Defining AttitudeAn attitude is generally defined as the way a person responds to his or her environment, either positively or negatively. Show
Learning Objectives Define attitude within the context of behavioral norms for employees in an organization Key TakeawaysKey Points
Key Terms
Overview An attitude could be generally defined as the way a person responds to his or her environment, either positively or negatively. The definition of attitude is nonetheless a source of some discussion and debate. Attitudes in the WorkplaceEveryone has attitudes about many things; these are not necessarily a bad thing. One aspect of employees' attitude is the impact it can have on the people around them. People with a positive attitude can lift the spirits of their co-workers, while a person with a negative attitude can lower their spirits. Sometimes, though, this principle works in reverse, and attitudes are often more complex than positive or negative. Attitudes may affect both the employee's work performance and the performances of co-workers. Attitude: A person's attitude can be influenced by his or her environment, just as a person's attitude affects his or her environment. Can Management Change People's Attitudes? Some attitudes represent a dangerous element in the workplace that can spread to those closest to the employee and affect everyone's performance. Is it a manager's responsibility to help change the person's attitude? Should the employee alone be responsible? The answer is that attitudes are the confluence of an individual and external stimuli, and therefore everyone is in a position of responsibility. How Attitude Influences BehaviorAttitudes can positively or negatively affect a person's behavior, regardless of whether the individual is aware of the effects. Learning Objectives Explain how differing attitudes can have a meaningful effect on employee behavior Key TakeawaysKey Points
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Individual Attitudes and Behaviors Attitudes can
positively or negatively affect a person's behavior. A person may not always be aware of his or her attitude or the effect it is having on behavior. A person who has positive attitudes towards work and co-workers (such as contentment, friendliness, etc.) can positively influence those around them. These positive attitudes are usually manifested in a person's behavior; people with a good attitude are active and productive and do what they can to improve the mood of those around them. Attitudinal CategoriesAttitude and behavior interact differently based upon the attitude in question. Understanding different types of attitudes and their likely implications is useful in predicting how individuals' attitudes may govern their behavior. Daniel Katz uses four attitude classifications:
Organizational Attitudes and Behaviors Attitudes can be infectious and can influence the behavior of those around them. Organizations must therefore recognize that it is possible to influence a person's attitude and, in turn, his or her behavior. A positive work environment, job satisfaction, a reward system,
and a code of conduct can all help reinforce specific behaviors. Defining ValuesValues are guiding principles that determine individual morality and conduct. Learning Objectives Define values in the context of organizational ethics and organizational behavior Key TakeawaysKey Points
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OverviewPersonal values can be influenced by culture, tradition, and a combination of internal and external factors. Values determine what individuals find important in their daily life and help to shape their behavior in each situation they encounter. Since values often strongly influence both attitude and behavior, they serve as a kind of personal compass for employee conduct in the workplace. Values help determine whether an employee is passionate about work and the workplace, which in turn can lead to above-average returns, high employee satisfaction, strong team dynamics, and synergy. How Are Values Formed? Values are usually shaped by many different internal and external influences, including family, traditions, culture, and, more recently, media and the Internet. A person will
filter all of these influences and meld them into a unique value set that may differ from the value sets of others in the same culture.
Values in the WorkplaceValues can strongly influence employee conduct in the workplace. If an employee values honesty, hard work, and discipline, for example, he will likely make an effort to exhibit those traits in the workplace. This person may therefore be a more efficient employee and a more positive role model to others than an employee with opposite values. Hard work: A strong work ethic is a personal value. Conflict may arise, however, if an employee realizes that her co-workers do not share her values. For example, an employee who values hard work may resent co-workers who are lazy or unproductive without being reprimanded. Even so, additional conflicts can result if the employee attempts to force her own values on her co-workers. Hiring for Values If the managers of a business create a mission statement, they have likely decided what values they want their company to project to the public. The mission statement can help them seek out candidates whose personalities match these values, which can help reduce friction in the workplace and foster a positive work environment. How Values Influence BehaviorValues influence behavior because people emulate the conduct they hold valuable. Learning Objectives Discuss the
positive relationship between meaningful corporate and employee values and behavior in the workplace Key TakeawaysKey Points
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OverviewValues are defined as perspectives about an appropriate course of action. If a person values honesty, then he or she will strive to be honest. People who value transparency will work hard to be transparent. Values are one important element that affects individual character and behavior towards others. The relationship between values and behavior is intimate, as values create a construct for appropriate actions. Values and Behavior in the WorkplaceA work environment should strive to encourage positive values and discourage negative influences that affect behavior. All individuals possess a moral compass, defined via values, which direct how they treat others and conduct themselves. People who lack strong or ethical values may participate in negative behavior that can hurt the organization. While a company cannot do anything about the influences that shape a person's values and behavior before hiring, the organization can try to influence employee behavior in the workplace. Means of Encouraging or Discouraging Behavior Training programs, codes of conduct, and ethics
committees can inform employees of the types of behavior that the company finds acceptable and unacceptable. While these efforts will not necessarily not change an individual's values, they can help them decide not to participate in unethical behavior while at work. Managers must emphasize not only an employee's responsibilities, but also what the organization expects with respect to values and ethics. Ethics statements and vision statements are useful tools in communicating to employees what
the company stands for and why. Defining Job SatisfactionJob satisfaction is the level of contentment employees feel about their work, which can affect performance. Learning Objectives Define job satisfaction in the context of the driving forces in organizational behavior Key TakeawaysKey Points
Key Terms
What Is Job Satisfaction? Job satisfaction is the level of contentment a person feels regarding his or her job. This feeling is mainly based on an individual's perception of satisfaction. Job satisfaction can be influenced by a person's ability to complete required tasks, the level of communication in an
organization, and the way management treats employees. Measuring Job Satisfaction Many organizations face challenges in accurately measuring job satisfaction, as
the definition of satisfaction can differ among various people within an organization. However, most organizations realize that workers' level of job satisfaction can impact their job performance, and thus determining metrics is crucial to creating strong efficiency. Important Factors Typically, five factors can be used to measure and influence job satisfaction: Management and Communication In addition to these five factors, one of the most important aspects of an individual's work in a modern organization concerns communication demands that the employee encounters on the job. Demands
can be characterized as a communication load: "the rate and complexity of communication inputs an individual must process in a particular time frame." If an individual receives too many messages simultaneously, does not receive enough input on the job, or is unsuccessful in processing these inputs, the individual is more likely to become dissatisfied, aggravated, and unhappy with work, leading to a low level of job satisfaction. How Job Satisfaction Influences BehaviorJob satisfaction can affect a person's level of commitment to the organization, absenteeism, and job turnover. Learning Objectives Discuss the way in which job satisfaction reflects upon work behaviors in an organization Key TakeawaysKey Points
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The Influence of Job Satisfaction on BehaviorJob satisfaction can affect a person's level of commitment to the organization, absenteeism, and job turnover rate. It can also affect performance levels, employee willingness to participate in problem-solving activities, and the amount of effort employees put in to perform activities outside their job description. When people are satisfied with the work they are doing, then their job feels less like work and is a more enjoyable experience. Those who are satisfied in their jobs usually do not find it difficult to get up and go to work. Job satisfaction: Job satisfaction can affect relationships. Job satisfaction also reduces stress, which can affect job performance, mental well-being, and physical health. Stress can also affect decision-making—possibly leading to unethical or nonstrategic choices. Satisfied employees, on the other hand, maintain a more positive and carefree perspective about work. This positive outlook often spreads to co-workers and can have a positive experience on everyone's performance. There are some indications that job satisfaction is directly tied to job performance; nonetheless, feeling less stressed can positively affect a person's behavior. Methods for Increasing Job Satisfaction To determine if employees are actually satisfied with the work they do, organizations frequently conduct surveys to measure employees' level of job satisfaction and to identify areas—on-boarding, job training, employee incentive programs, etc.—for improvement and job enrichment. Because job satisfaction
varies for each individual, management teams employ several different strategies to help the majority of employees within an organization feel satisfied with their place in the company.
These positive changes in behavior show that people learn from their environments and that corporate culture plays a large part in creating job satisfaction. Managers are tasked with managing this positive culture and understanding how each employee is affected by cultural influences in the workplace. No two people are the same; this is where managers come into play. Managers must be insightful and observant, identifying what motivates high
levels of job satisfaction in each individual and ensuring employees get what they need. In some ways, a manager's customers are their subordinates. Understanding this dynamic is an important component of the role of management. How Emotion and Mood Influence BehaviorEmotion and mood can affect temperament, personality, disposition, motivation, and initial perspectives and reactions. Learning Objectives Describe the importance of employee
moods and emotions on overall performance from an organizational perspective Key TakeawaysKey Points
Key Terms
Emotions in the WorkplaceEmotions and mood can affect temperament, personality, disposition, and motivation. They can affect a person's physical well-being, judgement, and perception. Emotions play a critical role in how individuals behave and react to external stimuli; they are often internalized enough for people to fail to notice when they are at work. Emotions and mood can cloud judgment and reduce rationality in decision-making. MoodAll moods can affect judgment, perception, and physical and emotional well-being. Long-term exposure to negative moods or stressful environments can lead to illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and ulcers. The decision-making effects of any kind of bad mood can hinder a person's job performance and lead to poor decisions that affect the company. In contrast, a positive mood can enhance creativity and problem solving. However, positive moods can also create false optimism and negatively influence decision making. EmotionEmotions are reciprocal with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, and motivation. Emotions can be influenced by hormones and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and seratonin. Dopamine can affect a person's energy level and mood, while seratonin can affect critical-thinking skills. As emotion is largely a chemical balance (or imbalance) in the mind, emotions can quickly cloud judgment and complicate social interactions without the individual being consciously aware that it is happening. Plutchik Wheel: Emotions are complex and move in various directions. Modeling emotional feelings and considering their behavioral implications are useful in preventing emotions from having a negative effect on the workplace. The implication for behavior is important for both managers and subordinates to understand. Workers must try to identify objectively when an emotional predisposition is influencing their behavior and judgement and ensure that the repercussions of the emotion are either positive or neutralized. Positive emotions can be a great thing, producing extroversion, energy and job satisfaction. However, both positive and negative emotions can distort the validity of a decision. Being overconfident, for example, can be just as dangerous as being under-confident. Organizational Implications By encouraging positive employee management relationships and employee dynamics, an organization may be able to balance a person's mood and emotions. Improving the level of job satisfaction for employees is another way that a company can influence an employee's mood. If a person is satisfied at work, that condition may reduce levels of stress and help influence
motivation and disposition. Job satisfaction can affect a person's mood and emotional state. Providing organizational benefits, such as a company gym, meditation classes, or company retreats, can likewise influence a person's emotions. An active lifestyle has been shown to produce an increased level of dopamine, which can enhance energy and mood. Licenses and AttributionsCC licensed content, Shared previously
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What are the major job attitudes in what ways are these attitudes alike what is unique about each?What is unique about each? The major job attitudes are job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment. They are all alike by either really liking their job or really hating it. Job satisfaction describes a positive feeling about a job.
Why is it important for managers to track key workplace attitudes?Better Predict Employee Behavior
The more attention you give to employees' attitudes, the better manager you can be. Understanding employees' attitudes can be instrumental in predicting how they will behave in any given setting.
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