A Aceitação de Bens de Consumo - O Caso dos Produtos em Cortiça

A indústria da cortiça portuguesa é hoje a maior do mundo neste sector, e uma das mais lucrativa indústrias no panorama económico português. Com o desenvolvimento da indústria, também cada vez mais utilizações são conhecidas para este produto natural. Os acessórios e peças de vestuário feitos em cortiça são hoje uma realidade que começa a dar os primeiros passos, e pretendem chegar a um público mais abrangente. Nesse sentido sentimos que era importante aferir quais os fatores que influenciam a atitude do consumidor perante bens de consumo. Determinar também se a influência que estes fatores poderão exercer sobre a atitude do consumidor poderá traduzir-se num comportamento de compra. Para esse efeito foi seguido o modelo da Theory of Reasoned Action, um modelo de predição da intenção de comportamento. A acrescentar a este modelo foram adicionadas ainda diversas variáveis que, no nosso entender, poderão influenciar as perceções do consumidor. Para consumar o nosso estudo foi formulado um questionário destinado aos consumidores residentes em Portugal Continental, que depois foi divulgado nas redes sociais. Os dados constantes nas respostas, bem como os dados sociodemográficos recolhidos, foram tratados com a ferramenta estatística SPSS 20, e analisados de acordo com a metodologia descritiva usual (frequências, médias, desvio-padrão, números mínimos e máximos). O efeito das variáveis independentes nas dependentes foi determinado através de uma análise de variância (ANOVA). Os resultados obtidos demonstram que existem diversos fatores que podem influenciar positivamente a atitude dos consumidores, que por sua vez exerce uma influência significativa na intenção de compra. Estes factos, se explorados pela gestão das empresas, podem tornar possível entregar ao cliente um produto com maior valor percebido e, com isso, expandir os seus mercados.

The importance of the relevance of the issue to the group in voting intentions: The case of the Australian republic referendum

A questionnaire was distributed on the Australian republic issue to examine the interplay between norms and relevance of the issue to the group on voting intentions. Supporters of an Australian republic (N = 188) indicated the level of support for a republic within their peer Group, the relevance of the republic issue to the group, and measures designed to assess voting intentions and other attitude outcomes. Analysis revealed an interaction between normative support and relevance of the issue to the group. On the measure of intention, increasing normative support was associated with increased intention to vote in an attitude-consistent way at both relevance levels, but the effect was heightened when the issue was highly relevant to the group. On the outcomes of willingness to express opinion and perceived personal importance of the republic issue, normative support had a positive effect only when the issue was highly relevant to the group. Mediation analyses revealed that the impact of normative support and group relevance on intention were mediated through perceived personal importance of the republic issue.

Stepping Stones Triple P: A pilot study to evaluate acceptability of the program by parents of a child diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

The experience of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in standard parenting programs has not been researched, although anecdotal evidence suggests that they do not find them acceptable. Forty-two parents of children with ASD were asked to view a DVD explaining individual parenting strategies from Stepping Stones, a new branch of the Triple P program targeted specifically at parents of children with disabilities. Parents were asked to rate each strategy for acceptability, usability and behavioural intention, i.e., their intention to use the strategy. Additionally, parental attributions and parental perceived control were explored as possible barriers to positive evaluations of Stepping Stones parenting strategies. A focus group of parents was used to gather more detailed parent response to the program. Parent responses to the program were generally positive and attribution of the child's behaviour to uncontrollable factors was found to predict higher ratings of usability. The results were interpreted within the context of Weiner's attributional theory and the theory of reasoned action. The limitations of this study and suggestions for future research are discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

O IMPACTO DA INFLUÊNCIA SOCIAL SOBRE A INTENÇÃO DE USO DE SITES DE COMPRAS COLETIVAS: UM ESTUDO BASEADO NO MODELO UTAUT

A aceitação e o uso de Tecnologia da Informação (TI) pelo indivíduo têm sido estudadas por diferentes modelos conceituais que, em geral, derivaram de teorias da Psicologia como a TRA Theory of Reasoned Action e a TPB Theory of Planned Behavior, derivada da primeira. Um importante modelo de análise dai derivado, resultado da minuciosa análise de outros 8 modelos anteriores, o UTAUT - Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology de VENKATESH et. al. (2003) tem sido largamente analisado e validado em vários cenários de tecnologia e ambientes. Este trabalho visa compreender de uma maneira mais ampla dos fatores antecedentes da intenção de uso e comportamento de uso a partir do modelo UTAUT, bem como os fatores que melhores explicam a intenção e o comportamento de uso, assim como a análise de seus moderadores. Em seu desenvolvimento, Venkatesh et al. empreenderam comparações em três etapas de implantação e em dois cenários: na adoção mandatória, aquela em que se deu em ambiente empresarial onde o sistema é requerido para execução de processos e tomada de decisões, e na adoção voluntária, cenário em que a adoção se dá pelo indivíduo. No segundo caso, os autores concluíram que o fator influência social tem baixa magnitude e significância, não se revelando um fator importante na adoção da tecnologia. Este trabalho visa analisar também se o mesmo fenômeno ocorre para adoção que se dá de forma voluntária, mas passível de ser altamente influenciada pelos laços sociais, como o que ocorre entre usuários das redes sociais como Orkut, Facebook, Twitter e Linkedin, especialmente em tecnologias que habilitam ganhos associados ao exercício desses laços, como no caso do uso de sites de compras coletivas tais como Peixe Urbano, Groupon e Clickon. Com base no modelo UTAUT, foi aplicada uma pesquisa e posteriormente foram analisados os resultados de 292 respondentes validados que foram acessados por e-mails e redes sociais. A técnica de análise empregada consistiu do uso de modelagem por equações estruturais, com base no algoritmo PLS Partial Least Square, com bootstrap de 1000 reamostragens. Os resultados demonstraram alta magnitude e significância preditiva sobre a Intenção de uso da tecnologia pelos fatores de Expectativa de Desempenho (0,288@0,1%), Influência Social (0,176@0,1%). Os primeiro, compatível com estudos anteriores. Já a magnitude e significância do último fator resultou amplamente superior ao estudo original de Venkatesh et al. (2003) variando entre 0,02 a 0,04, não significante, dependendo dos dados estarem agrupados ou não (p.465). A principal conclusão deste estudo é que, ao considerarmos o fenômeno das compras coletivas, em um ambiente de adoção voluntária, portanto, o fator social é altamente influente na intenção de uso da tecnologia, o que contrasta fortemente com o estudo original do UTAUT (já que no estudo de Venkatesh et al. (2003) este fator não foi significante) e apresenta várias possibilidades de pesquisas futuras e possíveis implicações gerenciais.

Uptake of dental services

Previous research has indicated that the majority of the UK dentate population suffers from dental disease. This problem was examined in terms of the supply of, and demand for, dental treatment: how might the uptake of dental services be increased and dental health improved? The target population for the main survey was adolescents among whom demand for dental treatment has decreased. In 524 adolescents surveyed, fear of pain was the major deterrent to regular dental visits. The theoretical literature was explored for illuminating and practical approaches to the problem. The theory of reasoned action developed by Fishbein seemed the most promising. This theory was tested and validated on the adolescent sample identifying clear differences between regular and irregular dental attenders which could be usefully exploited by dental health education. A repertory grid analysis study further illuminated perceptions of dental treatment. A survey of a random sample of 716 dentists revealed that most dentists were in favour of delegating work to auxiliary help but few could do so. Auxiliary help would increase supply of services: data revealed an encouraging trend for younger dentists to be more in favour of delegation than older dentists. A survey was carried out of computer systems available for dentists suggesting that this might reduce the need for clerical assistance but would not ususally affect the supply of treatment. However in some dental practices computerisation might increase demand. For example a personalised reminder was developed and evaluated in a controlled study of 938 appointments demonstrating an uptake in dental services. Conclusions are that demand for treatment can be increased in various ways especially by teaching dentists' behavioural strategies to deal with fear and pain. Various recommendations on this are made. If demand were to outstrip supply increased delegation to auxiliary help could provide a viable way of increasing supply.

Fair price and its effect on willingness to purchase

The purpose of the present research is to demonstrate the influence of a fair price (independent of the subjective evaluation of the price magnitude) on buyers' willingness to purchase. The perceived fairness of a price is conceived to have three components: perceived equity, perceived need, and inferred compliance of the seller to the process rules of pricing. These components reflect the Theories of Distributive Justice (as adjusted for conditions of need) and Procedural Justice.^ The effect of the three components of a fair price on willingness to purchase is depicted in a theoretically causal chain model. Based on the Theories of Dissonance and Attribution, conditions of inequity and need activate concerns for Procedural Justice. Under conditions of inequity and need, buyers tend to infer that the seller has not complied with the generally accepted pricing practices, thus violating the social norms of Procedural justice. Inferred violations of Procedural Justice influence the buyer's attitude toward the seller. As predicted by the Theory of Reasoned Action, attitude is then positively related to willingness to purchase.^ The model was tested with a survey-based experiment conducted with 408 respondents. Two levels of both equity and need were manipulated with scenarios, a common research method in studies of Distributive and Procedural Justice. The data were analyzed with a structural equation model using LISREL. Although the effect of the "need" manipulation was insignificant, the results indicated a good fit of the model (Chi-square = 281, Degrees of Freedom = 104, Goodness of Fit Index =.924). The conclusion is that the fairness of a price does have a significant effect on willingness to purchase, independent of the subjective evaluation of the objective price. ^

Beliefs and attitudes of nurses regarding visitation in the pediatric intensive care unit

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs and attitudes of nurses regarding the effects of visitation in pediatric intensive care units (PICU).^ Questionnaires were used to gather data from nurses (n = 48) in four study sites. Data were analyzed according to the Theory of Reasoned Action.^ A predominant theme among the beliefs was that visitation should be individualized. It was found that PICU nurses have more positive attitudes regarding traditional visitation as opposed to open visitation (p $<$.01). Significant relationships were found between nurses' years of education and attitudes toward traditional (p $<$.01) and open (p $<$.05) visitation.^ In light of the literature suggesting the positive effects of open visitation, it appears that PICU nurses' attitudes may present a barrier when implementing open policies. Since years of education shows a positive correlation with nurses' attitudes, educational intervention may be helpful in overcoming this obstacle. ^

Attitudes towards the marine environment and implications for marine resource management in Seward, Alaska

This research, conducted in 2006-2008, examines the ways in which various groups involved with the marine resources of Seward, Alaska construct attitudes towards the environment. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews are used to assess how commercial halibut fishers, tour boat operators, local residents and government officials understand the marine environment based on their previous experiences. This study also explores how ideologies relate to the current practices of each group. Two theories orient the analyses: The first, cultural modeling provided a theoretical and methodological framework for pursuing a more comprehensive analysis of resource management. The second, Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen and Fishbein 1980), guided the analysis of the ways in which each participant’s ideology towards the marine environment relates to their practice. Aside from contributing to a better understanding of a coastal community’s ideologies and practices, this dissertation sought to better understand the role of ecological ideologies and behaviors in fisheries management. The research illustrates certain domains where ideologies and practices concerning Pacific halibut and the marine environment differ among commercial fishers, government, and management officials, tour boat operators and residents of Seward, AK. These differences offer insights into how future collaborative efforts between government officials, managers and local marine resource users might better incorporate local ideology into management, and provide ecological information to local marine resource users in culturally appropriate ways.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices affecting health behaviors in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command population of Rangers

Malaria is a threat to United States military personnel operating in endemic areas, from which there have been hundreds of cases reported over the past decade. Each of these cases might have been avoided with proper adherence to malaria chemoprophylaxis medications. Military operations may detract from the strict 100% adherence required of these preventive medications. However, the reasons for non-adherence in military populations are not well understood. This behavior was investigated using a cross sectional study design on a convenience sample of U.S. Army Ranger volunteers (n=150) located at three military instillations. Theoretical support was based on components of the Health Belief Model, the Theory of Reasoned Action/Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Social Cognitive Theory. ^ Data on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as multiple environmental domains was collected using an original yet unvalidated questionnaire. The data was analyzed using bivariate Pearson correlations, binary logistic regression, and moderated logistic regressions employing a 0.05 criterion of statistical significance. Power analyses predicted 96-98% power for this analysis. ^ Multiple significant medium strength Pearson correlation coefficients were identified relative to the two dependent variables Take medications as directed and Intend to take the medications as directed the next time. Binary logistic regression analyses identified multiple variables that may predict behavioral intentions to adhere to these preventive medications, as a proxy for behavioral change. Moderated logistic regression analyses identified Command Support for adherence to these medications as a potential significant moderator that interacts with independent variables within three domains of the survey questionnaire. ^ The findings indicate that there may be potential significant beneficial effects, which may improve this behavior in this population of Rangers through 1) promoting affirmative interpersonal communications that emphasize adherence to these medications, 2) including malaria chemoprophylaxis medications in the mission planning process, and 3) military command support, in the form of including the importance of proper adherence to these medications in the unit safety briefings.^

Employee Tumover: Implications for Hotel Managers

The hotel industry has been experiencing a severe labor shortage in recent years. The need for organizations to attempt to retain current employees has increased as a direct result of this shortage. An area that has not received as much attention in industry literature is to look at what may be the determinants and the predictors of the turnover process. The authors’ discuss the role of specific intentions, reasoned action, and job satisfaction and the implications of these factors for hotel managers.

The Influence of Psychological Predictors and Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management Intervention on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Adherence Among HIV-Positive Female Haitian Alcohol Users

Purpose: Over half the HIV-infected persons in the Caribbean, the second most HIV-impacted region in the world, live in Haiti. Using secondary data from a parent study, this research assessed the effects of psychological and social factors on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among Haitian, HIV-positive, female alcohol users. Theoretical Foundation and Research Questions: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior/Reasoned Action and the Information, Motivation, Behavior skills model as guiding theoretical frameworks, the study examined the effectiveness of an adapted cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM-A) intervention in improving ART adherence. The effect of psychological factors (depression, anxiety, beliefs about medicine, and social support), social factors (stigma, relationship status, and educational attainment), and alcohol on adherence to ART was assessed. Methods: The sample consisted of 116 female ART patients who were randomly assigned to the CBSM-A intervention or the wait-list control group. Participants completed intervention sessions as well as pre- and post-test assessments. Analyses of variance, t-tests, and point biserial correlations were used to test hypotheses. Results: Surprisingly, ART adherence rates significantly decreased for both groups combined [F (1, 108) = 8.79, p = .004]; there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups with regard to the magnitude of change between baseline and post assessment. On average, depression decreased significantly among participants in the CBSM-A group only [(t (62) = 5.54, p < .001)]. For both groups combined, alcohol use significantly decreased between baseline and post-assessment [(F (1, 78) = 34.70, p < .001)]; there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups with regard to the magnitude of change between baseline and post-assessment. None of the variables were significantly correlated with ART adherence. Discussion: Adherence to ART did not improve in this sample, nor were any of the variables significantly associated with adherence. The findings suggest that additional supportive and psychological services may be needed in order to promote higher adherence to ART among HIV-positive females. More research may be needed on this sample; a focus on mental health issues, partner conflict, family and sexual history may allow for better targeting and more successful interventions.

Attitudes towards the Marine Environment and Implications for Marine Resource Management in Seward, Alaska

This research, conducted in 2006-2008, examines the ways in which various groups involved with the marine resources of Seward, Alaska construct attitudes towards the environment. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews are used to assess how commercial halibut fishers, tour boat operators, local residents and government officials understand the marine environment based on their previous experiences. This study also explores how ideologies relate to the current practices of each group. Two theories orient the analyses: The first, cultural modeling provided a theoretical and methodological framework for pursuing a more comprehensive analysis of resource management. The second, Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen and Fishbein 1980), guided the analysis of the ways in which each participant’s ideology towards the marine environment relates to their practice. Aside from contributing to a better understanding of a coastal community’s ideologies and practices, this dissertation sought to better understand the role of ecological ideologies and behaviors in fisheries management. The research illustrates certain domains where ideologies and practices concerning Pacific halibut and the marine environment differ among commercial fishers, government, and management officials, tour boat operators and residents of Seward, AK. These differences offer insights into how future collaborative efforts between government officials, managers and local marine resource users might better incorporate local ideology into management, and provide ecological information to local marine resource users in culturally appropriate ways.

Determinants of engagement in virtual social networks in Singapore

The use of virtual social networks (VSNs) has been prevalent among consumers worldwide. Numerous studies have investigated various aspects of VSNs. However, these studies have mainly focused on students and young adults as they were early adopters of these innovative networks. A search of the literature revealed there has been a paucity of research on adult consumers’ use of VSNs. This research study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the determinants of engagement in VSNs among adult consumers in Singapore. The objectives of this study are to empirically investigate the determinants of engagement in VSNs and to offer theoretical insights into consumers’ preference and usage of VSNs. This study tapped upon several theories developed in the discipline of technology and innovation adoption. These were Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation, Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Conceptual Framework of Individual Innovation Adoption by Frambach and Schillewaert (2002), Enhanced Model of Innovation Adoption by Talukder (2011), Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) and the Information Systems (IS) Success Model. The proposed research model, named the Media Usage Model (MUM), is a framework rooted in innovation diffusion and IS theories. The MUM distilled the essence of these established models and thus provides an updated, lucid explanation of engagement in VSNs. A cross-sectional, online social survey was conducted to collect quantitative data to examine the validity of the proposed research model. Multivariate data analysis was carried out on a data set comprising 806 usable responses by utilizing SPSS, and for structural equation modeling AMOS and SmartPLS. The results indicate that consumer attitude towards VSNs is significantly and positively influenced by: three individual factors – hedonic motivation, incentives and experience; two system characteristics – system quality and information quality; and one social factor – social bonding. Consumer demographics were found to influence people’s attitudes towards VSNs. In addition, consumer experience and attitude towards VSNs significantly and positively influence their usage of VSNs. The empirical data supported the proposed research model, explaining 80% of variance in attitude towards VSNs and 45% of variance in usage of VSNs. Therefore, the MUM achieves a definite contribution to theoretical knowledge of consumer engagement in VSNs by deepening and broadening our appreciation of the intricacies related to use of VSNs in Singapore. This study’s findings have implications for customer service management, services marketing and consumer behavior. These findings also have strategic implications for maximizing efficient utilization and effective management of VSNs by businesses and operators. The contributions of this research are: firstly, shifting the boundaries of technology or innovation adoption theories from research on employees to consumers as well as the boundaries of Internet usage or adoption research from students to adults, which is also known as empirical generalization; secondly, highlighting the issues associated with lack of significance of social factors in adoption research; and thirdly, augmenting information systems research by integrating important antecedents for success in information systems.

Direct Visualization Of The Action Of Triton X-100 On Giant Vesicles Of Erythrocyte Membrane Lipids.

The raft hypothesis proposes that microdomains enriched in sphingolipids, cholesterol, and specific proteins are transiently formed to accomplish important cellular tasks. Equivocally, detergent-resistant membranes were initially assumed to be identical to membrane rafts, because of similarities between their compositions. In fact, the impact of detergents in membrane organization is still controversial. Here, we use phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy to observe giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) made of erythrocyte membrane lipids (erythro-GUVs) when exposed to the detergent Triton X-100 (TX-100). We clearly show that TX-100 has a restructuring action on biomembranes. Contact with TX-100 readily induces domain formation on the previously homogeneous membrane of erythro-GUVs at physiological and room temperatures. The shape and dynamics of the formed domains point to liquid-ordered/liquid-disordered (Lo/Ld) phase separation, typically found in raft-like ternary lipid mixtures. The Ld domains are then separated from the original vesicle and completely solubilized by TX-100. The insoluble vesicle left, in the Lo phase, represents around 2/3 of the original vesicle surface at room temperature and decreases to almost 1/2 at physiological temperature. This chain of events could be entirely reproduced with biomimetic GUVs of a simple ternary lipid mixture, 2:1:2 POPC/SM/chol (phosphatidylcholine/sphyngomyelin/cholesterol), showing that this behavior will arise because of fundamental physicochemical properties of simple lipid mixtures. This work provides direct visualization of TX-100-induced domain formation followed by selective (Ld phase) solubilization in a model system with a complex biological lipid composition.

Presynaptic Neuromuscular Action Of A Methanolic Extract From The Venom Of Rhinella Schneideri Toad.

Rhinella schneideri, previously known as Bufo paracnemis, is a common toad in many regions of Brazil. Its venom exerts important cardiovascular effects on humans and other animals. Although this toad venom has been the subject of intense investigations, little is known about its neuromuscular activity. The neurotoxicity of a methanolic extract of R. schneideri venom was tested on mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm (PND) preparations mounted for conventional twitch tension recording - in response to indirect stimulation - and for electrophysiological measurements. Venom extract (50 μg/mL) increased the muscle twitch tension in PND preparations but did not significantly alter the resting membrane potential values. Electrophysiological evaluations showed that the extract (50 μg/mL) significantly augmented the frequency of miniature end-plate potential (from 38 ± 3.5 to 88 ± 15 after 60 minutes; n = 5; p < 0.05) and quantal content (from 128 ± 13 to 272 ± 34 after five minutes; n = 5; p < 0.05). Pretreatment with ouabain (1 μg/mL) for five minutes prevented the increase in quantal content (117 ± 18 and 154 ± 33 after five and 60 minutes, respectively). These results indicate that the methanolic extract of R. schneideri venom acts primarily presynaptically to enhance neurotransmitter release in mouse phrenic-diaphragm preparations.