Chapter 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Attitudes:
Attitudes are evaluative statements either favorable or unfavorable about objects,
people, or events. They reflect how we feel about something. When an employee says
I like my job, he is expressing his attitude about his work.
Main Components of Attitudes:

Typically, researchers have assumed that attitudes have three components -- Cognitive Component: The opinion of belief segment of an attitude. Example:
My colleagues are behaving unfair to me. (Evaluation)
Affective Component: The emotional or feeling segment of an attitude.
Example: I have an aversion to the environment of my job. (Feeling)
Behavioral Component: An intention to behave in a certain way toward
someone or something. Example: I want to leave this job and looking for
another. (Action)
Example:
The following exhibit illustrates how the three components cognitive, affect, and
behavior are related. In this example, an employee didnt get a promotion he
thought he deserved; a coworker got it instead. The employees attitude towards his
supervisor is illustrated as follows: the employee thought he deserved the promotion
(cognition), the employee strongly dislikes his supervisor (affect), and the employee
is looking for another job (behavior). Although often we think that cognition causes
affect, which then causes behavior, in reality these components are often difficult to
separate.

Chapter 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Does Behavior always follow from attitudes?

Early research of psychologists assumed that attitudes were related to behaviorattitudes that people hold determine what they do. People seek consistency among
their attitudes and behavior. They do this by altering either the attitudes or the
behavior or by developing a rationalization for the discrepancy. Behavior does not
follow up attitude always, but sometimes it can be changed or shaped by attitude, but
it remains within a certain limit. Attitude seldom follow behavior, and under few
conditions it does, such as when the attitude is potent, and strong, or when something
has happened that changed ones behavior as well as his attitude about it.
How satisfied are people in their jobs?
People are always looking for better options. As they have limitless demand, cannot
be satisfied with their current position and seek for higher positions repeatedly. Thats
why; they are always displeased with their job and constantly look for improved one.
Job satisfaction level vary a lot depending on age, payment, promotion activates etc.

Chapter 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

But in some case, an employee can have satisfaction with his job, if he has certain
interest in working with that sector or if he had no other option, such as old aged
persons. Personality also influences peoples job satisfaction. Negative people are
usually not satisfied with their jobs. Those with positive core self-evaluation are more
satisfied with their jobs.
However, those who are satisfied with their job are tending to be less satisfied with
their pay and with promotion opportunities. So, its that, people cannot gain complete
satisfaction with his/her job.
What are the major job attitudes?
A person can have thousands of attitudes, but OB focuses our attention on a very
limited number of work-related attitudes. Most of the research in OB has looked at
three attitudes: job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment. A
few other attitudes attracting attention from researchers include perceived
organizational support and employee engagement.
Job Satisfaction: The term job satisfaction describes a positive feeling about a
job, resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics. A person with a high
level of job satisfaction holds positive feelings about his or her job, while
dissatisfied person holds negative feelings. When people speak of employees
attitudes, they usually mean job satisfaction.
Job Involvement: Related to job satisfaction is job involvement. Job
involvement measures the degree to which people identify psychologically
with their job and consider their perceived performance level important to
self-worth. High level of both job involvement and psychological
empowerment are positively related to organizational citizenship and job
performance. In addition, high job involvement has been found to relate to a
reduced number of absences and lower resignation rates, also increasing job
satisfaction.

Chapter 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Organizational Commitment: Organizational commitment is the degree to

which an employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals and
wishes to maintain membership in the organization. There are three separate
diminutions to organizational commitment.
Affective commitment: An emotional attachment to an organization
and a belief in its value.
Continuance commitment: The perceived economic value of remaining
with an organization compared with leaving it.
Normative commitment: An obligation to remain with an organization
for moral or ethical reasons.
Perceived Organizational Support: POS is the degree to which employees
believe an organization values their condition and cares about their well-being.
For example, an employee believes his organization would accommodate him
if he had a childcare problem or would forgive an honest mistake on his part.
Employee Engagement: An individuals involvement with, satisfaction with,
and enthusiasm for the work he or she does.
Impact of Satisfied or Dissatisfied Employees:
Home Depot Canada, Xerox, Sears, Roebuck and Co., and a flock of other
organizations are paying a lot more attention to job satisfaction these days. Job
satisfaction affects many of the individual behaviors. There are consequences when
employees like their jobs and when they dislike their jobs. A useful template to
organize and understand the consequences of job dissatisfaction is the exit-voiceloyalty-neglect (EVLN) model. This theoretical framework is helpful in
understanding the consequences of dissatisfaction.
Exhibit illustrates the frameworks four responses, which differ from one another
along two dimensions: constructive/destructive and active/passive. The responses are
defined as follows:

Chapter 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Exit: The exit response involves directing behavior toward leaving the
organization, including looking for a new position as well as resigning.
Employee turnover is a well-established outcome of job dissatisfaction,
particularly for employees with better job opportunities elsewhere.
Voice: The voice response involves actively and constructively attempting to
improve conditions, including suggesting improvements, discussing problems
with superiors, and understanding some forms of union activity. Voice is often
researched purely as a positive or constructive response, such as directly trying
to solve the problem with management or actively helping to improve the
situation. However, voice can also be more confrontational, such as by filing
formal grievances. In the extreme, some employees might engage in
counterproductive behaviors to get attention and force changes in the
organization.
Loyalty: The loyalty response involves passively but optimistically waiting for
conditions to improve, including speaking up for the organization in the face
of external criticism and trusting the organization and its management to do
the right thing. The most widely held view is that loyalists are employees

Chapter 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

who respond to dissatisfaction by patiently waitingsome say suffering in

silencefor the problem to work itself out or get resolved by others.
Neglect: The neglect response involves passively allowing conditions to
worsen, including chronic absenteeism or lateness, reduced effort and
increased error rate. Research clearly establishes that dissatisfied employees
tend to have higher absenteeism; the relationship between satisfaction and job
performance is more complex.
The use of any of these four EVLN alternatives depends on the person and situation.
One determining factor is the availability of alternative employment. With poor job
prospects, employees are less likely to use the exit option. Employees who identify
with the organization are also more likely to use voice rather than exit.
Personality is another influence on the choice of action. People with high
conscientiousness are less likely to engage in neglect and more likely to engage in
voice Some experts suggest that employees differ in their EVLN behavior depending
on whether they have high or low socialism. Finally, past experience influences our
choice of action. Employees who were unsuccessful with voice in the past are more
likely to engage in exit or neglect when experiencing job dissatisfaction in the future.
Attitude vs. Capacity:
Attitude

Capacity

1. Attitude is what one can do right Capacity is what maximum that one can
now with current resources and do
skills.

with

proper

training

and

right

equipment.

2. Ability is related to mental power.

Capacity is related to physical power.

3. Ability is practically possible.

Capacity is available or possible to be

done.

4. But one may not be able to climb One may have the capacity to climb six

Chapter 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

because of his laziness.

floors.

Attitude vs. Behavior:

Attitude

Behavior

1. Attitude is a person's inner thoughts Behavior

and feelings.
2. Attitude

is

usually

an

outward

expression of attitude.
is

circumstances

reaction

of Behavior is reaction of circumstances

influenced

by received by born and earlier stage or

environment.

learning.

3. Attitude is short term evaluative Behavior is long term statements.

statements.
4. Attitude is thought-oriented.

Behavior is action-oriented.

5. Attitude is rapidly changeable.

Behavior does not change and shaped in

a limit.

6. Attitude is build up from societal Behavior is build up from influences of

influences.

family and generation by generation.

7. For example: a manager may like For example: manager must obey his
his boss, it is his attitude toward his boss and always have to give him a
boss.

smile, it is his behavior.