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Closing the achievement gap between white and minority students is a proposed goal of the federal 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). We discuss equity in assess to quality education since most students attend public schools; and should enjoy educational equity under the Equal Protection Clause under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We examine the academic achievement gap between the races; and the responsibility of educators and students to close this gap; and the NCLB connection to closing this gap. We also examine the intended and unintended effects of NCLB on minority students and educators.

Tawannah G. Allen, EdD has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Psychology and a Masters of Education in Communication Disorders, both from North Carolina Central University, in Durham, North Carolina. Tawannah practiced as a speech-language pathologist for 10 years after having student taught and taught Kindergarten in Durham Public Schools. Her degree in School Administration was obtained from Fayetteville State University, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Ms. Allen earned her Doctorate in Education in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests include resiliency and the African American male and African American women in leadership. She continues to conduct research in the area of African American males and academic success, while also presenting at conferences and professional development trainings. Currently, Dr. Allen is employed with Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) as the Director of Elementary Programming and Professional Development. In this position, she is responsible for the articulation, implementation, and monitoring of the elementary instructional programming for nine elementary schools, while also identifying and providing quality professional development for the teachers, principals, and other administrators within the CHCCS district. Dr. Allen's professional goals include becoming an assistant superintendent in a small urban district and then ultimately becoming a superintendent.

The aim of this study is to determine, using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), affluent female consumers' purchase intention of a controversial luxury product, apparel made with American alligator leather.

Influence variables evaluated in the model included: attitude toward performing the behavior (purchasing alligator leather apparel); subjective norm, involvement (fashion involvement); controversy perception (social acceptance and endangerment status of the American alligator); price perception (price‐quality schema and prestige sensitivity); personality traits (self‐confidence and self‐consciousness); and demographics. A mail survey of 1,200 affluent female consumers residing in eight US metropolitan statistical areas defined as fashion centers was conducted.

A total of 430 usable surveys were returned for a 36 percent response rate. The general linear model regression analysis revealed that attitude toward performing the behavior, subjective norm, controversy perception (social acceptance), and fashion involvement were significant predictors of purchase intention.

The model was effective in predicting affluent females' purchase intention for a controversial luxury apparel product, and results suggest the TRA could be used to predict purchase intention of other luxury products considered controversial. Producers and retailers of controversial luxury apparel products or interested researchers could use the model in their exploration of consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions. Luxury exotic leather producers and retailers could use the results as they develop merchandising and promotions campaigns for their product lines.

The theory could be used to predict purchase intention of other controversial and/or luxury fashion merchandise. Information about affluent female consumers' knowledge, perceptions, and purchase intention of American alligator leather apparel is provided, thus expanding the current limited literature.

In recent years, counterproductive knowledge behavior (CKB) and its types have received increasing interest in knowledge management as the degree of knowledge sharing and innovation in enterprises continues to increase. A rapidly growing number of studies have shed light on the important antecedents and consequences of employees’ CKB. However, the various labels, conceptualizations and operationalizations of CKB have fragmented this body of research. This study aims to systematically integrate the effects of the six types of organizational characteristics on CKB and further draws more general conclusions based on the results of previous studies.

Based on a survey of 103 effect values responsible for 52 CKB samples, the authors use the ABC theory to explore the effects of the six types of organizational characteristics on CKB. Moderator analysis were performed to resolve inconsistencies in empirical studies and understand the contexts under which CKB has the strongest or weakest effect.

The results showed that task interdependence and a positive organizational atmosphere, in general, negatively affect employees’ CKB in the moderation analysis. In contrast, workplace discomfort, negative organizational atmosphere, internal competition and time pressure positively and partly affect employees’ CKB. The direction and magnitude of these effects were affected by emotional factors, knowledge personnel types and sample sources. Discussing the theoretical, methodological and practical implications of these findings can offer a guiding framework for future research.

Better control of employees’ CKB is not achieved by adjusting organizational characteristics alone but by combining personal characteristics and mood changes with it to balance organizational characteristics and CKB. Furthermore, the large-sample joint study integrated the conceptual definition of CKB. The multivariate data study provided more reliable conclusions and a solid theoretical foundation for CKB research areas.