Chapter 2

Attitudes

1

Learning Objectives

2

1 Contrast the three components of an attitude.

2 Summarize the relationship between attitudes and behavior.

3 Compare the major job attitudes.

4 Identify the two approaches for measuring job satisfaction.

5 Summarize the main causes of job satisfaction.

6 Identify three outcomes of job satisfaction.

7 Identify four employee responses to job dissatisfaction.

Attitudes

3

Attitudes

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

The Components of an Attitude

Cognitive ComponentThe opinion or belief segment of an

attitude

Affective ComponentThe emotional or feeling segment of an

attitude

Behavioral ComponentAn intention to behave in a certain way

toward someone or something

Evaluation

Feeling

Action

ATTITUDE

Attitudes and Behavior

4

Does Behavior Always Follow From Attitudes?

No, not always !!! … Why?

Cognitive

Dissonance

Any incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between behavior and

attitudes

♣It is inconsistent attitude behavior

relationship ♣Inconsistency creates uncomfortable

situation

♣To deal with uncomfortable situation

people seek consistency to reduce

cognitive dissonance♣

They can do that by moderating

variables

Attitudes and Behavior

5

The most powerful moderators of the attitude-behavior relationship

1 Importance of the attitude

2 Its correspondence to behavior

3 Accessibility

4 Presence of social pressures

5 Personal and direct experience with the attitude

Attitude

Predict

Behavior

Job Attitudes

6

Job SatisfactionA positive feeling about the job resulting from an evaluation of its

characteristics

Job InvolvementThe degree to which a person identifies with a job, actively participates in it,

and considers performance important to their self-worth.

Psychological

Empowerment

Employees’ belief in the degree to which they affect their work environment,

their competence, the meaningfulness of their job, and their perceived

autonomy in their work.

Job Attitudes

7

Perceived

Organizational

Support (POS)

The degree to which employees believe an organization values their

contribution and cares about their well-being.

Employee

Engagement

The degree of involvement with, satisfaction with, and enthusiasm for the

job.

Organizational

Commitment

The degree to which an employee identifies with a particular organization

and its goals and wishes to maintain membership in the organization.

Affective Commitment Continuance Commitment Normative Commitment

The emotional

attachment to

organization

The economic value of

staying

The moral or ethical

obligations

Job Attitudes

8

Are Job Attitudes Distinct?

♣ No: these attitudes are highly related.

♣ Variables may be redundant (measuring the same thing under a different name).

♣ While there is some distinction, there is also a lot of overlap.

♣ Overlap may cause confusion.

Measuring Job Satisfaction

9

Job Satisfaction

A positive feeling about the job resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics

Approaches to Measure Job Satisfaction

1Single global rating (one question / one

answer “scale 1 to 5”)2

Summation score (many questions / one

average)

The Best OK

Why?

Measuring Job Satisfaction

10

Measured Job Satisfaction Levels

Yes, most people are satisfied with their jobs

♣ Are People Satisfied with their Jobs?

♣ Still, results depend on how job satisfaction is measured

Why it is so??!!

♣ Also, pay and promotion are the most problematic elements.

What Causes Job Satisfaction?

11

1 Job Conditions

2 Personality (Positive People vs. Negative People)

3 Pay

4 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

5 What else?

Core self-evaluation (CSE): Believing in one’s inner worth and basic competence.

The Outcomes of Job Satisfaction?

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1 Job Performance (Performance vs. Productivity)

2 Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)

3 Customer Satisfaction

4 Life Satisfaction

5 Lower Absenteeism Rate - Lower Turnover Rate – Less Workplace Deviant Behaviors … etc.

The Impact of Job Dissatisfaction?

13

Active

Passive

ConstructiveDestructive

Behavior directed toward

leaving the organization

Active and constructive

attempts to improve

conditions

Exit Voice

Neglect Loyalty

Allowing conditions to

worsen

Passively waiting for

conditions to improve

The Impact of Job Dissatisfaction?

14

Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB)

Indicators for CWB (deviant workplace behavior – withdrawal behavior) are substance abuse, stealing at

work, undue socializing, gossiping, absenteeism, and tardiness

CWB doesn’t just happen. It often follows negative

and sometimes long-standing attitudes.

Therefore, if we can identify the predictors of CWB,

we may lessen the probability of its effects.

Job EmbeddednessThe extent to which an employee’s connections to the job and community

result in an increased commitment to the organization.

There is a consistent moderate to weak negative

relationship between satisfaction and absenteeism

There is a consistent strong negative relationship

between satisfaction and turnover

But this relation is not stable and also not the same for all people?

The Impact of Job Dissatisfaction?

15

Understanding the Impact

Managers Often “Don’t Get It”

Despite the overwhelming evidence of the impact of job satisfaction on the bottom line, most managers are either unconcerned about or overestimate worker satisfaction.

How to overcome this dilemma?