Social distancing behavior during COVID-19: a TPB perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyson Ang ◽  
Shuqin Wei ◽  
Denni Arli

PurposeIn responding to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, drastic public health measures such as social distancing and lockdowns have been implemented across the globe to slow the spread of the virus. In the USA, the public's reaction to social distancing has been mixed, evident in a high number of people flocking to beaches, bars and shops as coronavirus cases soar. Public health officials have issued strong warnings about the danger people face but the problem persists. To fill this gap, informed by the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this research explores why many people refuse to practice social distancing.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies were conducted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the first study, a sample of 750 respondents was recruited from a US online consumer panel to complete a structured survey questionnaire. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. In the second study, an open-ended questionnaire was administered to 50 US online participants to further uncover people's in-depth perceptions and perspectives toward the pandemic and social distancing. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results from the first study show that risk-taking attitude, authoritarianism and subjective norm are significant predictors of social distancing intention and behavior, through perceived severity of COVID-19. Four themes emerged from the second study, which are consistent with the proposed conceptual framework in the first study.Originality/valueTheoretically, the authors’ findings first contribute to the emerging marketing literature that focuses on creating sustained positive changes and improving the well-being of consumers, communities and societies. Secondly, their findings corroborate with previous findings documented in the social influence literature by showing that during the times of uncertainty and confusion such as COVID-19, social norms (not forced by laws and regulations) play the most critical role in influencing a voluntary, socially beneficial behavior (such as social distancing). Third, this study extends the application of the TPB into the realm of social distancing behavior. The three main components of the TPB, namely attitude, behavioral control and subjective norm, are shown to predict social distancing behavior. Practically, the results of this research have important implications for public health policies on how to encourage positive public health behavior amid pandemics such as COVID-19.

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1451-1473
Author(s):  
Siew Imm Ng ◽  
Fang Zhao ◽  
Xin-Jean Lim ◽  
Norazlyn Kamal Basha ◽  
Murali Sambasivan

Purpose The well-being of the elderly is a growing issue of concern for countries around the world. One way to enhance the elderly well-being is to provide housing options suitable to their needs and lifestyle. Retirement village is an accommodation concept foreign to the Malaysian population. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to bridge this literature gap by analyzing factors that may inhibit or motivate the buying intention of a retirement village unit among the elderly in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 261 Malaysian elderly and analyzed using structural equation modeling PLS. Findings The results indicated that attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and social sustainability were significant predictors that explained elderly buying intention of retirement village. Originality/value The study also found a significant moderating role of religion in attitude–intention relationship. The paper concludes with the study’s implications, limitations and recommendations for future research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Close ◽  
Leslie A. Lytle ◽  
Ding-Geng Chen ◽  
Anthony J. Viera

Purpose This study aims to test the utility of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for explaining intention to eat a healthful diet in a sample of Southeastern US office workers. Design/methodology/approach Participants in a worksite nutrition study (n = 357) were invited to complete an online questionnaire including measures of TPB constructs at baseline. The questionnaire included valid and reliable measures of TPB constructs: behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, control beliefs, attitudes toward behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and intention. Data were collected from 217 participants (60.8 per cent response rate). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted to test the hypothesized TPB model. Findings The model fit was satisfactory (χ2 = p < 0.0001, RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.91, TLI = 0.90, SRMR = 0.09). All structural relationships between TPB constructs were statistically significant in the hypothesized direction (p < 0.05). Attitude toward behavior, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were positively associated with intention (R2 = 0.56). Of all TPB constructs, the influence of perceived behavioral control on intention was the strongest (β = 0.62, p < 0.001). Originality/value Based on this sample of Southeastern US office workers, TPB-based interventions may improve intention to eat a healthful diet. Interventions that strengthen perceived control over internal and external factors that inhibit healthful eating may be particularly effective in positively affecting intention to eat a healthful diet, and subsequent food intake.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 517-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheetal Jain

PurposeAlthough Generation Y consumers contribute significantly to the luxury market, still there is a limited amount of research conducted to explain their luxury consumption behavior, particularly in context of emerging markets like India. The main objectives of this study are to understand the key factors that affect luxury purchase intentions of Generation Y consumers using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and to examine the moderating effect of subjective norm on other TPB variables, namely, attitude and perceived behavioral control.Design/methodology/approachPurposive sampling method was used to collect data from Generation Y luxury fashion consumers in New Delhi, India. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data.FindingsThe findings of this study revealed subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were positively related to luxury purchase intentions. Further, subjective norm was found to moderate the relationship between attitude and luxury purchase intentions.Originality/valueThis study will help consumer behavior researchers and practitioners to understand the core reason behind luxury purchase intentions of Generation Y consumers in India. It will enable luxury brand companies to create suitable marketing strategies which align with the mindset of this new demographic segment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Arthur Zinser

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the determinants of the intended use of Islamic banking and financial services by US Muslims. It builds on the plethora of studies primarily conducted in Muslim-majority countries. Design/methodology/approach An extended theory of planned behavior model was tested using structural equation modeling. The hypothesized paths were positive attitude, positive subject norms, perceived behavioral control, greater Islamic religiosity and lower perceived cost of being Muslim. A sample size of n = 251 was analyzed. Findings The analysis showed that positive attitudes toward Islamic financial services were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001), and its path was the strongest. The higher Muslim identification path was trending toward being statistically significant (p < 0.086). The analysis also showed that lower perceived cost of being Muslim path was statistically significant (p < 0.035), but in the opposite hypothesized direction. No support was found for the effect of positive subjective norms or perceived behavior control hypotheses. Research limitations/implications The study was exploratory in nature and has limitations, including some discriminant validity problems. Practical implications The paper includes recommendations for US Islamic banking and financial services providers to develop more effective market segmentation and targeting, as well as integrated marketing communication strategies. Originality/value This paper fulfills a void in research on Islamic marketing in the West, particularly the USA, a country with a nominal Muslim population.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 446-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilmar B. Schaufeli

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate leadership into the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Based on self-determination theory, it was argued that engaging leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers would reduce employee’s levels of burnout and increase their levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Dutch workforce (n=1,213) and the research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – It appeared that leadership only had an indirect effect on burnout and engagement – via job demands and job resources – but not a direct effect. Moreover, leadership also had a direct relationship with organizational outcomes such as employability, performance, and commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study used a cross-sectional design and all variables were based on self-reports. Hence, results should be replicated in a longitudinal study and using more objective measures (e.g. for work performance). Practical implications – Since engaged leaders, who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers, provide a work context in which employees thrive, organizations are well advised to promote engaging leadership. Social implications – Leadership seems to be a crucial factor which has an indirect impact – via job demands and job resources – on employee well-being. Originality/value – The study demonstrates that engaging leadership can be integrated into the JD-R framework.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hichang Cho

PurposeMany internet users exhibit signs of privacy helplessness and entirely give up online privacy management. However, we know little about what privacy helplessness is, when users are likely to experience it and its implications for privacy behavior. The objectives of this study were twofold: (a) the conceptual explication of privacy helplessness as a novel construct in privacy research and (b) the development of a theoretical model that specifies the antecedents and consequences of privacy helplessness.Design/methodology/approachA research model of privacy helplessness that contains three subcomponents of privacy helplessness, five antecedents and one outcome was developed. The model was empirically examined based on survey data collected from 589 Facebook users in the USA.FindingsThe results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that privacy helplessness is adequately assessed by a three-factor model with affective, cognitive and motivational components. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that these three aspects of privacy helplessness are uniquely predicted by five theoretical factors: (a) prior experience of privacy risks, (b) personal mastery, (c) perceived costs of adaptive privacy actions, (d) perceived rewards of privacy inactions and (e) perceived vulnerability. Furthermore, it was found that helplessness as motivational deficits (and cognitive helplessness via this) impedes adaptive privacy actions, while cognitive helplessness promotes adaptive privacy actions when they do not result in motivational deficits.Originality/valueThis study pioneers investigation in understanding key constituents, attributes and processes underlying privacy helplessness. First, the present study developed the first theory-derived, successively validated measurement model of privacy helplessness. Second, this research proposed a theoretical model of privacy helplessness, specifying antecedents and consequences of privacy helplessness.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Auditya Purwandini Sutarto ◽  
Shanti Wardaningsih ◽  
Wika Harisa Putri

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore to what extent employees' mental well-being affects their productivity while working from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 crisis and whether mental well-being and productivity differ across some socio-demographic factors.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study with online questionnaires was designed with 472 valid responses in Indonesia. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) were administered. Non-parametric tests and structural equation modeling were employed to analyze the data.FindingsThe prevalence of depression was 18.4%, anxiety 46.4% and stress 13.1%, with relatively good productivity. Gender, age, education level, job experiences, marital status, number of children and nature of the organization were associated with the employees' psychological health but not with their productivity, while the workspace availability influenced both outcomes. The study path model showed the negative correlation between WFH employees' psychological well-being and productivity.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may contribute to the implication of current mandatory WFH on mental well-being and productivity. Further studies need to address the representativeness and generalizability issues as well as incorporating potential stressors.Practical implicationsOrganizations may adopt WFH as a future working arrangement and identify the individual and occupational characteristics that provide the most impacts on productivity. It is also necessary for them to develop proper strategies to mitigate the psychological risks and overcome the WFH challenges.Originality/valueThere is still a lack of studies investigating the relationship between simultaneous effects of WFH on psychological well-being and productivity, and how they affect some socio-demographic variables in the context of COVID-19.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 3006-3025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Suess ◽  
Makarand Amrish Mody

Purpose The study aims to examine how features that foster a sense of control, create positive distractions and provide access to social support influence patients’ well-being and, subsequently, their likelihood to choose hotel-like hospital rooms and their willingness to pay higher out-of-pocket expenses for such rooms. While there is increasing evidence to suggest the importance of the provision of hospitality in healthcare settings, research on these developments remains under-represented, particularly in the hospitality literature. In response, the present study builds on Ulrich’s (1991) theory of supportive design to examine patient responses to hotel-like features in a hospital room. Design/methodology/approach Using data from a survey of 406 patients, the authors used structural equation modeling to test the model. Findings Consistent with supportive design principles, the infusion of hotel-like features that foster a sense of control for patients, create positive distractions and provide access to social support was found to positively impact patients’ physical and mental well-being, which, in turn, increased their likelihood to choose a hospital room with hotel-like features and their willingness to pay for such rooms. Practical Implications Findings attest to the need for healthcare providers to make the necessary investment in hotel-like features and to leverage the communicative power of these environmental cues. Social support in the form of hospitality-trained and certified healthcare staff was found to be the most important hotel-like feature, which also presents significant commercial opportunities for hospitality companies and professionals. Originality Value The study represents one of the first attempts to empirically develop a structured model to examine the infusion of hospitality into healthcare. It provides researchers with a theoretically supported framework for future inquiry into the domain. It also makes a significant contribution to advancing the research on patient well-being in healthcare settings and demonstrates the importance of hospitality to such endeavors.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 734-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek Mady

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the research paradigm focusing on behaviorally-based first-mover advantages (FMA) by applying the widely-accepted Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and offers insights into differences between a mature market (USA) and an emerging market (EM) (India) regarding how intentions to purchase the pioneer are formed. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing samples of 208 USA and 194 Indian consumers, hypotheses examining the underlying beliefs, attitudes, social norms and purchasing intentions regarding pioneer brands are developed and tested using structural equation modeling. Findings Insights from the study suggest the TRA provides a means for assessing behaviorally-based FMAs across cultures, even as manifestations of purchase intentions differ significantly. According to the TRA and findings of this study, intentions are a function of overall attitudes and social norms. In the USA, individual attitudes were found to play a more significant role than social norms in formulating purchase intention. In India, social norms played a more dominant role in intention formation. Originality/value The study represents one of the first empirical attempts to shed light on the extent of behaviorally-based FMAs in an EM and how manifestations of intention to purchase the pioneer differ from mature markets. The study expands the behavioral paradigm of analysis to include one of the most sought-after EMs today (India) and provides one of the first empirical studies to utilize the TRA in addressing behaviorally-based FMAs.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wioleta Kucharska

Purpose This study aims to understand and compare how the mechanism of innovative processes in the information technology (IT) industry – the most innovative industry worldwide – is shaped in Poland and the USA in terms of tacit knowledge awareness and sharing driven by a culture of knowledge and learning, composed of a learning climate and mistake acceptance. Design/methodology/approach Study samples were drawn from the IT industry in Poland (n = 350) and the USA (n = 370) and analyzed using the structural equation modeling method. Findings True learning derives from mistake acceptance. As a result of a risk-taking attitude and critical thinking, the IT industry in the USA is consistently innovation-oriented. Specifically, external innovations are highly correlated with internal innovations. Moreover, a knowledge culture supports a learning culture via a learning climate. A learning climate is an important facilitator for learning from mistakes. Originality/value This study revealed that a high level of mistake acceptance stimulates a risk-taking attitude that offers a high level of tacit knowledge awareness as a result of critical thinking, but critical thinking without readiness to take a risk is useless for tacit knowledge capturing.


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