Attitudes and Job Satisfaction Chapter 3. Learning Objectives Contrast the three components of an attitude. Summarize the relationship between attitudes.

Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Chapter 3

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

Contrast the three components of an attitude.

Summarize the relationship between attitudes and behavior.

Identify the role consistency plays in attitudes.

State the relationship between job satisfaction and behavior.

Identify four employee responses to dissatisfaction.

Attitude DefinedAttitude Defined

Briefly defined, an “attitude” represents a tendency to respond in a favorable or unfavorable way to persons or objects in one’s environment.

For instance, when we say we “like” something or “dislike” something, we are in effect expressing an attitude toward the person or object.

Attitude could be defined also as a mental predisposition to act in a particular way towards a person or an object.

Some issues that matter in the study of attitudesSome issues that matter in the study of attitudes

What are the main components of attitude? How consistent are attitudes? Does behavior always follow from attitudes? What are the main job attitudes? How are employees attitudes measured? What are the importance of attitudes to workplace

diversity?

AttitudesAttitudes

Attitudes• Attitudes are the feelings and beliefs that largely determine how employees will perceive their environment, commit themselves to intend actions and ultimately behave

• Evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people, or events.• Less stable than values

Affective ComponentThe emotional or feeling segment of an attitude.

Cognitive componentThe opinion or belief segment of an attitude.

Behavioral ComponentAn intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something.

Cognition

Relationship between the components in theTricomponent Attitude Model

Relationship between the components in theTricomponent Attitude Model

How consistent are attitudesHow consistent are attitudes

People change their attitudes although attitudes are relatively stable mental predispositions.

Sometimes, attitudes change even very quickly as if it does not have any stability.

Generally, people seek consistency:– Among their different attitudes, and– Between their attitudes and their behavior

When there is inconsistency, people seek to return to a level of equilibrium state.

The Theory of Cognitive DissonanceThe Theory of Cognitive Dissonance

Desire to reduce dissonance depends on

• Importance of elements creating dissonance

• Degree of individual influence over elements

• Rewards involved in dissonance

Desire to reduce dissonance depends on

• Importance of elements creating dissonance

• Degree of individual influence over elements

• Rewards involved in dissonance

Cognitive Dissonance

•Dissonance = Inconsistency or incompatibility

•Any incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes

•Individuals seek to reduce this gap, or “dissonance”

Is A Happy Worker A Productive Worker?Is A Happy Worker A Productive Worker?

Over the years, one of the most strongly held beliefs among managers and I/O psychologists is that there is a relationship between a worker’s job satisfaction and his/her job performance.

In 60 year’s worth of research I/O psychologists have found highly variable linkages between job satisfaction and job performance.

The most recent examination by Timothy Judge and his colleagues suggests a correlation of .30 between satisfaction and performance, a small but meaningful association.

Measuring the A-B RelationshipMeasuring the A-B Relationship

Recent research indicates that attitudes (A) significantly predict behaviors (B) when moderating variables are taken into account.

Moderating Variables

• Importance of the attitude

• Specificity of the attitude

• Accessibility of the attitude

• Social pressures on the individual

• Direct experience with the attitude

Moderating Variables

• Importance of the attitude

• Specificity of the attitude

• Accessibility of the attitude

• Social pressures on the individual

• Direct experience with the attitude

A B

Self-Perception TheorySelf-Perception Theory

Attitudes are used, after the fact, to make sense out of an action that has already occurred.

B A !And,

When asked about an attitude toward some object, individuals recall their behavior relevant to that object and then infer their attitude from their past behavior.

Types of AttitudesTypes of Attitudes

Job InvolvementIdentifying with the job, actively participating in it, and considering performance important to self-worth.

Organizational CommitmentIdentifying with a particular organization and its goals, and wishing to maintain membership in the organization (Affective, Normative, and Continuance Commitment)

Job SatisfactionA collection of positive and/or negative feelings that an individual holds toward his or her job.

Organizational CommitmentOrganizational Commitment

Mowday, Steers, and Porter (1982) define OC which has three component– A strong belief in and acceptance of

organizational goals and values– A willingness to exert considerable efforts on

behalf of the organizations– A strong desire to maintain membership

Researchers have confirmed a positive relationships between OC and Job performance, and inverse relationships found with tardiness, absenteeism and turnover.

Point-Counter Point ExercisePoint-Counter Point Exercise

Think about two to three jobs you have had, outside of family chores (Family Business)

List the jobs on the top of sheet List down what you really liked about the jobs

and what you disliked about the jobs. Find out the commonalities and differences Discuss what managers or supervisors could do

to increase the likes and decrease the dislikes.

Mangers Can Create Satisfied Employees:

What you think ?

Types of Attitudes, cont’d. Types of Attitudes, cont’d.

Employee Engagement

An individual’s involvement with, satisfaction with, and enthusiasm for the organization.

Perceived Organizational Support (POS)

Degree to which employees feel the organization cares about their well-being.

Attitudes Exercise - Set-UpAttitudes Exercise - Set-Up

Situation:

You are an expert who has been asked to provide your expertise on the following issue. The Residential Life Department of a large university has been experiencing an usually high rate of turnover among it’s Resident Assistants (RA’s) during the last year. Over 60% of the university’s RA’s have recently left their positions, and with those that remain, poor performance is commonplace. This situation is very troubling, given the costs of training RA’s and of replacing them when they leave.

Attitudes ExerciseAttitudes Exercise

Given what you know about how Organizational Behavioral Expert help organizations to address the attitudes of their employees:

what steps would you undertake to examine the problem?

What questions would you ask? and what recommendations might you make?

An Application: Attitude SurveysAn Application: Attitude Surveys

Attitude Surveys

Eliciting responses from employees through questionnaires about how they feel about their jobs, work groups, supervisors, and the organization.

Concerning Issues

a) Reliability

b) Validity

Sample Attitude SurveySample Attitude Survey

Attitudes and Workforce DiversityAttitudes and Workforce Diversity

Training activities that can reshape employee attitudes concerning diversity:

– Participating in diversity training that provides for self-evaluation and group discussions.

– Volunteer work in community and social serve centers with individuals of diverse backgrounds.

Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction

Measuring Job Satisfaction– Single global rating– Summation score

How Satisfied Are People in Their Jobs?– In general, people are satisfied with their jobs. – Depends on facets of satisfaction—tend to be

less satisfied with pay and promotion opportunities.

Causes of Job SatisfactionCauses of Job Satisfaction

Pay only influences Job Satisfaction to a point– After about $40,000 a year, there is no

relationship between amount of pay and job satisfaction.

Personality can influence job satisfaction– Negative people are usually not satisfied with

their jobs

Elements of Life SatisfactionElements of Life Satisfaction

Job Family

Politics

Leisure

Religion

Most Critical elements of Life Satisfaction(Adapted from John Newstrom, Organizational Behavior- Human Behavior at work)

LIFE

Responses to Job SatisfactionResponses to Job Satisfaction

How Employees Can Express DissatisfactionHow Employees Can Express Dissatisfaction

Exit

Behavior directed toward leaving the organization.

Voice

Active and constructive attempts to improve conditions.

Neglect

Allowing conditions to worsen.

Loyalty

Passively waiting for conditions to improve.

The Effect of Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance

The Effect of Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance

Satisfaction and Productivity– Satisfied workers are more productive AND

more productive workers are more satisfied! – Worker productivity is higher in organizations

with more satisfied workers. Satisfaction and Absenteeism

– Satisfied employees have fewer avoidable absences.

Satisfaction and Turnover– Satisfied employees are less likely to quit.– Organizations take actions to retain high

performers and to weed out lower performers.

Employee Stays Employee is terminated

Employee leaves voluntarily

Employee leaves by mutual agreement

Positive Negative

Positive

Negative

Organization’s attitude toward employee

Employ

AttIt

Toward Org

Four Products of Employee-Organization Attitudes Four Products of Employee-Organization Attitudes

Job Satisfaction and OCBJob Satisfaction and OCB

Satisfaction and OCBs– Satisfied employees who feel fairly treated by

and are trusting of the organization are more willing to engage in behaviors that go beyond the normal expectations of their job.

Job Satisfaction and Customer SatisfactionJob Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction– Satisfied workers provide better customer

service Satisfied employees increase customer

satisfaction because:– They are more friendly, upbeat, and responsive.– They are less likely to turnover, which helps

build long-term customer relationships.– They are experienced.

Dissatisfied customers increase employee job dissatisfaction.

Changing Employee AttitudeChanging Employee Attitude

Reward system closely associated with individual performance

Setting challenging goals but realistic

Role clarity and role specification

Refrain from attacking the attitudes

Provide frequent feedback

Employee participation and involvement programs

Show appreciation for appropriate effort and citizen behaviours