Search results

The intense competitive and dynamic environment in mobile social-media market forces service providers to introduce incremental technological changes to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to investigate what and how the user attitude to change influences members' behavioral support for incremental technological change in mobile social media service.

Using the tripartite model of attitude, this study examines the influence of the cognitive aspect (empowerment with change), affective aspect (arousal with change) and behavioral aspect (habit to change) of attitude toward change on members' behavioral support for incremental technological change. Drawing on the commitment to change theory, we assessed the underlying mechanism by which attitudes toward change influences behavioral support for incremental technological change through the two components of commitment to change (i.e. affective and normative commitment to change). We tested the model using structural equation modeling on the data collected from the popular mobile social media services in China.

Our results indicate that the effect of empowerment with change, arousal with change and habit to change varies with different dimensions of commitment to change and significant influence of commitment to change on members' behavioral support for incremental technological change.

The findings of this study contribute to better insights for services providers for implementing incremental technological change strategies.

This study contributes to the theory of incremental technological changes by empirical examination of the impacts of users' attitudes toward change on members' behavioral support for incremental technological change in mobile social media. The paper extends the commitment to change theory with the discussion of the mediating effect of commitment to change in the continuing members' behavioral support for incremental technological change in mobile social media.

Behavioural change practice has focussed attention on understanding behaviour; failing to apply dynamic approaches that capture the underlying determinants of behavioural change. Following recommendations to direct analytical focus towards understanding both the causal factors of behaviour and behavioural change to enhance intervention practice, this paper aims to apply a hidden Markov model (HMM) approach to understand why people transition from one state to another (e.g. reporting changes from wasting food to not wasting food or vice versa).

Data were drawn from a 2017 food waste programme that aimed to reduce waste of fruit and vegetables by increasing self-efficacy through a two-week pilot, featuring recipes and in-store cooking demonstrations. A repeated measure longitudinal research design was used. In total, 314 households completed a phone survey prior to the two-week pilot and 244 completed the survey in the weeks following the intervention (77% retention in the evaluation study).

Two behavioural states were identified, namely, fruit and vegetable (FV) wasters and non-FV wasters. Age was identified as a causal factor for FV food wasting prior to the campaign (45-54 years were most likely to waste FV). Following the intervention, a total of 43.8% transitioned away from FV wasters to non-wasters, and attitudes and self-efficacy were indicated as potential causal factors of this change in FV waste behaviour.

Through this application, it is demonstrated how HMM can identify behavioural states, rates of behaviour change and importantly how HMM can identify both causal determinants of behaviour and behavioural change. Implications, limitations and future research directions are outlined.

This paper aims to examine the idea that an individual’s attitudes and beliefs toward change depend on the quality of the dyadic relationships formed through his/her ego network. Specifically, the focus of the research question is to test if an individual with high quality dyadic ties to others who have a favorable outlook on change will also have a favorable outlook on change.

The research sample consisted of 100 full-time hotel employees working in six city hotels located in Thessaloniki, Greece. To test the research question, three approaches were used including: a descriptive social network analysis (SNA), multiple regression and homophily testing based on Moran and Geary autocorrelations.

Even though the SNA provided some valuable findings on the way structures and tie quality connected the participants, the results from the regression analysis and homophily testing indicated a lack of a positive relationship linking dyadic ties and behavioral intention toward change suggesting that dyadic ties do not influence behavioral intentions in a way that can be considered favorable to change.

Managers need to be aware that employees’ network relationship quality at the dyadic level is insufficient to create a supportive environment toward change. Therefore, dyadic ties significant contribution through SNA is the identification of power centers, influential people, interdepartmental links and interdependencies necessary to disseminate the change message and build sustainable momentum.

The limited number of prior empirical studies have thus far approached relationship quality as a concept composed of either emotional, psychological or technical features. This study differs by adopting the dimensions of tangibles, empathy, responsiveness, reliability and assurance existing in the TERRA model and by determining whether the dyadic tie quality positively impacts individual behavior toward change through the employment of a tripartite examination to strengthen the validation of similarities or differences in the results.

While awareness of social, health and environmental consequences of our collective action are growing, additional efforts are required to deliver the changes needed to affect the greater good. A review of the literature indicates that research efforts may be misdirected. Drawing from empirical data where a total of 161 caregivers reported changes in their child’s walking behaviour following a month long social marketing program, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate differences between behaviour and behaviour change.

Data analyses involved use of multiple linear regression on static followed by dynamic measures of behaviour and behavioural change and their respective determinants. The static model used variables reported by caregivers after program participation, while the dynamic measures used change scores for all variables reported (T2-T1).

Results from the static model showed that only intentions and barriers explained behaviour at Time point 2. In contrast, findings from the dynamic data analysis indicated that a change in injunctive norms (important others’ approval of the child walking to school) explained a change in walking to and from school behaviour. Taken together, the results of the current paper suggest research attention needs to be directed towards dynamic methodologies to re-centre research attention on behavioural change and not behaviour, which dominates current practice.

This paper offers a foundational step to support the research community to redirect research efforts from understanding behaviour to focussing research design and theoretical development on behavioural change. Theories of behaviour change are needed to affect the greater good.

Different age groups display different shopping patterns in terms of how and where consumers buy products. During times of crisis, such behavioural differences become even more striking yet remain under-researched with respect to elderly consumers. This paper investigates the impact of age on retail-related behavioural changes and behavioural stability of elderly shoppers (in comparison to younger consumers) during a crisis.

The authors surveyed 643 Austrian consumers to assess the impact of perceived threat on behavioural change and the moderating effect of age groups. Based on findings from this survey, they subsequently conducted 51 semi-structured interviews to understand the causes of behavioural change and behavioural stability during a crisis.

Elderly shoppers display more stable shopping behaviour during a crisis compared to younger consumers, which is influenced by perceived threat related to the crisis. Such findings indicate that elderly shoppers reinforce their learnt and embedded shopping patterns. The causes of change and stability in behaviour include environmental and inter-personal factors.

Through the lens of social cognitive theory, protection motivation theory and dual process theory, this research contributes to an improved understanding of changes in shopping behaviour of elderly consumers, its antecedents and consequences during a time of crisis. The authors reveal reasons that lead to behavioural stability, hence the absence of change, in terms of shopping during a crisis. They further outline implications for retailers that might wish to better respond to shopping behaviours of the elderly.

In the current dynamic world, organizations required rapid changes to meet the increasing demands of their customers. On the other hand, the practice side claims that the majority of the organizational change attempts fail due to resistance from the employee side. Based on the behavioral theory of leadership, the authors examined the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational change with moderated mediation effect of behavioral resistance to change and commitment to change on the stated relationship.

Data were obtained from 333 employees, selected at random, in three waves (i.e. pre-change, during change and post-change) using survey methods from services sector organizations operating in Pakistan.

The authors found that ethical leadership was positively linked to organizational change and this relation was partially mediated by the commitment to change. Further, behavioral resistance to change weakened the relationship between ethical leadership and commitment to change.

The current study illuminates the importance of ethical leaders in the organizational change process, and empirical findings also gave an important direction to build change commitment in employees to reach positive results. Further, change leaders should use ethical practices in the workplace during organizational change initiatives to deal with behavioral resistance to change.

This study links ethical leadership with organizational change using the behavioral theory of leadership, an unexplored area in the existing literature that gives a new insight to academia and practice side officials to successfully implement any organizational change initiative.

Members' behaviour to support change is a critical factor in organisational change. Building on social cognitive theory, this research investigates how empowering leadership (EL) contributes to behavioural support for change in higher education. The paper argues that the relationship between EL and behavioural support for change is moderated by diversity climate.

To test the hypotheses, 107 colleges from the highest-ranking 11 universities in Indonesia, consisting of 1,634 faculties, participated in this study.

Members would experience higher support for change with EL. Furthermore, the positive relationship between EL and behavioural support for change was stronger in members who perceived a more diverse climate.

This study empirically tested how behaviour to support change was determined by leaders' empowering behaviour based on social cognitive theory in a high-power distance culture. In terms of its methodological contributions, this study used a multi-level analysis in order to test EL. Finally, the research on behavioural support for change has been expanded upon through a unit-level analysis.

The purpose of this study is to examine change requests in buyer-supplier relationships. Change requests arise when a channel partner wants an addition or alteration to the agreed-upon deliverable. Although these requests are intended to enhance consumer satisfaction and supply chain performance, they complicate development and production processes and may delay time to market. Responses to change requests may embody compliance or malice, yet research to date has not examined these requests in interfirm relationships. To this end, the authors examine supplier reactions (compliance and opportunism) to change requests made by the buying firm.

Survey data gathered from 118 third-party developers (i.e. suppliers) reporting on their relationship with the software buyer provide an initial test for the authors’ proposed model.

The results of a path analysis indicate that change requests are related positively to supplier compliance with those requests and supplier opportunism. Outcome-based control decreases supplier compliance when there are extensive change requests. Behavioral control, in contrast, increases supplier compliance particularly when the buyer provides support for the requested changes.

Future research should examine relational governance and ex ante control mechanisms as alternatives to outcome-based and behavioral control.

The authors’ results suggest that buyers requesting extensive changes should use behavioral control mechanisms and provide support to the supplier implementing the changes.

The authors provide a preliminary examination of suppliers’ reactions to change requests made by buying firms. The authors argue that these requests may limit the autonomy of the supplying firms, creating reactance effects. The authors investigate outcome-based control, behavioral control and buyer support as factors that influence supplier reactions to change requests.

The purpose of the present paper is to advance a testable model, rooted on well‐established control and self‐regulation theory principles, explaining the causal links between change‐related sensemaking, interpretation, readiness and subsequent behavioural action.

Following a review of the two motivation theories and clarification of change‐related sensemaking, interpretation, and readiness concepts, the paper proposes a series of research propositions (illustrated by a conceptual model) clarifying how these concepts interact with self‐regulating mechanisms. In addition, the feedback model exemplifies how cognitive processes triggered by new knowledge structures relate to behavioural action.

The model expands upon other existing frameworks by allowing the examination of multi‐level factors that account for, and moderate causal links between, change‐related sensemaking, interpretation, readiness, and behavioural action. Suggestions for future research and guidelines for practice are outlined.

The variables and processes depicted in the model provide guidelines for change management in organisations, both for individuals and for groups. By eliciting important self‐regulating functions, change agents will likely facilitate sensemaking processes, positive interpretations of change, change readiness, and effective change behaviours.

This paper makes two contributions to the literature. First, it offers a comprehensive and dynamic account of the relationships between change‐related sensemaking, interpretation, readiness, and behavioural action decision‐making. Second, it elucidates the impact of human agency properties, namely the interplay of efficacy perceptions, social learning, and self‐regulating mechanisms on these change‐related cognitive processes and subsequent behavioural outcomes.

This article describes the successful application of behavioral differentiation in transforming the culture of a large engineering‐oriented company as it strived to become more customer‐centric.

Customer satisfaction surveys and interviews indicated that the company was difficult to work with and not customer‐focused. Subsequent benchmarking included an employee engagement survey, Lore's Behavioral Differentiation Survey, and the Denison Cultural Survey.

The results, which showed significant disagreement between internal and customer perceptions of the issues, indicated that the company had six behavioral improvement areas to focus on: customer relationship management, communication, execution‐related behaviors, information sharing, customer success, and organizational alignment.

The cultural change initiative is ongoing, and further research is needed to identify the strength, effectiveness, and durability of the behavioral changes.

However, early anecdotal evidence shows that the company is transforming not only its behavior toward customers but customer perceptions of the company and, more importantly, the company is winning new business as a result of its behavioral changes.

This article illustrates one of the first attempts by a large company to transform its culture by focusing on behavioral differentiation. In businesses that are becoming increasingly commoditized, behavior is usually the final frontier in competitive strategy. The article will be of interest to any firms seeking large‐scale transformation of how employees behave toward customers.