Chapter 7 (work and Work Attitudes)

Work

Work is what one should do and must do regularly, grimly and purposefully.

Work

Work is viewed as a means of attaining whatever one desires and it is best (a cultural value) that one has a great achievement motivation.

Work

Work is serious adult business that enables one to get ahead and make a contribution to society.

Work

Work is a fundamental dimension and human existence. It is a physical or an intellectual effort directed towards a desire end.

Play

Play is different. It is fun,, an outlet from work, without serious purpose except to make us happier, more efficient, and more relaxed and longer — lasting working human machines.

Play

It is man equipped with proper skills and positive attitude towards work and values that can help recover a tattered economy and transform a nation.

Positive attitudes

are objects or ideas that we like and have a tendency to acquire, such as money, diamonds, beauty, knowledge, industriousness, honesty, love for work, etc.

Negative attitudes

Negative attitudes are those we shun or dislike for they do not give any satisfaction. Snakes, diseases, death or even dislike for work itself are a few examples of negative attitudes.

Attitudes

is a predisposition to react, positively or negatively, to a person, place or circumstance. It is therefore a tendency to respond and can be considered a “learning” in one direction or another.

Attitudes

is what psychologists would also term a “set”.

two main elements in an attitude

the predisposition and the direction of that predisposition.

Attitudes

refer to the stand the individual upholds and cherishes about objects, issues, persons, groups or institution.

utilitarian attitudes

are adjustive ones that can be recognized most easily in change situations

ego-defensive attitudes

protect the person from threats to the ego and the anxiety generated by them. An introduction of new business procedures or a change to electronic data processing techniques, for instance, may be perceived as a threat to one’s position in the company or even as an attack on the person himself.

value-expressive attitudes

are those maintaining self-identity or leading to self-expression and determination. When old values no longer provide the basis for maintaining a good self-image, change is fostered. When the new attitudes are supported by new environmental conditions, change can occur more readily.

Knowledge function

tend to promote meaningfulness in all activity. An individual strives to have completeness an clarity in what he does. Ambiguity can lead to attitude change when the new patterns provide more information about the problems.

Cultural attitudes

are interpreted by the family to the individual. The community, the large group to which the family belongs, and the society to which these larger groups belong all interact and are interrelated in their influence on the individual.

Attitude Change

Motivation and learning are fundamental in this area as in others. Attitudes develop as the result of an arousal of a need and then are shaped specifically through the process of learning. Thus, it is important to remember that a need to change is present for attitude change.

Morale

Morale is the summation of the attitudes of the individuals making up the group. One may speak of high morale where the members generally have positive attitudes and have their needs satisfied to their expectation.

Job attitude

is a tendency to respond to aspects of the job positively or negatively.

Job satisfaction

is based on job attitudes but is somewhat broader in that job satisfaction relates to how the job fits into the total picture of the person’s functioning.

Concept of Work

Work is universal. This universal thinking is expounded by Ida Tarbel, a naturalist. In her formal essay “WORK”, she says

 

“Work is something that reaches the deepest needs; that helps to reconcile

frustrating and confusing mystery of the universe. That it helps establish order

 in a disorderly society; puts despair to sleep and given experience to the youth”.

Work

is a means to social progress and culture,” Calvin Coolidge expresses this from an intellectual angle.

Labor

In Latin signifies trouble, distress and difficulty.

Travail

in French originally denotes a three-pronged instrument of torture employed by the Roman legions.

Occupation

among the Latins is something to seize, hold or grapple with.

Work (Pope Paul II, in his Laborem Exercens on human work)

to the Greeks is synonymous with trouble. Work and slavery are identical among the biblical Hebrews.

Mental work

refers to those type of activities in which remembering, thinking, reasoning, judging etc. are involved

Physical Work

refers to those activities where speed, coordination and intensity of muscular responses are the concern of the individual.

Knowledge workers

include accountant, clerks, tellers, programmers, supervisors, and executives.

Blue collar workers

inlcude all who account for direct labor costs.

scholarly definition of work

“ is the utilization of physiological and mental processes to achieve a goal or accomplish a task.”

Element of work (WILL POWER)

- is the faculty by which rational mind chooses its end of action and directs energies in carrying out its strong determination. It is the tendency of an individual to do something, without being told or directed by anybody.

Element of work (Objective)

By objective is meant a goal or an intended purpose which defines the scope and direction of efforts.

Elements of work (Responsibility)

maybe defined as the obligatory duty to which a person is bound by reason of his status, occupation or assigned task.

the main elements of conduct:

Compliance, Obedience, and dependability.

Compliance

means action in conforming with directives that flow down form superiors to subordinates.

Obedience

means submission to the guidance of an authority

Dependability

this means reliability and trustworthiness. This is confidence that develops when tasks are commensurate with capabilities. This means responsibility for duty.

Elements of work (Knowledge)

is a person’s range of information which includes theoretical or practical understanding. This is the mental equipment that enables man or the worker to understand clearly the objective.

Ethics

the systematized principles of morally, correct conduct.

Moral Obligation

A good work ethics that instill in everyone a sense of satisfaction, in doing one’s best, could be a key factor in self-actualization and in the fulfillment of the goal for national progress.

Honesty

in all history we read or even around us we observe, that the most powerful people are those who work hard enough and honestly enough to fulfill themselves and thus make contributions to national growth. The most progressive and poweerfull nations are those whose citizens work hard enough.

Self-efficiency

means using our abilities in order to bring optimum results with least wastes and strain. To become efficiency minded, one must keep three aspects in mind as general objectives.

Self-efficiency

self-awareness and self-development to realize ones aspiration.

Group efficiency

Human relations, teamwork and social efficiency.

Things-efficiency

Work methods that spend time and effort

Social or group efficiency

takes in the broad field of human relations – getting along with fellow workers and others with whom you come in contact as you perform your job

Efficiency with things

For a new comer training for a new job, things efficiency maybe more important for the time being. When starting to do actual work, these group efficiency rises in importance. And after he is getting along on the new job, more emphasis may be given to self-efficiency to further develop one-self I  order to qualify for higher and better positions.

factor affecting worker’s efficiency and performance (Age)

The relationship between age and job performance may be an issue of increasing importance during the next decade. Older employees have lower rates of unavoidable absence. This could be due to poor health and longer recovery period associated with aging.

factor affecting worker’s efficiency and performance (Gender)

There are few differences between male and females that will affect their job performance. There are few instance, co consistent male-female differences in problem solving ability, analytical skills, competitive drive, Motivation, sociability or learning ability

factor affecting worker’s efficiency and performance (Marital Status)

Consistent research indicates that married employees have fewer absences, undergo less turnover, and are more satisfied with their job than the unmarried workers.

factor affecting worker’s efficiency and performance (Number of dependents)

There is very strong evidence that the number of children an employee has is positively correlated with absence among females. Similarly, the evidence seems to point to a positive relationship between number of dependents and job satisfaction.

factor affecting worker’s efficiency and performance (Tenure)

There is no reason to believe that people who have been on a job longer are more productive than are those with less seniority.

factor affecting worker’s efficiency and performance (Ability)

Ability refers to an individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a job. Men aren’t equal in abilities.

factor affecting worker’s efficiency and performance (Personality)

Personality traits are enduring characteristics that describe an individual’s behavior. Although traits can be grouped to form certain personality types it cannot be a predictor of employee behavior across a broad spectrum of situations.

factor affecting worker’s efficiency and performance (Learining)

Learning is a”life time process. It occurs all of the time. A generally accepted definition of learning is “ any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result

Motivation

The most common view of motivation is that human beings are rational animals motivated by money and other material rewards

Promotion

We often fail to realize that promotions higher levels of responsibility, reward and status can have disastrous effect.

Fear of Failure

Executives especially struggle with strong feelings that they dare not express; fear of failure and guilt of success. The fear of failure stems from the perfectionist all or nothing attitudes that are often a condition of success

Work Loss

Although changes in work roles can cause difficulties, the loss of work can be a disaster. Loss of work is both a cause and an effect of loss of dignity. The loss of work can undermine he very structure of personality.