Christian A. Klöckner and Silvia Ohms
The purpose of this paper is to apply a structured approach to understand the importance of personal ecological norms in purchasing organic food. The norm‐activation‐model by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply a structured approach to understand the importance of personal ecological norms in purchasing organic food. The norm‐activation‐model by Schwartz is used to predict self‐reported and observed purchase behaviour of organic milk.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports the results of a field study with 63 customers of a German supermarket. A combination of covert observation and in‐store interviews was applied to obtain reliable data on actual shopping behaviour and its predictors.
Findings
The results show that the self‐reported and the observed purchase of organic milk is predicted by personal ecological norms, social norms, and perceived behavioural control. Personal norms are activated by awareness of need, awareness of consequences, perceived behavioural control, and social norms. People with strong personal norms use “organic production”, the “EU‐BIO‐Label” and “ingredients” as additional criteria during their decision process. For people with strong ecological norms the price difference between organic and conventional milk, the lack of knowledge about organic milk, and convenience are less important constraints. Finally, people with strong personal norms react more sensitively to proposed norm‐centred interventions.
Practical implications
The study offers insight into the processes of motivating behaviour and can therefore be used to design intervention strategies. Suggestions are developed in the closing part of the paper.
Originality/value
The study applies for the first time the norm‐activation‐model to the domain of purchasing organic milk and underlines the importance of normative influences for this decision.
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Michela Goffredo, Maurizio Schmid, Silvia Conforto, Filiberto Bilotti, Claudio Palma, Lucio Vegni and Tommaso D’Alessio
A novel model of the upper arm under transcutaneous electrical stimulation with multi-pad electrodes is presented and experimentally validated. The model aims at simulating and…
Abstract
Purpose
A novel model of the upper arm under transcutaneous electrical stimulation with multi-pad electrodes is presented and experimentally validated. The model aims at simulating and analysing the effects of surface electrical stimulation on biceps brachii. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Both the passive properties of tissues surrounding nerve bundles and the active characteristics of the nervous system are included. The output of the proposed model is nerve recruitment and muscle contraction.
Findings
Simulations and experimental tests on six healthy young adults have been conducted and results show that the proposed model gives information on electrically elicited muscle contraction in accordance with in-vivo tests and literature on motor unit recruitment order. Tests with different electrodes configurations show that the spatial distribution of active electrodes is a critical factor in electrically elicited muscle contractions, and that multi-pad electrodes can optimise the stimulation effectiveness and patient comfort with sequences of biphasic pulses of 350 μs at 30 pulses/s and threshold values of 2 mA.
Originality/value
Results encourage the use of the proposed model of the upper arm as a valid and viable solution for predicting the behaviour of the neuromuscular system when surface electrical stimulation is applied, thus optimising the design of neuroprosthetics.
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Naga Vamsi Krishna Jasti, Srinivas Kota and Venkataraman P.B.
This paper aims to investigate the impact of simulation laboratory on continuing education engineering students’ academic performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impact of simulation laboratory on continuing education engineering students’ academic performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The investigation consists of establishing the student learning levels then mapping the student learning levels (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation) through program outcomes with appropriate evaluation components. 270 continuing education students enrolled during six years were selected to be observed as part of this study. These students were divided into two subgroups, one with 135 students who were offered simulation lab (G2) and the other 135 students were not offered simulation lab (G1) in this investigation. Subsequently, a comparative analysis was carried out on these two groups to assess the student performance in multiple evaluation components with respect to student learning level and program outcome achievement.
Findings
It was identified that student performance in the application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation learning levels has improved for the group with simulation lab, and no change or minimal change was observed for the group without simulation lab. It was revealed that the simulation lab practice problems needs to be aligned with the theoretical concepts in the course to get a better performance from the students.
Originality/value
The study was conducted in one of the leading institutes with 270 students’ performance observed over a period of six years. It is the comprehensive work done on a complete program with data collated over a period of six years in multiple courses and multiple assessments.
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Xingjun Huang, Yun Lin, Ming K. Lim, Ming-Lang Tseng and Fuli Zhou
Technological innovation is one of the remarkable characteristics of electric vehicles (EVs). This study aims to analyze how consumers' technological knowledge affects their…
Abstract
Purpose
Technological innovation is one of the remarkable characteristics of electric vehicles (EVs). This study aims to analyze how consumers' technological knowledge affects their intention to adopt EVs.
Design/methodology/approach
Original data were collected via a survey of 443 participants in China. An extended technology acceptance model was constructed to identify the factors influencing consumers' intention to adopt EVs and related technological knowledge pathways.
Findings
The results show that consumer technological knowledge is positively and significantly related to EVs' perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived fun to use and consumers' intention to adopt EVs. In addition, no direct and significant relationship is found between perceived fun to use and willingness to adopt EVs, from the technical knowledge dimension.
Practical implications
Imparting consumers with EV technological knowledge and usefulness may be an effective way to enhance their awareness and willingness to use EVs. Moreover, the role of females in the decision to adopt EVs should not be ignored, especially in decisions to purchase a family car.
Originality/value
Prior studies lack a technological knowledge-based view, and few studies have discussed how to explore the effects of consumer technological knowledge about EVs on their adoption intention. This study fills the research gap.
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Verena Friedrich, Susanne Hoffmann and Georg Bauer
A growing body of literature provides evidence for the efficacy of workplace health promotion (WHP). However, little is known about effective dissemination strategies for WHP…
Abstract
Purpose
A growing body of literature provides evidence for the efficacy of workplace health promotion (WHP). However, little is known about effective dissemination strategies for WHP interventions. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a WHP agency in Zurich, Switzerland, used bulk mailings, information events, telephone marketing and free initial consultations for the large-scale geographic marketing of WHP services, with a focus on tobacco prevention (TP).
Design/methodology/approach
To analyze the number of companies responding positively to solicitation, examine the predictors of positive responses and explore the reasons for negative responses, the authors used both quantitative (e.g. a standardized questionnaire) and qualitative (telephone interviews) methods.
Findings
The results show that except for telephone marketing (69 percent), the success rates of dissemination activities were very low (3-9 percent). Predictors for a positive response were institutionalization of WHP, the representative’s personal concern about TP, and problems with environmental tobacco smoke within the company. The most prominent reason for a negative response was that the companies had already implemented TP measures by themselves and needed no further external support.
Practical implications
It is suggested that TP was the wrong emphasis for a WHP program to be disseminated at that particular time, because a law on protection from passive smoking was introduced in Switzerland shortly afterwards.
Originality/value
The study examines dissemination strategies under real-life consulting conditions. It builds on on a large sample of companies and uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods. It reports specific numbers and success rates of marketing activities and thereby contributes to the knowledge about an important issue for intervention planning in the field of WHP.