2.2 Values, Attitudes, and Job Satisfaction

Values

They represent basic convictions that “a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence”.

They lay the foundations for the understanding of attitudes and motivation and because they influence perception.

They tend to be relatively stable and enduring.

Milto Rokeach

Two Types of Values is developed by

Terminal Values

refers to desirable end-states of existence; goals that a person wants to achieve in his or her lifetime

• e.g. a comfortable life, an exciting life, a world at peace, equality, salvation, social recognition

Instrumental Values

refers to preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving the terminal values

• e.g. ambitious, open-minded, cheerful, courageous, loving, polite

Veterans

Dominant work values: hardworking, conservative, conforming, loyal to the organization

Boomers

Dominant work values: success, achievement, ambition, dislike of authority, loyalty to career

X’ers

Dominant work values: work/life balance, team-oriented, dislike of rules, loyalty to relationships

Nexters

Dominant work values: confident, self-reliant but team-oriented, entrepreneurial, with loyalty to both self and relationships, financial success; like feedback, entitled

Hofstede

_’s Six Value Dimensions of National Culture

Power distance

the degree to which people in a country accept that power in institutions and organizations is distributed unequally

Individualism vs Collectivism

The degree to which people in a country prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of a group

Masculinity

the degree to which values such as achievement, assertiveness, competition, the acquisition of money and material goods prevail.

Femininity

the degree to which people value relationships and show sensitivity and concern for the welfare of others.

There is preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life.

Uncertainty avoidance

the degree to which people in a country prefer structured over unstructured situations.

long-term orientation

Cultures with _ orientation look to the future and value thrift and persistence.

short-term orientation

Cultures with _ orientation value the here and now; they accept change more readily and don’t see commitments as impediments to change.

Indulgence

_ stands for a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun.

Restraint

_ stands for a society that suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms

Attitudes

_ are evaluative statements–either favorable or unfavorable– concerning objects, people or events

Cognition

value statement

e.g. discrimination is wrong

Affect

the emotional segment of an attitude

Behavior

an intention to behave in a certain way towards someone or something.

In contrast to values, attitudes are less stable.

Cognitive Dissonance

any incompatibility that an individual might perceive between two or more of his/her attitudes or between his/her behavior and attitudes.

Importance

Important attitudes tend to show a strong relationship to behavior.

Specificity

The more specific the attitude, the more specific the behavior.

Accessibility

Attitudes that are easily remembered are most likely to predict behavior.

The more one talks about his/her attitude on a subject, the more likely he/she will remember it.

Social pressure

Discrepancies between attitudes and behavior are more likely to occur when social pressures to behave in certain ways hold exceptional power

Direct experience

Attitude-behavior relationship is likely to be much stronger if an attitude refers to something an individual has direct personal experience with.

negative

There is a consistent (positive, negative) relationship between satisfaction and absenteeism, but the correlation is moderate.

negatively

Satisfaction is also (positively, negatively) related to turnover.

less

Level of satisfaction is (more, less) important in predicting turnover for superior performers since they get pay raises and recognition.

fairness

Satisfaction influences OCB but through the perception of

increase

Satisfied employees (increase, decrease) customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Exit

leaving the organization

Voice

suggesting improvements, discussing problems with superior or some form of union activity

Loyalty

passively but optimistically waiting for conditions to improve

Neglect

passively allowing conditions to worsen, including chronic absenteeism or lateness, reduced effort and increased error rate.