Attitudinal Support Research Articles

Norms of Democracy, Staged Democrats, and Supply of Exclusionary Ideology

Existing literature sees attitudinal support for liberal democratic values as a crucial way to prevent the success of illiberal actors and their policies. But recent studies show that democratic support can coexist with lack of punishment for backsliding practices. To reconcile these findings, I argue that social norms generate incentives to declare that one opposes illiberal actors even if one does not—what I call staged democrats. Staged democrats are not a stable safeguard against illiberal politicians, because information shocks can reveal that they do not sincerely oppose illiberalism. Studying Switzerland, where referendums provide information on the sincere preferences of citizens, I collect data on referendum results, public opinion surveys, and party positions. My analyses show that if referendums reveal that the positions of far-right parties are more popular than expected, those parties become more exclusionary. Attitudes only prevent illiberal policy if they are sincerely held.

Residents’ behavioral support for tourism in a burgeoning rural destination

This study aimed to test a model derived from the social exchange theory and the theory of planned behavior in determining the role that antecedents play in explaining residents' behavioral support for tourism in a rapidly developing destination. Data were collected from 511 residents of McCurtain County in Oklahoma, USA, using onsite interception and online sampling strategies. Based on a two-step structural equation modeling analysis, eight out of the 10 proposed hypotheses were supported. Of the four potential predictors of residents’ attitudinal support for tourism, perceived benefits, perceived costs, and trust in local government were significant, explaining 63% of the variance in the construct. Attitudinal support, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control then significantly explained 84% of the variance in behavioral intentions to support tourism. These intentions, in turn, significantly explained 44% of the variance in behavioral support for tourism. Implications, limitations, and future research suggestions are discussed at the close of the article. Management ImplicationsResidents' support for tourism within McCurtain County in Oklahoma, USA, is not very strong mostly because residents do not feel that they can trust the government in making decisions regarding tourism and that they have limited power to contribute to tourism planning and management. To address the lack of trust in government, efforts should be made to increase transparency in tourism decision-making. This could occur through the greater inclusion of residents in planning sessions and sharing reports with the public (e.g., sharing minutes and reports via websites, radios, newspapers, etc.). The government should find ways to include more residents in tourism-related decision-making that will affect not only tourism businesses but also the community as a whole. This could look like a regular assessment of residents’ perspectives through conducting surveys, holding focus group interviews, or hosting town hall meetings.

Support for sexual and reproductive health and rights in Sub-Saharan Africa: a new index based on World Values Survey data

BackgroundAddressing attitudes is central to achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and Agenda 2030. We aimed to develop a comprehensive index to measure attitudinal support for SRHR, expanding opportunities for global trend analyses and tailored interventions.MethodsWe designed a new module capturing attitudes towards different dimensions of SRHR, collected via the nationally representative World Values Survey in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe during 2020–2021 (n = 3,711). We used exploratory factor analysis of 58 items to identify sub-scales and an overall index. Adjusted regression models were used to evaluate the index according to sociodemographic characteristics, stratified by country and sex.ResultsA 23-item, five-factor solution was identified and used to construct sub-indices reflecting support for: (1) sexual and reproductive rights, (2) neighborhood sexual safety, (3) gender-equitable relationships, (4) equitable masculinity norms, and (5) SRHR interventions. These five sub-indices performed well across countries and socioeconomic subgroups and were combined into a comprehensive “SRHR Support Index”, standardized on a 1–100 scale (mean = 39.19, SD = 15.27, Cronbach’s alpha = 0.80) with higher values indicating more support for SRHR. Mean values were highest in Kenya (45.48, SD = 16.78) followed by Ethiopia (40.2, SD = 13.63), and lowest in Zimbabwe (32.65, SD = 13.77), with no differences by sex. Higher education and being single were associated with more support, except in Ethiopia. Younger age and urban residence correlated with more support among males only.ConclusionThe SRHR Support Index has the potential to broaden SRHR attitude research from a comprehensive perspective – addressing the need for a common measure to track progress over time.

Sustainable Challenges: Community Response to the Policy Restricting the Use of Plastic Shopping Bags in Jambi City

This research investigates the issue of plastic waste in Jambi City by exploring the cognitive (knowledge), affective (emotional support), and conative (attitudinal support) aspects of the community towards the policy of restricting the use of plastic shopping bags. Through a survey method involving 86 respondents from the community of Jambi City, the study evaluates the people's understanding of plastic waste and the level of emotional support for plastic reduction policies and attitudes towards reducing plastic waste. The research reveals a high level of knowledge (77.78%) and significant emotional support (71.05%) for the policy of limiting plastic use in Kota Jambi, while attitudinal support for reducing plastic waste is also high (74.96%). These findings underscore the importance of community awareness and support for measures to reduce single-use plastic consumption, along with significant implications for waste management and environmental conservation in Kota Jambi.

Behavioural and attitudinal support to zero-COVID policies among adolescents in a Chinese coastal area: direct experience and political socialization

ABSTRACT China implemented the stringent and controversial zero-COVID policies nationally for almost three years during the pandemic, yet little is known why Chinese citizens tolerated and supported the policies. Adopting the explanatory frameworks of direct experience and political socialization, we explored, with data from a representative survey in a coastal area in China, how adolescents in the area formulated their behavioural compliance with and attitudinal trust in the policies. We found that after socio-demographic differences were controlled, negative direct experiences during the pandemic were associated with deviation and distrust while positive direct experiences correlated with compliance and trust. In addition, parental socialization at home and school socialization also affected adolescents in their policy support. Those who enjoyed good communications with parents tended to develop both behavioural compliance and attitudinal trust. Adolescents with college-educated parents were more likely to show trust in the zero-COVID policies, and those who attended elite schools were more likely to comply with them. Attention needs to be paid to the agencies of adolescents embedded in their life environment in developing attitudinal and behavioural policy support, as well as the increasing inequality in China during the pandemic.

How Neoliberal are You? Development and Validation of the Neoliberal Orientation Questionnaire

We created a novel instrument to assess individual orientations toward the neoliberal capitalist system, the Neoliberal Orientation Questionnaire (NOQ), which is comprised of four dimensions: competitiveness, individual self-regulation, relational detachment, and public divestment. The instrument was intended to complement existing scales by (a) adopting a European perspective, and (b) incorporating personal as well as societal values, including lifestyle considerations. We sought to validate the NOQ in a European country with a strong history of public investment and social welfare provisions, namely France. In three nationally representative French samples, and one US student sample we assessed the internal consistency and construct validity of long and short versions of the scale. In terms of convergent and divergent validity, NOQ scores were positively correlated with scores on the Neoliberal Beliefs Inventory (NBI), general and economic forms of system justification, social dominance orientation, social and economic conservatism, internal locus of control, belief in free will, future-orientation, and a tendency to look on the ‘bright side’ in the face of hardships. The NOQ should prove useful for understanding the antecedents, concomitants, and consequences of attitudinal support versus opposition to the neoliberal capitalist system that dominates contemporary Western societies.

The Effect of Leader–Follower Interpersonal Relations on Employees’ Attitude during Change Implementation

There are numerous guides on the “how” of strategy development, but an insignificant number of resources on the associated implementation that results in leaders assuming employees know what to do at the execution stage. In contrast, employees require positive interpersonal relations with leaders to influence positive attitudinal responses. Leaders in organisations play a pivotal role in the change process as change agents who must be well versed with what exactly is required and how it will be achieved for the benefit of the organisation, employees and other stakeholders. In this study, we explore and illuminate the effect of leader–follower interpersonal relations on employees’ attitude during change implementation. In the study, we used a qualitative phenomenological design whereby the data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 17 participants. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to identify the participants. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The main findings indicated a shift in employees’ attitudes from positive to negative owing to poor interpersonal relations, lack of trust and voiceless leadership during the implementation process. This article enriches the change implementation process by providing insights into the importance of positive work relationships in influencing employee attitudinal support for change. The study indicated that change implementation necessitates the leader’s enthusiasm, skill, knowledge and a collaborative mindset to harness the employees’ positive attitudes. The success of change implementation is premised on the leader’s mastery of the art of change at a personal and organisational level.

An international examination of the role of normative and cultural contexts on attitudinal support for intimate partner violence against wives

This study analyzes World Values Survey data ( individual N = 63,307; country N = 53) to examine individual and national factors that shape attitudinal support toward men’s physical violence against their wives. We assess how the national context conditions direct individual-level effects. Greater national support toward this form of intimate partner violence exerts a positive effect on individuals’ supportive intimate partner violence attitudes. Cultural orientations affect supportive intimate partner violence attitudes, but the direction depends on whether they are measured at the individual (negative effect) or national level (positive effect). Cross-level interactions reveal that national context moderates individual-level effects between cultural orientation and egalitarian gender attitudes with intimate partner violence supportive attitudes.

Formative evaluation prior to implementation of a brief treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder in primary care

BackgroundSuccessful implementation of evidence-based treatments (EBT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in primary care may address treatment access and quality gaps by providing care in novel and less stigmatized settings. Yet, PTSD treatments are largely unavailable in safety net primary care. We aimed to collect clinician stakeholder data on organizational, attitudinal, and contextual factors relevant to EBT implementation.MethodsOur developmental formative evaluation was guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), including (a) surveys assessing implementation climate and attitudes towards EBTs and behavioral health integration and (b) semi-structured interviews to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation and need for augmentation. Participants were hospital employees (N = 22), including primary care physicians (n = 6), integrated behavioral health clinicians (n = 8), community wellness advocates (n = 3), and clinic leadership (n = 5). We report frequency and descriptives of survey data and findings from directed content analysis of interviews. We used a concurrent mixed-methods approach, integrating survey and interview data collected simultaneously using a joint display approach. A primary care community advisory board (CAB) helped to refine interview guides and interpret findings.ResultsStakeholders described implementation determinants of the EBT related to the CFIR domains of intervention characteristics (relative advantage, adaptability), outer setting (patient needs and resources), inner setting (networks and communication, relative priority, leadership engagement, available resources), and individuals involved (knowledge and beliefs, cultural considerations). Stakeholders described strong attitudinal support (relative advantage), yet therapist time and capacity restraints are major PTSD treatment implementation barriers (available resources). Changes in hospital management were perceived as potentially allowing for greater access to behavioral health services, including EBTs. Patient engagement barriers such as stigma, mistrust, and care preferences were also noted (patient needs and resources). Recommendations included tailoring the intervention to meet existing workflows (adaptability), system alignment efforts focused on improving detection, referral, and care coordination processes (networks and communication), protecting clinician time for training and consultation (leadership engagement), and embedding a researcher in the practice (available resources).ConclusionsOur evaluation identified key CFIR determinants of implementation of PTSD treatments in safety net integrated primary care settings. Our project also demonstrates that successful implementation necessitates strong stakeholder engagement.

Political distrust, perceived threat, and intentions to engage in normative and violent collective action: A mixed‐methods study

AbstractIn three studies, we examined the role of distrust and perceived threat in intentions to engage in normative and violent non‐normative collective action. A field‐based qualitative study of 35 pro‐democracy protestors during the 2019 Hong Kong Anti‐Extradition protests revealed that perceived threat to Hong Kong values alongside distrust of political institutions spurred collective action engagement and support for defensive violent collection action. In Study 2, a questionnaire (N = 639) testing pro‐democracy action intentions demonstrated direct paths on both normative and violent collective action intentions from distrust and threat. In Study 3 (N = 133), experimental trust and threat manipulations demonstrated a significant association between distrust and threat on violent collective action intentions and acceptance, and a significant interaction on acceptance of violent collective action. Our results reveal the importance of distrust and threat in attitudinal support for, and engagement in, collective action and their role in transitioning from non‐violent to violent collective action.

Rewilding—The farmers’ perspective. Perceptions and attitudinal support for rewilding among the English farming community

Abstract Rewilding is an increasingly common conservation approach, aiming to restore ecosystem processes and minimise human intervention. Rewilding has the potential to profoundly change landscapes and people–nature relations. These issues prompt an ongoing debate about how and if rewilding should be done. Farmers are key stakeholders in this debate; they stand to be both affected by and influence the trajectory of rewilding initiatives developing in the United Kingdom and globally. Despite this, a comprehensive understanding of farmers' perceptions towards rewilding is lacking. Here, we focus on how members of the farming community in England perceive common rewilding scenarios (beaver release, farm‐level rewilding and landscape‐scale rewilding), and how these perceptions shape farmers' attitudinal support for rewilding practices. Using thematic analysis of semi‐structured interviews with 36 farmers and farming representatives, we show that the diversity of famers' attitudes can be understood through the prism of perceptions on five core issues: (a) the perceived need for restoration action, (b) the ecological effectiveness of rewilding, (c) rewilding's compatibility with ensuring food security, (d) rewilding's compatibility with rural lifestyles, livelihoods and economies and (e) multidimensional justice of rewilding initiatives. These issues are rooted in collective farming values, and farmers' perceptions of these issues are influenced by mental models, perceived social impacts and perceived ecological outcomes of rewilding initiatives. Diverse perceptions result in a range of attitudes, from enthusiastic support to strong opposition to different rewilding practices. We argue that the scope to increase support for rewilding varies depending on the type of underlying negative perceptions. Where the negative perceptions are based on objectively verifiable causal beliefs (mental models), opponents' minds may be changed through the provision of positive experiences, social learning, and adhering to good governance principles. However, where negative perceptions are based on values, for example, a preference for traditional rural landscapes, they are unlikely to change easily. Pursuing rewilding ambitions that clash with the values of local farmers may risk social conflicts, but accommodating these values too much may compromise rewilding's own goals. Rewilding initiatives will need dialogue and social engagement to navigate their path around this tension. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

How Does the Young Generation Become More Cosmopolitan? Evidence from Taiwan

Abstract This study investigates younger people’s perceptions of the influences of globalization by testing two hypotheses about the effects of educational socialization and Internet use. The potential influence of cross-border travel for the older population is examined for comparison. Using national samples from two waves of a large survey, we adopt a measure of attitudinal support for cosmopolitan openness. Empirical findings obtained from a mediation approach show that the young generation reveal stronger cosmopolitanism due to their higher probability of having a college education and Internet use, while the older population’s openness can be attributed to their frequent intercontinental rather than intracontinental travel. Internet use, however, raises little attention to the issue of increased inequality in a highly mobile world.

Perceptions and desires of Chinese senior outbound tourists receiving travel support from adult children: a qualitative study

PurposeThis qualitative study explores how Chinese senior outbound tourists perceive support from their adult children and what kinds of support they desire.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 26 participants. Transcribed interviews were analysed via thematic analysis.FindingsThis study captured the contradictory feelings of different types of Chinese senior outbound tourists (i.e. independent, neutral, and dependent) according to the degree of desire for support from their adult children. The results further identified the real desires among Chinese senior outbound tourists for children's attitudinal support, caring support, appropriate financial support, companionship, and timing support.Research limitations/implicationsSince this qualitative research is based on small samples with typical social and cultural characteristics, our research results only describe an existence. Our findings provide insight into the existence of the phenomenon, rather than allowing the results to be generalized to the wider population (Gram et al., 2019).Practical implicationsThe tourism industry could develop products to alleviate such feelings. Integrating the concept of filial piety into adult children's support for their parents' overseas travel can not only meet parents' expectations but also relieve parents' ambivalence. Destination operators and travel agencies could thus design mixed products targeting Chinese elderly parents and their adult children by providing activities for both generations. Purchasing behaviour represents a type of emotional and instrumental support for the elderly. Destination operators and travel agencies can also launch products suitable for in-depth outbound travel that cater to adult children's leisure travel while meeting the elderly's travel needs.Originality/valueThis study also extends both intergenerational support theory and intergenerational ambivalence theory regarding Chinese senior outbound tourists.

The Role of Cultural Capital in Learning of English in a Government School in Hyderabad District

This study aims to demonstrate the influence of parents’ attitudes on students’ English language proficiency in Government Secondary School Halepota (GSSH), district Hyderabad rural, Sindh, Pakistan. The study uses Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital as a theoretical framework to this study, analyzes the data following this theory, and applies the theory. Moreover, this is a qualitative study and uses Interpretivist paradigm to understand the social reality. This research pursues to construct the connection between family background, especially the attitudes of parents which are influenced by family structure, socioeconomic position of the parents, and parents’ education level and the English proficiency of the students. The research investigates these elements and discovers that parents’ attitudinal support with regards to emotional and material support is lacking on the basis of micro factors, such as parents’ interest, care, seriousness, and importance of English. Moreover, this study also finds that some of the parents emotionally and economically support their students. However, the main concern is that most of the parents are not literate in English language; therefore they are not able to linguistically support their children. DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/88-03 Publication date: May 31 st 2022

Family language policy in Russian-Estonian and Russian-Spanish multilingual settings

This paper primarily focuses on the family language policy of bilingual Russian-Estonian and Russian-Spanish families in relation to the maintenance of Russian as a heritage language. Its main objective is to identify social factors that either help or hinder this process. In doing so, this paper searches for commonalities and specificities of the mainstream attitudes towards Russian as a heritage language in Estonia and Spain, by analysing the sociolinguistic situation of Russian in both countries and by examining the factors conditioning the maintenance of Russian as a heritage language in family settings. Our research is based on an in-depth analysis of a variety of sources, mainly quantitative statistical and demographic data on self-reported language behaviour and language ideologies in mixed families from Estonia (n = 40) and Spain (n = 40). The main results of our comparative study confirm the general positive attitude towards Russian as a heritage language, but they also highlight an important variability of these attitudes both between countries and within each community. We show that these attitudes directly determine the principles of family language policy, the parents strategies to transmit Russian as a heritage language, and the level of proficiency in Russian as a heritage language in the second generation. These results allow us to conclude that, as a heritage language, Russian relies on strong attitudinal support in even small communities, like Estonian or Spanish, but also that its confident transmission should rely on external subsidy.

Study of Nigerian employees shows effect of change leadership on attitudinal support for changes

PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsAnalysis showed that of the three hypothesized direct effects from change leadership, only the path from change leadership behaviors to cognitive appraisal (H1a) was statistically significant.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Does Policy Influence Hollow Out Public Managers’ Political Neutrality?

Consequences of public officials’ policy influence have been at the center of debates on political–administrative relations. Based on a survey of public managers in Swedish local government ( N = 1,430), this study examines whether policy politics hollows out political neutrality. The analysis shows that although managers are highly involved in policy politics, attitudinal support for the neutrality principle is strong. The enquiry into behavioral intentions shows more variation. In relation to a set of dilemmas, most managers would defend neutral competence, but significant minorities would also act for more partisan reasons. However, we find no empirical evidence that policy influence undermines political neutrality.

What Makes or Breaks Evidence-Based Supervision? Staff and Organizational Predictors of Evidence-Based Practice in Probation.

Research on staff and organizational factors that affect receptivity, adoption, feasibility, and utilization of innovations in justice settings is limited. This study uses survey data from 349 employees in one probation agency to assess how staff and perceived organizational factors influence attitudes related to evidence-based practices (EBPs) and their self-reported use. Staff characteristics, including education and knowledge about EBPs, and perceptions of the organization, including cynicism about the organization's ability to change, predicted EBP outcomes. Staff age, tenure at the agency, and caseload size affected perceptions of organizational culture, but did not predict attitudes or use of EBPs. There is weak evidence for a relationship between self-reported use of EBPs with attitudinal support for EBPs, prior EBP training, and knowledge of EBPs. This study contributes to an emerging body of literature about the impact of various individual and organizational factors on support for EBPs with important lessons for implementation.

Physical strength predicts political violence

Research has revealed an association between individual physical strength and attitudinal support for modern war. Physical strength of one individual has an infinitesimal effect on the outcomes of state-level aggression involving large-scale armies and complex military technology. The fact that stronger individuals do support such aggression hints at an evolved psychology specialized for small-scale coalitional aggression, where strength of coalition members non-negligibly contribute to the net coalition strength. Here, I examined whether strength also accounts for participation in modern political aggression, as contrasted to mere support. Given that contemporary political aggression primarily occurs within—not between—states, I focused on intra-state forms of political violence, specifically violent antigovernment protests. To enhance external and ecological validity, I relied on large probability samples from both non-WEIRD and WEIRD countries experiencing political violence ( N = 6283; interviewees were quota-sampled from YouGov online panels to generate representative samples of online adult populations). Multinational analyses revealed that self-perceived strength significantly predicts intentions to participate in political violence and self-reported participation, and that this association is stronger among young interviewees, but not among men (compared to women). The predictive power of strength was modest but comparable to that of gender, an established predictor of aggression. I discuss why the fact that strength—a physiological variable—relates to political violence—a complex modern phenomenon—is remarkable. Subsequently, I suggest a new research agenda that draws on insights from evolutionary research to study modern political violence.

The effect of change leadership on employee attitudinal support for planned organizational change

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how change leadership activities help bring about employee support for planned organizational change.Design/methodology/approachUsing a non-experimental quantitative research design, and a self-administered Likert-type questionnaire survey, the study sourced data from employees in an organization undergoing significant change. Data analysis was by structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsChange leadership behaviors bearing on; visioning, communication, participation, support and concern for change participants' interests were found to be of significant importance in ensuring employee buy-in and support for planned change efforts. Although change leadership had no direct effect on employees' behavioral intentions to support change, it was strongly related to employee cognitive appraisal of change. The relationship between change leadership and employee behavioral intentions to support planned change was serially mediated by employee cognitive appraisal and emotional response toward the planned change event.Practical implicationsIn appraising planned organizational change efforts, managers tend to focus on employee behaviors toward the change instead of conditions that drive such behaviors. This study underscores the need to focus on employee attitudes as precursors to desired behavior toward change.Originality/valuePrior research suggests that change leadership behaviors affect employee attitudinal reactions to change but yet lacked empirical validation. By applying a multidimensional approach to attitude and investigating its hierarchy of effects, this study enhanced our accuracy in explaining the influence change leadership has on employee attitudinal support for change.