determined the control beliefs and perceived power to using birth control and decreasing binge drinking levels, and Specific Aim 4 focused on relating PBC of these two behaviors to behavioral intentions. Data for aims 2-4 were derived from a mailed, cross-sectional survey of 190 non-pregnant women randomly chosen from an electronic health records system in the upper Midwest. Of the 190 women included in the analyses, eight (6.6%) were binge drinking while being at-risk for pregnancy (i.e., being sexually active but not always using an effective form of birth control) (Specific Aim 2). This is lower than national estimates. For Specific Aim 3, there were high direct PBC scores for both birth control and binge drinking, and there was a positive correlation between birth control direct and indirect scores (although a negative correlation between binge drinking direct and indirect scores). Finally, Specific Aim 4 uncovered high intentions to both use birth control and to not binge drink. Also, the direct birth control PBC measure was significantly associated with birth control intention when controlling for other variables, although neither PBC nor intention appeared to be associated with actual birth control behavior. For binge drinking, the intention score and the direct measure of PBC were significantly associated with one another; as well, the direct measure of PBC and intention were both significantly associated with actual binge drinking behavior. Therefore, the relationship between PBC and intention was validated for both behaviors, and the association between PBC, intention, and actual behavior was indicated for binge drinking. Overall, the study both supported and disagreed with previous research, indicating that additional research with this theory and topic matter is necessary.

The majority of organic foods consumed by Americans are sourced internationally, which has global-reaching implications on health, economics, and sustainability. Current research findings show that environmental devastation and negative health outcomes have resulted from unsustainable, nonorganic agricultural practices; including herbicides, pesticides, and overcultivation. However, there is a lack of quantitative research on factors that motivate Americans to consume organic food. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this quantitative study employed an online survey to examine the role of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control on the intention and behavior of American consumers to consume organic foods. Additional descriptors of willingness to pay and perceived product attributes were also measured. Theory of planned behavior and American Organic Consumption questionnaires were completed by 276 adult consumers in the United States. Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify relationships and create predictive models between constructs of a modified theory of planned behavior, sociodemographics, and organic consumption. Key findings revealed that a modified theory of planned behavior, which included descriptive norms, predicted intent to consume organics stronger than the nonmodified theory of planned behavior. Attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and descriptive norms were significant predictors of intention to consume organics. Health was perceived as the major product attribute for organic consumption and low willingness to pay was perceived as the major barrier. This study has implications for positive social change such that it contributes to understanding motivational factors behind American's food choices and consumption, which can be used to modify and target consumer behaviors and market campaigns.

Many studies have observed the involvement of stakeholders in farm to school (FTS) programming to further understand their role, yet no study had previously assessed the role of Utah farmers in FTS programming. As a result, the purpose of this research was to describe Utah farmers' role in FTS programming and their interest in institutional marketing of local foods. The researcher sent an online descriptive survey to 5,470 farmers belonging to the Utah Farm Bureau. The survey used Dillman's Tailored Design Method. Of the 184 survey responses received, 143 surveys were usable. The theory of planned behavior was the theoretical framework for the study. Respondents reported a positive attitude toward FTS programming, although a majority (83.6%) had not participated. They indicated that building relationships with community members and increasing awareness of local food were top benefits associated with FTS programming. Top barriers to participating in FTS programming included a lack of information about schools seeking to purchase local products and restriction of growing seasons. Respondents indicated that they intended to host farm tours for students and food service personnel. Their training and resource needs related to FTS programming included small business assistance. Demographics characteristics revealed a majority of respondents were male and had more than 22 years of farming experience. The subjective norm and perceived behavioral control components of the theory of planned behavior statistically predicted the intention of respondents to participate in farm to school programming. Theory components, including attitude, accounted for 67.2% of the variance in intention to participate in FTS programming. These findings suggest other influences contributed to the intention of respondents to participate in FTS programming. One future research recommendation for FTS programming includes conducting similar studies with different groups of farmers. The researcher recommends continued use of the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical framework for studies assessing involvement in FTS programming. Variables not included in this study may discover further influences on farmers' intention to participate in FTS programming. One recommendation is to increase outreach and marketing to farmers who may be interested in FTS programming.

The theory of planned behaviour proposes that behaviour is predicted by behavioural intention which is, in turn, predicted by attitudes toward the behaviour, subjective norms regarding the behaviour and perceived control over the behaviour. Implied within this theory is that each of the three base components (attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control) influences intentions. However, despite being one of the most widely used theories in social psychology, few studies have investigated this basic premise. In addition, research on cognitive dissonance, public commitment, confirmation bias, implemental mindset, and the false consensus effect suggest that there may be a reverse-causal influence of intentions back on the base components of the theory. This potential reverse-causal sequence was tested in three studies. The first was correlational, the second was a lab-based experiment, and the third was a quasi-experimental field study. Study 1 employed a cross-lagged correlation design and showed that a reciprocal relation between intentions and base components was plausible. For the behaviour of supporting an environmental organization, Study 1 showed that attitudes were likely to influence intention-setting and that intention-setting subsequently influenced subjective norms. Study 2 employed a modified version of a free choice paradigm in which participants chose to set an intention to support one of two environmental organizations (using different support behaviours). Consequently participants rated the base components for the chosen organization higher and the rejected organization lower. However, this effect was primarily observed if participants were not initially committed to supporting an organization before the study began. Study 3 was a field study in which chemistry lab users who were exposed to an intervention that targeted behavioural intentions subsequently perceived more positive subjective norms (one aspect of subjective norms was changed). Together, the three studies demonstrate that a reverse-causal relation between intentions and base components is plausible and, thus, the theory of planned behaviour should be modified to include a reciprocal relation between these constructs. Intentions are most likely to influence base components that are least relevant to actual behaviour. When attitudes, subjective norms or perceived behavioural control are associated with actual behaviour, the one that is most strongly associated is least likely to change in response to setting an intention to engage in that behaviour. Other, less relevant, base components are more likely to change. / Graduate / 0451 / 0621 / 0768

The aim of this paper was to explore the factors behind the entrepreneurial intention (EI) building of international university students of Sweden. With the help of Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior, this theory has been used by numerous researches to predict intentions, especially EI. However, in Sweden several studies have been done only on the Swedish students, but no study has done specifically on international students. A conceptual framework was developed for this study from Theory of Planned Behavior, where attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavior control (PBC) were main variables with several indicators of each, to explain what are affecting the most on international university students to build up EI. 18 interviewees of international students of Halmstad University of Sweden were taken. Furthermore, after analyzing their answers authors have found that three of those variables have almost similar effect on building the EI of international university students of Sweden, but not all of their indicators.

While online shopping has high social acceptance and support from mature related industries in China, a considerable number of consumers choose to shop offline. The purpose of this study is to explore the specific factors that give consumers the intentions to shop offline. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is adopted as the theoretical framework to give a holistic view of intention-forming. Multiple-case studies are performed in this qualitative research. We study the contents of the interviews via TPB. Fifteen Chinese consumers take part in the research as the respondents in semi-structured interviews. After coding transcriptions, we explore detailed factors and divide them into three aggregates from TPB: attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. The analysis of the interviews also supports the transformation of three dimensions of TPB.

This research examines the effects of evaluations, beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on the contractor's decision intention to recover used CCA lumber. The purpose of this research was to determine the factors that affect recovery. This research proposes that a contractor's decision intention to recover is affected by evaluations, beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived barriers to recovery. The study included a mail questionnaire that was sent to over 2,800 contractors. The questionnaire was used to collect both demographic data and an evaluation of the factors believed to affect the recovery of CCA treated lumber. Data was collected primarily through the mail survey, where participants rated the factors believed to affect the recovery of spent CCA lumber. Extrapolation indicates that nearly 2.4 million cubic meters of treated lumber were removed in 1999 from the demolition of decks. It was also discerned that only two of the respondents recovered used CCA lumber on a full-time basis. Additionally, there appears to be a lack of knowledge regarding the chemical components of CCA treated lumber, the proper disposal methods, and handling of the product. This has profound strategic implications for not only the wood treating industry but other industries as well. The second phase of the research utilized ordinary least squares regression and a structural equation modeling program to model the factors concerning the contractors' decision intention to recover. The findings indicate that contractor beliefs and components of perceived behavioral control are the primary drivers in the contractor's decision intention to recover. Regarding beliefs, the findings indicate that contractors have a minimal belief that the recovery of the CCA lumber is necessary. This indicates that a marketing communications program should be developed to address the necessity and benefits of recovery. Recovery facilities and programs were found to be nonexistent and will have to be developed in order to facilitate recovery. Concerning programs, the overwhelming response was that some type of financial incentive would have to be incorporated to initiate recovery. In conjunction with the development of programs, recovery facilities will have to be developed that are convenient for the contractor to dispose of the used lumber. / Ph. D.