Implementation intentions in the entrepreneurial process: concept, empirical findings, and research agenda

Prior studies find sizable gaps between entrepreneurial intentions and subsequent actions. We extend models of entrepreneurial intentions by drawing on action phase theory to better understand how entrepreneurial intentions translate into actions. Our study focuses on the effects of implementation intentions on taking entrepreneurial action. The analysis uses two waves of survey data on 422 individuals, from the Swedish general population, who had an explicit interest in starting a business and who reported on their actions 6 months later. We test and find support for a moderated mediation model in which implementation intentions mediate the effects of goal intentions on taking entrepreneurial action. We further find the mediated effect to be even stronger for those confirming a strong intention to start a new business. We provide an in-depth discussion of the concept of implementation intention and an extensive research agenda.Peer reviewe

Association of bovine leptin polymorphisms with energy output and energy storage traits in progeny tested Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle sires

peer-reviewedBackground: Leptin modulates appetite, energy expenditure and the reproductive axis by signalling via its receptor the status of body energy stores to the brain. The present study aimed to quantify the associations between 10 novel and known single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes coding for leptin and leptin receptor with performance traits in 848 Holstein-Friesian sires, estimated from performance of up to 43,117 daughter-parity records per sire. Results: All single nucleotide polymorphisms were segregating in this sample population and none deviated (P > 0.05) from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Complete linkage disequilibrium existed between the novel polymorphism LEP-1609, and the previously identified polymorphisms LEP-1457 and LEP-580. LEP-2470 associated (P < 0.05) with milk protein concentration and calf perinatal mortality. It had a tendency to associate with milk yield (P < 0.1). The G allele of LEP-1238 was associated (P < 0.05) with reduced milk fat concentration, reduced milk protein concentration, longer gestation length and tended to associate (P < 0.1) with an increase in calving difficulty, calf perinatal mortality and somatic cells in the milk. LEP-963 exhibited an association (P < 0.05) with milk fat concentration, milk protein concentration, calving difficulty and gestation length. It also tended to associate with milk yield (P < 0.1). The R25C SNP associated (P < 0.05) with milk fat concentration, milk protein concentration, calving difficulty and length of gestation. The T allele of the Y7F SNP significantly associated with reduced angularity (P < 0.01) and reduced milk protein yield (P < 0.05). There was also a tendency (P < 0.1) for Y7F to associate with increased body condition score, reduced milk yield and shorter gestation (P < 0.1). A80V associated with reduced survival in the herd (P < 0.05). Conclusions Several leptin polymorphisms (LEP-2470, LEP-1238, LEP-963, Y7F and R25C) associated with the energetically expensive process of lactogenesis. Only SNP Y7F associated with energy storage. Associations were also observed between leptin polymorphisms and calving difficulty, gestation length and calf perinatal mortality. The lack of an association between the leptin variants investigated with calving interval in this large data set would question the potential importance of these leptin variants, or indeed leptin, in selection for improved fertility in the Holstein-Friesian dairy cow.Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Ireland - Research Stimulus Fund (RSF-06-0353; RSF-06-0409); Irish Dairy Research Trust; Teagasc Walsh Fellowshi

Too impulsive for implementation intentions? Evidence that impulsivity moderates the effectiveness of an implementation intention intervention

Objective: The reported research explored whether impulsivity moderated the effectiveness of an implementation intention prompt to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Design: The study employed a prospective experimental design. At Time 1, participants completed a measure of impulsivity. At Time 2, participants in the experimental condition formed implementation intentions to increase their fruit and vegetable intake by two extra portions daily over the following 7 days. Participants in the control condition performed an equivalent neutral task. At Time 3, participants reported their fruit and vegetable consumption over the preceding 7 days. Results: The impulsivity dimension urgency moderated the effectiveness of the implementation intention intervention. Implementation intention formation only prompted fruit and vegetable consumption amongst those with low levels of urgency. Implementation intention formation did not increase consumption amongst those high in urgency. Conclusion: The findings suggest that implementation intention interventions may fail to promote goal attainment for those high in impulsivit

Is Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome a cell trafficking disorder?

Recent evidence suggests that failure of dendritic cell migration contributes significantly to the progressive dysregulation of immunity, characteristic of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. These findings may be relevant to the pathogenesis of other primary immunodeficiencies and acquired inflammatory disorders