HBO: WORK AND WORK ATTITUDES

HBO – 7TH WEEKWORK AND WORK ATTITUDES

Prepared by:CHARLES TAN, RND

Definition: Work and Play • Work – is what one should do and must do regularly, grimly and

purposefully. Man is judged by his work and what he must do to deserve his leisure and play. Work is serious adult business that enables one to get ahead and make a contribution to society. Work is viewed as a means of attaining whatever one desires – and it is best that one has a great achievement motivation.

Definition: Work and Play • Play – is fun, an outlet from work, without serious purpose except to

make us happier, more efficient, more relaxed and longer-lasting working human machines.

Few would deny that attitudes are one of the major influences on behavior. Attitudes are formed in the interest of one’s goal and objective. Therefore a brief review of attitude is a good prelude to the study of work.

Attitude: Formation and Changes What is an Attitude? It is a:•predisposition to react, positively or negatively, to a person, place or circumstance•the stand the individual upholds and cherished about objects, issues, persons, groups or institution. •suggest a relationship between the person and object or situation. •cannot be seen or touched•can be seen as preferences or intentions. •The key word is “value.” We value our relationship with others; we value an object which has been given to us, and in the case of our topic – WORK.

ATTITUDE CHANGESTwo examples of attitudes in the work situation are: Intellectual and Emotional. Intellectual attitudes are easier to change than emotional. Through reasoning and logic, we can change one’s mind. Attitudes of emotional content are much more difficult to change. We have to look into the person’s background, the class structure of his country and his experience. •PERSON’S BACKGROUND: To understand the root of his poor attitude towards work, first we have to consider the family influence which has a strong impact on such attitude. •CLASS STRUCTURE- Researchers have shown that you can forecast with a certain degree of accuracy the value system of people by knowing their class status in the community, their folkways and mores. •EXPERIENCE – An individual may be a male or female, Chinese or American mestizo, college graduate or high school graduate, doctor or businessmen, or whether he grew up in the rural area or has been raised in the city.

FORMATION OF ATTITUDE• Attitudes of individuals are influenced by the

culture, by the larger aggregates to which the individuals belong, and by primary groups. This does not mean that any of these act independently; all the groups relate one to the other. Indeed, the family, as the most important primary group, has been often referred to as the mediator of culture. • The values and norms of the primary group

particularly, the family, plays a very important role in influencing attitudes, opinions and beliefs of the members of the group. • In addition, social class and religious affiliation,

learning and experience, play a vital role.

Concept of Work• WORK – the utilization of physiological and

mental processes to achieve a goal or accomplish a task. • It is a means to social progress and culture

(Calvin Coolidge). • “All growth depends upon activity. There is no

development – physically and intellectually without effort and effort means work. Work is not a curse; it is the prerogative of intelligence, the only means to manhood and the measure of civilization.”

Classification of Work1. Mental and physical work MENTAL WORK – refers to those types of activities in which remembering, thinking, reasoning, judging, etc. are involved. PHYSICAL WORK – refers to those activities where speed, coordination and intensity of muscular responses are the concern of the individual. • One thing we should realize is that whatever the work be, the individual does not only engage in muscular and motor activities but also uses his memory and judgment. 2. Sedentary or Muscular work SEDENTARY WORK – involves control, timing and direction of activity. MUSCULAR WORK – the main consideration is mechanical force.

Elements of Work: 1. Willpower – desire; motive; urge •The tendency of an individual to do something, without being told or directed by anybody. According to psychologist, this is known as “internal motivation.” 2. Objective – aims; targets; goals •A goal or an intended purpose which defines the scope and direction of efforts. •Objectives, whether for individual or groups, are not static. They shift with time, place and circumstances in response to the influence of growth and expansion of the business, shifts in population and the public acceptance or favor enjoyed by an individual or by an enterprise.

Elements of Work: 3. Responsibility – commitment; love; reliability •The obligatory duty to which a person is bound by reason of his status, occupation or assigned task. Embodied in this definition are 3 main elements of conduct: Compliance, Obedience & Dependability. •COMPLIANCE – means action in conforming with directives that flow down from superiors to subordinates. This is responsibility for performance. •OBEDIENCE – means submission to the guidance of an authority. This is responsibility for person. •DEPENDABILITY – means reliability & trustworthiness. This is confidence that develops when tasks are commensurate with capabilities. This means responsibility for duty. 4. Knowledge – perception; understanding; wisdom •A person’s range of information which includes theoretical or practical understanding. This is the mental equipment that enables man or the worker to understand clearly the objective, the nature of the work, and the requirements of the job or if he has full knowledge of the tasks he can participate with pleasure in the intellectual and emotional experience.

Dimensions of

Work: • Work can be discussed

from two points of view – the objective & the subjective.

• Work in the objective sense refers to the various ways & processes of achieving the purpose.

• Work in the subjective sense refers to the processes whereby man manifests & confirms himself as one who controls all activities – mental and physical.

Ethics of Work:• ETHICS – the systematized principles of morally,

correct conduct. • Moral Obligation – The absence of a strong moral

obligation within the individual and among our people to make their best contribution to the cause, may postpone, if not altogether thwart personal satisfaction & emotional success. • Honesty – The most powerful people are those who

work hard enough and honestly enough to fulfill themselves and thus make contributions to national growth. An individual may have the best blue prints for development and they may be good to start with, but, if he lacks the will to pursue them honestly, he may never get off the ground. One who lacks will, lacks the commitment of the true behavior in hard & honest labor.

Worker Efficiency Self-efficiency means using our abilities in order to bring optimum results with least waste and strain. To become efficiency minded, one must keep three (3) aspects in mind as general objectives: 1. Self-efficiency – self-awareness & self-development to realize one’s aspiration. 2. Group-efficiency – Human relations, teamwork & social efficiency. 3. Things-efficiency – Work methods that spend time and effort. Like a three-legged stool, it takes all 3 aspects to balance one’s efficiency

Worker Efficiency Self-efficiency means using our abilities in order to bring optimum results with least waste and strain. To become efficiency minded, one must keep three (3) aspects in mind as general objectives: 1. Self-efficiency – self-awareness & self-development to realize one’s aspiration. 2. Group-efficiency – Human relations, teamwork & social efficiency. 3. Things-efficiency – Work methods that spend time and effort.

Factors Affecting Worker’s Efficiency & Performance:

A) Personal Characteristics: 1. Age – Job performance declines with increasing age. Thus, Social Security Office has

limited the age retirement at 62 years old optional & 65 years old as compulsory retirement.

2. Gender – There are no consistent male-female differences in problem-solving ability, analytical skills, competitive drive, motivation, sociability or learning ability. However, on absence & turnover rates, females have higher turnover rates and on absences, women have higher rate of absenteeism than men do.

3. Marital status – married employees have fewer absences, undergo fewer turnovers, and are more satisfied with their job than their unmarried workers.

4. Number of dependents – the number of children an employee has is positively correlated with absence among females. Similarly, there’s a positive relationship between number of dependents and job satisfaction.

5. Tenure – there is no reason to believe that people who have been on a job longer are more productive than are those with less seniority.

Factors Affecting Worker’s Efficiency & Performance:

B) Ability – refers to an individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a job. An individual’s overall abilities are made up to two skills: Intellectual and Physical. C) Personality – these traits are enduring characteristics that describe an individual’s behavior. INDIVIDUAL SELFGETTING DEVELOPMENT ALONG WITH OTHERS EFFICIENT WORK METHODS D) Changing Concept of Work Our work defines the image we have of ourselves. Work can shape personality. An individual tends to become the kind of person the situation demand. There are changing concepts related to work and these will have corresponding effects on the individual’s attitude and performance. Management has made some programs to adjust to the changing situations adequately. It has implemented and applied sensitivity programs, management by objectives, group dynamics, and other job enrichment activities.

•THAT’S ALL FOR NOW!• Prepare for a SHORT QUIZ next meeting.