Predicting behavioural intention in a small business context

Abstract

Investigates the proposition that reasoned action theory can be successfully applied in the small business (dairy farmers) domain. That proposition is supported by the outcome and, in common with many other studies, attitude was found to be the main predictor of behavioural intention. The normative component does not improve the efficacy of the model, possibly because of the routinised nature of the behaviour under scrutiny or the expertise of the decision makers concerned. It seems likely that the influence of other people may be greater in new‐buy situations, but that influence is unlikely to involve the element of social obligation that is behind consumers’ tendency to comply with the expectations and beliefs of salient referents. Some recommendations for further research into the stability and generalizability of the findings are made.