Chapter 3: Attitudes & Job Satisfaction

Attitudes

Evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people, or events

Cognitive Component

The opinion or belief segment of an attitude, e.g. “my pay is low”, an evaluation

Affective Component

The emotional or feeling segment of an attitude, e.g.” I am upset with how I am paid”, a feeling

Behavioral Component

An intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something, e.g. “I am going to look for another job because of my pay”, an action

Cognitive Dissonance

Any incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes; for instance, needing to work late, but valuing family and family time

Types of Attitudes

• Job Satisfaction

• Job Involvement

• Organizational Commitment

• Perceived Organizational Support (POS)

• Employee Engagement

Job Satisfaction

A collection of positive and/or negative feelings that an individual holds toward his or her job

Job Involvement

Identifying with the job, actively participating in it, and considering performance important to self-worth

Organizational Commitment

Identifying with a particular organization and its goals, and wishing to maintain membership in the organization

• Affective

• Normative

• Continuance Commitment

Affective (OC)

An emotional attachment to the org., its beliefs and values

Normative (OC)

A felt obligation to remain with the organization

Continuance Commitment (OC)

Perceived economic value of remaining with an organization

Perceived Organizational Support (POS)

Degree to which employees feel the organization cares about their well-being

Employee Engagement

An individual’s involvement with, satisfaction with, and enthusiasm for the organization

Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS)

Measures how challenged employees feel

Three Ways to Challenge Employees

• Job Rotation

• Job Enlargement

• Job Enrichment

How Employees Express Dissatisfaction

• Exit 

• Voice

• Loyalty

• Neglect

Exit

Behavior directed toward leaving the organization

Voice

Active and constructive attempts to improve conditions

Loyalty

Passively waiting for conditions to improve

Neglect

Allowing conditions to worsen

Attitude Surveys

Questionnaires about how employees feel about their jobs, work groups, supervisors, and the organization

Organizational Identification

The extent to which employees define themselves by the same characteristics that define their organization

Psychological Empowerment

Employees’ belief in the degree to which they affect their work environment, competence, meaningfulness of their job, and autonomy in their work

Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB)

Actions that actively damage the organization, including stealing, behaving aggressively toward coworkers, or being late or absent