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.     

The contribution of implicit cognition to the Theory of Reasoned Action Model: a study of food preferences

Abstract

Attitudes are at the heart of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), but problems in defining and measuring attitudes have contributed to typically low ability to predict behaviour. This article investigates the impact of potential disjuncture between evaluations that an individual externally verbalises (explicit attitudes), and evaluations that are internally held and may exist outside of conscious awareness (implicit attitudes), on the predictive ability of TRA. We study consumers’ attitudes towards eating healthy food and subsequent behaviour in a context of socially consensual behaviour. An Implicit Association Test (IAT) is used to measure implicit attitudes, and these scores are contrasted with self-reported explicit attitude scores. Ninety one participants took part in the study. We found, surprisingly, that implicit attitude has no significant effect on behavioural intention. However, a disjuncture between an individual’s implicit and explicit attitudes, reflecting internal psychological conflict, affected behaviour.     

The double-edged sword: The positive and negative effects of switching costs on customer exit and revenge

What happens when customers have to deal with switching costs after a service failure and a poor recovery? This study seeks to address this question by proposing and testing an integrative model that incorporates customers' negative emotions as mediators between switching costs and behavioral outcomes (i.e., loyalty and revenge). The model distinguishes positive from negative switching costs, and inward from outward negative emotions. Analysis of survey data from 280 real customers who actually experienced a service failure and poor recovery with a major telecommunications firm reveals that customers react to switching costs strongly, emotionally, and sub-optimally. In contrast to most findings in the service literature, the results indicate that negative switching costs generate both exit and desire for revenge. Paradoxically, positive switching costs generate both loyalty and an even higher level of desire for revenge. These findings have important implications for the service industry.     

计件工资博弈中管理者的守诺与公平权衡——对计件工资制不流行的再解释

本文首先回顾总结了计件工资制度的发展过程和存在的问题,指出计件工资博弈陷入低效僵局的原因在于管理者的不履行事先的承诺。传统的解释是管理者事后抵挡不住自利的诱惑,本文认为管理者守诺还是不守诺是在权衡计件工资员工和计时工资员工激励效果后作出的理性的选择。管理者守诺只在一定的情形下发生所以计件工资制不流行。     

三螺旋理论的协同创新机制的研究:中国高校科技园案例

三螺旋模型是解释协同创新的实用理论,它阐述大学、产业、政府三个单位在创新体系内所扮演的角色.本研究以文献分析的方式,探讨高等教育在此模式内的互动角色,同时由中国的三个高校科技园区个案访谈、归纳来分析高等教育在此模式内的角色演进.这三个科学园区分别是北京航空航天大学科技园、苏州西安交通大学科技园、上海某大学科技园,分别位处中国三个重要的城市,以及三个不同的管理体系,因此研究成果具有代表性,也能说明新兴中国家应用三螺旋模型的成果.     

Regret theory and policy reform ∗

This paper offers an explanation of policy reforms undertaken in times of an economic crisis. Our explanation does not depend either on conflicts of interests between different socio-economic groups, or on the informational imperfection about the effectiveness of the current policy regime. The single decision maker in our model experiences regrets when the uncertain reform outcome is worse than the status quo. We show that an economic crisis which reduces the status-quo income makes the regret-experiencing decision maker more eager to undertake reforms in times of an economic crisis, despite the higher utility costs of adjustments.     

Why (not) cooperate? A cognitive model of farmers’ intention to join producer groups in Romania

After the breakdown of the communist regime in Romania, collective farms were replaced by a large number of small-scale private farms. Although cooperation seems to be a favourable choice for these smallholders, it did not develop as perhaps expected. This article explores the factors that determine the formation of the intention of Romanian vegetable farmers to join marketing cooperatives in the form of so called producer groups. Our theoretical framework refers to Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour, which we model with a structural equation model. We identified as main intention drivers the expectation for better prices and easier access to capital. Perceived family support is another significant factor. The level of distrust is high. Although our trust variable is not significant as a predictor of the intention to cooperate in the model, we find qualitative indications that trust plays a role when the intention is translated into actual behaviour.