Attitudes

Himalaya Publishing House Organisational BehaviourK. Aswathappa

Chapter 8Attitudes and Values

ORGANISATIONAL ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOURBEHAVIOUR

ATTITUDES AND ATTITUDES AND VALUESVALUES



DefinitionDefinition

Attitude is defined as a learned predisposition Attitude is defined as a learned predisposition to respond in a consistent favorable or to respond in a consistent favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to given unfavorable manner with respect to given object.object.



Nature of Attitudes Attitudes are learned. Attitudes refer to feelings and beliefs of an individual or

groups of people. These feelings and beliefs define one’s predispositions

towards given aspects of the world. Attitudes endure, unless something happens. For example if

X is transferred to day shift, his attitude may become positive.

Attitudes can fall anywhere along a continuum for very favorable to very unfavorable. Such expressions as “This B-School is good”, “This leader is corrupt and incompetent” are heard from people.

Attitudes are organized and are core to an individual. All people, irrespective of their status or intelligence, hold

attitudes.



Three Components of Attitudes Work Related Components of Attitudes



Formation of Attitudes



Benefits of Positive AttitudesBenefits of Positive Attitudes

Increases productivity Fosters teamwork Solves problems Improves quality Makes for congenial atmosphere Breeds loyalty Increases profits Fosters better relationships with employees,

employers and customers Reduces stress Makes for a pleasing personality. Functions of Attitudes



Changing attitudes



Changing attitudes

Self:Self:

a)a) Think for selfThink for self

b)b) Demerits of negative attitudeDemerits of negative attitude

c)c) Open mindOpen mind

d)d) Get into continuous educationGet into continuous education

e)e) Avoid negative influencesAvoid negative influences

f)f) Build positive selfBuild positive self



Changing attitudes

Others:Others:

a)a) FeedbackFeedback

b)b) Accentuate positive conditionsAccentuate positive conditions

c)c) Positive role modelPositive role model

d)d) Use of fearUse of fear

e)e) Provide new informationProvide new information

f)f) Co-opting strategyCo-opting strategy



Cognitive dissonanceCognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonanceCognitive dissonance is the term used in is the term used in modern psychology to describe the discomfort modern psychology to describe the discomfort felt by a person seeking to hold two or more felt by a person seeking to hold two or more conflicting cognitions (e.g., ideas, beliefs, conflicting cognitions (e.g., ideas, beliefs, values, emotional reactions) simultaneouslyvalues, emotional reactions) simultaneously



Major Job AttitudesMajor Job Attitudes

Job Involvement:Job Involvement: This measures the degree to which people identify This measures the degree to which people identify

psychologically with their job and consider their perceived psychologically with their job and consider their perceived performance level important to self worth.performance level important to self worth.

Psychological empowerment: Psychological empowerment: Employees belief in Employees belief in the degree to which they effect their work environment, their the degree to which they effect their work environment, their competence, the meaningfulness of their job, and their job, and competence, the meaningfulness of their job, and their job, and their perceived autonomy. their perceived autonomy.




Organizational commitment: Organizational commitment: The degree to The degree to which an employee identifies with a particular which an employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals to maintain membership organization and its goals to maintain membership with the organization.with the organization.

a)a) Affective commitment is an emotional attachment to the Affective commitment is an emotional attachment to the organization and a belief in its values.organization and a belief in its values.

b)b) Continuance commitment: is the perceived economic value of Continuance commitment: is the perceived economic value of remaining with an organization.remaining with an organization.

c)c) Normative commitment: is an obligation to remain with the Normative commitment: is an obligation to remain with the organization for ethical or moral reasons.organization for ethical or moral reasons.




Perceived Organizational support: is the Perceived Organizational support: is the degree to which employees believe that the degree to which employees believe that the organization values their contribution and organization values their contribution and cares about their well being.cares about their well being.

Employee engagement: An individual’s Employee engagement: An individual’s involvement with, satisfaction with, and involvement with, satisfaction with, and enthusiasm for, the work she does.enthusiasm for, the work she does.



Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction

A positive feeling about one’s job resulting A positive feeling about one’s job resulting from evaluation of its characteristics.from evaluation of its characteristics.

Causes of job satisfaction: Causes of job satisfaction: a)a) SalarySalary

b)b) Working conditionsWorking conditions

c)c) PromotionPromotion

d)d) Organizational policiesOrganizational policies

e)e) Nature of workNature of work

f)f) SupervisionSupervision



Measuring Job satisfactionMeasuring Job satisfaction

SurveysSurveys Critical incidentCritical incident InterviewsInterviews Indicator analysis: absenteeism, turnover, Indicator analysis: absenteeism, turnover,

grievance, accidents etc.grievance, accidents etc.



Job Satisfaction Model

Work Environment And Job

SatisfactionSome Possible

Relationship



Behavioural Intentions Model

Responses to Job Dissatisfaction


Chapter 8Attitudes and ValuesSummarySummary

Attitude is an important variable in individual behaviour. Attitude refers to beliefs, feelings and behavioural tendencies of people towards objects, people and ideas. ABC model seeks to better explain the nature of attitude. A stands for affective-feelings; B stands for behaviour – action tendencies; and C stands for cognition- beliefs and opinion.

Attitudes are formed by direct experience with the object, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, vicarious learning, family and peer groups, neighbourhood and mass communication.

Positive attitude insures such benefits to the organization as increased productivity, better quality, reduced stress, improved loyalty and the like.

Attitude serves important functions such as adjustment, ego-defense, value expressive and knowledge.

Attitudes of individuals and groups need to be changed. But change is difficult because of three barriers - escalation of commitment, cognitive dissonance, and insufficient information.

There are hints available to change attitudes both at the individual and group levels. Job satisfaction is one type of attitude. It refers to the general attitude of employees

towards their jobs. Job satisfaction is the cause for several benefits and consequence of many factors. It is useful to measure job satisfaction and OB experts have suggested several techniques for measuring.

Another work related attitude is organizational commitment. Organizational commitment refers to the strength of an employee’s involvement in the organization and identification with it.

Organizational commitment varies across countries, Asian countries score high on this variable.

Values represent stable, long-lasting beliefs about what is important. There are personal as well as organizational values. An individual enters organization with his or her values which often clash with organizational values. They need to be merged for increased organizational effectiveness.

Attitude is an important concept in the study of OB as it has influence on perception, satisfaction and commitment.

Values influence attitudes, motivation and perception.



Key TermsKey Terms

Attitude ABC model Cognitive dissonance Organizational

commitment

Value Escalation of

commitment Job satisfaction Behaviour Intentions

Model

Attitudes

Documents

himalaya publishing

major job

organizational

job satisfaction

work environment

organisational

cognitive

changing attitudes