Attitudinal Constructs Research Articles

How to measure and manage country reputation

Countries benefit from a good reputation in terms of gaining a higher foreign direct investment inflow, a growing export volume, becoming more attractive as tourist destinations and, last but not least, by improving their populations’ well-being. Consequently, many countries endeavor to manage their public perception actively. Since communication influences perception, advertising plays a particularly important role in the latter. However, countries need to fathom which opinions they need to encourage in order to ensure others’ optimal perceptions of them. A prerequisite for tackling this challenge is a model that measures and explains country reputation. This study develops such a model. Our model conceptualizes reputation as a two-dimensional attitudinal construct, thereby avoiding one-dimensional approaches’ shortcomings. It refers to the cognition-related dimension as competence, whereas the affect-related dimension is termed likability. It measures reputation, as perceived by stakeholders, by means of six reflective indicators. Furthermore, the model employs a catalogue of 30 formative indicators — structured by means of five key constructs — to identify the drivers of country reputation. By cultivating impactful drivers, countries are able to apply targeted measures to alter their reputations’ ratings on the two dimensions (i.e. competence and likability). We employed data from Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom to develop our model. Relevant criteria highlight the model’s reliability and validity. A benchmark analysis of the proposed model compared to that of existing approaches illustrates its superiority in terms of its convergent and criterion validity.

To escape the pain: Paths to voluntary turnover, social pain, and influences on the selection of a new job role

SummaryThe unfolding model of voluntary turnover established that there is no “one size fits all” turnover experience. Anecdotal evidence suggests that voluntary turnover experiences can be painful, yet the role of social pain (as distinct from dissatisfaction) in turnover and subsequent job selection has not yet received much scholarly attention. In Study 1, we re‐analyze 13 detailed case histories of employees who had recently quit one organization and entered another. Using a cluster analysis of the terms they used when describing their reasons for leaving and when describing what attracted them to their new roles, we find that experiencing social pain in the prior role affected the things people prioritized when selecting a new role. Furthermore, sentiment analysis revealed that higher social pain was linked with lower positive sentiment (hope, excitement, joy, etc.) during the job search process. Study 2 creates a self‐report measure of social pain, and Study 3 quantitatively reaffirms the relationship between social pain and subsequent affect. This set of studies provides initial evidence that social pain is different from the attitudinal constructs that have been traditionally incorporated into voluntary turnover models (e.g., satisfaction, commitment, embeddedness) and that social pain may have implications for turnover, retention, and employees' post‐turnover destinations.

Implicit and explicit measurement of pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT This paper aims to understand how teachers’ attitudes are contributing to or hindering the educational inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Implicit and explicit measurement of the attitudes of 50 pre-service teachers towards ASD before and after a short-term training on Autism is presented. The explicit measure used was a Likert-type questionnaire, while the implicit measure was a Single Target Implicit Association Test (ST-IAT). After statistical analysis of the data, it was found that prospective teachers’ explicit attitudes were positive before the short-term training, and they were significantly better after it. Conversely, participants’ implicit attitudes were neutral before the short-term training, and no significant difference was found after it. Additionally, no statistically significant relation was obtained between explicit and implicit attitudes, either before or after training, which suggests that the used instruments measure different attitudinal constructs. According to the remaining findings, it is concluded that explicit attitudes may be more prone to social desirability bias than implicit ones, implying that future attitudes research regarding sensitive topics such as the educational inclusion of students with Autism should combine both measures. Moreover, implicit attitudes seem more difficult to change than explicit ones. Some implications for pre-service teacher education are discussed.

Assessing English Learning Motivation among Thai University Students: A Cross-Faculty Perspective

This study delves into Thai university students' motivation to learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The research involved 33 participants from a Thai research university, with 15 students from the Faculty of Engineering (EG) and 18 from the Faculty of Liberal Arts (LA). The main objectives were to (1) identify the primary motivation underlying students' willingness to learn English, (2) identify the differences in motivation between EG and LA students, and (3) verify that students' milieu has a role in their motivation. The study employed a questionnaire on attitudinal constructs—integrative and instrumental motivation. Additionally, three open-ended questions were used. Results revealed that (1) both student groups displayed higher scores in integrative motivation, (2) while no significant differences were observed in motivation underlying students' willingness to learn English, LA students exhibited higher scores in both motivations compared to EG students, and (3) milieu played a pivotal role in shaping students' motivation to learn English. Furthermore, this study has significant implications for educators, emphasizing the necessity of acknowledging and addressing students' unique motivations and goals across various majors. While both groups exhibit integrative motivation, instrumental motivation provides additional support.

Validity of a Patient Communication Scale

BackgroundSince the 1960s, standardized patients (SPs) have been used to prepare medical students for clinical work for these patients provide a controlled domain for learners. Specifically, these type of formative experiences provide a low stakes environment for practice and feedback, thereby increasing learner comfort in communicating with patients. Communication is the cornerstone of patient care, and it is well-established as a core clinical competency for medical students by numerous medical boards, associations, and accreditation agencies. While methods for communication training are of paramount importance, no validated scales assess the impact of these trainings on patient-provider communication where measures are based on attitudinal constructs that predict behavior, such as self-efficacy and preparedness. Thus, the aim of this study is to validity of a Patient Communication Scale (PCS) using an online virtual role-play training simulation.MethodTo validate the scale, 117 medical students were administered the PCS survey before and after completing a professional development virtual role-play simulation where they practiced motivational interviewing skills, talking to a patient who insists on antibiotics for a viral infection.ResultsA confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor model based on the subscales of preparedness and self-efficacy. Factor loadings showed all items correlated highly with theoretical constructs (r ≥ 0.902, p < 0.001). The PCS had high internal consistency (α = 0.916). Because there is a lack of scales that have been used to assess medical student as well as medical practitioner patient communication capabilities, specifically their preparedness and self-efficacy, criterion-related validity was not assessed. Convergent, content and construct validity were established.ConclusionThe Patient Communication Scale appears to be a valid tool in measuring the impact of online patient-provider communication skills training and holds promise for assessing other delivery methods.

Does financial risk tolerance change over time?

Financial planners work in an environment that requires the documentation of a client’s financial attitudes and preferences. Financial risk tolerance is one such attitudinal construct that is generally required by regulators to be evaluated. While there are numerous commercial and academic products used to assess client risk attitudes, questions have been raised over the past several decades regarding the stability of scores from risk-tolerance tools. Specifically, financial planners, as well as regulators, require evidence documenting to what extent risk tolerance changes over time, and if changes do occur, the variables associated with variability. The purpose of this study was to address these needs. Based on a model that included macroeconomic indicators, biopsychosocial and environmental factors, and measures of social support, it was determined that risk-tolerance attitudes remain generally stable over time. However, there are groups of test takers that exhibit significant shifts in risk tolerance. This article describes some of the variables associated with these score changes, as well as providing financial planning professionals with guidance on how to identify clients who may be prone to shifting their tolerance for financial risk.

Teleworking behavior pre-, during, and expected post-COVID: Identification and empirical description of trajectory types

Teleworking is a major lifestyle change whose adoption expanded substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and which might permanently change the working habits of some. To understand how much during-COVID teleworking behavior will “stick” in the post-pandemic world, this study explores pre-, during-, and expected post-COVID teleworking frequency trajectories based on during-COVID survey responses, which were weighted to represent the population shares of non–/non-usual/usual teleworkers (TWers). Taking respondents’ self-reported expectations at face value, post-COVID teleworking frequency will be 2.6–3.3 times that of pre-COVID, but we suspect that those expectations are over-optimistic. We developed a typology based on the teleworking trajectories, and identified eight mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive worker segments: Climbers (13.6%), Plateauers (8.4%), Cappers (12.6%), Stable unables (43.1%), Stable non-choosers (13.5%), Stable non-usual TWers (1.5%), Stable usual TWers (3.2%), and Reducers (4.0%). We conducted three exploratory factor analyses and identified latent attitudinal constructs including 11 general, 7 work-related, and 7 telework-related attitudes. We profiled the eight segments regarding various attitudes and sociodemographic traits to reveal their potential connections to teleworking behavior, and to suggest further explorations with respect to residential location, vehicle ownership, and other travel patterns. Specifically, we see research needs pertaining to residential relocation and household vehicle ownership changes for segments expecting net increases in teleworking frequency between pre- and post-COVID. We also observed heterogeneity of teleworking adoption/frequency choices, attitudes, and travel behaviors among (tele)worker segments. Overall, this study deepens our understanding of post-COVID teleworking behavior changes, and provides a starting point for understanding the heterogeneity among (tele)workers.

MEDIATING ROLE OF JOB EMBEDDEDNESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT, PERCEIVED CO-WORKER SUPPORT AND EMPLOYEE RETENTION IN MALAYSIAN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

The shortage of academic staff in private universities is at an alarming stage and would have a huge-impact on educational quality. This study aims to examine the mediating role of job embeddedness (JE) in the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS), perceived co-worker support (CWS) and employee retention (ER) in Malaysian private universities. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine POS, CWS and turnover with on-the-job factors such job satisfaction and job commitment. These two on-the-job factors are the two attitudinal constructs most frequently studied by the researchers. However, the mediating role of JE plays in understanding ER has yet to be completely specified. Stratified sampling technique was used to collect data from 482 academic staff. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test all the hypotheses. The findings indicated that JE mediates the relationship between POS and ER partially. However, there is no direct relationship between CWS and ER. ER cannot be increased by providing high CWS directly. It should go through JE as a mediator. This study could contribute fresh-insight for human resource practitioners from private universities to get more effective retention strategies on how to retain staff even if an opportunity arises by emphasizing JE.

Validation of the Attitudes Towards Psychological Online Interventions Questionnaire Among Black Americans: Cross-cultural Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Acceptability of digital mental health interventions is a significant predictor of treatment-seeking behavior and engagement. However, acceptability has been conceptualized and operationalized in various ways, which decreases measurement precision and leads to heterogeneous conclusions about acceptability. Standardized self-report measures of acceptability have been developed, which have the potential to ameliorate these problems, but none have demonstrated evidence for validation among Black communities, which limits our understanding of attitudes toward these interventions among racially minoritized groups with well-documented barriers to mental health treatment. This study aims to examine the psychometric validity and reliability of one of the first and most widely used measures of acceptability, the Attitudes Towards Psychological Online Interventions Questionnaire, among a Black American sample. Participants (N=254) were recruited from a large southeastern university and the surrounding metropolitan area and completed the self-report measure via a web-based survey. A confirmatory factor analysis using mean and variance adjusted weighted least squares estimation was conducted to examine the validity of the underlying hierarchical 4-factor structure proposed by the original authors of the scale. An alternative, hierarchical 2-factor structure model and bifactor model were examined for comparative fit. The findings indicated that the bifactor model demonstrated a superior fit (comparative fit index=0.96, Tucker-Lewis index=0.94, standardized root mean squared residual=0.03, and root mean square error of approximation=0.09) compared with both 2- and 4-factor hierarchical structure models. The findings suggest that, within a Black American sample, there may be greater utility in interpreting the Attitudes Towards Psychological Online Interventions Questionnaire subscales as attitudinal constructs that are distinct from the global acceptability factor. The theoretical and practical implications for culturally responsive measurements were explored.

Is Cause-Related Marketing all the Same for Different Cultures?

This research analyses how high emotional cause-related marketing claims influence attitudes and viral behaviors. With a SEM and an international sample of 1,232 respondents (Spain, England, and Ecuador) exposed to a video viral cause marketing stimulus, analysis shows, from a global international perspective (1) the influence of emotions on attitudes; (2) the attitudinal constructs consistency; (3) the simultaneous impact of the emotions also on viral behaviors; (4) the effect of attitudes variables on viral behaviors; and (5) the strong viral consequences connection. From a cross-cultural perspective, significant differences are identified. Recommendations in the context analysed: (1) convenience of including emotional claims, (2) adaption of international campaigns to local cultures to strength certain advantages; however, tailoring locally a global campaign cannot be affordable.

On the Attitudes Toward Automation in Determining the Intention to Use Automated Buses in Scotland

Vehicle automation technology is expected to bring significant benefits to transit systems. For public transportation to continue being a viable mobility alternative to private modes, automated technologies are anticipated to be actively utilized in the future. Investigating public perceptions and their determinants at an early stage is important to inform policies that will support the acceptance and future adoption of automated buses. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that affect intention to use automated buses, using an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model. To that end, survey data were collected from bus users in Scotland. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the latent attitudinal constructs potentially influencing intentions to use automated buses. Considering the ordinal nature of the dependent variable, ordered models were estimated using the SPSS software. Age, gender, and experience with automated vehicle technologies were found to be crucial factors in the absence of attitudinal constructs. Young males with experience of using or seeing automated vehicle technologies were more likely to use automated buses at the early stage. The fear in relation to their navigation on roads, the perceived usefulness, enjoyment of using the system, trust, perceived safety, and security influenced how early one might adopt automated buses. Unlike the expectations, perceived ease of use did not emerge as significant. The sociodemographic variables lost their predictive power when used along with attitudinal latent variables. The findings of this study highlight the importance for policy interventions to increase public awareness about automated buses.

Implicit and explicit measurement of pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT This paper aims to understand how teachers’ attitudes are contributing to or hindering the educational inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Implicit and explicit measurement of the attitudes of fifty pre-service teachers towards ASD before and after a short-term training on Autism is presented. The explicit measure used was a Likert-type questionnaire, while the implicit measure was a Single Target Implicit Association Test (ST-IAT). After statistical analysis of the data, it was found that prospective teachers’ explicit attitudes were positive before the short-term training, and they were significantly better after it. Conversely, participants’ implicit attitudes were neutral before the short-term training, and no significant difference was found after it. Additionally, no statistically significant relation was obtained between explicit and implicit attitudes, either before or after training, which suggests that the used instruments measure different attitudinal constructs. According to the remaining findings, it is concluded that explicit attitudes may be more prone to social desirability bias than implicit ones, implying that future attitudes research regarding sensitive topics such as the educational inclusion of students with Autism should combine both measures. Moreover, implicit attitudes seem more difficult to change than explicit ones. Some implications for pre-service teacher education are discussed.

Exploring travellers’ willingness to adopt MaaS in two European metropolitan areas

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) has recently gained popularity as an opportunity to support a more sustainable mobility model. Today, it is still uncertain if travellers are willing to adopt it and shift their habits. In the paper, we explore individuals’ behavioural intentions in Madrid (Spain) and Randstad (The Netherlands). First, a Structural Equation Model uncovers a set of attitudinal constructs relevant for MaaS adoption. Then, a cluster analysis determines four groups according to the disposition to use the new solution. Overall, we detect three barriers that may hinder MaaS uptake: low willingness to integrate mobility services, low technological affinity, and low reliability on new mobility services. We also note that a strong sense of ownership and low environmental concerns seem to block innovativeness. Policy makers are suggested to consider these obstacles when promoting MaaS.

The efficacy of the Dimensions of Attitudes toward Science (DAS) for explaining primary preservice teachers’ intention to teach science

ABSTRACT There is a need for robust, empirically-validated conceptualisations of teachers’ attitudes towards teaching science, with a view to understand how these might explain their intention to teach science. The Dimensions of Attitudes Toward Science (DAS) theoretical framework suggests that cognitive, affective and perceived control dimensions of teachers’ professional attitudes may be related to their behavioural intention to teach science. While the DAS framework has been employed in numerous studies investigating the attitudes of preservice and inservice teachers, its efficacy remains mostly unknown. The current study employed a cross-sectional survey research design to investigate the question, to what extent does the DAS theoretical framework explain primary preservice teachers’ intention to prioritise teaching science in their future practice? Early childhood and primary preservice teachers (n = 250) at an Australian university completed the DAS instrument prior to completing a science curriculum unit. Structural equation modelling revealed inadequate/poor model fit across multiple indices. Perceived relevance of science education and enjoyment teaching science were statistically significant predictors of preservice teachers’ intention to prioritise teaching science, whereas other attitudinal constructs from the framework were not significant in this research. These findings warrant further attention to theories of behaviour and behaviour change in science education research.

Consumer engagement and place identity in online travel forums

ABSTRACT The quest to understand the formation and management of relationships between a firm and consumers in online contexts represents a priority for both researchers and practitioners. Consumer engagement is central to furthering such understanding and encouraging satisfaction, commitment, and trust, as popular enabling variables. Recent calls to broaden and deepen consumer engagement nomological networks motivate the current study, which aims to include place identity (PI) as a promising feature. Because it is integral to individual self-identity, PI could provide a stable, enduring complement to attitudinal constructs. Amos 25 was used to analyze survey data from 250 online travel consumers in Taiwan, and the results reveal that PI fully mediates the effects of engagement, commitment, and satisfaction on loyalty intentions; in particular, it explains an additional 24% of the variance in this outcome. The effects of consumer engagement and PI on satisfaction and loyalty, respectively, also grow significantly stronger at low levels of consumer trust. Taken together, these findings establish the important, unique role of PI for facilitating loyalty intentions in online travel contexts.

Farmers’ willingness to adopt silvopastoral systems: investigating cattle producers’ compensation claims and attitudes using a contingent valuation approach

Intensive cattle production systems are currently a major contributor to CO2 emissions and biodiversity loss. Silvopastoral systems that combine foraging pastures and trees into an integrated system for raising livestock have been suggested a promising avenue to store carbon and preserve farmland biodiversity. However, investments and maintenance costs for these improvements are paid by producers, who reap few of the environmental benefits. The objective of the present study was to assess farmers’ willingness to adopt silvopastoral systems by reforesting treeless pastures, their compensation claims related to adoption, and how both are affected by their attitudes towards silvopastoral systems. This study was based on a contingent valuation approach coupled with exploratory factor analysis to obtain measures of attitudinal constructs derived from the Theory of Planned Behavior. Results indicate that 52% of respondents were willing to adopt silvopastoral systems and the mean compensation claim per year per hectare is estimated at SEK 3107.17 (308€). Adoption decision is positively correlated with attitudes towards silvopastoral systems, suggesting that decision-making is not solely driven by profit maximization through concerns related to pecuniary factors.

Is pet ownership associated with values and attitudes towards animals?

AbstractIn Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the number of pets and pet owners has been increasing in recent years. The experiences people have with pets might impact their relationships with animals in general and especially attitudes towards animal protection and use. However, research on the impact of pet ownership on values and attitudes towards animals is relatively scarce. We analyse associations of pet ownership with different values and attitudes towards animals. We derived seven attitude constructs towards animals from three different datasets using Principal Component Analyses. Data were collected using standardised online surveys with German residents (dataset 1 = 1,049 respondents; dataset 2 = 414 respondents; dataset 3 = 1,048 respondents). All three samples are non-probability quota samples. The seven attitudinal constructs represent values and attitudes towards animals ranging from general values and attitudes towards, eg animal protection, to more specific attitudes towards, eg eating animals. We analysed the relationship of pet ownership, sex, and age with these constructs using ANOVA. Our results show that effect sizes are small to medium. Pet ownership has the strongest association with more general values and attitudes towards animals, with pet owners being, eg more involved in animal protection and more in favour of awarding fundamental rights to animals. In contrast, we found that more specific attitudes, such as the evaluation of current pig farming systems or attitudes towards eating meat, were more related to sex than pet ownership. Our findings indicate that having pets relates to their owners’ attitudes towards animals, but that this association varies depending on the specificity of attitudes.

The effect of abusive supervision on turnover intentions: on-the-job embeddedness versus traditional attitudinal constructs

Abstract Our paper examines whether the impact of abusive supervision on on-the-job embeddedness (JEM) is stronger than on job satisfaction (JSAT), affective organizational commitment (AOC), and turnover intentions. We also examine whether the mediation impact of on-the-JEM in the linkage between abusive supervision and turnover intentions is stronger than the mediation impacts of JSAT and AOC. Data gathered from restaurant service workers in three waves in Ghana were used to test the abovementioned linkages via structural equation modeling. The findings illustrate that all hypotheses are supported. Specifically, the influence of abusive supervision on on-the-JEM is stronger than on traditional attitudinal variables. Additional findings demonstrate that the mediation effect of on-the-JEM in the relationship between abusive supervision and proclivity to quit is stronger than the mediation effects of JSAT and AOC. Implications for theory and managers are offered in our paper.

Construção de Destino em Vídeos Vlog como Novos Designs de Imagem de Destino na Era Digital

In this study, which examines the communication patterns and components of the destination image in the destination videos of vloggers and how it is constructed within the video narrative structure, the four most popular destination videos originating in Turkey are analyzed by the descriptive analysis method. In the study, image is a multidimensional phenomenon. It is an attitudinal construct consisting of the mental representation of an individual's knowledge (beliefs), emotions, and general impression of an object or destination. The study used cognitive components in the "Six A Model" belonging to Buhalis and affective components evaluated as attraction technique, theme, and interaction as analysis parameters. In the videos examined, it has been found that the destination image is built on affective components rather than cognitive components, and the most vital emotional component in the narratives is the tendency to experience extraordinary experiences based on the search for difference.

Attitudes Toward Global and Local Consumer Culture and the Meanings of Brands

Abstract While the rapid worldwide integration has facilitated the emergence of global consumer culture (GCC), local consumer culture (LCC) still holds a strong influence. Brands, be they global or local, are critical marketplace resources in consumer culture for constructing individual and collective identities. As attitudes toward GCC and LCC guide consumers’ choice between global and local brands, the article addresses which brand meanings (functions) drive the choice and use of brands by consumers embracing GCC/LCC. Theoretically, I advance the literature by connecting GCC/LCC and reactions to brand stimuli. Specially, I examine correlations between the two attitudinal constructs and the salience of four brand meanings: quality, personal identity (self-identity, group-identity, and status), values (similar to social responsibility), and traditions. The results suggest that global brands should focus on personal identity, but not quality in positioning and communications. Local brands should develop their iconic status through ties with tradition and heritage, but not by personal identity. Thus, personal identity and traditions are the most important brand associations to be utilized by global and local brands.