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1 – 10 of over 36000Douglas Paton, Gail Kelly, Petra T. Burgelt and Michael Doherty
To examine the relationship between behavioural intentions and preparing for bushfire hazards and to test the hypothesis that intentions can inform how people reason about their…
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the relationship between behavioural intentions and preparing for bushfire hazards and to test the hypothesis that intentions can inform how people reason about their relationship with environmental hazards.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were collected from 280 residents in high bushfire risk areas and analysed using multiple regression analysis. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a theoretical sample drawn from those who completed the survey. Data were analysed using grounded theory analysis strategies using the ATLAS.ti data analysis programme following the procedures for open, axial, and selective coding.
Findings
The analyses demonstrated that preparedness intentions reflect the outcomes of different ways of reasoning about their relationship with bushfire hazards and that “preparing” and “not preparing” represent discrete processes. Each outcome was supported by different attitudes towards preparing and by different predictor variables.
Research limitations/implications
Preparing and not preparing for natural hazards should be conceptualised as separate processes and additional research into their origins and precursors is required.
Practical implications
Separate risk communication strategies are needed to counter reasons for “not preparing” and facilitate “preparing”. Strategies should accommodate the attitudes and beliefs that underpin these outcomes. To facilitate sustained preparedness, strategies should assist people to negotiate issues required to arrive at a decision to adopt protective measures.
Originality/value
Provides novel insights into the relationship between people and natural hazards. It identifies a need to re‐think how risk communication strategies are developed and delivered.
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Matthew Abunyewah, Thayaparan Gajendran, Kim Maund and Seth Asare Okyere
Disaster information is an important resource for flood preparedness, however, the transition of information provision to preparedness and consequently to damage reduction is…
Abstract
Purpose
Disaster information is an important resource for flood preparedness, however, the transition of information provision to preparedness and consequently to damage reduction is complex. The nature of complexity has made it imperative to provide context-specific evidence on how disaster information provision influences intentions to prepare for flood hazard. This paper seeks to investigate how message clarity and source credibility mediate and moderate the relationship between information sufficiency and intentions to prepare. This paper aims to provide valuable insights into the relationship between the major components of disaster communication and their influence on intentions to prepare.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a cross-sectional survey design to test the relationship between information sufficiency, message clarity and source credibility. A total of 1,064 questionnaire surveys were conducted on a face-to-face basis. The data collection was done in one month with ten research assistants. Participants of the study were randomly selected from adults over 18-years old who have lived in the study areas for at least three years. Responses from participants were analysed using a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique and SPSS AMOS version 24 software.
Findings
Findings suggest that the information sufficiency-intentions to prepare relationship is enhanced when adequate disaster information communicated is clear and from a credible source. This implies that policymakers and risk communicators need to critically assess the clarity of disaster information content and the credibility of the source in the dissemination of information during the communication process. It also provides a better understanding of the factors that influence people’s intentions to prepare for flood hazards.
Research limitations/implications
This current study did not account for the specific nature or content of information necessary to increase message clarity and source credibility for disaster preparedness. In addition, the study did not cover the channels of communication ideal to stimulate people’s intentions to flood preparedness. Although these do not undermine the significance of the present study, they present entry points for further studies. In view of the on-going urbanisation dynamics and the complex socio-spatial patterns emerging in the Greater Accra Area, it is recommended that further studies explore the channels of communication that will suit the diverse socio-spatial profile of residents (e.g. age, location, ethnicity, etc.).
Originality/value
While a plethora of studies emphasize the role of source credibility, information sufficiency and message clarity towards disaster preparedness, there is at present little evidence on the mediating and moderating role of the communication variables. In this study, we propose and test the mediating and moderating role of message clarity and source credibility on the relationship between information sufficiency and intentions to prepare. The findings of this paper provide other incentives that encourage message audiences to take up precautionary measures towards flood hazards. In addition, with a view that people fail to prepare because of lack of sufficient information, the study findings suggest that the provision of sufficient information may enhance preparedness.
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Sanjeewa Pradeep Wijayaratne, Mike Reid, Kate Westberg, Anthony Worsley and Felix Mavondo
Food literacy is an emerging concept associated with the skills, capabilities and knowledge to prepare a healthy diet and make healthy food choices. This study aims to examine how…
Abstract
Purpose
Food literacy is an emerging concept associated with the skills, capabilities and knowledge to prepare a healthy diet and make healthy food choices. This study aims to examine how a dietary gatekeeper’s intentions to prepare a healthy diet for their family, and the subsequent satisfaction that a healthy diet is achieved, is influenced by their food literacy and by barriers to healthy eating.
Design/methodology/approach
A two-stage cross-sectional study was undertaken with 756 dietary gatekeepers who completed a baseline (time 1) and a three-month follow-up (time 2) questionnaire. Partial least square-structural equation modeling was used to estimate relationships between gatekeeper food literacy, their demographic characteristics, socio-cognitive factors, time 1 satisfaction with the healthiness of the household diet and intention to provide a healthy family diet. The follow-up survey assessed subsequent satisfaction with the healthiness of the household diet and barriers to achieving it.
Findings
The results highlight the significance of the dietary gatekeeper’s food literacy in overcoming barriers to healthy eating and fostering increased satisfaction with the healthiness of the family diet. The research further highlights the influence of past satisfaction, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Several demographics factors are also highlighted as influential.
Research limitations/implications
The research offers new insights into the role of food literacy in the home environment including its influence on the dietary gatekeeper’s satisfaction with the family diet. The current model also provides strong evidence that food literacy can reduce the impact of barriers to healthy eating experienced by gatekeepers. The research has limitations associated with the socio-economic status of respondents and thus offers scope for research into different populations and their food literacy, younger and early formed cohabiting and the negotiation of food and dietary responsibility and on intergenerational food literacy.
Practical implications
The current findings regarding the impact of food literacy have significant implications for government agencies, non-profit agencies, educational institutions and other related stakeholders in their effort to curb obesity. Implications exist for micro-level programmes and actions designed to influence gatekeepers, family members and households and at the macro level for policies and programmes designed to influence the obesogenicity of the food environments.
Originality/value
The current study is one of the first to offer evidence on the role of food literacy in the home environment and its ability to overcome barriers to healthy eating. The research provides social marketers and public policymakers with novel insights regarding the need for increased food literacy and for developing interventions to improve food literacy in dietary gatekeepers.
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John McClure, Jo White and Chris G. Sibley
The purpose of this paper is to show whether positive or negative framing of preparation messages leads to higher intentions to prepare for earthquakes, and whether the more…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show whether positive or negative framing of preparation messages leads to higher intentions to prepare for earthquakes, and whether the more important component of the message is the framing of the preparation action or the framing of the outcome of not preparing.
Design/methodology/approach
Four message conditions were created by crossing the framing of preparation actions (taking or not taking action) and the framing of outcomes (experiencing harm and avoiding harm in an earthquake). They were presented to citizens (n=240) in Wellington, New Zealand, who judged the general importance of preparation and specific preparation steps.
Findings
The study finds that intentions to undertake both general and specific preparation were higher with negatively framed outcomes than positive outcomes. With specific actions, negative outcomes led to higher intentions to prepare when the action frame was positive (i.e. being well prepared).
Research limitations/implications
This research shows that negative framing should apply to outcome preparation and not to the action of preparing
Practical implications
These findings clarify that negative framing of outcomes is likely to increase preventive actions in relation to natural hazards.
Originality/value
This is the first study to show the affects of message framing on preparing for disasters.
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Barbara A. Mullan, Cara L. Wong and Kathleen O'Moore
The purpose of the current paper is to investigate the determinants of hygienic food handling behaviour using the health action process approach (HAPA) and to examine if the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the current paper is to investigate the determinants of hygienic food handling behaviour using the health action process approach (HAPA) and to examine if the volitional components of the model or the addition of past behaviour could explain additional variance in behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
A prospective four‐week study investigating the predictive ability of HAPA variables and past behaviour was used. At time 1, 109 participants completed self‐report questionnaires regarding their action self‐efficacy, risk awareness, outcome expectancies and intentions to hygienically prepare food and past behaviour. At time 2, participants returned a follow‐up questionnaire, which measured behaviour, planning, maintenance and recovery self efficacy. Structural equation modelling was used to compare three versions of the HAPA model.
Findings
The first model showed that intention was a significant predictor of behaviour explaining 40 per cent of the variance and was the best fit. The second model, which included the volitional components of the HAPA model, did significantly increase the proportion of behaviour explained. The third model, which included past behaviour, increased the variance explained but was not a superior fit to the previous two models.
Practical implications
The results of this study confirm that aspects of the HAPA may be useful in determining hygienic food handling behaviour. However, volitional variables do not appear to be important in this behaviour. The implications of this for future research and interventions are elucidated.
Originality/value
The current study is one of the first to use the HAPA model to predict hygienic food handling behaviour.
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David McIvor and Douglas Paton
This paper seeks to further develop a model of natural hazard preparedness by examining the role of attitudes to natural hazards and their mitigation and social norms. It aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to further develop a model of natural hazard preparedness by examining the role of attitudes to natural hazards and their mitigation and social norms. It aims to examine whether social‐cultural factors influence the decisions people make regarding their relationship with natural hazards.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were collected from 156 residents in Napier, New Zealand. A cross‐sectional design was used. Data were analysed using the AMOS 5 structural equation modelling program.
Findings
Positive attitudes to hazard mitigation, existing in a social context that advocates adopting protective behaviours, belief in the effectiveness of personal mitigation (outcome expectancy) and good problem solving (action coping) skills increase the likelihood of adopting protective measures for earthquakes. The research identified how attitudes and social norms influence the perception of hazards and how people make preparedness decisions.
Research limitations/implications
Further research is needed to examine how hazard attitudes are formed, sustained and organized, as well as how they can be changed to facilitate the sustained adoption of protective measures. Work also needs to be directed to identifying those with whom normative comparisons are made and the relative influence of different referents.
Practical implications
The findings argue for a move away from reliance on the passive presentation of information to people and communities that dominates risk communication. Rather, strategies for encouraging and sustaining positive discourse about hazards and their mitigation within a community should be prioritized in future risk communication work.
Originality/value
Provides new insights into the relationship between people and natural hazards and provides empirical support for the inclusion of attitudes and social norms in risk communication work. It provides additional support for accommodating the social and cultural context in the development and delivery of risk communication strategies.
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This study aims at analyzing the impact of perceptions of the fourth industrial revolution (crisis and opportunity) in the relationship between workers’ career attitudes and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims at analyzing the impact of perceptions of the fourth industrial revolution (crisis and opportunity) in the relationship between workers’ career attitudes and future learning intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study analyzed the multiple mediating effect of the perception of the fourth industrial revolution in the relationship between career attitudes and future learning intention using data of 305 Korean workers. As career attitude variables, boundaryless and protean career orientation variables were used, and perception of the fourth industrial revolution was analyzed (opportunity and crisis perception).
Findings
Both workers’ boundaryless career orientation and protean career orientation influenced future learning intention through the perception of opportunity for the fourth industrial revolution. This result suggested that flexible career attitudes positively recognized the changes of the fourth industrial revolution and had an effect on promoting attitude toward future learning.
Research limitations/implications
The study confirmed that workers’ flexible career attitudes could promote perception of opportunity rather than crisis in changing situation and strengthen their intention to prepare for the future by mediating this perception. These results suggest that lifelong learning and competency development can be reinforced by facilitating perception of an opportunities for external change for individual career development.
Originality/value
Insights for personal career development were provided by analyzing the relationship between flexible career attitudes, which are increasing in importance in the modern society, and perceptions of changes in external environment.
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Kerry K. Fierke and Gardner A. Lepp
This mixed method study explores how a simple educational practice known as Intention/Reflection (I/R) may be applied to student leadership development to facilitate…
Abstract
This mixed method study explores how a simple educational practice known as Intention/Reflection (I/R) may be applied to student leadership development to facilitate transformational learning. The study included Pharm.D. students within a leadership elective course (n=242) across five years of courses (fall 2014 to fall 2018). Further research was conducted with students participating in two additional leadership courses, spring 2016 (n=24). These students completed a quantitative pre- and post-survey regarding perceptions of the I/R practice. A statistically significant increase was identified in the way students valued the I/R practice in educational settings. Students reported the intention activity helped them focus their learning reflection on specific self-development goals. They also reported the I/R practice helped them identify, solidify, and track their leadership development needs. In addition to course content and leadership skills, students reported that the I/R practice helped them learn about their own strengths, weaknesses, and needs as emerging leaders. The study also includes student perceptions of its utility as a tool in their professional growth. Furthermore, the I/R practice has the potential to provide a large source of information to help educators enhance their learning environments, by capturing student perceptions of the learning environment, and assessing how students are connecting learning activities and course material to their own development. This formative information can be useful as educators develop learning activities, assess developmental gains, and evaluate the effectiveness of their leadership instruction.
Barbara Mullan, Cara Wong, Emily Kothe and Carolyn Maccann
Breakfast consumption is associated with a range of beneficial health outcomes including improved overall diet quality, lower BMI, decreased risk of chronic disease, and improved…
Abstract
Purpose
Breakfast consumption is associated with a range of beneficial health outcomes including improved overall diet quality, lower BMI, decreased risk of chronic disease, and improved cognitive function. Although there are many models of health and social behaviour, there is a paucity of research utilising these in breakfast consumption and very few studies that directly compare these models. This study aims to compare the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the health action process approach (HAPA) in predicting breakfast consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
University students (N=102; M=19.5 years) completed a questionnaire measuring demographics, TPB and HAPA motivational variables, and intentions. Behaviour and HAPA volitional variables were measured four weeks later.
Findings
Using structural equation modelling, it was found that the TPB model was a superior fit to the data across a range of model indices compared to the HAPA. Both models significantly predicted both intentions and behaviour at follow up; however, the TPB predicted a higher proportion of the variance in breakfast consumption (47.6 per cent) than the HAPA (44.8 per cent). Further, the volitional variables did not mediate the intention-behaviour gap, and the data were not an adequate statistical fit to the model compared to the TPB.
Research limitations/implications
The results support the use of the TPB and show that some aspects of the HAPA are useful in predicting breakfast consumption, suggesting that risk perception and self-efficacy be targeted in interventions to increase behaviour. The volitional variables did not appear to mediate breakfast consumption indicating that intention is still the strongest predictor, at least in this behaviour.
Originality/value
The current study is the first to compare the TPB and HAPA in predicting breakfast consumption.
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