Sources and Sources and Consequences of Consequences of

Attitudes.Attitudes.

ObjectivesObjectives

Define attitudesDefine attitudes Describe job Describe job satisfaction satisfaction and its and its

relationship torelationship to productivity productivity Explain the Explain the theory of cognitive theory of cognitive

dissonancedissonance

Summary (cont.)Summary (cont.)

Discuss the relationship Discuss the relationship between between attitudes attitudes andand behaviorsbehaviors

Examine attitude change Examine attitude change

Key Variables Affecting Key Variables Affecting Individual BehaviorIndividual Behavior

AttitudesAttitudesAttitudesAttitudes

MotivationMotivationMotivationMotivation

PerceptionPerceptionPerceptionPerception

LearningLearningLearningLearning

IndividualIndividualBehaviorBehaviorIndividualIndividualBehaviorBehavior

ValuesValuesValuesValues

PersonalityPersonalityPersonalityPersonality

AbilityAbilityAbilityAbility

AttitudesAttitudesAttitudesAttitudes

Evaluative statements – Evaluative statements –

favorable or unfavorable –favorable or unfavorable –

about objects, people, or about objects, people, or

events; reflect how one events; reflect how one

feels about somethingfeels about something

Job SatisfactionJob SatisfactionJob SatisfactionJob Satisfaction

Refers to an individual’s Refers to an individual’s

general attitude toward the general attitude toward the

job; when people speak of job; when people speak of

employee attitudes, often employee attitudes, often

means job satisfactionmeans job satisfaction

What Determines Job What Determines Job Satisfaction?Satisfaction?

Evidence indicates that the most Evidence indicates that the most important factors conducive to job important factors conducive to job satisfaction aresatisfaction are

Mentally Mentally challengingchallenging work work EquitableEquitable rewards rewards Supportive working conditionsSupportive working conditions SupportiveSupportive colleagues colleagues

Satisfaction and Satisfaction and ProductivityProductivity

Evidence shows that satisfaction’s Evidence shows that satisfaction’s effect on productivity is fairly effect on productivity is fairly smallsmall

Productivity can be increased:Productivity can be increased: More by More by removing outside constraintsremoving outside constraints

than by influencing satisfactionthan by influencing satisfaction By introducing By introducing organizational rewardsorganizational rewards

for productivity, such asfor productivity, such as Verbal Verbal RecognitionRecognition PayPay Level Level Probabilities for Probabilities for PromotionPromotion

Cognitive DissonanceCognitive DissonanceCognitive DissonanceCognitive Dissonance

Inconsistencies betweenInconsistencies between

two or more of a person’s two or more of a person’s

attitudes or between a attitudes or between a

person’s behavior and person’s behavior and

attitudesattitudes

Reducing DissonanceReducing Dissonance

If elements creating dissonance are If elements creating dissonance are relatively relatively unimportantunimportant, pressure to , pressure to correct imbalance will be lowcorrect imbalance will be low

Degree of influenceDegree of influence over the elements over the elements will impact how we react to will impact how we react to dissonancedissonance

Rewards Rewards influence the degree that we influence the degree that we are motivated to reduce dissonanceare motivated to reduce dissonance

The Attitude-Behavior The Attitude-Behavior RelationshipRelationship

Social constraintsSocial constraints moderate behavior moderate behavior Although some hold Although some hold contradictory contradictory

attitudesattitudes, pressures are toward , pressures are toward consistencyconsistency

Other things besides attitudes Other things besides attitudes influence behaviorinfluence behavior

Attitudes Attitudes dodo influence behavior influence behavior

PerceptionPerceptionPerceptionPerception

Process by which people Process by which people

organize and interpret organize and interpret

their sensory impressions their sensory impressions

in order to give meaning in order to give meaning

to their environmentto their environment

Factors Influencing PerceptionFactors Influencing Perception

Operate to shape and sometimes Operate to shape and sometimes distort perceptiondistort perception Reside in the Reside in the perceiverperceiver Part of the object or Part of the object or targettarget being being

perceivedperceived Exist in the Exist in the contextcontext of the situation of the situation

in which the perception is madein which the perception is made

Attribution TheoryAttribution Theory Judging people differently depending Judging people differently depending

upon meaning attributed to a behaviorupon meaning attributed to a behavior Determine whether caused Determine whether caused internally internally oror

externallyexternally, depending upon, depending upon

1. 1. DistinctivenessDistinctiveness - different behavior in - different behavior in different situationsdifferent situations

2. 2. ConsensusConsensus - same behavior in similar - same behavior in similar situationssituations

3. 3. Consistency Consistency - same behavior over - same behavior over timetime

Fundamental Attribution ErrorFundamental Attribution Error

InIn OthersOthers:: Underestimating influence of external Underestimating influence of external

factors factors Overestimating influence of internal Overestimating influence of internal

factorsfactors

Self-Serving BiasSelf-Serving Bias:: Attributing success to internal factors Attributing success to internal factors Blaming external factors for failureBlaming external factors for failure

Shortcuts to Judging OthersShortcuts to Judging Others SelectivitySelectivity - choosing bits of data - choosing bits of data

depending on the interests, background, depending on the interests, background, experience, and attitudes of observerexperience, and attitudes of observer

Assumed SimilarityAssumed Similarity - perceptions of - perceptions of others more influenced by what the others more influenced by what the observer is like or thinksobserver is like or thinks

StereotypingStereotyping - basing perception on - basing perception on group membership or associationgroup membership or association

Halo EffectHalo Effect - drawing a general - drawing a general impression on the basis of a single impression on the basis of a single characteristic, such as intelligence, characteristic, such as intelligence, sociability, or appearancesociability, or appearance