A decade of progress? Extending the theory of planned behavior to study measurement and evaluation practices in corporate communication (2016–2025)

Abstract

This study advances and empirically tests an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model to explain communication practitioners' intention to conduct measurement and evaluation (M&E) at the level of communication outcomes. The research both replicates and extends on an earlier study (Buhmann and Brønn, 2018). It is based on a quantitative survey of communication practitioners (n = 350). Covariance-based structural equation modeling and regression-based moderation analysis were used to test the model and interaction effects between self-efficacy and the TPB constructs. Results show that intentions to perform outcome-level M&E have increased over the past decade and that perceived behavioral control (PBC) is the single most important predictor of intentions to perform M&E, followed by attitude, while perceived norms show little influence. Self-efficacy is positively related to practitioners' confidence in conducting outcome M&E but only weakly and negatively moderates the link between PBC and intention. This research presents one of the very few replication studies in corporate and strategic communication research, offering a longitudinal comparison of data on M&E behavior and testing an extension of the earlier model. Results both confirm and refine our present understanding of the drivers and barriers of M&E behavior.