5 attitudes and job satisfaction

Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Three Components of an AttitudeThree Components of an AttitudeEvaluative statements or judgments Evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people, or eventsconcerning objects, people, or events

Three components of an attitude:Three components of an attitude:

The emotional The emotional or feeling or feeling segment of an segment of an attitudeattitudeThe opinion The opinion

or belief or belief segment of segment of an attitudean attitude

An intention to An intention to behave in a behave in a certain way certain way toward someone toward someone or somethingor something

Relationship Between Attitudes and BehaviorRelationship Between Attitudes and Behavior

• The attitudes people hold determine what they The attitudes people hold determine what they do.do.

• Some studiesSome studies proposed that cases of attitude proposed that cases of attitude following behavior illustrate the effects of following behavior illustrate the effects of cognitive dissonance.cognitive dissonance.– Cognitive Dissonance is incompatibility an individual Cognitive Dissonance is incompatibility an individual

might perceive between two or more attitudes or might perceive between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes.between behavior and attitudes.

• Research has generally concluded that people Research has generally concluded that people seek consistency among their attitudes and seek consistency among their attitudes and between their attitudes and their behavior. between their attitudes and their behavior.

Relationship Between Attitudes and BehaviorRelationship Between Attitudes and Behavior

Attitude

Predicts

Behavior

Mitigating Variables

• Importance of the attitudeImportance of the attitude

• Its correspondence to behaviorIts correspondence to behavior

• Its accessibilityIts accessibility

• The presence of social pressureThe presence of social pressure

• Whether or not a person has had Whether or not a person has had direct experience with the behaviordirect experience with the behavior

Major Job AttitudesMajor Job Attitudes

• Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction– A positive feeling about the job resulting from A positive feeling about the job resulting from

an evaluation of its characteristicsan evaluation of its characteristics

• Job InvolvementJob Involvement– Degree of psychological identification with the Degree of psychological identification with the

job where perceived performance is important job where perceived performance is important to self-worthto self-worth

• PsycholPsychological Empowermentogical Empowerment– Belief in the degree of influence over the job, Belief in the degree of influence over the job,

competence, job meaningfulness, and competence, job meaningfulness, and autonomyautonomy


• Organizational CommitmentOrganizational Commitment– Identifying with a particular organization and Identifying with a particular organization and

its goals, while wishing to maintain its goals, while wishing to maintain membership in the organization.membership in the organization.

– Three dimensions:Three dimensions:• Affective – emotional attachment to Affective – emotional attachment to

organizationorganization• Continuance Commitment – economic Continuance Commitment – economic

value of stayingvalue of staying• Normative – moral or ethical obligationsNormative – moral or ethical obligations


• Organizational Commitment (cont)Organizational Commitment (cont)– Has some relation to performance, Has some relation to performance,

especially for new employees.especially for new employees.– Theoretical models propose that employees Theoretical models propose that employees

who are committed will be less likely to who are committed will be less likely to engage in work withdrawal even if they are engage in work withdrawal even if they are dissatisfied, because they have a sense of dissatisfied, because they have a sense of organizational loyalty. organizational loyalty.


• Perceived Organizational Support (POS)Perceived Organizational Support (POS)– Degree to which employees believe the Degree to which employees believe the

organization values their contribution and organization values their contribution and cares about their well-being.cares about their well-being.

– Higher when rewards are fair, employees are Higher when rewards are fair, employees are involved in decision making, and supervisors involved in decision making, and supervisors are seen as supportive.are seen as supportive.

– High POS is related to higher OCBsHigh POS is related to higher OCBs (organizational citizenship behavior)(organizational citizenship behavior) and and performance.performance.


• Employee EngagementEmployee Engagement– The degree of involvement with, satisfaction The degree of involvement with, satisfaction

with, and enthusiasm for the job.with, and enthusiasm for the job.– Engaged employees are passionate about Engaged employees are passionate about

their work and company.their work and company.


• Are These Job Attitudes Really Distinct?Are These Job Attitudes Really Distinct?– No: these attitudes are highly relatedNo: these attitudes are highly related– Variables may be redundant Variables may be redundant (measuring the (measuring the

same thing under a different name)same thing under a different name)– While there is some distinction, there is also While there is some distinction, there is also

a lot of overlapa lot of overlap– Overlap may cause confusionOverlap may cause confusion

Job Satisfaction and Job Satisfaction and Its MeasureIts Measure

• Job satisfactionJob satisfaction– A positive feeling about a job resulting from an A positive feeling about a job resulting from an

evaluation of its characteristicsevaluation of its characteristics

• Two approaches for measuring Job Two approaches for measuring Job Satisfaction are popular:Satisfaction are popular:– The single global rating The single global rating – The summation of job facetsThe summation of job facets

Job Job Satisfaction and Satisfaction and Its MeasureIts Measure

Insert Exhibit 3.2

Main Causes of Job SatisfactionMain Causes of Job Satisfaction

• Pay influences job satisfaction only to a Pay influences job satisfaction only to a point.point.– Money may bring happiness, but not Money may bring happiness, but not

necessarily job satisfaction.necessarily job satisfaction.


Insert Exhibit 3-4


Insert Exhibit 3-3


– Personality also plays a role in Job Personality also plays a role in Job Satisfaction.Satisfaction.• People who have positive core self-People who have positive core self-

evaluations, who believe in their inner worth evaluations, who believe in their inner worth and basic competence are more satisfied and basic competence are more satisfied with their jobs than those with negative core with their jobs than those with negative core self-evaluations. self-evaluations.

• Those with negative core self-evaluations set Those with negative core self-evaluations set less ambitious goals and are more likely to less ambitious goals and are more likely to give up when confronting difficulties. give up when confronting difficulties.

Four Employee Responses to DissatisfactionFour Employee Responses to Dissatisfaction

Insert Exhibit 3-5

SummarySummary• Satisfied and committed employees have lower rates of Satisfied and committed employees have lower rates of

turnover, absenteeism, and withdrawal behaviors. turnover, absenteeism, and withdrawal behaviors. • Managers will also want to measure job attitudes Managers will also want to measure job attitudes

effectively so they can tell how employees are reacting effectively so they can tell how employees are reacting to their work. to their work.

• The most important thing managers can do to raise The most important thing managers can do to raise employee satisfaction is focus on the intrinsic parts of employee satisfaction is focus on the intrinsic parts of the job, such as making the work challenging and the job, such as making the work challenging and interesting.interesting.

• Although paying employees poorly will likely not attract Although paying employees poorly will likely not attract high-quality employees to the organization or keep high high-quality employees to the organization or keep high performers, managers should realize that high pay performers, managers should realize that high pay alone is unlikely to create a satisfying work alone is unlikely to create a satisfying work environment.environment.

Case Questions• Do you think only certain individuals are attracted to

these types of jobs, or is it the characteristics of the jobs themselves that are satisfying?

• What characteristics of these jobs might contribute to increased levels of job satisfaction?

• Given that the four individuals we just read about tend to be satisfied with their jobs, how might this satisfaction relate to their job performance, citizenship behavior, and turnover?

• Recall David Clark’s statement that “There are plenty of people who would love to have this job. They’re knocking on the door all the time.” How might Clark’s perceptions that he has a job many others desire contribute to his job satisfaction?

Disscussion Questions

• What causes job satisfaction? For most people, is pay or the work itself more important?

• If excessive absenteeism is a real problem in an organization, are there alternatives to surveillance? If so, what are they, and do they have any limitations of their own?

• Do you think which factors increase employee loyalty to the organization?

Rank the top 5 for job satisfaction

• Autonomy and independence. • Benefits. • Career advancement opportunities. • Career development opportunities. • Compensation/pay. • Communication between employees and management. • Contribution of work to organization’s business goals. • Feeling safe in the work environment. • Flexibility to balance life and work issues. • Job security. • Job-specific training.

Rank the top 5 for job satisfaction

• Management recognition of employee job performance. • Meaningfulness of job. • Networking. • Opportunities to use skills/abilities. • Organization’s commitment to professional

development. • Overall corporate culture. • Relationship with co-workers. • Relationship with immediate supervisor. • The work itself. • The variety of work.

5 attitudes and job satisfaction

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