Denna studie har baserats på fenomenet Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) som innebär att företag gör ställningstaganden i socialpolitiskt kontroversiella frågor. Utmärkande för denna typ av frågor är att det inte brukar råda någon konsensus och det existerar två sidor med helt skilda åsikter. Syftet med denna studie var att öka förståelsen för svenska konsumenters attityder till CSA och varumärken som engagerar sig i det. För att utföra studien har en teoretisk referensram utvecklats som inkluderar bland annat attityder där det ingår teorier som balansteori och Theory of planned behavior (TPB). Den teoretiska referensramen inkluderade även teorier om varumärken, där till exempel varumärkesbild ingår.  Studien använde sig av en kvalitativ metod, där tolv intervjuer har utförts för att samla in empiri om svenska konsumenters attityder till varumärken som engagerar sig i CSA. Intervjuerna utfördes genom att respondenterna fick ta del av fyra exempel där varumärken har engagerat sig i en socialpolitiskt kontroversiell fråga. Till varje enskilt exempel fick respondenterna frågor rörande deras attityder gentemot varumärkena. Efter intervjuerna analyserades den insamlade datan med hjälp av den teoretiska referensramen. Studien kom fram till att respondenterna generellt var skeptiska till hur genuina företagen är i sina ställningstaganden. Studien visade också att respondenternas varumärkesbild förändrades beroende på respondenternas personliga attityd till ställningstagandet. Respondenterna uttryckte att ställningstagandena sällan gör varumärkena unika eller att det var något som de skulle associera med varumärket i framtiden. Till sist visade studien att respondenterna uppfattade att varumärkets produkt hade en starkare effekt på köpavsikten än attityden till varumärkets ställningstagande. / This study was based on the phenomenon Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) which means that a company takes a position in a sociopolitical issue. CSA is often characterized by a lack of consensus and different sides with completely different opinions. The purpose of the study was to increase the understanding of Swedish consumers' attitudes towards CSA and the brands engaging in that. To perform the study, a theoretical framework was created which included theories about attitudes such as Balance Theory and Theory of planned behavior (TPB). The theoretical framework also included theories about brands such as brand image and was used to support the data collection and analysis.  The study used a qualitative method, where twelve interviews were conducted to collect data about Swedish consumers' attitudes towards brands that engage in CSA. The interviews were performed by exposing the participants to four examples of brands engaging in sociopolitical issues. The participants were then asked questions about each example. After the interviews, the data was analysed with the help of the theoretical framework. The study concluded that respondents were skeptical whether or not companies genuinely cared for their sociopolitical issues. The study also showed that respondents' brand image changed based on respondents' personal attitude towards the sociopolitical issue. Respondents also expressed that CSA did not make the brand unique or was something they would associate with the brand in the future. Lastly the study showed that respondents perceived that the brand's product had a stronger influence on the purchase intention than the attitude towards the brands position in a sociopolitical issue.

Today¡¦s motorcycle business has come to the saturation point in the market of Tawian; consequently, the major motorcycle companies recently competed with each other in building the DMS (Dealer Management System) by using the e-solutions. Through the deployment of an e-DMS (e-solutions of Dealer Management System) for shops of motorcycle, the manufacturers hope that all the channels could be more competitive. The purpose of this research is to explore the influence factors concerning the adoption of e-DMS of motorcycle¡¦s shops. After the studies of literature and empiric, the research is based on ¡§Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior¡¨ (Taylor and Todd, 1995b) to establish the research model.This resrerch suveryed 250 samples of motorcycle¡¦s shops for study cases The result of the research indicated that factors influenced the adoption of e-DMS for motorcycle shops as follows: (1).¡§Behavioral Intention¡¨ was principally influenced by ¡§Attitude¡¨ and ¡§Perceived Behavioral Control¡¨. The later was less important than the former. ¡§Subject Norms¡¨ showed no obvious influence. (2).¡§Attitude¡¨ was mainly influenced by ¡§Perceived Usefulness¡¨, ¡§Perceived Ease of Use¡¨ and ¡§Compatibility¡¨. The first two factors were more important than the last one. (3).¡§Perceived Behavioral Control¡¨ was chiefly influenced by ¡§Self-efficacy¡¨ and ¡§Technology Facilitating Conditions¡¨. The later was less essential than the former. ¡§Resource Facilitating Conditions¡¨ showed no apparent influence. In the end, this research checks explanation by using three acceptance models, TAM (Davis, 1989), TPB (Ajzen, 1985) and D-TPB (Taylor and Todd, 1995b) to evaluate. All the explanations were nearly close. Because D-TPB considered the contruct of society psychology, it shows better explanation than the others.

I Sverige är hotell- och restaurangbranschen den bransch där flest anställda utsätts för sexuella trakasserier på arbetsplatsen, där en sexistisk och hård jargong är en betydande faktor. Studiens övergripande syfte är att undersöka hur arbetstagare inom branschen upplever sexuella trakasserier, arbetsgivarens arbete mot detta samt vad som påverkar beslutet att anmäla. För att undersöka detta skickades en webbenkät till arbetsgivare som delade enkäten med sina arbetstagare samt delades på en Facebookgrupp för anställda inom hotell- och restaurangbranschen. Den besvarades av totalt 79 personer, med tämligen jämn könsfördelning. Resultatet visade att 64% av deltagarna har utsatts för sexuella trakasserier på sin arbetsplats samt att kvinnor är signifikant mer utsatta än männen. Deltagare vittnade om att de blivit utsatta för sexuella trakasserier fysiskt, verbalt och icke-verbalt från kunder, kollegor och chefer. Resultatet visade även att upplevelsen av att känna stöd från arbetsgivaren kan predicera en upplevd meningsfullhet att anmäla sexuella trakasserier. Studien ger en bild av en bransch vars arbete mot sexuella trakasserier bör förbättras och stärkas. / The hotel and restaurant industry in Sweden has the highest relative number of sexual harassments occur at the workplace. The harsh, and often sexual, jargon has been identified as a significant contributing factor. The overall purpose of the study is to investigate how employees within the industry are experiencing sexual harassment, how organizations work to counteract sexual harassment and the employee’s decision to report. To investigate this aweb-based questionnaire was sent to employers who distributed it to their employees, andthrough a Facebook group for employees working in the hotel and restaurant industry. The questionnaire was answered by 79 employees, with a gender distribution that was approximately even. The results show that 64.4% of the participants state that they have been subjects of sexual harassment in their workplace. Furthermore, there is a significant difference between women and men, where women are victimized to a larger extent than men. Participants testify that they have been subject to physical, verbal, and non-verbal harassment by customers, colleagues, and managers. The results show that the feeling of support from the employer can predict whether the employee finds it meaningful to report sexual harassment. Moreover, the report indicates that the industry should improve and strengthen its ongoing efforts against sexual harassment.

Frågeställning: I vilken utsträckning finns det samband mellan konsumenter bosatta i Sverige och deras Gröna Köpintention under en pågående kris? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka konsumenter bosatta i Sverige och deras Gröna Köpintention gentemot livsmedel under en pågående kris. Detta för att klargöra och analysera, samt ge en ökad förståelse kring ämnet. Metod: En kvantitativ ansats med tvärsnittsdesign har använts för studien. Webbaserade enkäter användes för insamling av primärdata. För att öka arbetets validitet har enkätfrågorna tagits från tidigare forskning. Vidare genomfördes en pilotundersökning före publicering av enkäten. Det totala urvalet inkluderade 354 respondenter varav 6 bortfall. Slutsats: Studien visade att det fanns ett samband mellan svenska konsumenter och deras Gröna Köpintention under en pågående kris. Det framkom att Sociodemografiska egenskaper inte hade något samband med Grön Köpintention i en krissituation, med undantag för kön. Däremot fanns det ett samband mellan Attityd mot Beteendet, Subjektiv Norm och Upplevd Beteendekontroll mot Grön Köpintention under en kris. Respondenterna visade en positiv attityd gentemot Grön Köpintention vilket kan grundas i en uppåtgående trend gentemot en hållbar livsstil före krisen och en ökning av Gröna alternativ i butiker. Vidare kan krisen även ha gett konsumenter utrymme för att se över sina vanor och därav deras Gröna Intentioner. / Research question: To what extent is there a correlation between consumers living in Sweden and their green purchase intention during an ongoing crisis? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine consumers living in Sweden and their green purchase intention during an ongoing crisis. This to clarify and analyze the subject as well as contribute with further knowledge. Method: A quantitive approach with a cross-sectional design has been used for this study. Web-based surveys were used to collect the primary data. To increase the validity of this study, the survey questions were formed after previous research. Furthermore, a pilot-study was conducted prior to the publication of the survey. The total sample-size included 354 respondents, of which 6 were not in the criteria-range. Conclusion: The study showed that there was a correlation between Swedish consumers and their green purchase intention during an ongoing crisis. It emerged that socio-demographic attributes did not correlate with green purchase intention, with the exception of gender. However, there was a correlation between attitude towards behavior, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control towards green purchase intention during an ongoing crisis. The respondents showed a positive attitude towards green purchase intention, which can be based on an upward trend towards a sustainable lifestyle that has emerged prior to the crisis and an increase in green alternatives in stores. Furthermore, the crisis may also have given consumers space to review their habits and therefore their green intentions.

In a time where environmental issues have become an important topic on the political agenda, car companies have begun transitioning from fossil-fueled vehicles to battery-driven electric vehicles. In this transition, multiple Chinese electric car manufacturers have emerged on the European car market. The purpose with this study has been to investigate Norwegian consumers' perception of Chinese electric car manufacturers. Empirical data was gathered through a self-completion questionnaire that was sent out to Norwegian electric car-related forums and Facebook groups. The results showed that Norwegians had a positive attitude towards electric cars and large intentions of purchasing one. This did not correlate with their attitude and intention of purchasing a Chinese electric car. A contributor to the Norwegians’ negative effect on Chinese electric cars consisted of the individuals’ political views of China. Lastly, it was seen that social norms and perceived behavioral control cannot be considered predictors of the intention. / I en tid där miljöfrågor har blivit ett viktigt ämne på den politiska agendan har bilföretagen påbörjat en övergång från fossildrivna fordon till batteridrivna elfordon. I denna övergång har flera kinesiska elbilstillverkare dykt upp på den europeiska bilmarknaden. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka norska konsumenters uppfattning om kinesiska elbilstillverkare. Empirisk data samlades in genom ett självfyllande frågeformulär som skickades ut till norska elbilsrelaterade forum och Facebook-grupper. Resultaten visade att norrmän hade en positiv inställning mot elbilar och hade stora avsikter att köpa en. Det här korrelerade inte med deras inställning och avsikt om att köpa en kinesisk elbil. En stor bidragande faktor till norrmännens negativa effekt på kinesiska elbilar var individernas politiska syn på Kina. Slutligen uppmärksammades det att sociala normer och upplevd beteendekontroll inte kan betraktas som prediktorer för deras avsikt.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Wes Wise / Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) contamination has been a long-existing concern for those engaged in cattle production, often causing negative public health and economic consequences. The existence of pre-harvest practices that reduce E. coli contamination creates the opportunity to support human health by focusing on modifying behaviors in cattle production through educational communication. It is vital to consider how the communication can be modified to persuade the audience. This study examined the effects of different sources, such as a veterinarian or a cattle producer, presenting the educational message in a training video. An experimental design was used to examine how the information source used in a video relates to the source’s credibility, as well as testing concepts related to the theory of planned behavior. A link to a video and an online questionnaire were distributed to cattle producers through the weekly news e-mail distributed by several beef industry organizations. The data analysis of 106 complete questionnaires found that no matter how a presenter was described in a training video there was no difference in the perceived credibility of the presenter. Also, no matter how the source was identified there was no difference in the variables related to the theory of planned behavior and possible behavior adoption. In addition to these results, this study found that no matter how the source was labeled, higher perceived credibility correlated with more positive attitudes, perceived norms, perceived behavior control and reported intention to adopt the suggested behaviors. This pattern provides evidence for credibility’s relationship with possible behavior adoption, indicating that credibility of the source is an important consideration when message designers are constructing training videos.

The primary purpose of the study was to identify relationships among sources of interpersonal influence, putative psychological mediators, and physical activity. The moderation of these relationships by age, body composition, and educational attainment was also evaluated. Responses from 1224 employees were collected through an online survey at a major healthcare facility in central Texas. Structural equation modeling was used to construct the Social Context Scale of Interpersonal Influence and to estimate its ability to explain intention to be physically active and predict physical activity behavior. Invariance testing provided estimates of moderation by age, education, and body composition. Home social context was positively associated with self-efficacy and positive anticipated outcomes and negatively associated with negative anticipated outcomes. Friend social context was positively associated with self-efficacy, positive anticipated outcomes, and intention. Teasing was positively associated with negative anticipated outcomes. Self-efficacy and positive anticipated outcomes were positively associated with intention. Negative anticipated outcomes were negatively associated with intention. The relationship between friend social context and both positive anticipated outcomes and intention was stronger for obese than non-obese respondents. Home social context was more strongly associated with self-efficacy for those with four year degrees than for those without. Self-efficacy was more strongly associated with intention for those with four year degrees than for those without. Self-efficacy predicted subsequent total leisure time physical activity and the relationship was stronger for respondents over 45 years of age than for those younger than 45. The association between self-efficacy and subsequent total leisure time physical activity was also stronger for respondents with a four year degree than for those without. Home and friend social contexts provide potential conduits for post intervention influence on physical activity behavior. The discussion of the benefits of physical activity among friends may encourage overweight and obese individuals considering exercise, especially those with limited physical activity experiences of their own. / text

<p>Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka sambandet mellan elevers attityder, subjektiv norm, upplevd kontroll, intentioner, rättfärdiganden, motivation samt självvärdering i relation till benägenhet att fuska eller att avstå från att fuska. <em>The theory of planned behavior </em>(Ajzen, 2006) har använts som teoretisk modell för en enkätundersökning med 122 elever i grundskolans årskurs 9 och i gymnasieskolans årskurser 2–3. Resultatet av studien visar att intentionen att utföra ett beteende, som i denna studie är fusk, är den viktigaste prediktorn för beteendet i fråga. I föreliggande studie har även kunnat styrkas att rättfärdigande av eget fusk har en avgörande roll vad gäller beteende och intention. De övriga variablerna har en viss betydelse med inte i lika hög grad som intention och rättfärdigande.  Resultatet av studien har diskuterats utifrån intentionen och rättfärdigandets starka samband med beteendet.</p>

Traditional communications media has been transformed and reshaped with the introduction of the Internet and its technologies. The Internet has massively evolved over time, and the World Wide Web or otherwise referred to as Web 1.0 has developed to what is so called Web 2.0. The explosive diffusion of this global system has fostered the emergence of Web-based communities supported by the existence of globally connected individuals. As both the number of World Wide Web virtual community sites and users has expanded and grown quickly, these communities have become a subject of study to researchers of multiple disciplines. However, sustaining a successful operation of any Web 2.0 community depends on the continuous participation of its own users. It is massively important to maintain committed members in terms of continuous participation. Yet, their level of participation might vary depending on one‘s personal, social, situational, and cultural influences that eventually affect their intentions and behaviour on whether to continue or discontinue participating in that community. Facebook as a particular Web 2.0 community has been used as an exemplary case study in this research reflecting the drivers of its continuous usage in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Moreover, very few studies on Web 2.0 communities covered the Middle East area and more specifically there is almost absence of research in Jordan on how users of Facebook along with their cultural and behavioural influences would continue using this Web 2.0 community or not. Therefore, this study tackles this issue to investigate the influences affecting the continuous participation in these communities This research develops a conceptual framework that can be used as an instrument to guide empirical work in the field of Web 2.0 communities. The empirical context of the research is random Facebook users in Jordan, where data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Results and findings show that Personal attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control has shown to be all significant and highly influential on affecting users‘ intentions to continue participating on Facebook, perceived behavioural control (i.e. facilitating conditions, controllability) ranked the highest in its significance towards examining users’ intentions to continue participating on Facebook. Followed by the subjective norms (i.e. critical mass, compliance, and informational influences), then ranked the personal attitude (i.e. satisfaction, compatibility). Results have proved that most Facebook users in Jordan do participate on this site in the first place to deliver epistemic value elements, not with a much difference came the social value after, then ranked the hedonic third. The utilitarian value proved to be insignificant by all means, therefore, users intend to continue participating on Facebook despite of the perceived value elements to be delivered. Interestingly, analysis have proved the insignificance of the three cultural dimensions (i.e. masculinity vs. Femininity, individualism vs. Collectivism, and long-term vs. Short-term orientation), therefore, it has not been considered moderating in the framework of this research. Furthermore, the study concludes with specific implications for relevant theories, and useful findings on the individual, organizational, and the societal levels. Additionally, researchers in similar areas can find this work useful as a way to approach new streams in studying participation in Web 2.0 communities.

A continuous need for blood products, specifically for those who require frequent transfusions, such as individuals with sickle cell disease, warrants the need for targeted interventions to increase blood donations from underrepresented populations. One population in particular, African Americans, only account for 1% of blood donors in the United States. Literature indicates numerous reasons why this population is underrepresented amongst donors, including fear, lack of knowledge about the blood donation, and specific to this population, lack of trust in the medical community. This study involves the development, implementation, and assessment of a targeted educational approach, incorporating the Theory of Planned Behavior and various teaching methods, to motivate African Americans non-donors to attempt to donate blood. Participants attended a 1-hour educational session where they completed two surveys, one before the session and one directly after. A third survey was completed 2 months after the session. Of the 155 individuals enrolled in the study, 142 subjects were included in the data analysis. Sixteen percent of the study participants presented to donate as a result of attending the educational session. This resulted in a statistically significantly higher proportion of African Americans presenting to donate than the current proportion in Virginia. Analysis of results from the first two surveys indicated that subjective norm and attitude were significant predictors of one’s intent to donate blood, while perceived behavioral control was not a factor. The educational session increased survey scores related to intent to donate in comparison to scores obtained prior to the session. While this study resulted in a significant proportion of new donors, there is still a need for interventions that will focus specifically on changing attitudes toward blood donation and a need for methods to motivate African Americans to educate individuals in the community on the importance of becoming blood donors.