Chapter 4Attitudes, Values, & Ethics

Nelson & Quick

Attitude

Attitude - a psychological tendency expressed by evaluating an entity with some degree of favor or disfavor

Should poor performance be blamed on “bad attitude”?

ffect Physiological indicators I don’t like Verbal statements my boss. about feelings

ehavioral Observed behavior I want to intentions Verbal statements transfer to about intentions another dept.

M.J. Rosenberg and C. I. Hovland, “Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Componentsof Attitude,” in M.J. Rosenberg, C.I. Hovland, W.J. McGuire, R.P. Abelson, and J.H.

Brehm, Attitude Organization and Change, 1960

ABC Model of an Attitude

Component Measured by Example

ognition Attitude scales I believe my Verbal statements boss plays about beliefs favorites.

A

C

B

Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive Dissonance - a state of tension that is produced

when an individual

experiences conflict

between attitudes

and behavior attitude

behavior

Two Influences on Attitude Formation

Direct Experience

Social Learning - the process of deriving attitudes from family, peer groups, religious organizations, and culture

Four Processes for Social Learning through Modeling

• Focus on the model

• Retain what was observed

• Practice the behavior

• Be motivated

The learner must

Attitude-Behavior Correspondence Requirements

Attitude specificity - a specific attitude

Attitude relevance - some self-interest

Measurement timing - measurement close to observed behavior

Personality factors - ex. self-monitoring

Social constraints - acceptability

Work Attitudes: Job Satisfaction

Job Satisfaction - a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experience

Organizational Citizenship Behavior– Behavior that is above and beyond duty

– Related to job satisfaction

Work Attitudes: Organizational Commitment

Affective Commitment Affective Commitment

Continuance CommitmentContinuance Commitment

Normative CommitmentNormative Commitment

OrganizationalOrganizationalCommitment Commitment

The strength of an individual’s

identification with an organization

Process of Persuasion

Attitude of the Target Individual

Process of Persuasion

Attitude of the Target Individual

Sourceindividual influences

Target

Process of Persuasion

NEWNEW Attitude of the Target Individual

Sourceindividual influences

Target

Cognitive Routes to Persuasion

Message

HighElaboration

LowElaboration

Carefulprocessing

Absence ofcarefulprocessing

Attitude changedepending onquantity of arguments

Attitude changedepending on sourcecharacteristics ornon-substantial aspectsof the message

Adapted from R.E. Petty and J.T. Cacioppo, “The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion,” in L. Berkowitz, ed., Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, vol. 19 (New York: Academic Press, 1986): 123-205.

Values

Values - enduring beliefs that a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence

Values

Instrumental - values that represent the acceptable behaviors to be used in achieving some end state

Terminal - values that represent the goals to be achieved, or the end states of existence

Work Values

• Achievement (career advancement)

• Concern for others (compassionate behavior)

• Honesty (provision of accurate information)

• Fairness (impartiality)

Cultural Differences in Values

Authority is a right of office and rank

Group input is important. Decisionsshould bechallenged.

FranceThe Netherlands

Handling Cultural Differences

• Learn about others’ values

• Avoid prejudging

• Operate legitimately within others ethical points of view

• Avoid rationalizing

• Refuse to violate fundamental values

• Be open and above board

Ethical Behavior

Ethical Behavior - acting in ways consistent with one’s personal values and the commonly held values of the organization and society.

Qualities Required for Ethical Decision-making

The competence to identify ethical issues and evaluatethe consequences of alternative courses of action

The self-confidence to seek out different opinions aboutthe issue and decide what is right in terms of a situation

Tough-mindedness--the willingness to make decisionswhen all that needs to be known cannot be known and whenthe ethical issue has no established, unambiguous solution

Individual/Organizational Model of Ethical Behavior

Individual InfluencesValue systemsLocus of controlMachiavellianismCognitive moral development

Organizational InfluencesCodes of conductNormsModelingRewards and punishments

EthicalBehavior

Values, Ethics & Ethical Behavior

Value Systems - systems of beliefs that affect what the individual defines as right, good, and fair

Ethics - reflects the way values are acted out

Ethical behavior - actions consistent with one’s values

Locus of Control

Locus of Control - personality variable that affects individual behaviorInternal - belief in personal control and

personal responsibility

External - belief in control by outside forces (fate, chance, other people)

Machiavellianism

Machiavellianism - A personality characteristic indicating one’s willingness to do whatever it takes to get one’s own way

Cognitive Moral Development

Cognitive Moral Development - The process of moving through stages of maturity in terms of making ethical decisions

Level lPremoral

Level llConventional

Level lllPrincipled