Linkage beliefs: what are the links?

This study focused on student-organization presidents' personal identification with various facets of their university as predictors of intent to join alumni chapters after graduation. Such intentions were especially common and strong where respondents identified with university facets similar to alumni relations, reported or had thought of involving university-related accomplishments and activities, and saw alumni relations as instrumental in achieving personal goals. The study extends previous research on linkage-belief theory by predicting behavioral intent rather than attitude. Dr. Culbertson is a professor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. He acknowledges valuable help in data analysis and interpretation by Ni Chen, now assistant professor of communication at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)