Theory Of Action Research Articles

Situational Action Theory to Understand Risky Driving Behaviours in Beach Environments

This study used Situational Action Theory (SAT) to investigate personal and situational factors affecting risky driving behaviours (i.e., speeding, drink driving, drug driving) on the beach. A survey was conducted with 42 drivers, aged 17-60 years, on Teewah/Noosa Northshore Beaches. Following the SAT framework, factors including participants’ morals, attitudes, behaviours, self-control, and situational influences were analysed. Results revealed that participants generally viewed offending driving behaviour on the beach as less risky, compared to on the road. Whilst participants reported a higher likelihood of drug driving on the beach, speeding was reported as more likely on the road. Correlational analyses indicated that participants’ beliefs about driving behaviours were generally aligned between beach and road environments, potentially confirming that the ‘person’ factor within SAT, also plays a key role in beach offending. Finally, cross-tabulations suggested that the dominant motivator for beach-based risky driving was a perceived lower level of social judgment for the risky behaviours on the beach (a perception others were not concerned about risky behaviours). Preliminary findings of this study suggest that SAT could be a useful theory for understanding risky driving in distinct environments, such as beaches. SAT emphasises the interaction of personal characteristics (e.g., morals and self-control), with situational pressures (e.g., peers) and deterrents (e.g., risks). Nevertheless, factors associated with high risk driving behaviours displayed variation between beach and road contexts. Incorporating qualitative research methods might offer a more in-depth understanding of the decision-making processes underlying these risky behaviours.

NATURE AND EFFECT OF WASTE GENERATED IN NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The problem of indiscriminate waste disposal dates back to the earliest urban settlements in human society. The trend has been on the increase across many societies including Nigeria. This paper examined the nature and effect of waste generated in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study adopted the Reasoned Action Theory to explain the nature of waste generated in the study area. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. A sample of400 respondents was drawn through simple random, systematic sampling, clustered and purposive sampling techniques in the selection of Local Government Areas, electoral wards, towns/villages, main streets, houses, households and individuals. Primary data were generated through the use of questionnaire and in-depth interview. The questionnaire copies were analysed quantitatively using simple percentage while test frequency tables, mean and in-depth interview were unbundled using content analysis. The findings revealed that decomposed food items, empty sachet water packs and water bottles, empty engine oil gallons, used and unused drinking straw, sachets of all kinds, biscuit, condemned zincs and building materials were the solid wastes indiscriminately disposed in the study area. The study recommends that the Nasarawa State Waste Management Board should intensify the collection of solid wastes from the doorsteps of residents for appropriate recycling to mitigate the associated health and environmental hazards associated with the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste in the study area.

Supporting adolescent well-being at school: Integrating transformative social and emotional learning and trauma-informed education

There is an urgent need to support the social and emotional well-being of adolescents with experiences of adversity and trauma. Adolescence is a critical period of development for promoting social and emotional competencies, which can prevent poor mental health and problematic substance use and promote thriving during challenging teenage years and beyond. Both transformative social and emotional learning (TSEL) and trauma-informed programs for schools (TIPS) have been identified as promising practices for supporting social and emotional well-being among young people with experiences of adversity. We propose a pragmatic theory of action for schools for implementing and evaluating initiatives that integrate TSEL and TIPS made up of three iterative components: awareness, assessment, and action. The TSEL + TIPS Theory of Action is illustrated by a case study of a cross-sectoral collaboration of government, schools, researchers, healthcare, and adolescents to implement TSEL and TIPS initiatives in British Columbia, Canada. The case study provides evidence for the feasibility of TSEL + TIPS Theory of Action and may serve as an example for other regions as experiences of adversity and poor mental health continue to rise among adolescents globally.

Social Action of the Main Character in Oliver Bowden's Assassin's Creed: Renaissance Novel

This research explores the various forms of social action exhibited by the protagonist, Ezio Auditore, in Oliver Bowden's novel Assassin's Creed: Renaissance. Drawing from Max Weber's theory of social action, the research categorizes these actions into four types: instrumental rationality action, value-oriented action, affective action, and traditional action. The data for the study consists of sentences, paragraphs, and dialogues describing Ezio Auditore's social actions in the novel, analyzed using a descriptive method with a sociology of literature approach. The data analysis reveals the frequency of each action type, with affective action being the most prevalent by ten data, followed by value rational action with eight data, rational instrumental action with five data, and traditional action with two data. Additionally, the study identifies four main goals pursued by the character: seeking revenge, uncovering conspiracies, eradicating the Templar order, and protecting Florence. The predominant use of rational instrumental action and the lower occurrence of value rational action in pursuing these goals are highlighted. These findings offer insights into Ezio Auditore's motivations and behaviors, shedding light on the social dynamics depicted in the novel.

Can and Should Language Models Act Politically? Hannah Arendt’s Theory of Action in Comparison with Generative AI

Can and Should Language Models Act Politically? Hannah Arendt’s Theory of Action in Comparison with Generative AI

The principle of segregation: an analysis from the perspective of Weber's ideal type and Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action

This article seeks, through concepts and standards, and using ongoing research, to investigate the principle of segregation of functions and its application in the control of public expenditure from the perspective of Weber's ideal type and Habermas' theory of communicative action. . Through documentary and bibliographical research, it was possible to partially conclude that civil servants, teams or sectors should not perform functions in different phases of public expenditure, including and especially in phases that involve judgment and inspection; the principle of segregation of functions is also based on Weber's bureaucratic ideal type, in the sense that the specialization and expertise of the civil servant tends to increase the degree of precision and excellence of the activities carried out by him; This principle also finds support in Habermas' theory of communicative action.

Applying collective action frameworks to analyse local-level collaboration for electric vehicle-related policies

Many of the most pernicious contemporary urban problems require local governments to organise collectively across jurisdictions and reorganise or coordinate internally across bureaucratic silos. Climate change, for example, is a complex system phenomenon impacting a range of interconnected socio-environmental systems in a region, such as water, transportation and energy infrastructures which may not be directly under the control of a single department or government. This often requires managers and policymakers to coordinate policy responses across siloed units within governments and through network-based arrangements across governments. Theories of polycentricity and collective action have long drawn attention to the barriers and opportunities of collaboration and multilevel governance in fashioning adequate responses to complex problems. However, these approaches typically fail to explicate the relationships or interactions between internal and external collaboration risks and the institutional mechanisms for ameliorating them. This article empirically explores this relationship between functional collective action (collaboration across departmental units within a single government) and intergovernmental collective action (collaboration across governments). Situated in the context of climate adaptation and electric vehicle (EV) policy efforts in cities, the article highlights the need for greater scholarly attention more broadly to the development of institutional collective action theory.

Bridging cultures in Europe: exploring language and shared values in interactions

The importance of intercultural communication is particularly significant in today's globalised world, given the continuous growth of cultural diversity and interactions among cultures at various levels, from personal relationships to global political processes. It is crucial to understand the mechanisms that facilitate or hinder effective intercultural exchange for the development of inclusive, tolerant, and respectful societies. This study analyses the impact of governance structures, digitalisation, and emotions on intercultural communication, using the theoretical framework of the theory of communicative action. The research focuses primarily on the European context. Governance structures and social hierarchies significantly shape conditions for intercultural dialogue, often creating barriers to equal exchange of ideas and hindering the voices of marginalized groups from being heard. Digitalisation provides new opportunities for intercultural exchange. However, it is important to ensure equal access to digital technologies and the development of digital literacy. Emotions have been found to influence intercultural communication strongly. Adequate expression and interpretation of emotions can contribute to greater mutual understanding and empathy among representatives of different cultures. The research findings suggest that it is necessary to integrate various strategies to overcome existing barriers in intercultural communication. These strategies include actively involving marginalized groups in dialogue, developing inclusive digital platforms, and focusing on the development of emotional intelligence. The study's conclusions emphasise the importance of a comprehensive approach to understanding and practically applying the principles of intercultural communication. This approach aims to build open, tolerant, and respectful intercultural relations. The results of this study have practical implications for educational institutions, international organisations, governmental structures, and other stakeholders seeking to promote intercultural interaction at various levels.

Generating the Moral Agency to Report Peers’ Counterproductive Work Behavior in Normal and Extreme Contexts: The Generative Roles of Ethical Leadership, Moral Potency, and Psychological Safety

Generating the Moral Agency to Report Peers’ Counterproductive Work Behavior in Normal and Extreme Contexts: The Generative Roles of Ethical Leadership, Moral Potency, and Psychological Safety

Does environmental knowledge and performance engender environmental behavior at airports? A moderated mediation effect

PurposeDrawing on the reasoned action theory, this study aims to examine the impact of environmental knowledge (EK) and environmental sustainability performance (EP) on environmental behavior (EB) mediated by environmental attitude (ATT). Furthermore, to examine the moderating effect of environmental advertising (ADD) on the indirect relationship between EP and EB, mediated by ATT on the one hand, and EK on EB, on the other hand, mediated by ATT.Design/methodology/approachThe data were gathered within an international context for passengers from North African countries (NAC) (Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco and Sudan) using primary quantitative data from online and self-administered questionnaires. A total of 1,052 questionnaires were collected from passengers who traveled through Egyptian airports. The collected data were analyzed through covariance-based structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings indicated that ATT moderates the relationship between environmental knowledge and behavior. In addition, ATT mediates the airports' environmental behavior and environmental sustainability performance. Moreover, ADD moderates the indirect association between EP and individuals' environmental knowledge and behavior through the mediated effect of ATT.Research limitations/implicationsThis research output will help extend the theory’s scope by conceptualizing its abstract ideas using research variables and applying them in NAC countries. This can be a milestone for altering individuals' behavior toward the environment in airports.Practical implicationsThis study aims to assist airport authorities in the development of standards for enhancing environmental performance. Enhancing environmental issues is of utmost importance, especially in the context of airports, which have been a subject of significant environmental concern. This study examined the environmental practices of airport passengers in NAC, given their significant role as the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions on the African continent. The present approach has the potential to be utilized in modifying airport conduct and enhancing stakeholder engagement, specifically within the context of NAC.Social implicationsThe objective of this study is to enhance the relationship between nature and humans by endeavoring to modify human attitudes toward the environment. The objective of this initiative is to bridge the current disparity in the socio-environmental connection by fostering environmental consciousness among individuals who utilize airport facilities. The objective will be accomplished by the construction of a theoretical framework that integrates crucial elements acknowledged for their substantial influence on altering human attitudes, thus fostering a greater sense of environmental consciousness and ultimately improving societal well-being.Originality/valueSince the global supply chain prioritizes environmental transportation systems, this study provides a conceptual framework for airport authorities to develop and create policies to push air passengers' behavior toward environmental practices in NAC.

‘Alone in a Crowd’: Teacher-Level and Pupil-Level Hidden Curricula and the Theoretical Limits of Teacher–Pupil Relationships

This essay aims to explore the theoretical limitations that hidden curricula—hidden normative values, beliefs, and knowledge that are often considered problematic—place on our understanding of teacher–pupil relationships. It applies Habermas’ theory of communicative action—synonymous with mutual understanding and predicated on his concept of the lifeworld—to analyse hidden curricula. It finds that hidden curricula limit teachers’ comprehension of teacher–pupil relationships dependent on pupils’ responses to teacher-level hidden curricula. Where they respond with compliance, pupils limit expressions of their subjectivity; conversely, where they reject teacher-level hidden curricula, pupils’ subjective lifeworlds are already disrupted by them. Both responses impede teachers’ understanding of teacher–pupil relationships. In addition, pupil-level hidden curricula, which are often asymmetrical and oriented in response to teacher-level hidden curricula, present another barrier to teachers unveiling hidden curricula and the subjectivities of teacher–pupil relationships. In effect, pupil-level hidden curricula render teachers ‘alone in a crowd’. Finally, I argue that systematically examining hidden curricula represents strategic action—communicative action’s counterpoint—and colonisation of pupils’ lifeworlds. While hidden curricula present significant theoretical limitations to understanding teacher–pupil relationships, teachers might use this as a ‘pedagogical hinge’, freeing them from the unknowable and uncontrollable to a more practical view of teacher–pupil relationships.

Factors affecting the technological innovation of banks toward accounting benefits in a developing country’s industrial revolution 4.0 context: evidence from Vietnam

Purpose This study aims to investigate the factors affecting technological innovation intentions at banks listed in Vietnam, a developing country, to develop business activities and accounting benefits according to the trend of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Design/methodology/approach To collect and analyze the data for this study, qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Specifically, 20 finance and banking experts and 45 managers in the field of information technology were interviewed in qualitative research over a period of three months. Then, 1,000 questionnaires were sent to banks within six months, with the final sample for quantitative research being 324 respondents. Finally, the structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to check the hypotheses. Regarding the tools used, the qualitative study used a semistructured questionnaire to collect information. Meanwhile, SPSS software was used to analyze quantitative research information, including checking common method bias, nonresponse bias, evaluating scale quality and checking SEM. Findings The findings show that the usefulness, ease of application, credibility, innovation and efficiency of technology have certain impacts on technological innovation intentions at banks listed in Vietnam. Using the SEM analysis, the results showed that the five factors had a favorable influence on the technological innovation intentions. More specifically, this study proposed adding an efficiency factor, and the results showed that it has the greatest impact on technological innovation intentions. Research limitations/implications This study would be considered a continuation of prior studies because it provides empirical evidence for business models at banks listed in developing countries (for example, Vietnam) and so provides useful advice for bank management not only in Vietnam but across Asia. In fact, bank managers should consider introducing new technology as appropriate to make their reports more clear and up-to-date, therefore improving their performance. Banking managers, in particular, should focus on enhancing the bank’s application technology indicators to obtain a competitive edge. Originality/value This is a pioneering study that uses a combination of the reasoned action theory, planned behavior theory, transaction cost theory and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology to expand knowledge about technological innovation intentions at listed banks in the context of a developing country. The study also discovered and added the efficiency factor as a key factor affecting the intention to innovate technology at listed banks. These contribute to improving the literature of technological innovation intentions.

Zooming into qualitative research: online adaptation of the action-project method research design

ABSTRACT The Action-Project Method (A-PM) is a comprehensive qualitative research method guided by Contextual Action Theory, which has been successfully employed to study the goal-directed actions of dyads (e.g. parent-child pairs; couples). In this article, we discuss how we adapted the A-PM to successfully collect rich longitudinal qualitative data using remote video-based data collection procedures. After describing the A-PM in detail, we draw upon an example from a recent study which successfully implemented this methodology over a video-conference platform. Data collection and analysis procedures are described, as well as the methodological integrity of the A-PM. To facilitate consideration of the appropriateness of the remote methodological adaption to the A-PM, we discuss several practical strengths and limitations. Ultimately, we maintain that it is possible and viable to complete this method online. We hope to inform a new generation of researchers about the adaptability of the A-PM research design to remote data collection procedures.

Theoretical evaluation of tapered composite plate girders subjected to shear loads

The behavior of prismatic composite steel plate girders subjected to shear loads was thoroughly investigated, and different theories were evaluated. However, the behavior of tapered composite plate girders with and without openings has not yet been investigated. Therefore, this paper presents a new method for predicting the ultimate capacity of tapered composite plate girders subjected to shear loads. The shear capacities of tapered composite plate girders with and without web openings were developed based on the classical theory of tension-field action for prismatic composite plate girders. It is assumed that the shear capacity of such girders can be predicted from the steel plate girder and reinforced concrete slab anchored using shear studs. The effect of the composite action on the top flange owing to the shear studs was considered in the derivation of the equations to calculate the shear capacity of the steel plate girders. In addition, the shape and size of the opening were also considered. The proposed method was verified by comparing the results of the shear capacity with experimental results from previous studies. It can be concluded that the proposed method can predict the shear capacities of tapered composite plate girders with solid and open webs with acceptable accuracy.

An active inference approach to interpersonal differences in depression

Depression is characterized by different distortions in interpersonal experience and behavior, ranging from social withdrawal to overt hostility. However, clinical psychological research has largely neglected the need for an integrative framework to operationalize these different phenomena and their dynamic change more accurately in depression. In this article, we draw on active inference theory, a comprehensive theory of perception, action, and learning, to provide a formal model explaining how variations in patients' internal belief-systems lead to differences in social experience and behavior. In this context, we assume that individuals cannot directly grasp the characteristics of their social environment. Instead, they must infer them indirectly from ambiguous social observations, which they themselves generate and alter through their actions. Differences in interpersonal experience and behavior arise from the interplay of patients’ prior expectations, their propensity to infer particular social states from certain observations, and their beliefs in their ability to influence these situations through specific actions. We then use concrete examples to demonstrate how future research can take our approach to identify systematic differences in interpersonal experiences and behaviors among depressed patients (or patient subgroups) and to investigate their changes in response to new social experiences. We also discuss potential applications of our approach in diagnosing and treating depression. This work is a move towards understanding the interpersonal aspects of depression in more detail, recognizing their importance in etiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Marcel Mauss, MAUSS and Maussology: The productive reception of the Essay on the Gift in France

Alain Caillé, the founder of the Mouvement du MAUSS, presents an influential interpretation of Marcel Mauss’s classic Essay on the Gift as a foundational text of and for an anti-utilitarian theory of action. This article returns to Mauss’s seminal essay and presents the paradigm of the gift by resituating the MAUSSian reading within the French field of Maussology. While the article is largely sympathetic to the anti-utilitarian project, it also develops critiques and theoretical suggestions of its own.

Contextual Action Theory in Nursing Home Settings: A Conceptual Framework for Considering the Active Role of Residents

AbstractNursing home (NH) residents are often considered passive recipients of care with a limited role in shaping their experience. This perspective is often reproduced in NH research, which restricts resident participation, thereby upholding ageist views that cause discrimination of older adults living in NH settings. In this article, we propose using Contextual Action Theory (CAT) as a conceptual framework for exploring NH experiences in a way that incorporates the active role of residents. CAT supports the active role of NH residents by emphasizing the capabilities of human beings to form preferences and act on those preferences, without assumptions of rationality. The emphasis on human action allows researchers to consider NH experiences as co-constructed between residents, care providers, and family members, which means placing an emphasis on the actions and goals of NH residents, no matter their cognitive or physical impairments. CAT also supports personhood and social citizenship concerns in NH research, by acknowledging the differing preferences and thereby differing experiences of NH care by individual residents. We argue that CAT should be considered a useful framework for putting residents in the center of NH research.

Pasar Rebo Street Library Community Alternative Education Empowerment Model for School Out-of-School Children

The problem of dropping out of school experienced by students in Kampung Tengah, East Jakarta raised the social concern of the Pasar Rebo Street Library Community to Apply the concept of empowerment throught alternatie education activities as an effort to overcome the phenomenon of students dropping out of school. This research aims to describe the internal and external factors causing dropouts, the alternative education empowerment model and the supporting and inhibiting factors in its implementation. This research uses descriptive qualitative method with purposive sampling technique to determine informants. Data were collected throught interviews, observation and documentation. The data were analyzed using structural functionalism theory, specifically Talcott Parsons’ AGIL concept and Max Weber’s Social Action theory. The results show that the internal factor that causes children to drop out of school is the desire of children to help parents work, while the external factor is the lack of parental attention to children’s education. There are five alternative education empowerment models carried out by the Pasar Rebo Street Library Community, namely the history model of the formation of teaching staff, the book collection model for teaching materials, the student data colletction model, the student classification model and the altenative education learning model. Supporting factors in alternative education activites are motivation, commitment and a supportive environment, while the inhibiting factors are the time of organizing activities, the inconsistency of some teaching staff, and the lack of interest in learning from some students. Based on the results of the research, alternative education activities carried out by the Pasar Rebo Street Library Community for school dropouts in Kampung Tengah, East Jakarta are included in the concept of empowerment, where students are given learning, knowledge and knowledge like in formal education, and there are plans to create PKBM so that students get proof of learning or diplomas.

Network dynamics of civil society: a longitudinal study in Malaysia amidst changing political opportunity structures

Abstract This article explores the role of macro-level factors, specifically political opportunity structures (POS), in shaping interorganizational network tie formation and persistence. Grounded in the POS literature and the multitheoretical multilevel (MTML) framework—specifically using the theories of resource dependency and collective action—we examine how changes in POS are associated with network structures in Malaysian civil society. Data were collected in two phases, reflecting different political contexts. Although the network never evolved into a decentralized or centralized structure, the most central organizations remained consistent and seemed to have been active in bringing others closer to reconfigure toward a more cohesive structure as the POS became more closed. This research contributes to communication network theory by demonstrating how incorporating exogenous environmental factors like POS can advance theory. It offers new insights into operationalizing POS within network analysis and challenges conventional interpretations of centralization in interorganizational relationships.

Consumer satisfaction and preferences for enhanced chicken egg attributes in Ghana: an application of extended theory of reasoned action and means-end theory

Consumer satisfaction and preferences for enhanced chicken egg attributes in Ghana: an application of extended theory of reasoned action and means-end theory