Using the Theory of Reasoned Action to Understand Organizational-behavior-the Role of Believe Salience

The theory of reasoned action was tested in a field study for its ability to predict behaviour at the organizational level of analysis. The study also investigated the role of personal belief salience in improving the explanatory abilities of the theory of reasoned action, and in providing additional guidance as to key differences in belief salience between groups. Key informants in 70 medium and large companies, 35 users of market research and 35 non-users, were interviewed about their attitudes towards the commissioning of market research in the next 12 months, and their perceptions of the beliefs of their socially normative referents. A measure of personal belief salience was also used. Data on actual behaviour was collected 12 months later. The results demonstrate that the model is at least as successful at explaining behaviour at an organizational level as at an individual level. With the use of a measure of personal belief salience not only can overall attitudes be predicted much more accurately, but these salient attitudes differentiate between users and non-users of marketing research and can thus be used for differential targeting of persuasive communications.