Purpose: The aim of this research is to investigate if positive attitudes influence the intentions to purchase groceries online. In order fulfil the purpose and test the relationship between attitudes and intentions, the Theory of Planned Behaviour is used as the underlying theoretical model. Background: The e-commerce market in Sweden is regarded as one of the most developed e-commerce markets in Europe, however the grocery market is still striving for an online breakthrough. One of the largest obstacles for the online grocery market is the lack of consumer adoption. Previous research has emphasized the importance of understanding consumer attitudes and its influence on the consumers’ intention to adopt an e-commerce behaviour. Existing theories recognize a gap within positive attitudes’ and their influence on the intentions to adopt e-commerce. Method: An explanatory strategy and a deductive approach were applied in order to test the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Three hypotheses were developed based on the model. The empirical study was based on a quantitative approach and the data collection was made possible through an online survey targeted towards adults in Sweden. Furthermore the analysis of the data was done in SPSS through factor analysis, correlation matrix, descriptive variables and multi linear regression analysis, this provided answers for the hypotheses with a 95% confidence interval. Findings and conclusion: The analysed empirical findings presented overall positive attitudes, as well as a strong correlation between positive attitudes and intentions within online grocery shopping. This answers the research question and fulfils the purpose of examining the influence that positive attitudes have on intentions within the field of online grocery shopping. This research successfully tests the Theory of Planned Behaviour and suggestions for further research is to examine the underlying factors in a qualitative study.

Syfte: Verksamheten har ställda mål som de inte uppnår, därför har en omorganisation genomförts. Syftet med undersökningen är att få kunskap om hur mellancheferna beskriver sitt arbetssätt med att utveckla sin personal och hur omorganisationen har påverkat mellanchefernas arbete. Frågeställningar: Hur beskriver mellancheferna sitt arbete med att utveckla sin personal mot övergångar? Hur upplever mellancheferna implementeringen av omorganisationen och dess påverkan på övergångsarbetet? Metod: I vår studie används främst teorier som berör ledarskap och förändring. Vi har utgått från ett fenomenologiskt perspektiv och en kvalitativ metod med en abduktiv ansats. Sammanlagt har tretton intervjuer genomförts. Vi har utgått från semistrukturerade intervjuer med öppna frågor, med en intervjuguide som grund. Huvudresultat: Undersökningen har visat att individer vågar ta steget ut på arbetsmarknaden genom att de upplever egenmakt. Chefer behöver dock tid och resurser för att de skall kunna arbeta för att skapa egenmakt bland personalen. För att få motiverade medarbetare krävs det av ledarna att ha tydliga mål och uppmuntra. Genom delegering av makt till driftledare utvecklas individer i sin arbetsroll och tid frigörs. För att en omorganisation skall implementeras fullt ut krävs målstyrning, där ledning och mellanchefer tillsammans definierar de nya rollerna. / Purpose: The organization do not achieve the goals, therefore, a reorganization has taken place. Our purpose with this survey is to gain knowledge about how the managers describe their approach to developing the staff to venture out onto the labor market and how the reorganization has affected their work. Questions: How do you describe the managers' efforts to develop their staff to leave the organization? How managers experience the implementation of the reorganization and its impact on the transition process? Method: We ́ve used theories that involve leadership and change. We have used a phenomenological perspective and a qualitative method with an abductive approach. Thirteen interviews has been conducted. We have used semi-structured interviews with an interview guide as a basis. Results: Individuals venture out onto the labor market when they feel empowered, but managers need time for it to be possible. To get motivated employees, leaders need to encourage and have clear goals. By delegation of authority to employees, individuals develop in their role and time is released. Management by objectives is required for a reorganization to be fully implemented, where managers and middle managers together define the new roles.

The purpose of this paper is to present a sample of how Swedish manufacturing companies deal with equipment downtime cost, and further how they analyze its reduction. The study was performed by conducting a web-based survey within Swedish firms that have at least 200 employees. The main results obtained from the investigation show that the estimated downtime cost constitute about 23.9 % from the total manufacturing cost ratio, and 13.3 % from planned production time. Additionally, the hourly cost of downtime, whether planned or unplanned, is relatively high. However, there is a shortage of systematic models that capable to trace the individual cost imposed by downtime events. This lack was shown apparently whilst 83 % of surveyed companies they do not have any complete model adapted for quantifying their downtime costs. Moreover, only few companies develop their cost accounting methods such as, activity-based costing (ABC) and resource consumption accounting (RCA) to assimilate and reveal the real costs that associated with planned and unplanned stoppages. Still, the general pattern of downtime cost calculation allocated to direct labor and lost capacity cost. On the other hand, the attempts of decreasing downtime events and thus costs were based on schedule maintenance tactics that supported by overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) tool, as an indicator for affirming improvements. Nonetheless, the analysis indicates the need for optimized maintenance tactics by incorporating reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) and total productive maintenance (TPM) into companies’ maintenance systems. The maintenance role of reducing downtime impacts not highly recognized. Furthermore, the same analysis shows the requirement for better results of performance measurement systems is by implementing total equipment effectiveness performance tool (TEEP). The advantage of such tool is to provide the impact index of planned stoppages in equipment utilization factor. Finally, the lack of fully integrated models for assessing the downtime costs and frameworks for distinguishing the difference between planned and unplanned stoppages are the main reasons behind the continuation of cost in ascending form. Due to that, the improvements will emphasize on areas with less cost saving opportunities. As a result, this will affect the production efficiency and effectiveness which in return has its influence on costs and thereby profits margin.

Accomplishing desired benefits from investments in planned change is problematical for organizations, their leaders and the change agents charged with delivery. This is despite a well-developed literature, replete with advice on how change should be achieved. Examination of this literature shows the primary focus on change agents and their practices. This research widens the focus by observing the influence of change agents, change recipients and line managers on organizational routines undergoing planned change. It examines the interplay between stability and change in organizational routines, adopting a social practice perspective, and the routine intended to change as the unit of analysis (Feldman and Pentland, 2003, 2005). The research builds on claims that to understand the patterns of action within routines requires the internal dynamics – the claimed duality between ostensive (in principle) and performative (in practice) aspects - to be examined. A research method to operationalize the study of this claimed duality was devised following the principles of Strong Structuration (Stones, 2005). This method enabled a unique conceptualization of the study of routine dynamics, focused on planned change from the perspective of multiple, interdependent actors. Two cases of change agents following the advice in the planned change literature were explored. In one case, stability of the routine persisted when change was intended. In the other, change was relatively easy to achieve irrespective of change agent actions. The primary contribution is the demonstration of how the attitudes to change of change recipients, line managers and change agents influence the internal dynamics of routines undergoing planned change. Other contributions pertain to the method of ‘unpacking’ organizational routines and its potential for shaping future practice. This research does not offer new ‘normative’ advice but instead sensitizes planned change practitioners to the level of analysis they need to carry out to ensure that their interventions are suitably designed.

This dissertation focuses on (river) forecasting, but also includes a study on stormwater treatment. Using forecasts for decision-making is complicated by their inherent uncertainty. An interview-based study qualitatively and a survey empirically investigate forecast use in emergency management. Emergency managers perceive uncertainty as a given rather than as a problem. To cope with the uncertainty, decision-makers gather as much information as possible; forecasts are only one piece of information among many. For decision-making, emergency managers say that they rely more on radar than on river forecasting. However, forecasts play an important role in communication with the public, because they are the official interpretation of the situation. Emergency managers can add a lot of value to those forecasts by combining them with local knowledge, but might not do so because of accountability concerns. Forecasts must have value to emergency managers, because those with more work experience rely more on them than those without. Another study further develops the application of quantile regression to generate probabilistic river forecasts. Compared to existing research, this study includes a larger number of river gages; includes more independent variables; and studies longer lead times. Additionally, it is the first to apply this method to the U.S. American context. It was found that the model has to be customized for each river gage for extremely high event thresholds. For other thresholds and across lead times, a one-size-fits-all model suffices. The model performance is robust to the size of the training dataset, but depends on the year, the river gage, lead time and event threshold that are being forecast. An additional study considers the robustness of stormwater management to the amount of runoff. Impervious surfaces, such as roads and parking lots, can increase the amount of runoff and lead to more pollution reaching streams, rivers, and lakes. Best Management Practices (BMPs) reduce the peak discharge into the storm sewer system and remove pollutants such as sediments, phosphorus and nitrogen from the stormwater runoff. Empirically, it is found that BMP effectiveness decreases sooner, steeper and deeper with increasing sizes of storm events than assumed in current computer models.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between social support and adherence to a peer-based program among adolescent girls using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and to explore barriers and facilitators related to physical activity. Methods: Participants (N=13) completed self-reported measures of social support, TPB constructs, adherence to the program, and physical activity behaviour. A one-month follow-up was conducted on all baseline measures. Open-ended questions were used to determine facilitators and barriers to physical activity. Results: At baseline, social support was a significant correlate of subjective norm (r=0.58, p<.05). At post-program, frequency of attending the program with friends (r=0.97, p<.01) was a significant correlate of attendance in the program. Also, social support was a significant correlate of PBC at post-program (r=-0.82, p<.01). Conclusions: A physical activity program targeting peer social support may serve as a viable mechanism for increasing physical activity levels in adolescent girls.

Regular physical activity (PA) has shown to reduce the risk of several chronic diseases and improve physiological and psychological health, yet over half of the Canadian population remains inactive. Young adults, ages 25-44, show the sharpest declines in PA, but a paucity of research explaining the reasons for this deflection point exists. Recent research has indicated that life-transitions, such as marriage and parenthood, are probable reasons for the decline in PA, but little is known about how early career transitions impact PA status. Professional occupations have shown to be associated with the highest number of work hours per week and highest level of sedentary behaviour at work. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the changes in PA behaviour of new professionals across the early career transition using retrospective analysis and determine the critical correlates of changes in PA using the theory of planned behaviour. A Canada-wide sample of 267 new academic professors was examined. 30.7% of the sample reported meeting current PA guidelines. RM ANOVAs provided evidence that PA frequency (d = .36-.43) and total minutes (d = .39-.42) significantly declined across the transition to employment. PA levels across the transition were further attenuated after controlling for marital status, long work hours (>70 hrs/wk). The presence of young children in the home moderated the PA levels across the transition. The TPB explained 28-35% of PA behaviour (f2 = .39- .54), with intention and PBC emerging as independent predictors. Intention, in turn, was predicted by PBC, affective attitude, and instrumental attitude and explained 42% of the variance (f2 = .72). Perceptions of enjoyment and control based on limited time, inconsistent work schedule, heavy work demands, and pressure to reach tenure were critical correlates that distinguished between those who remained active across the transition from those who did not. The findings from this study highlight the importance for targeted PA interventions administered prior to the transition to professional employment to prevent habitual inactivity.

This M.A. thesis is an autoethnographic study of my personal experiences teaching Grade Two after ten years of teaching middle school. It takes place over a five year span from 2007 to 2012. It is presented as a series of fictional, performative, and narrative pieces, where the reader is invited along on my journey to discover who I am (becoming) as Teacher, and the (re)invention of myself as Teacher. The study takes a creative, arts- based approach, presented as a curriculum lab book that is formatted differently than a traditional thesis. On the right side of each page is a novelette comprised of narratives, stories, dialogue, and poems; on the left side of the page are literature links and implications, definitions, reflections, and recursive segments. Areas that are highlighted in this thesis include living in the hybridity of culture, dwelling in the spaces of planned and lived curriculum, and the pedagogy of reinvention. The focus of this research story is reflection and practice, ways to approach change in our pedagogy, and to demonstrate autoethnography as a methodology for the exploration of Teacher identity. / Graduate

Despite a sound evidence base, the consideration of exercise as a therapeutic adjunct remains rare in mental health settings. This research project reports a series of studies examining the consideration of exercise as a strategy for promoting mental health in clinical settings. A broad, multi-level and multi-method analysis of exercise and mental health was adopted by focusing on trainers (key stakeholders responsible for treatment dissemination), providers (individuals at the forefront of treatment) and service users (individuals with clinical depression). First, the perceptions of exercise as an adjunctive therapy is qualitatively explored through interviews with Course Directors of UK training programmes in clinical psychology and mental health nurses working in acute, inpatient settings. A range of conceptual barriers are revealed such as the perceived `simplicity' of exercise interventions and the incompatibility of exercise with traditional models of understanding and treating clinical conditions. Second, the nature and extent of exercise promotion are identified within one NHS Mental Health Trust. A lack of training and protocols are the most significant barriers. The Theory of Planned Behaviour variables of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention predict stage of change of physical activity promotion in a health care setting. However, the past promotion of physical activity overrides much of these effects. Third, the role of exercise in the lives of individuals with depression is explored in a case study analysis of four participants of an exercise referral scheme. The context of each person's life is instrumental in understanding adherence and the experiences associated with participation in exercise and/or physical activity. These studies offer insight to some of the conceptual and structural barriers inhibiting the promotion of exercise as well as factors that may contribute to the success of such promotion within mental health settings. Recommendations are offered to enhance the development of comprehensive physical activity provision for people with mental health problems.

Environmental protection has become a global issue and attracted the attention of both the general public and governments around the world. Understanding people’s environmental attitude and their behavioral intention, measured as their willingness to pay cost for the environment, is therefore imperative. Research in this field is abundant, but it suffers from at least two limitations. First, previous literature focused mainly on predictors of human behaviors at the individual level and seldom examined the effect of cultural values. In addition, few studies have expanded their research scope beyond Western countries. This study addresses these gaps by investigating the factors, both at the national and individual level, shaping people’s intention to take actions in 26 countries. Employing Ajzen and Fishbein’s theory of planned behavior, the analysis at the individual level examines the impact of environmental attitude, self-efficacy, and subjective norms. At the same time, this study also looks into the effect of three cultural orientations developed by Hofstede, including Individualism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance. The data used in this study were Hofstede’s cultural indices and World Value Survey (WVS) with a total number of 38,511 participants in 26 countries. Hierarchical linear modeling is applied. The result showed that Ajzen and Fishbein’s theory of planned behavior fit well in the study. Three behavioral determinants (attitude, subjective norm, self efficacy) in the theory were positively related to environmental behavioral intentions. Aggregate cultural orientations also accounted for part of variations in relation to environmental behavioral intentions. In more individualistic countries, people were less likely to perform financial sacrifice behaviors for the environment than those in the less individualistic countries. Finally, this study suggested cultural orientations served as moderating variables on people’s environmental attitudes and subjective norms. Environmental attitudes exerted greater impacts on behavioral intentions in more individualistic countries, where the effects of subjective norms were weaker.