Predicting congregate meal program participation: Applying the extended theory of planned behavior

Authorized under Title III-C of Older Americans Act, congregate meal programs provides individuals 60 years of age and older nutritious meals in senior centers. Declining participation in recent years underscores the need to understand factors that affects participation. This study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain the intention of community-dwelling older adults to participate in congregate meal programs. One additional variable, past behavior, was added to increase the prediction power of participation intention. A total of 238 participant surveys were collected and analyzed. Seven hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The data fits the TPB model well. All predictor variables (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavior control and past behavior) had a significant positive effect on participation intention. Perceived behavior control (PBC) had the greatest prediction power on intention. Based on the research findings suggestions were made to increase congregate meal program participation.     

Race,gender, and leisure benefits

This study investigated the relationship between race, gender, and 7 leisure benefits that are based on a Benefits Approach to Leisure (BAL) framework. A random sample of 47 blocks from a southern metropolitan census tract composed of racially integrated middle‐class neighborhoods yielded 99 African American and 107 European American households who rated statements representing 7 leisure benefits on a Likert‐type scale. Using 2‐tailed t tests, with an F (folded) statistic to test for equality of the 2 variances, significant differences (p < .05) between middle‐class African Americans and middle‐class European Americans were found on 4 of 7 leisure benefit scales (57%): relaxation, diversion, self‐expression, and social interaction. When gender was considered, African American and European American middle‐class men differed significantly (p < .05) on relaxation and self‐expression scales, whereas middle‐class women differed significantly (p < .05) on social interaction and self‐esteem scales. The 7 leisure benefit areas were ranked according to perceived importance; a strong association (R = .86, p < .05) was shown between the racial groups. Gender showed considerable effect on the ranking of preferred leisure benefits among middle‐class African Americans but was of limited value when comparing middle‐class European American rankings.     

Fate control and leisure attitudes

It has been suggested that attitudes toward leisure may be affected by one's perception of the ability to control life's consequences. Rotter's I‐E scale was used in the present study to measure the perceived locus of control and was correlated with the scales of Neulingers Leisure Attitude Inventory. Results indicated that positive attitudes toward leisure were generally more associated with an external than an internal locus of control, i.e., with the perception that one's fate is to a large degree personally uncontrollable. These results are explained in terms of the confounding influence of work/achievement orientation in the measurement of and in the relationship of those variables. Implications for leisure counseling, leisure education, and therapeutic recreation are also discussed.     

Risk,uncertainty and the theory of planned behavior: A tourism example

The differential impacts risk and uncertainty have on travel decision-making were explored by examining the constructs' influence on the antecedents of intentions to visit Australia using the theory of planned behavior. Respondents were obtained from online consumer panels in South Korea, China and Japan. The South Korean and Chinese samples were general population samples, while the sample from Japan was an international travelers' sample. The extended model fitted the data well, explaining between 21 and 44 percent of the variance in intentions. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control significantly impacted on intentions in all country samples, whereas attitudes toward visiting Australia were only significant in Japan. Subjective norms influenced attitudes and perceived behavioral control in all country samples. Finally, perceived risk influenced attitudes toward visiting Australia in South Korea and Japan, while perceived uncertainty influenced attitudes toward visiting Australia in South Korea and China and perceived behavioral control in China and Japan.     

Emerging bicycle tourism and the theory of planned behavior

In this study, we investigated the process of travelers’ decision formation for bicycle touring as a form of sustainable tourism activity. We extended the theory of planned behavior (TPB), using personal norm and past behavior as predictors and the attractiveness of unsustainable alternatives as a moderator. Results of the modeling comparison showed that our extended TPB model was superior to the original TPB in predicting intention. Our results from the structural analysis revealed that the hypothesized paths linking attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, personal norm, and intention were supported; and personal norm significantly mediated the impact of subjective norm on intention. Moreover, our proposition that bicycle travelers’ decision-making process would differ based on their level of the attractiveness of unsustainable alternatives was generally supported. Overall, our results help us clearly understand the role of volitional and non-volitional processes, personal norm, past behavior, and the attractiveness of unsustainable alternatives in explaining the intention formation of bike traveling.     

Social differences in leisure behavior: Measurement and interpretation

This article examines how three major dimensions of leisure behavior, i.e., rates of leisure participation, money expenditure for leisure goods and services and discretionary time available for leisure pursuits, are distributed across various socio‐demographic and socio‐occupational groups. The money expenditures for leisure, it is argued, follow traditional class lines most closely; the rates of leisure participation are characterized by a more egalitarian distribution; and the amounts of leisure time are often inversely related to social centrality and social status. The article interprets these varying patterns of leisure inequalities as a function of the cumulative nature of leisure participation as opposed to the “finite” nature of leisure time, and as a reflection of the complex relationship between leisure, work, income, leisure class, and leisure status.     

Testing the sufficiency of the theory of planned behavior: a case of customer dissatisfaction responses in restaurants

This study tested the sufficiency of both the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the extended TPB models by adding the variable of past behavior. In addition, the present study examined the mediating role of the TPB variables on the relationships between past behavior and customers’ intentions to engage in different types of dissatisfaction responses (i.e., voice, negative word-of-mouth communication, and exit). Results of the study demonstrated the strong predictive power of the original TPB mode but the inclusion of past behavior did not significantly improve the predictability of the three dissatisfaction response intentions. Furthermore, the mediating analyses indicated that the influence of past behavior was mediated by TPB variables. In the contexts of negative word-of-mouth communication, the effect of past behavior on intention was mediated by attitude. Meanwhile, both subjective norm and perceived behavioral control mediated the relationship between past behavior and the intention to engage in voice behavior.     

Drivers of customer decision to visit an environmentally responsible museum: merging the theory of planned behavior and norm activation theory

The main goal of this research was to merge the theory of planned behavior and the norm activation theory into one model and test its applicability in an environmentally responsible museum context. A filed survey was conducted at museums. Structural equation modeling was used to test research hypotheses. Results of the structural model comparisons revealed that the prediction power of our integrated model was superior to that of the theory of planned behavior and the norm activation theory. The proposed relationships among research constructs were generally supported. The mediating role of study variables was established. Additionally, the salient role of personal norm and attitude in generating museum travelers’ pro-environmental intention was identified. Overall, there was a strong support for the proposed theoretical model.     

Dereifying family leisure: An examination of women's and men's everyday experiences and perceptions of family time

Abstract

The dominant ideologically based view of family leisure as fun for all may obscure the work associated with family activities and the unequal distribution of such work. In this time‐budget and interview study, the time that 46 families spent in family activities was analyzed by examining how much of this time was work and how much was leisure from the parents’ viewpoint. The data show that family activities were often experienced as work or involved a work component. Moreover, the mothers were significantly more likely than the fathers to experience family time (with spouse present) and time with children (with spouse absent) as work and less likely to report these situations to be leisure, x²(3, N = 728) 65.07, p < .01, and x²(3, N = 510) 34.93, p < .01, respectively. Thus, although family activities have some positive benefits and are valued by parents, they do involve work and this work is unequally divided between women and men. The contradictory aspects of family leisure, especially for women, are discussed in terms of the ethic of care as well as the ideology of familism.     

Attitudes toward outdoor recreation development: An application of social exchange theory

A research project was undertaken within a multi‐county region in southeastern Ohio to ascertain the attitudes of local residents toward future outdoor recreation development within the area. A systematic random sample of 1493 respondents was drawn from a five‐county region to test a theoretical perspective developed from selected components of social exchange theory. The findings demonstrated that the respondents held very favorable attitudes toward outdoor recreation development. Multivariate analysis of the data revealed that the theoretical model was basically supported. The findings are discussed from both applied and theoretical perspectives.     

Leisure and work ethics and locus of control

Abstract

Equivocal findings regarding the relationship between attitudes toward leisure and the extent to which people feel in control of their own fate led to the consideration of possible mediating influences. The current study was an attempt to examine the relationship between locus of control and the affective domain of leisure attitude, or leisure “ethic,” while controlling for the influence of work ethic. The possibility of differences between males and females and students and nonstudents led to four separate subgroup analyses. Results indicated that of the four groups, only female students showed a substantial relationship between locus of control and leisure ethic. In this group, leisure ethic was associated with an external locus of control, the tendency to regard the control of life's circumstances as lying outside oneself. In none of the groups was the influence of work ethic great enough to make an appreciable difference in the relationship between locus of control and leisure ethic. The group differences were discussed in terms of sex‐role orientations and career aspirations.     

Women,work, and leisure: The days of our lives

Abstract

Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, this study attempts to identify and understand the experience of enjoyment (or lack thereof) within the work and nonwork (i.e., family, leisure) spheres of working women. Specifically, the study attempts to identify the contexts in which professional and blue‐collar women experience flow (Csikszentmihalyi 1975) or its antithesis (i.e., anti‐flow) which can be characterized by boredom, frustration, and anxiety. In addition, the study examines the nature and the meanings of these experiences within the work/nonwork lives of these women.

Findings of this study suggest that professional women tended to experience flow in both work and nonworking settings, while the blue‐collar women tended to experience flow only in their nonwork (i.e., home, leisure) spheres. Both groups experienced some degree of anti‐flow when they performed tasks which were repetitious, tedious, and simplistic, regardless of the setting. While such tasks constituted a very small part of the professional women's jobs, they formed the major part of the blue‐collar women's jobs.     

The impact of spring break behaviour: An integrated threat theory analysis of residents' prejudice

Within the study of residents' attitudes, the cognitive and affective dimensions of prejudicial attitudes towards tourists have been virtually ignored. If a deeper understanding of negative local attitudes towards tourists is to be achieved, the incorporation of new theoretical frameworks is required. Based on integrated threat theory, this study examines residents' perceptions of, and negative attitudes towards, a quite specific type of tourist – spring breakers – in Cancun, Mexico. Out of the four components postulated by this theory, realistic threats and intergroup anxiety are dominant constructors of residents' prejudicial attitudes towards tourists. The study's findings also reveal that, perhaps unlike local beliefs about many other types of tourists, residents' perceived threats are closely associated with spring breakers' overt behaviour in the destination.     

The influence of leisure and travel experiences on the school enjoyment of adolescents: a panel analysis

ABSTRACT

This research note examines the influence of experiential activities and family travel experiences on the school enjoyment of adolescents by applying a panel regression analysis. The authors used data from the Korean Children & Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) for data analysis and performed a one-way fixed effect regression and a feasible generalized least square (FGLS) regression analyses. The findings reveal that 1) higher levels of satisfaction in experiential activities could enable adolescents to better enjoy their school lives and 2) the frequency of family and group trips had a positive impact on adolescents’ school enjoyment. However, the frequency of experiential activities was negatively associated with adolescents’ school enjoyment. This research discusses the implications with regard to the influence of leisure and family travel experiences on the school enjoyment of adolescents based on the findings.     

The underlying dimensions of tipping behavior: An exploration, confirmation, and predictive model

Tipping is unique in that the customer provides a major portion of the employee's wage. Because tipping is voluntary and because it usually occurs retrospectively of the service rendered, tipping practices have stimulated historic interest from both economic and psychological perspectives. This research extends the body of knowledge on tipping by integrating recent advances in motivational research which support the existence of a universal, multifaceted model of intrinsic motivation. Inasmuch, the present research investigated the underlying motives for tipping under various conditions of service. Findings supported the existence of six underlying behavioral dimensions associated with tipping: (a) Heuristic Model, (b) Impress Others, (c), Reciprocal Reward, (d) Social Obligation, (e) Generosity, and (f) Control Service. Each of these six corresponded closely with the basic motivators proposed by the multifaceted model. Results from a hierarchical linear regression confirmed the overriding influence of heuristics on tip amounts under various service conditions.     

Personal values and the theory of planned behaviour: A study of values and holiday trade-offs in young adults

Prior studies have ignored information inherent in the structure of people's values when investigating their impact on tourism decisions. This study examined how personal values trade-offs along two bipolar values dimensions (self-enhancement versus self-transcendence and openness-to-change versus conservation) impacted young adults' travel decisions. A two-staged survey of 299 young adults obtained personal values (at time 1) and value-expressive holiday preferences within a theory of planned behaviour (at time 2). Both bipolar values dimensions predicted attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control towards value-congruent holidays. The total effect of personal values on intentions was larger than that of subjective norms for both dimensions and larger than that of perceived behavioural control for the self-transcendence verses self-enhancement dimension.     

An investigation of the role of justice in turnover intentions,job satisfaction,and organizational citizenship behavior in hospitality industry

The relationship of organizational justice perceptions of hotel employees in North Cyprus with various work-related variables was investigated. A total of 208 employees and their managers filled out questionnaires. It was found that distributive justice tended to be a stronger predictor of all of the study variables compared to procedural justice. Findings suggest that the fairness of personal outcomes that employees receive may have more impact on turnover intentions, job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) than the perceived fairness of a firm's procedures. It was also found that even though improved job satisfaction seems to be related to OCB, organizational justice seems to be the key factor that has a strong effect on both OCB and job satisfaction.     

Consumer adoption of the Uber mobile application: Insights from diffusion of innovation theory and technology acceptance model

ABSTRACT

The sharing economy literature has largely concentrated on the examination of peer-to-peer accommodation platforms such as Airbnb, with little attention paid on other innovations in collaborative consumption. This study investigates consumer adoption of the Uber mobile application through lenses of two theoretical models – Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Technology Acceptance Model. The results suggest that relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and social influence have a significant influence on both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, which in turn lead to subsequent consumer attitudes and adoption intentions. This study demonstrates the integration of the two classic adoption theories.     

The theory of repurchase decision-making (TRD): Identifying the critical factors in the post-purchase decision-making process

A theory particularly designed to explain re-buying decision formation is lacking. This research developed and tested a theory of repurchase decision-making (TRD) that more comprehensively explains individuals’ post-purchase decision-making processes. Two studies were conducted in a full-service restaurant setting for the development of this theory. Specifically, important factors generating the repurchasing intention were identified through an exploratory qualitative approach in Study 1. In this qualitative approach, a new set of belief items and salient referents in a re-buying decision-making process were also identified. The proposed model merging the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB) with identified factors and belief constructs from Study 1 were tested in the second study. Our results demonstrated that incremental amounts of total variance in the re-buying decision were explained by the TRD. Newly integrated constructs in combination with the original variables in the MGB were found to play a critical role in the re-buying decision-making process. The implications of this study are presented and discussed.