work-related attitudes chapter 5 feelings about jobs, organizations, and people

Work-Related Work-Related AttitudesAttitudes

Chapter 5Chapter 5

Feelings about Jobs, Organizations, and People

2 © Copyright 2003, Prentice Hall

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

1. Define attitudes and describe their basic components.

2. Describe the concept of job satisfaction and summarize two major theories of job satisfaction.

3. Explain the major consequences of job dissatisfaction and ways of overcoming them.

4. Describe the concept of organizational commitment, the major consequences of low levels of organizational commitment, and how to overcome them.

5. Distinguish between prejudice and discrimination, and identify various victims of prejudice in organizations.

6. Describe some of the steps being taken by organizations today to manage diversity in the workforce and their effectiveness.

© Copyright 2003, Prentice Hall 3

Basic DefinitionsBasic Definitions

AttitudesAttitudes: Relatively stable clusters of feelings, beliefs, and behavioral intentions toward specific objects, people, or institutions.

Work-Related AttitudesWork-Related Attitudes: Attitudes relating to any aspect of work or work settings.

Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction: Positive or negative attitudes held by individuals toward their jobs.


Components of AttitudesComponents of Attitudes


Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction

Most people are quite satisfied with their jobs.Most people are quite satisfied with their jobs.– Levels of job satisfaction, however, vary by country– Overall levels of satisfaction have been dropping in

recent years What kinds of workers tend to be more satisfied?What kinds of workers tend to be more satisfied?– White-collar personnel– Older people– People with more experience on their jobs– Men and members of majority groups– Those who are dispositionally predisposed to be

satisfied


Satisfaction by CountrySatisfaction by Country


Causes of Lowered MoraleCauses of Lowered Morale


The Dispositional ModelThe Dispositional Model

The conceptualization proposing that job satisfaction is a relatively stable disposition of an individual – that is, a characteristic that stays with people across situations.


Measuring Job SatisfactionMeasuring Job Satisfaction

Job Descriptive Index:Job Descriptive Index: A rating scale for assessing job satisfaction. Individuals respond to this questionnaire by indicating whether or not various adjectives describe aspects of their work.



Minnesota Satisfaction Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire:Questionnaire: A rating scale for assessing job satisfaction in which people indicate the extent to which they are satisfied with various aspects of their jobs.



Pay Satisfaction Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire:Questionnaire:

A questionnaire designed to assess employees’ level of satisfaction with various aspects of their pay.



Critical Incidents TechniqueCritical Incidents Technique: : A procedure for measuring job satisfaction in which employees describe incidents relating to their work that they find especially satisfying or dissatisfying.

InterviewsInterviews: Questioning people in person about their attitudes in order to explore them more deeply.


Two-Factor TheoryTwo-Factor Theory

A theory of job satisfaction suggesting that satisfaction and dissatisfaction stem from different groups of variables (motivators and hygiene factors, respectively).


Value Theory of Value Theory of SatisfactionSatisfaction

A theory suggesting that job satisfaction depends primarily on the match between the outcomes individuals value in their jobs and their perceptions about the availability of such outcomes.


Consequences of Job Consequences of Job SatisfactionSatisfaction

Employee WithdrawalEmployee Withdrawal: Actions such as chronic absenteeism and voluntary turnover (i.e., quitting one’s job) that enable employees to escape from adverse organization situations.

AbsenteeismAbsenteeismTurnoverTurnover

Task PerformanceTask Performance


TurnoverTurnover

Unfolding model of voluntary turnoverUnfolding model of voluntary turnover: A conceptualization that explains the cognitive processes through which people make decisions about quitting or staying on their jobs.

Decision depends on: Shock to the systemShock to the system: An attention-getting event

that gets employees to think about their jobs (e.g., merger with another company).

Decision framesDecision frames: A set of internalized rules and images regarding how to interpret something that has occurred (e.g., based on what I know from the past, is there an obvious response?).


Voluntary TurnoverVoluntary Turnover


Task PerformanceTask Performance

The relationship between satisfaction and performance is positive, but it is not very strong.

Explanations:– In many work settings, there is little room for

large changes in performance.– Job satisfaction and performance may not be

directly linked. Any direct relationship between them may stem from the fact that both are related to a third factor – receipt of various rewards.


Promoting Job SatisfactionPromoting Job Satisfaction

Make jobs fun Pay people fairly Match people to

jobs that fit their interests

Avoid boring, repetitive jobs


Job Satisfaction in Tough Job Satisfaction in Tough TimesTimes

Be open and honest about the company’s financial situation.

Spend time with your best workers, helping them develop their careers.

Break assignments into manageable chunks.

Pay people what they’re worth.


Organizational Organizational CommitmentCommitment The extent to which an individual identifies and is

involved with his or her organization and/or is unwilling to leave it.

Continuance CommitmentContinuance Commitment: The strength of a person’s desire to continue working for an organization because he or she needs to do so and cannot afford to leave.

Affective CommitmentAffective Commitment: The strength of a person’s desire to work for an organization because he or she agrees with its underlying goals and values.

Normative CommitmentNormative Commitment: The strength of a person’s desire to continue working for an organization because he or she feels obligations from others to remain there.


Organizational Organizational CommitmentCommitment


Why Commitment MattersWhy Commitment Matters

Committed employees are less likely to withdraw.

Committed employees are willing to make sacrifices for the organization.


Developing CommitmentDeveloping Commitment

Make jobs interesting and give people responsibility.

Align the interests of the company with those of the employees.

Enthusiastically recruit new employees whose values closely match those of the organization.

Listen to your employees.


Prejudice vs. Prejudice vs. DiscriminationDiscrimination

PrejudiceNegative attitudes toward the members of specific groups, based solely on the fact that they are members of those groups (e.g., age, race, sexual orientation).

PrejudiceNegative attitudes toward the members of specific groups, based solely on the fact that they are members of those groups (e.g., age, race, sexual orientation).

DiscriminationThe behavior consistent with a prejudicial attitude; the act of treating someone negatively because of his or her membership in a specific group.

DiscriminationThe behavior consistent with a prejudicial attitude; the act of treating someone negatively because of his or her membership in a specific group.


Prejudice vs. Prejudice vs. DiscriminationDiscrimination


Problems of PrejudiceProblems of Prejudice

Although the American workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, prejudice against various groups still exists, often with serious consequences.Specific problems:– Prejudice can be a source of serious friction or conflict

between people.– Prejudice may have adverse effects on the careers of people

who are the targets of such attitudes.

Glass CeilingGlass Ceiling: A barrier to job advancement caused by prejudicial attitudes.

CovictimizationCovictimization: The negative psychological impact suffered by individuals who share the same background as direct victims of discrimination.


Bases for PrejudiceBases for Prejudice

Age Physical Condition Gender (being

female) Sexual Orientation Race and National

Origin Religion


Does Discrimination Exist?Does Discrimination Exist?

A survey of American workers shows that racial discrimination is believed to be prevalent in many forms. Its main victims, African Americans, tend to be more aware of discrimination than those who are least affected by it, white Americans.


Major Approaches to Major Approaches to DiversityDiversity

Affirmative Action PlansAffirmative Action Plans: Diversity programs designed to respond to affirmative action laws, which are legislation designed to give employment opportunities to groups that have been underrepresented in the workforce.

Diversity Management ProgramsDiversity Management Programs: Programs in which employees are taught to celebrate the differences between people and in which organizations create supportive work environments for women and minorities.


Affirmative ActionAffirmative Action


Diversity Management Diversity Management ProgramsPrograms Awareness-Based Diversity TrainingAwareness-Based Diversity Training: A type

of diversity management program designed to make people more aware of diversity issues in the workplace and to get them to recognize the underlying assumptions they make about people.

Skills-Based Diversity TrainingSkills-Based Diversity Training: An approach to diversity management that goes beyond awareness-based diversity training and is designed to develop people’s skills with respect to managing diversity.


Diversity ManagementDiversity Management


Avoiding PitfallsAvoiding Pitfalls

Focus on a range of differences between people – not stereotypes.

Managers should not treat someone as special because he or she is a member of a certain group.

Managing diversity requires total managerial support.


Ensuring SuccessEnsuring Success

Actively pursue the best people.

Make sure that people are accepted and fit in.

Educate everyone. Assess how you’re

doing. Pay attention to

details. Plan for the future.

work-related attitudes chapter 5 feelings about jobs, organizations, and people

Documents

levels of job satisfaction

concept of job satisfaction

quitting ones job

various aspects

questioning people

negative attitudes

work settings

aspect of work