War affected youth as consumers of microcredit: An application and extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Youth in war-ravaged countries are particularly vulnerable, and one of their main challenges is finding employment. The majority of youth in such countries encounter limited access to capital supplied by traditional banking institutions. Thus, the purpose of this research is to identify war affected youth׳s Purchase Intentions of microcredit. The findings of this study will contribute towards encouraging youth in obtaining microcredit and fostering their entrepreneurial activities. The Theory of Planned Behaviour has been generally applied to predict Purchase Intentions, nevertheless we have used a modified version of this theory to design the conceptual model. 1603 responses were obtained from youth in war-affected areas of Sri Lanka. The findings revealed that Positive Affect and Self-Identity were predictors of Purchase Intentions; whereas Perceived Deterrents negatively influenced Purchase Intentions. Additionally, Entrepreneurial Desire seemed to enhance the association between Self-Identity and Purchase Intentions. Entrepreneurial Desire also directly influenced Purchase Intentions. Based on these findings, we have suggested implications to theory and practice so as to effectively market microcredit to youth in war-affected regions.     

Enhancing corporate social responsibility through market orientation practices in bottom of pyramid markets: with special reference to microcredit institutions

Market-oriented organizations are committed to understanding and serving customer needs. Customers become socially conscious, so market-oriented firms need to carry out ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) initiatives. The main aim of this study was to investigate the influence of market orientation on CSR among microcredit institutions. The findings of this study are useful for microcredit institutions and marketers operating in bottom of pyramid (BOP) market to enhance their CSR through market orientation practices. The sample comprised 250 managers of microcredit institutions operating in the rural areas of Sri Lanka. The surveys were administered for data collection. All the three components of market orientation, that is, customer orientation, competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination significantly and positively influenced the CSR involvement. Adaptation to BOP Market Culture enhanced the positive influences of both customer orientation and inter-functional coordination, on CSR. From these findings, implications for theory and practice have been discussed.     

An empirical investigation on the antecedents of consumers’ cognitions of and attitudes towards digital signage advertising

This paper investigates the antecedent factors of consumers’ perceived values and attitudes towards digital signage advertising in a structural model. The results of this study revealed that four key antecedents (i.e. informativeness, involvement, entertainment and targeting) affect consumers’ attention to digital signage advertising and perception of advertising values. This study shows that attitudes towards digital signage and perceived interactivity with it also affect consumers’ attitudes towards digital signage advertising. This, in turn, influences positive attitudes towards a brand and higher purchase intentions.     

Exploring factors motivating entrepreneurial intentions: the case of Italian university students

This study aims to identify the factors motivating the intentions of university students to become entrepreneurs. Leveraging data from a survey of 941 Italian students and adopting Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour, this paper employs the structural equation model to identify factors explaining students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The findings show that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control positively shape Italian students’ intentions. Moreover, the findings signal that the skills acquired during the university pathway play a crucial role in encouraging students to consider entrepreneurial choices. The paper extends and complements the academic and policy debate in the field of entrepreneurship offering a comprehensive investigation of the factors affecting entrepreneurial intentions. It also allows us to contend that higher education may have an important role to play in fostering the entrepreneurial intentions of young people. This is especially significant given current global economic conditions and the renewed importance of self‐employment strategies.     

Linking atmospherics to shopping outcomes: The role of the desire to stay

This study relies on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S–O-R) paradigm to explore the mediating role of the desire to stay at the shopping mall in the relationship between shopper positive attitudes towards three atmospheric cues (color schemes, lighting, and music) and the shopping outcomes of shopper satisfaction, positive Word-of-Mouth (WOM) and patronage intentions. Moreover, the study elaborates on the path from the desire to stay to positive WOM and patronage intentions by considering the mediating role of shopper satisfaction. A survey-based study comprising a sample size of 451 mall shoppers has been developed to test the proposed research model. The results indicate that the desire to stay mediates the relationship between shoppers’ positive attitudes towards color schemes and music, on one hand, and shopper satisfaction and positive WOM, on the other hand. Although the desire to stay has a direct effect on positive WOM, it does not directly impact patronage intention. However, the latter path becomes significant when considering the mediating role of shopper satisfaction, indicating that satisfying mall stays enhance desirable outcomes. Based on these findings, implications for theory and retailers are discussed.     

Antecedents of Entrepreneurial Intention among Laid‐Off Individuals: A Cognitive Appraisal Approach

This study contributes to our understanding of why laid‐off individuals might explore entrepreneurial careers. Findings among 838 laid‐off individuals suggest that financial strain is associated with negative appraisal of the layoff, and openness to change and perceived organizational support are associated with positive appraisal of the layoff. We demonstrate that the indirect effect of financial impact and openness to change via negative and positive appraisals are stronger than the direct effects. Our results are significant because they highlight the mediating role of cognitive factors on entrepreneurial intentions among laid off individuals during periods of high unemployment.     

Entrepreneurial Attitudes as Drivers of Managers’ Boundary‐Spanning Knowledge Ties in the Context of High‐Tech Clusters

This study investigates the role of entrepreneurial attitudes for small and medium‐sized enterprise managers' tendency to create knowledge acquisition ties with managers of other organizations in the context of an institutionalized high‐tech cluster. We examine how innovation orientation, perceived personal control, need for achievement, and self‐esteem influence boundary‐spanning tie creation as a crucial facet of entrepreneurial behavior in the cluster context. Applying exponential random graph models to survey data collected in a German biotech cluster, we find that innovation orientation and perceived personal control positively affect managers' tendency to rely on interpersonal ties to gather knowledge. In contrast, need for achievement and self‐esteem are negatively related to knowledge tie creation.     

The Role of Entrepreneurial Passion and Creativity in Developing Entrepreneurial Intentions: Insights from American Homebrewers

The study investigates the role of entrepreneurial passion and creativity as antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions, applying social cognitive theory as an underpinning framework. Specifically, this research focuses on American homebrewing, seen as a potential incubator for entrepreneurs. Results demonstrate entrepreneurial passion having a strong positive relationship with entrepreneurial intentions, even when entrepreneurial self‐efficacy is introduced as a mediator. Conversely, the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurial intentions is mediated by entrepreneurial self‐efficacy, confirming that individuals also need to feel self‐efficacious enough to pursue entrepreneurial career. The findings advance the understanding of nascent entrepreneurship phenomenon within a particular hobby context.     

Entrepreneurial Intention and UAE Youth: Unique Influencers of Entrepreneurial Intentions in an Emerging Country Context

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a young, oil-rich country, where national youth display a clear preference for public sector employment. Growing youth unemployment reinforces the importance of non-government employment, including entrepreneurship. This study investigates UAE national youth intentions toward entrepreneurship through the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ). Analysis (N?=?544) identifies the direct influence of attitude and perceived behavioral control and indirect influence of subjective norms on entrepreneurship intention. Results also examine several demographic variables and highlight the potential importance of family and social groups in promoting entrepreneurial intentions in this emerging country context.     

Understanding the Dynamics of Nascent Entrepreneurship—Prestart‐Up Experience,Intentions, and Entrepreneurial Success

Understanding the factors driving the successful founding of new firms is a subject of ongoing interest. We link prestart‐up experience and intentions of nascent entrepreneurs to the shape of the entrepreneurial gestation process and eventually to successful founding. By experience, we mean previous entrepreneurial activities, labor market experience, and formal education, and by intentions, we mean commitment and ability expectations. We test our predictions on a longitudinal data set that tracks nascent entrepreneurs' venture creation efforts over a five‐year time span and find evidence supporting them. Against this background, our findings also show that when controlling for the possible endogeneity of the activities carried out, a later temporal concentration of organizing activities enhances the probability of successfully founding. Our research contributes to a better understanding of contextual antecedents of the shape of gestation process and the way experience and intentions affect the successful creation of new ventures. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

School competition and students’ entrepreneurial intentions: international evidence using historical Catholic roots of private schooling

School choice research mostly focuses on academic outcomes. Policymakers increasingly view entrepreneurial traits as a non-cognitive outcome important for economic growth. We use international PISA-2006 student-level data to estimate the effect of private-school competition on students’ entrepreneurial intentions, measured by their occupational desire to manage a small enterprise. We exploit Catholic-Church resistance to state schooling in the 19th century as a natural experiment to obtain exogenous variation in current private-school shares. Our instrumental-variable results suggest that a 10%-point higher private-school share raises students’ entrepreneurial intentions by 0.3–0.5% points (11–18% of the international mean) even after controlling for current Catholic shares, students’ academic skills, and parents’ entrepreneurial occupation.     

大学生创业倾向和创业教育需求研究

以湖北大学在校学生为例,对创业态度与意向、创业路径与策略、创业知识与能力和创业教育需求进行调查。结果表明：男生比女生创业自信度高;就业前景好,创业意愿也高;大学生倾向于先就业后创业：行业发展是创业地点选择的主要因素,行业选择起点较低;认为缺乏管理实践经验是创业的主要劣势：对于创业教育有很高的渴求度,倾向以公选课方式学习,内容上则希望了解更多的优惠政策。     

Modelling consumer responses to an apparel store brand: Store image as a risk reducer

To make informed private label (PL) strategy decisions, retailers must understand the factors influencing consumer's brand choices. Previous PL studies have investigated grocery products, and ignored unique features of different types of own brands. We investigate attitudes towards buying a retailer-endorsed brand, or store brand (SB), in apparel retailing. Customers of a Finnish department store were surveyed. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Perceived value and quality of SB apparel appear to be the main drivers of purchase intentions. Perceived risk reduces SB value and purchase intentions. Store image affects purchase intentions indirectly, by reducing perceived risk and increasing SB quality perceptions.     

Predictors of Usage Intentions of Pirated Software

The purpose of this study is to investigate the salient factors influencing consumers’ attitudes and usage intentions towards pirated software. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study investigates the relationships between three sets of factors, i.e. personal, social and perceived behavioural control onto attitudes towards pirated software. Through a multiple regression, only personal factors have shown significant relationship with attitudes towards software piracy. Further results from this study have supported that favourable attitudes towards pirated software is likely to result in stronger intentions to use pirated software. It was found that computer proficiency acts as a predictor for intentions towards pirated software, rather than a moderator as originally postulated.     

Intrapreneurial intentions versus entrepreneurial intentions: distinct constructs with different antecedents

We posit that entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship are distinct entrepreneurial behaviors that differ in terms of their salient outcomes for the individual. Since individuals are likely to differ in their attitudes to these salient outcomes, and in their entrepreneurial self-efficacy, we hypothesize that a different strength of intention for entrepreneurship versus intrapreneurship will be due to individual differences in self-efficacy and in their attitudes to the outcomes from entrepreneurial, as compared to intrapreneurial, behavior. We find that while self-efficacy is significantly related to both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions, attitudes to income, ownership, and autonomy relate only to entrepreneurial intentions, while attitude to risk relates only to intrapreneurial intentions.     

Competing models of entrepreneurial intentions

Why are intentions interesting to those who care about new venture formation? Entrepreneurship is a way of thinking, a way of thinking that emphasizes opportunities over threats. The opportunity identification process is clearly an intentional process, and, therefore, entrepreneurial intentions clearly merit our attention. Equally important, they offer a means to better explain—and predict—entrepreneurship.We don't start a business as a reflex, do we? We may respond to the conditions around us, such as an intriguing market niche, by starting a new venture. Yet, we think about it first; we process the cues from the environment around us and set about constructing the perceived opportunity into a viable business proposition.In the psychological literature, intentions have proven the best predictor of planned behavior, particularly when that behavior is rare, hard to observe, or involves unpredictable time lags. New businesses emerge over time and involve considerable planning. Thus, entrepreneurship is exactly the type of planned behavior Bird 1988, Katz and Gartner 1988 for which intention models are ideally suited. If intention models prove useful in understanding business venture formation intentions, they offer a coherent, parsimonious, highly-generalizable, and robust theoretical framework for understanding and prediction.Empirically, we have learned that situational (for example, employment status or informational cues) or individual (for example, demographic characteristics or personality traits) variables are poor predictors. That is, predicting entrepreneurial activities by modeling only situational or personal factors usually resulted in disappointingly small explanatory power and even smaller predictive validity. Intentions models offer us a significant opportunity to increase our ability to understand and predict entrepreneurial activity.The current study compares two intention-based models in terms of their ability to predict entrepreneurial intentions: Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB) and Shapero's model of the entrepreneurial event (SEE). Ajzen argues that intentions in general depend on perceptions of personal attractiveness, social norms, and feasibility. Shapero argues that entrepreneurial intentions depend on perceptions of personal desirability, feasibility, and propensity to act. We employed a competing models approach, comparing regression analyses results for the two models. We tested for overall statistical fit and how well the results supported each component of the models. The sample consisted of student subjects facing imminent career decisions. Results offered strong statistical support for both models.(1) Intentions are the single best predictor of any planned behavior, including entrepreneurship. Understanding the antecedents of intentions increases our understanding of the intended behavior. Attitudes influence behavior by their impact on intentions. Intentions and attitudes depend on the situation and person. Accordingly, intentions models will predict behavior better than either individual (for example, personality) or situational (for example, employment status) variables. Predictive power is critical to better post hoc explanations of entrepreneurial behavior; intentions models provide superior predictive validity. (2) Personal and situational variables typically have an indirect influence on entrepreneurship through influencing key attitudes and general motivation to act. For instance, role models will affect entrepreneurial intentions only if they change attitudes and beliefs such as perceived self-efficacy. Intention-based models describe how exogenous influences (for eample, perceptions of resource availability) change intentions and, ultimately, venture creation. (3) The versatility and robustness of intention models support the broader use of comprehensive, theory-driven, testable process models in entrepreneurship research (MacMillan and Katz 1992). Intentional behavior helps explain and model why many entrepreneurs decide to start a business long before they scan for opportunities.Understanding intentions helps researchers and theoreticians to understand related phenomena. These include: what triggers opportunity scanning, the sources of ideas for a business venture, and how the venture ultimately becomes a reality. Intention models can describe how entrepreneurial training molds intentions in subsequent venture creation (for example, how does training in business plan writing change attitudes and intentions?). Past research has extensively explored aspects of new venture plans once written. Intentionality argues instead that we study the planning process itself for determinants of venturing behavior. We can apply intentions models to other strategic decisions such as the decision to grow or exit a business. Researchers can model the intentions of critical stakeholders in the venture, such as venture capitalists' intentions toward investing in a given company. Finally, management researchers can explore the overlaps between venture formation intentions and venture opportunity identification.Entrepreneurs themselves (and those who teach and train them) should benefit from a better understanding of their own motives. The lens provided by intentions affords them the opportunity to understand why they made certain choices in their vision of the new venture.Intentions-based models provide practical insight to any planned behavior. This allows us to better encourage the identification of personally-viable, personally-credible opportunities. Teachers, consultants, advisors, and entrepreneurs should benefit from a better general understanding of how intentions are formed, as well as a specific understanding of how founders' beliefs, perceptions, and motives coalesce into the intent to start a business. This understanding offers sizable diagnostic power, thus entrepreneurship educators can use this model to better understand the motivations and intentions of students and trainees and to help students and trainees understand their own motivations and intentions.Carefully targeted training becomes possible. For example, ethnic and gender differences in career choice are largely explained by self-efficacy differences. Applied work in psychology and sociology tells us that we already know how to remediate self-efficacy differences. Raising entrepreneurial efficacies will raise perceptions of venture feasibility, thus increasing the perception of opportunity.Economic and community development hinges not on chasing smokestacks, but on growing new businesses. To encourage economic development in the form of new enterprises we must first increase perceptions of feasibility and desirability. Policy initiatives will increase business formations if those initiatives positively influence attitudes and thus influence intentions. The growing trends of downsizing and outsourcing make this more than a sterile academic exercise. Even if we successfully increase the quantity and quality of potential entrepreneurs, we must also promote such perceptions among critical stakeholders including suppliers, financiers, neighbors, government officials, and the larger community.The findings of this study argue that promoting entrepreneurial intentions by promoting public perceptions of feasibility and desirability is not just desirable; promoting entrepreneurial intentions is also thoroughly feasible.     

Antecedents of consumer attitudes toward mobile marketing: A comparative study of youth markets in the United States and China

The purpose of this study is to examine factors influencing consumers' attitudes toward mobile marketing across two major markets—the United States and China. Drawing upon the technology acceptance model (TAM), the theory of reasoned action (TRA), and the perceived characteristics of innovations theory (PCI), we develop and test a conceptual model examining the joint influences of TAM constructs (perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness) and individual characteristics (personal attachment, innovativeness, risk avoidance, and privacy concern) and on consumer attitudes toward mobile marketing practices. Focusing on youth consumers, we empirically test the model using data collected in an established (United States) and an emerging market (China). Findings across these two markets reflect cross‐market similarities and differences related to consumers' attitudes toward mobile marketing. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Significance of attitudes,passion and cultural factors in driver’s speeding behavior in Oman: application of theory of planned behavior

Abstract

Traffic accidents and related fatalities have become a major public health problem in the world. This study aims to identify the significant factors that play an important role in the speeding behavior of drivers. A comprehensive questionnaire was designed and conducted with the students and employees of the University of Nizwa. The questionnaire items were designed considering the theoretical background of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and local socio-cultural aspects of the driving environment. A total of 303 usable samples were obtained. The collected data were analyzed using factor analysis and structural equation modelling technique. The extracted factors of speeding passion and culture, speeding attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are significant determinants of drivers speeding behavior in Oman. The driver’s speeding attitudes, speeding culture, and passion have positive association with the drivers’ speeding intentions and behavior, and driver’s perceived behavioral control forms negative relationship with the speeding behavior. This study confirms the application of the TPB in predicting the drivers’ speeding behavior in the context of Oman.     

Reconstructing entrepreneurial intentions to identify predisposition for growth

The entrepreneurial-intentions literature implicitly assumes that all intending entrepreneurs have similar growth aspirations, despite the observed dichotomy of growth- and independence-oriented new ventures. We integrate the ‘individual-opportunity nexus’ with heterogeneous opportunities into the entrepreneurial intentions model such that intending entrepreneurs may exhibit different growth intentions which drives their choice between growth- or independence-oriented new ventures. The individual's predisposition for growth (or not) will depend on the interaction of the salient outcomes offered by the opportunity with the attitudes of the individual towards those outcomes, and by differences in entrepreneurial self-efficacy. We find that the attitudinal antecedents differ for growth compared to independence intentions, and suggest a way to identify intending entrepreneurs who are predisposed to growth.     

Addressing plastic pollution through green consumption: Predicting intentions to use menstrual cups in the Philippines

Plastic pollution is a global environmental crisis that poses a huge threat to the health of people and marine ecosystems worldwide. A significant source of plastic pollution is menstrual hygiene management, and an approach that can help address this crisis is the usage of washable and reusable menstrual cups. Using an extended theory of planned behavior model that includes self-identity and perceived quality, the study predicted intentions to use menstrual cups in the Philippines. Structural equation modeling results showed that perceived quality predicted attitudes towards menstrual cup usage. Moreover, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and self-identity predicted intentions to use menstrual cups. There were also some differences in the factors and predictors of intentions between non-users and regular users of menstrual cups. Among regular users, perceived behavioral control did not predict intentions. These findings provide empirical support for the extended model, and provides insights for governments, non-government organizations, and corporations in promoting the usage of menstrual cups to address the global plastic pollution crisis.