Chapter 3

Values, Attitudes, and Their Effects in the

Workplace

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Chapter Outline

Values Values Across Cultures Implications of Cultural

Differences for OB Attitudes The Attitude of Job

Satisfaction

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Values, Attitudes, and Their Effects in

the Workplace

What is the relationship between values and individual behaviour?

How do values differ across cultures?

How does job satisfaction affect one’s behaviour in the workplace?

Questions for Consideration

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Values Values

– Basic convictions 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.”

– They contain a judgmental element in that they carry the individual’s idea of what is right, good, or desirable.

Value System -- a hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual’s values in terms of their intensity.

– Importance of Values Values generally influence attitudes

and behaviour.

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Assessing Cultural Values

Power Distance Individualism Versus

Collectivism Quantity of Life Versus

Quality of Life Uncertainty Avoidance Long-term versus Short-term

Orientation

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Exhibit 3-1 Examples of National Cultural

Values

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Canada’s Multicultural Society

1996 immigrant population– 42 percent of Toronto’s

population– 34.8 percent of Vancouver’s – 18 percent of Montreal’s

1991 Census findings on language– 15.2 percent spoke neither

English nor French. Of these: 28 percent spoke Chinese (either

Mandarin or Cantonese) 15 percent spoke Italian 11 percent spoke Portuguese 6 percent spoke Spanish 5 percent spoke Punjabi

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Canadian Social Values

The Elders– Those over 50– Core Values: Belief in order,

authority, discipline, and the Golden Rule

The Boomers– Born mid-1940s to mid-1960s– Autonomous rebels, anxious

communitarians, connected enthusiasts, disengaged Darwinists

Generation X– Born mid-1960s to early 1980s– Thrill-seeking materialists, aimless

dependents, social hedonists, new Aquarians, autonomous post-materialists

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Francophone and Anglophone Values

Francophone Values

More collectivist or group-oriented

Greater need for achievement

Concerned with interpersonal aspects of workplace

Value affiliation

Anglophone Values

Individualist or I-centred

More task-centred

Take more risks

Value autonomy

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Canadian Aboriginal Values

More collectivist in orientation

More likely to reflect and advance the goals of the community

Greater sense of family in the workplace

Greater affiliation and loyalty

Power distance lower than non-Aboriginal culture of Canada and the U.S.

Greater emphasis on consensual decision-making

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Canadian and American Values

– Canadian Values

Protectionist business environment

Personality: more shy and deferential, less violent, more courteous

More rule-oriented

Peace, order, equality

Uncomfortable celebrating success, play it down

American Values Greater faith in

the family, the state, religion, and the market

More comfortable with big business

Intense competition in business

Individuality and freedom

More comfortable with the unknown and taking risks

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Canada, the US and Mexico

Canada and the US

Lower power distance

More likely to tolerate abrasiveness and insensitivity by managers

Lower risk takers More

individualistic Less agreeable to

teamwork

Mexico Higher power

distance Managers more

autocratic and paternalistic

Employees defer more to managers

Greater uncertainty avoidance

Managers are greater risk takers

Greater reliance on networks and relationships

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

East and Southeast Asian Values

North America

Networked relations: based on self-interest

Relationships viewed with immediate gains

Enforcement relies on institutional law

Governed by guilt (internal pressures on performance)

East and Southeast Asia

Guanxi relations: based on reciprocation

Relationships meant to be long-term and enduring

Enforcement relies on personal power and authority

Governed by shame (external pressures on performance)

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Attitudes

Evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people, or events.

Attitudes less stable than values

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Types of Attitudes

Job Satisfaction– . . . refers to an individual’s

general attitude toward his or her job.

Job Involvement– . . . measures the degree to

which a person identifies psychologically with his or her job and considers his or her perceived performance level important to self-worth.

Organizational Commitment– . . . a state in which an employee

identifies with a particular organization and its goals, and wishes to maintain membership in the organization.

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Cognitive Dissonance

Any incompatibility that an individual might perceive between two or more of his or her attitudes, or between his or her behaviour and attitudes.

Inconsistency is uncomfortable

Individuals will attempt to reduce the dissonance and, hence, the discomfort.

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Canadian Job Satisfaction (1997)

86 percent report that they are satisfied with their jobs– 47 percent very satisfied with their

jobs– 39 percent more somewhat satisfied

71 percent find jobs are challenging and interesting– 44 percent strongly agree– 27 percent somewhat agree

75 percent say they are treated fairly at work

But– 40 percent would not recommend

their place of work– 40 percent report red tape and

bureaucracy

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Measuring Job Satisfaction

Single global rating– asks individuals to respond to

one question, such as “All things considered, how satisfied are you with your job?”

Summation score made up of a number of job facets. – identifies key elements in a job

and asks for the employee’s feelings about each and then adds them up to get an overall satisfaction score.

Typical factors: the nature of the work, supervision, present pay, promotion opportunities, and relations with co-workers.

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Job Satisfaction

What Determines Job Satisfaction?– Mentally Challenging Work– Equitable Rewards– Supportive Working Conditions– Supportive Colleagues

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Job Satisfaction and Employee

Performance

Satisfaction Affects– Individual Productivity– Organizational Productivity– Absenteeism– Turnover

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Active

PassivePassive

Destructive ConstructiveConstructive

Exit VoiceVoice

Neglect LoyaltyLoyalty

Exhibit 3-2Responses to Job

Dissatisfaction

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Please answer each of the following statements using the following rating scale:

5 = Strongly agree4 = Agree3 = Undecided2 = Disagree1 = Strongly disagree

1. This company is a pretty good place to work. 2. I can get ahead in this company if I make the effort. 3. This company’s wage rates are competitive with those other companies. 4. Employee promotion decisions are handled fairly. 5. I understand the various fringe benefits the company offers. 6. My job makes the best use of my abilities. 7. My workload is challenging but not burdensome. 8. I have trust and confidence in my boss. 9. I feel free to tell my boss what I think.10. I know what my boss expects of me.

Statement Rating

Exhibit 3-3Sample Attitude

Survey

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 2nd ed. ©2001 Prentice-Hall Canada Inc., Scarborough, ON

Summary and Implications

Values strongly influence a person’s attitudes.

An employee’s performance and satisfaction are likely to be higher if his or her values fit well with the organization.

Managers should be interested in their employees’ attitudes because attitudes give warning signs of potential problems and because they influence behaviour.

Managers should also be aware that employees will try to reduce cognitive dissonance.