Formation Of Behavioral Intentions Research Articles

Effects of conflicting scientific arguments on belief change: Argument evaluation and expert consensus perception as mediators

AbstractIn our society, people are often exposed to conflicting information about a scientific issue. However, our knowledge about the effects of exposure to conflicting scientific information is still highly limited. By combining paradigms of research on belief polarization and science communication, two experiments examined whether and how exposure to conflicting scientific arguments influences scientific belief change and behavioral intentions. Participants (Experiment 1, N = 102; Experiment 2, N = 115) received two conflicting arguments (favorable and unfavorable to the effects of vitamin C supplementation on the prevention and treatment of the common cold) or two nonconflicting arguments (unfavorable to and neutral on the vitamin C supplementation effects). Exposure to conflicting arguments changed participants' beliefs about the preventing and treating effects of vitamin C supplementation less than exposure to nonconflicting arguments but did not cause actual belief polarization. Compared with participants who received nonconflicting arguments, those who received conflicting arguments perceived the quality of unfavorable argument to be low and experts' opinions about the issues to be divided, resulting in modest belief change. Exposure to conflicting arguments also promoted the formation of moderate behavioral intentions to take a regular high dose of vitamin C as a result of the belief change.

Investigation of cruise vacationers’ behavioral intention formation in the fast-growing cruise industry: The moderating impact of gender and age

With limited research regarding the effect of personal characteristics on the cruise decision-making process, this study attempted to investigate the interrelationships between quality factors (i.e. physical environment quality, interactional quality, and outcome quality), satisfaction, affective commitment, and behavioral intentions across gender and age groups. Our findings indicated that both interactional quality and outcome quality were significantly related to vacationer satisfaction. The mediation test revealed that both vacationer satisfaction and affective commitment played a significant mediating role in the proposed theoretical framework. The moderation test indicated that the paths from physical environment quality to vacationer satisfaction and from outcome quality to vacationer satisfaction differed significantly across males and females. In addition, our findings indicated that the link between vacationer satisfaction and affective commitment differed significantly across high and low age groups.

Investigating the impact of organizational climate, motivational drivers, and empowering leadership on knowledge sharing

This paper presents a research model aimed to investigate the impact of organizational climate, motivational drivers, and empowering leadership on behavioral intention formation in knowledge sharing. A research model has been developed by integrating several knowledge management studies having in-focus behavioral intention formation in knowledge sharing. The hypotheses are tested on data collected from 873 employees from public and private sector organizations from Serbia’s province of Vojvodina, using partial least square structural modeling technique and SmartPLS software. Findings suggest that organizational climate with prominent dimensions of fairness, innovativeness and affiliation, empowering leadership, sense of self-worth, and altruism significantly influence individuals’ knowledge-sharing attitude, intention, and behavior thus confirming the theory of reasoned action. Results obtained in this research expand and deepen findings reported in previous studies and enable a comprehensive framework for understanding the influence of some organizational variables on employees’ tendencies to be engaged in knowledge sharing.

Customer responses to environmentally certified hotels: the moderating effect of environmental consciousness on the formation of behavioral intentions

ABSTRACT Environmental certifications are considered an extremely useful tool to promote sustainable tourism; however, little is known about customer perceptions of these schemes and how these certifications might relate to customer behavior when there are customer segments with different levels of environmental consciousness. This study develops a model that investigates the relationship between green practices, green image, environmental consciousness and the behavioral intentions of customers in a certified hotel context. The study examines the direct and moderating role of environmental consciousness in the formation of behavioral intentions based on green initiatives. To test the proposed model empirically, 502 personal surveys of hotel customers were conducted in Spain using a structured questionnaire. The findings show that customer perceptions of green practices have a directly positive effect on a hotel's green image. At the same time, this green image has directly positive effects on customer behavioral intentions toward certified hotels. The authors also found that the higher the environmental consciousness of consumers, the greater their intention to stay, to spread positive word-of-mouth and pay a premium for environmentally certified hotels. Finally, consumer environmental consciousness also exerts a moderating effect on the causal relationship between green image and behavioral intentions.

Understanding the Adoption Process of National Security Technology: An Integration of Diffusion of Innovations and Volitional Behavior Theories.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government initiated several national security technology adoption programs. The American public, however, has been skeptical about these initiatives and adoption of national security technologies has been mandated, rather than voluntary. We propose and test a voluntary behavioral intention formation model for the adoption of one type of new security technology: portable radiation detectors. Portable radiation detectors are an efficient way of detecting radiological and nuclear threats and could potentially prevent loss of life and damage to individuals' health. However, their functioning requires that a critical mass of individuals use them on a daily basis. We combine the explanatory advantages of diffusion of innovation with the predictive power of two volitional behavior frameworks: the theory of reasoned action and the health belief model. A large sample survey (N = 1,482) investigated the influence of factors identified in previous diffusion of innovation research on portable radiation detector adoption intention. Results indicated that nonfinancial incentives, as opposed to financial incentives, should be emphasized in persuasive communications aimed at fostering adoption. The research provides a new integration of diffusion of innovation elements with determinants of volitional behavior from persuasion literature, and offers recommendations on effective communication about new security technologies to motivate public adoption and enhance national safety.

The Role of Physical Environment in Leisure Service Consumption: Evidence From a Ski Resort Setting

Despite the importance of physical environment in hedonic service consumption, little is known about the extent to which physical environment influences ski resort visitors’ cognition, emotion, and behaviors. This study investigated the relationships among physical environmental stimuli (i.e., layout accessibility, aesthetics, cleanliness, and other visitors), perceived quality of physical environment, excitement, and behavioral intentions in ski resort. This study also attempted to test the moderating role of enduring involvement in the formation of behavioral intentions. Results showed that cleanliness and other visitors significantly and positively influenced visitors’ perceived quality of physical environment and excitement. The results suggest that physical environment is of great importance for the ski resort business. Perceived quality was indeed a significant predictor of excitement, which, in turn, positively influenced behavioral intentions. Finally, the study found that the effect of excitement on behavioral intentions was significant across high and low enduring involvement groups.

Knowledge‐sharing intention in professional virtual communities: A comparison between posters and lurkers

The most significant challenge in facilitating a professional virtual community (PVC) is maintaining a continuous supply of knowledge from members, especially because lurkers often make up a large portion of an online community. However, we still do not understand how knowledge‐sharing intention (KSI) is formed across poster and lurker groups. Accordingly, this study seeks to provide a fuller understanding of the formation of behavioral intention in PVCs by decomposing the psychological formation of KSI and focusing on factors deemed likely to influence the KSI of posters and lurkers. This study's online survey of 177 posters and 246 lurkers from 3 PVCs demonstrated that enjoyment in helping others positively influenced posters' attitudes toward knowledge sharing, whereas reciprocity and technology adoption variables (perceived ease of use and compatibility) positively influenced lurkers' attitudes. Interpersonal trust and peer influence strongly affected the subjective norm of knowledge sharing in both groups, with posters emphasizing interpersonal trust and lurkers emphasizing peer influence. Furthermore, knowledge self‐efficacy and resource availability enhanced the perceived behavioral control of knowledge sharing in both groups, with knowledge self‐efficacy affecting posters the most and resource availability influencing lurkers the most. The results of this study have important implications for both research and practice.

The role of trust in cruise passenger behavioral intentions

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a framework to investigate the relationship between perceived value, satisfaction, trust and behavioral intentions and the moderator effect of the cruise line on cruise passengers’ perceptions.Design/methodology/approach– A structural model was developed. In order to verify the hypotheses, a total of 729 cruise passengers were sampled. The study of the data used structural equation models by means of a multi-group analysis.Findings– The results of this study suggest significant paths to increase behavioral intentions: perceived service quality? satisfaction? trust?. In addition, it has been proved that the cruise line moderates the relationships between constructs in most of the relationships in the two cruise lines analyzed.Practical implications– The differences in the relationships of perceived service quality with overall satisfaction, trust and behavioral intentions suggest that one of the cruise lines analyzed ought to make decisions to improve the installations and the services on board the ships. These decisions involve substantial investments which affect, as well as the marketing management regarding the design of the product, the financial management and also the CEO.Originality/value– Unlike earlier studies of cruise tourism carried out in Caribbean and Asian destinations, this study empirically tested a model of the formation of behavioral intentions which incorporates trust as a mediator variable between satisfaction and behavioral intentions and between perceived service quality and behavioral intentions in the Mediterranean. Also tests the moderator effect exercised by the cruise line on the consumers’ perception on the way to behavioral intentions.

Relationship between Social Media for Social Marketing in Family Planning

This research aims to examine the influence of marketing mix carried out media performance social media portal on attitude towards a social marketing program,and its relationship with source credibility of the portal. This study was focused on "Generasi Berencana" Program (Generation with Plan Program, a program aimed at educating the youth on family planning) The Research employed Structural Equations Modeling (SEM). Based on data from 150 respondents it can be concluded that in social marketing programs, source credibility, engagement, word of mouth have positive influence on the formation of behavior, but awareness of a program is not found to influence formation of behavior. This research also obtained findings that attitudes influence behavioral intention, but subjective norms is not positively influence the formation of behavioral intentions.

The effects of attitudinal ambivalence on behavioral intention formation

本研究の目的は，子宮頸がん検診の受診を題材とし，態度の両価性が行動意図の形成に及ぼす影響を検討することであった。先行研究では，態度の両価性が，SD法で測定されるような全般的な態度と行動意図との一貫性を低下させることが報告された。従来の研究では，両価的な態度は時間的に不安定であるため，態度と行動意図が一貫しなくなるという説明がなされてきた（不安定仮説）。しかし，先行研究における理論的・方法論的な問題により，不安定仮説の妥当性は明確ではなかった。そこで本研究では，計画的行動理論の諸要因を加えた縦断調査を行い，不安定仮説を検証した。女子大学生を対象とし，子宮頸がん検診の受診に関する調査を実施した。その結果，子宮頸がん検診の受診に対する態度の両価性が低い群では，態度が受診意図を予測したが，態度の両価性が高い群では，態度が受診意図を予測していなかった。しかし，2時点間の全般的な態度の不安定性を検討した結果，態度の両価性が高い方が態度が不安定になるという，不安定仮説を支持する結果は得られなかった。また，態度の両価性が高い群では，主観的規範と行動統制感が受診意図を予測した。これらの結果から，態度の両価性が態度と行動意図との一貫性を低下させる現象について，不安定仮説の限界が示唆された。最後に，不安定仮説以外のメカニズムの可能性と，子宮頸がん検診の受診促進について考察した。

Adoption of Mobile Apps: The Role of Experience

The form of initial experience with mobile application determines consumers’ likelihood to adopt it. This paper examines the effects of two forms of experience (direct versus indirect) toward the formation of consumers behavioral intentions (versus behavioral expectations) to adopt mobile applications. A direct experience induces concrete mental process that underlies the formation of behavioral expectations, whereas an indirect experience induces abstract mental process that underlies  the formation of behavioral intentions. Results from Experiment 1 show significant increase in behavioral expectations’ predictive ability when subjects engaged in a direct experience than an indirect  experience. Meanwhile, the effects of a direct experience were subtle toward behavioral intentions’ predictive ability. In Experiment 2, the intensity of direct experience revealed additional caveats on the predictive ability of behavioral intentions and behavioral expectations. It is found that higher intensity of a direct experience has a stronger effect toward behavioral expectations than behavioral intentions. Findings of these experiments could be used as a ground to design an intervention strategy for mobile applications pre-adoption experience. Keywords: behavioral intentions, behavioral expectations, direct experience, intensity of experience, mobile applications

Implicit attitudes and digital piracy

PurposeAn argument for the importance of unconscious processes is emerging across social science literatures (Petty et al.; Uleman). The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of implicit attitudes on the formation of digital piracy desires and behavioral intentions. If implicit attitudes are found to contribute to consumer digital piracy intentions, then marketers face an additional challenge in developing effective strategies and appeals designed to attenuate the practice.Design/methodology/approachThe study captures both indirect and direct measures of implicit attitudes to test the research model. A total of 285 respondents provided data in a controlled lab setting for purposes of structural equation analyses.FindingsThe results first contribute to growing evidence generally supporting the importance of attitudinal influences in the formation of digital piracy intentions. The reported study further suggests the necessity of including implicit attitudinal considerations in explanatory models of these behaviors, particularly attitudinal explanatory models. Specifically, marketers attempting to manage DP should consider implicit attitudes in explanatory models of DP intention formation in addition to traditional self‐report measures of attitudes.Originality/valueThe study presents the first known empirical evidence supporting the contribution of implicit attitudes to digital piracy desires. Considering implicit influences in this process offers the promise of increasing our understanding of how digital piracy behaviors form, which can offer insights into how to more effectively attenuate the practice.

Behavioral intention formation in knowledge sharing: Examining the roles of KMS quality, KMS self-efficacy, and organizational climate

Firms can obtain competitive advantages from their employees’ knowledge sharing behaviors. This paper presents a research model to examine the direct and indirect effects of knowledge management systems (KMS) quality, KMS self-efficacy, organizational climate and attitude on the intention to share knowledge in the new product development process. The hypotheses are tested on data collected from 134 major electronic manufacturing firms in Taiwan, using partial least squares regression. The results of the empirical study suggest that attitude is the key factor influencing intention to engage in knowledge sharing. The more a factor (such as KMS self-efficacy and organizational climate) positively contributes to attitude, the more the factor contributes to knowledge sharing. The findings provide useful insights into how organizations should encourage employees’ collaborative behaviors or activities so as to reinforce KMS self-efficacy create a favorable organizational climate that will in turn enhance attitude and intention to engage in knowledge sharing leading to benefits for the organization as a whole.

The Role of Expected Outcomes in the Formation of Behavioral Intentions in the Green-Hotel Industry

ABSTRACT Despite customers' increasing environmental concerns and demand for green products in the lodging industry, there has been a lack of research undertaken to identify critical factors in hotel consumers' eco-friendly decision-making processes. The present study was designed to identify the expected outcomes of staying at a green hotel from a customer's perspective and to examine the relationships between the identified factors and behavioral intentions (i.e., visit intention and word-of-mouth intention). To achieve these objectives, this study used both qualitative (a focus group) and quantitative (survey and regression analysis) methodological approaches. A total of seven expected outcomes were identified through the focus group. An online survey of U.S. hotel customers was conducted. The results of the regression analysis evidenced that hotel customers' expected outcomes of staying at a green hotel had a positive influence on behavioral intentions, which demonstrated the role of expected outcomes as direct antecedents of behavioral intentions and as an immediate reason for choosing a green hotel over a non-conventional hotel. Findings from an additional analysis indicated that healthy guestrooms, eco-friendly practices, and reduced expenses were positively associated with visit intention. Further, healthy guestrooms, reduced expenses, organic foods, and environmental protection had a positive and significant impact on word-of-mouth intention.

Importance of relationship quality and communication on foodservice for the elderly

In order to promote foodservice for the elderly, foodservice managers in Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) must identify the main factors to enhance the satisfaction and behavioral intentions with food service. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between relationship quality (consisting of trust, commitment, and satisfaction) and communication in the formation of elderly's behavioral intentions with food services at CCRCs. A survey was administered to residents in two CCRCs and a total of 327 residents participated. A tested structural equation model exhibited good model fit and explanatory power of the study construct. Satisfaction directly influenced word-of-mouth and service quality has an influence on commitment. Commitment was a significant determinant of behavioral intentions to eat more often in the dining room. Also, communication showed positive association with trust. The results provided strong evidence for the importance of satisfaction and communication as a consequence of relationship marketing efforts. Suggestions for future research to better understand the elderly' behavioral intention judgments were given.

Change on the Frontlines: A Perspective from the Trenches

This research attempts to correlate outcomes of the change process as changes in work behaviors, the individual response to change on the frontlines of an organization, in terms of change content and process attributes. A goal of the research was to use existing research to develop an integrated understanding of what happens when change is implemented by understanding potential mechanisms that may be involved in influencing successful change. A causal model of organizational change is developed, based upon the theory of planned behavior, with attitude as a precursor to changes in work routines, and causal linkages are hypothesized via three influence mechanisms; structural, efficacy, and social. The model is tested in two different settings, and the results suggest that the three mechanisms play a different role during formation of behavioral intention and manifestation of behaviors. The study reinforces the use of traditional intervention strategies like participation, leadership and communication but highlights the role of supervisors of frontline staff, the importance of consistency of organizational change interventions, and the role of affective response during change.

The Motivational Impact of Perceived Control on Behavioral Intentions

This research explores the moderated influence of perceived control and its underlying motivational processes. Perceptions of control can change one's motivation to engage in deliberative or nondeliberative processing when forming a behavioral intention. Studies were designed to test the moderated relationships of perceived control on decision theoretic variables (Study 1), to provide experimental evidence of differences in processing relative to levels of perceived control (Study 2), and to examine how levels of control induce motivation to engage cognitive resources toward a decision (Study 3). Findings support predictions that lower vs. higher levels of control result in the formation of behavioral intention based on deliberative rather than nondeliberative processing. Theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Consumer trust in the online retail context: Exploring the antecedents and consequences

This empirical paper explores the antecedents and consequences of trust in the online retail context and examines the moderating role of consumers' familiarity with a Web site in the relationship between Web site quality and trust. Data were collected with an online questionnaire. The research highlights the importance of the Web site interface in consumer online behavior by systematically examining how different quality features affect consumer trust. A multidimensional view of Web site quality with the following dimensions is developed: Web site usability, security and privacy assurance, and product information quality. Trust is shown to lead to positive consequences, such as the formation of positive attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the Web site. The study also identifies the moderating role of Web site familiarity in the relationships between aspects of Web site quality and trust. The implications for e-retailers in terms of Web site design and marketing communications strategy are explored. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lost and Found Again: Subjective Norm in Gym Membership

Understanding behavioral intention, a critical aspect of market planning, is not simple, as many factors are involved in the formation of behavioral intention. This study endeavored to better understand the relationship between attitude, subjective norm and behavioral intention in an empirical study of gym membership. Using a model based on the Theory of Reasoned Action, the study examined the influence of attitude and subjective norm on behavioral intention to join a gym. An analysis of the findings suggested that to maintain current gym members, a gym operator should capitalize on attitudes favoring gym membership.

The Centrality of Awareness in the Formation of User Behavioral Intention toward Protective Information Technologies

While there is a rich body of literature on user acceptance of technologies with positive outcomes, little is known about user behavior toward what we call protective technologies: information technologies that protect data and systems from disturbances such as viruses, unauthorized access, disruptions, spyware, and others. In this paper, we present the results of a study of user behavioral intention toward protective technologies based on the framework of the theory of planned behavior. We find that awareness of the threats posed by negative technologies is a strong predictor of user behavioral intention toward the use of protective technologies. More interestingly, in the presence of awareness, the influence of subjective norm on individual behavioral intention is weaker among basic technology users but stronger among advanced technology users. Furthermore, while our results are consistent with many of the previously established relationships in the context of positive technologies, we find that the determinants “perceived ease of use” and “computer self-efficacy” are no longer significant in the context of protective technologies. We believe that this result highlights the most significant difference between positive technologies and protective technologies: while the former are used for their designed utilities, for which usefulness and ease of use have a significant impact, the latter are used out of fear of negative consequences, for which awareness becomes a key determinant. We discussed the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. The findings of this study extend the theory of planned behavior to the context of protective technologies and shed insights on designing effective information security policies, practices, and protective technologies for organizations and society.