scholarly journals Increasing the independence of vulnerable consumers through social support

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Beatson ◽  
Aimee Riedel ◽  
Marianella Chamorro-Koc ◽  
Greg Marston ◽  
Lisa Stafford

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of social support on young adults with disabilities (YAWDs) independent mobility behavior with the aim of understanding how better to support this vulnerable consumer segment in their transition into the workforce. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted which examined how social support (high and low) influenced YAWD’s path to independent mobility behavior. The data were analyzed using partial least squares-SEM. Findings It was identified that different factors were more effective at influencing independent mobility behavior for high and low socially supported YAWDs. For high social support individuals, anticipated positive emotions and perceived behavioral control were found to drive attitudes to independent mobility with perceived behavioral control significantly stronger for this group than the low socially supported group. For the low socially supported group, all factors were found to drive attitudes which then drove individual behavior. One entire path (risk aversion to anticipated negative emotions to attitude to behavior) was found to be stronger for low supported individuals compared to high. Originality/value This study is unique in that it is the first to identify the theoretical constructs that drive vulnerable consumer’s independence behavior and understand how these factors can be influenced to increase independence. It is also the first to identify that different factors influence independent behavior for vulnerable consumers with high and low social support with anticipated negative emotions important for consumers with low social support and perceived behavioral control important for those with high social support.

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahadur Ali Soomro ◽  
Naimatullah Shah ◽  
Nadia A. Abdelmegeed Abdelwahed

PurposeAt present, the adoption of cryptocurrency investment has brought consideration to the globe. The present paper attempts to investigate the intention to adopt cryptocurrency (IACR) among the potential investors of Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachThe theory of planned behavior (TPB) is applied to underpin the conceptual framework. The study uses a quantitative approach. The study collects cross-sectional data through an online survey questionnaire. In the last, the authors utilized 334 samples for outcomes.FindingsFindings of the SEM reveal a significant positive effect of attitude, subjective norms (SNs), perceived behavioral control (PBC) and trust on IACR.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of an investigation would develop further intention and trust towards cryptocurrency adoption. The results would support developing favorable policies regarding the reduction of the ban on cryptocurrency in Pakistan to make easier transactions of the investors further. Possibly, it brings several opportunities in all segments of society in making the digital transaction modes through cryptocurrency. Finally, the findings would further validate the TPB in the context of cryptocurrency.Originality/valueThe study provides a better understanding of cryptocurrency and investors IACR. The empirical evidence further develops the other individuals' intentions towards cryptocurrency usage.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabete Correia ◽  
Sara Sousa ◽  
Clara Viseu ◽  
Joana Leite

Purpose Through the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aims to explore the main determinants of higher education students’ pro-environmental behavior. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted among the students of a public higher education institution (HEI) in Portugal, from March to May of 2020. The data were analyzed with the structural equation modeling technique, considering environmental attitude, knowledge, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control as exogenous latent variables, and pro-environmental intention and behavior as endogenous latent variables. Findings The results show that the students’ environmental attitude and knowledge have no significant impact on their pro-environmental intention, while the students’ subjective norm and perceived behavioral control have a positive impact on their pro-environmental intention. The results also reveal that the students’ perceived behavioral control and pro-environmental intention have a strong and positive impact on their pro-environmental behavior. Research limitations/implications This study focuses on the students from a single public HEI, in accounting and administration area, and deepens environmental behavior in relation to resources’ consumption. Practical implications This study provides findings that can be useful for HEIs to be more effective in their policies, strategies and practices to improve students’ environmental behavior. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature by exploring the main determinants of higher education students’ pro-environmental behavior in a Portuguese HEI and extending the TPB considering the additional variable environmental knowledge.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 534-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Ruiz-Mafe ◽  
Jose Tronch ◽  
Silvia Sanz-Blas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of emotions and social influences on loyalty formation towards online travel communities. Design/methodology/approach The individual (perceived risk) and social (subjective norm and social presence) antecedents of emotions as well as the impact of emotions on attitude and loyalty towards online travel communities are tested through structural equation modelling techniques. The sample consists of 385 active users of online travel communities in Spain. Findings Data analysis shows that perceived privacy and security risk elicit negative emotions such as stress, frustration and fear towards the online travel community. Normative influences (subjective norm) and feeling the presence of other community members (social presence) boost positive emotions towards the online travel community. Interpersonal influences have a positive effect on subjective norm but not external influences. Positive and negative emotions affect preferences towards the online travel community (attitudes) as proposed by social impact theory. Subjective norm and attitude have a direct influence on loyalty towards an online travel community, confirming previous research grounded on theory of reasoned action models. Originality/value Despite the crucial impact of consumers’ affective states on loyalty formation, research on social media is mainly focused on the technological nature of consumer information exchanges, neglecting other drivers of consumer behaviour beyond the technology employed. This paper develops a model that integrates the relationships between consumer emotions and their individual (perceived risk) and social (social presence and subjective norm) antecedents and outcome variables (attitude and loyalty). The role of social influences is analysed, assessing the conjoint impact of one-way communication (interpersonal influences and mass media) and Web 2.0 communications (social presence) on positive emotions and loyalty formation towards the online travel community.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin K. Byon ◽  
Soonhwan Lee ◽  
Thomas A. Baker

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is: to explain the relative influence of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on purchase intention of the 2010 FIFA World Cup sponsored products; and to compare the purchase intention of American and Korean spectators toward sponsoring products of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were predictors of purchase intention. Further, multiple group analysis revealed that the path coefficient between subjective norm and purchase intention for the two groups was significantly different. Design/methodology/approach – A self-administered questionnaire was developed to measure the four constructs of the theory of planned behavior (TBP) as well as demographic information. Upon completion of the psychometric properties test of the TPB, a SEM was conducted to examine the proposed hypotheses. The same fit indices as with the measurement model were adopted to evaluate the model fit. Finally, a multi-group analysis was conducted to examine if the proposed relationships are different based on nationality (American vs Korean samples). A comparison of χ2 value between unconstrained and constrained models was employed to assess whether the two groups are statistically different. Findings – SEM revealed that subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were predictors of purchase intention. In this study, a multi-group analysis was conducted to examine if the proposed relationships in our model are different based on nationality. As a result, we found that two groups (i.e. American vs Korean) exhibited notable differences in subjective norms in determining purchase intentions of the 2010 FIFA World Cup sponsored products. Originality/value – Sponsors for mega sporting events, like the FIFA World Cup, must develop global marketing plans that appeal to worldwide audiences. Sport marketers, therefore, need cross-cultural marketing analysis on equivalence and bias so that they better understand how spectators from different cultures behave after consuming the same event. Thus, application of the TPB in cross-cultural studies aimed at understanding consumer intention after spectating the FIFA World Cup would provide marketers with valuable information for the formation of global marketing strategies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1120-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kostas Politis ◽  
Panayiotis Ketikidis ◽  
Anastasios D. Diamantidis ◽  
Lambros Lazuras

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the formation of social entrepreneurial intentions (SEIs) in postgraduate students in the South-East European region. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach (self-administered online questionnaire) is used to gather data. The total number of the questionnaires that were collected and analyzed through SPSS statistical suite was 115 from which 111 were valid. Findings From the proposed five hypotheses set in the literature, only the personality trait theory was totally rejected because it failed to predict social and commercial entrepreneurial intentions (EIs). The remaining hypotheses were found to be valid. The study’s key finding is that the chosen theory (Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB)), is able to predict both kinds of intentions. An alarming key finding is that tensions in mission focus seem to be present in the early shaped intentions of potential social entrepreneurs. Research limitations/implications Research findings impose that major educational and policy efforts are needed to promote the theme of social entrepreneurship (SE). The results indicate that most of the postgraduates have not yet fully understood the mindset of SE as they were confused about the synergy of the goals (inherent in their social vs profit intentions). Originality/value This research contributes in three major ways to the literature. First, it shows that SEIs seem to be shaped similarly to EIs; determined mostly by two of the motivational factors of the TPB (personal attitude and perceived behavioral control). Second, it shows which factors seem to affect both constructs and third, it adds to the literature by showing that tensions in mission focus are evident early on in the intentions’ formation process, underlying the necessity of immediate educational and legislative precautions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minwir Al-Shammari ◽  
Rana Waleed

Purpose This study aims to explore the level of entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) among students in three private universities in Bahrain. The examined factors that are expected to shape EI are personal attraction toward becoming an entrepreneur, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms and social valuation of entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach A close-ended questionnaire was used to collect data of the study. The total number of questionnaires distributed was 1,530 questionnaires, while the total number of the valid questionnaires retrieved was 550, which makes the total response rate to be 36 per cent. Findings Regression analysis results indicated that students’ personal attraction toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control had a significant strong positive relationship with their EI. In addition, there was a significant moderate positive relationship between students’ perceived subjective norms and social valuation of entrepreneurship with their EI. Originality/value The findings showed that entrepreneurial education is needed to improve students’ skills and knowledge and enhance their EI and perceived behavioral control. In addition, it is important to expose students to entrepreneurial role models and their businesses and to promote entrepreneurial careers as desirable and feasible options that may bring more advantages than working in the government or private sector.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bangwool Han ◽  
Minho Kim ◽  
Jaehoon Lee

Purpose Using the theory of planned behavior as its basis, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships among beliefs about electronic service quality (E-S-QUAL); consumers’ need for uniqueness (CNFU); and beliefs about perceived behavioral control, expectations of important others, and cross-border online purchasing behavioral intention. The effects of E-S-QUAL and CNFU on attitude are examined with data collected from Korean consumers who have cross-border online purchasing experience. Design/methodology/approach The authors evaluate the research model in this study and test the hypotheses using partial least squares, an OLS regression-based estimation method that focuses on predicting independent variables hypothesized to have a causal relationship that maximizes the explanatory variance of the dependent variable. Findings Analysis of the data emphasizes that beliefs about E-S-QUAL and CNFU positively affect attitudes toward buying online from international sites, which in turn positively affect purchasing intention. Also, beliefs about self-efficacy and normative structure regarding cross-border online purchasing positively affect behavioral intentions. Originality/value This paper develops a conceptual model explaining consumers’ intentions to shop online across national borders. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, none of the previous studies have particularly mentioned the associations between beliefs about e-service quality and actual behavioral intentions in the context of cross-border online shopping. Also, the important role of CNFU has been ignored as one of the factors that can affect consumers’ decisions to shop online beyond national borders. In regard to this matter, the authors aim to investigate cross-border online shopping factors that can help international e-commerce gain a better understanding of the needs of their consumers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepti Verma ◽  
Vaibhav Tripathi ◽  
Ajai Pratap Singh

Purpose This study aims to identify factors affecting generation Z as the early adopters of mobile commerce (m-commerce). The research seeks to explore their behavioral intention to adopt m-commerce in India with consideration of gender differences while providing empirical validation for the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Design/methodology/approach In this study, a modified TPB model has been used to explain generation Z’s intention to adopt m-commerce. The proposed model was tested using a survey method with a sample of 245 students from a private university in Northern India. Subgroup analysis was performed to find gender differences in the process of adopting m-commerce. Findings All three independent constructs have a positive influence on the behavioral intention of generation Z to adopt m-commerce. Further, the male subgroup has a lower beta value for attitude and higher beta value for subjective norm in comparison to the female subgroup. For perceived behavioral control, no significant difference in beta value across gender could be established. Practical implications A better understanding of generation Z behavioral intentions will be of great use to telecom companies, marketers and electronic commerce companies to formulate strategies to expedite the use of m-commerce. As gender plays an important role in attitude and subjective norms, companies are advised to target their communication tactics in accordance to gender. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to test TPB and generation Z association in the context of m-commerce adoption in India. Data regarding the difference between the two genders has also shed light on the uniqueness of the context.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sujood - ◽  
Sheeba Hamid ◽  
Naseem Bano

Purpose This paper aims to examine travelers` behavioral intention of traveling in the period of coronavirus by employing the theory of planned behavior. The framework incorporates attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and a very crucial construct, i.e. perceived risk, as per the current critical scenario of COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected using a survey instrument on the internet by posting the questionnaire link over social network web pages of online traveling websites. The data was analyzed using structural equations modeling with AMOS 22.0 and SPSS software, and the proposed hypotheses were statistically tested. The sample under consideration constitutes 417 responses. Findings Empirical findings suggest that attitude, perceived behavioral control and perceived risk are significant for predicting behavioral intention while subjective norms do not. And these variables explained about 35 percent of the variance in behavioral intention of traveling in the period of coronavirus. Research limitations/implications This study can benefit travelers, tourism and hospitality industry, governments, aviation industry and other relevant organizations as this paper offers the latest updates and essential information regarding traveler`s intention of traveling in the period of coronavirus. The study mainly focuses on India, so the generalizations of results to other countries are unwanted. Originality/value The primary value of this paper is that it tested the theory of planned behavior by incorporating perceived risk in the context of COVID-19. To the best of authors’ knowledge, in Indian context, there is no study which has tested the TPB by adding perceived risk in explaining the Indian citizens’ behavioral intention of traveling in the period of Coronavirus.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alok Tewari ◽  
Smriti Srivastava ◽  
Divya Gangwar ◽  
Vimal Chandra Verma

PurposeThe role of mindfulness in influencing green behaviors has been recognized in literature though it has not been explored sufficiently in the context of organic food. This study makes an attempt to explore the role of mindfulness in influencing young consumers' purchase intention (PI) toward organic food in India.Design/methodology/approachA total of 348 useable responses were collected through an intercept survey at organic food stores using a purposive sampling approach. Data analysis was carried out through structural equation modeling.FindingsMindfulness emerged as a significant predictor of behavioral intention. Further, the specific indirect effects of mindfulness through attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC), drive for environmental responsibility (DER) and label reference willingness (LRW) were also significant.Originality/valueThis research is one of the initial efforts to link mindfulness with PI for organic food. The results could help the government and marketers tap onto the potential of mindfulness with regard to environment-friendly products and frame appropriate strategies for stimulating the demand for organic food in India


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