Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Overview of Attitudes

• Attitudes = evaluative statements (positive or negative) about people, objects, events.

• Formed by experience & upbringing; relatively enduring yet changeable.

• Importance in OB: attitudes drive behaviour; organisations must understand & shape them to foster commitment & retention.

Components of Attitudes (ABC / CAB Model)

• $3$ inter-related parts form a single attitude; change in one part can influence the others.

  • Affective (Feeling)

  • Emotional reaction toward the target.

  • Example: “I am scared of bees.”

  • Behavioural (Action intention/actual action)

  • How the attitude translates into behaviour.

  • Example: “I will avoid bees and scream if I see one.”

  • Cognitive (Belief/Thought)

  • Beliefs or knowledge about the target.

  • Example: “I believe bees are dangerous.”

• Figure 4.1 scenario (promotion unfairness)

  • Cognitive: “Supervisor is unfair.”

  • Affective: “I dislike my supervisor.”

  • Behavioural: job-searching & complaining.

  • All three combine ➔ overall negative attitude toward supervisor.

Job Attitudes

• OB concentrates on a small set that have greatest workplace influence.

• Two primary attitudes covered:

  • Job Satisfaction

  • Positive feeling stemming from evaluation of job & work context.

  • Multi-faceted; one can like some aspects (coworkers) & dislike others (workload).

  • Job Involvement

  • Degree of psychological identification with the job, active participation, and linkage of performance to self-worth.

  • Higher where work is meaningful & utilises talents ➔ ↑ performance, ↓ absence/turnover.

  • Closely related construct: Psychological Empowerment (perceived influence, competence, significance, autonomy).

Measuring Job Satisfaction

• Challenge: satisfaction is subjective & multi-dimensional.

• Two dominant methods:

  • Single Global Rating (SGR)

  • One question: “Overall, how satisfied are you with your job?”

  • Response scale $1$ (highly dissatisfied) to $5$ (highly satisfied).

  • Fast, minimal burden; good for pulse surveys.

  • Summation of Job Facets (SJF)

  • Identify core facets (nature of work, required skills, supervision, pay, promotion, culture, coworker relations, etc.).

  • Each facet rated on a defined scale; scores summed ➔ overall satisfaction index.

  • More diagnostic: pinpoints specific issues for managerial action.

• Example: Figure 4.2 survey with sections on Job Responsibilities & Management.

  • Items include clarity of expectations, freedom to innovate, equipment adequacy, energy levels, managerial feedback, etc.

Sources / Determinants of Job Satisfaction

1. Salary & Benefits

   • Salary fulfils basic needs (Maslow’s lower tiers), signals managerial concern, represents achievement.

   • Benefits = non-wage remuneration (insurance, PTO, profit sharing, retirement).

   • Perks = extra, non-cash incentives (lunches, discounts, gym); boost environment.

   • Fair, commensurate pay is prerequisite – enjoyment alone cannot compensate for inadequate compensation.

2. The Work Itself

   • Utilisation of skills, challenging tasks, variety & creativity enhance intrinsic satisfaction.

   • Repetitive tasks erode interest; continuous difficulty maintains engagement.

3. Promotion Chances

   • Fair, timely advancement signals value, fulfils career goals, yields higher pay, autonomy, responsibility & status.

   • Must be nondiscriminatory & transparent.

4. Manager / Supervisor Style

   • Friendly, supportive, communicative leaders who recognise individual strengths create high morale.

   • Employee involvement in decision-making further boosts satisfaction.

5. Relationships with Colleagues

   • Need for respect, dignity, social support.

   • Conflict, hostility → lower satisfaction; managers should mediate quickly.

6. Working Conditions

   • Physical: cleanliness, ventilation, lighting, noise, tools, hours.

   • Safety/security: CCTV, alarms, guards, controlled access, contracts.

   • Psychosocial: absence of stressors, harassment, discrimination; presence of positive culture.

Outcomes / Consequences of Job Satisfaction

• Job Performance

  • Meta-analysis of $300$ studies: strong positive correlation.

  • Organisations with happier employees are generally more successful.

• Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB)

  • Satisfied employees praise organisation, help others, go beyond formal duties.

  • Drivers: trust reciprocity (observed across $18$ nations), supportive coworkers, personality (extraversion, conscientiousness).

• Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty

  • Especially critical in service industries where frontline interactions shape experience.

  • High employee satisfaction ⇒ familiar faces, knowledgeable service ⇒ loyal customers.

  • Feedback loop: dissatisfied customers can worsen employee dissatisfaction.

• Life Satisfaction

  • Positive correlation; unemployment hurts life satisfaction beyond lost income.

• Reduced Turnover

  • Happy employees less likely to quit; lowers hiring/training costs & preserves intellectual capital.

Expressions of Job Dissatisfaction

• Not limited to turnover; can manifest in multiple (sometimes hidden) ways.

• ELVN Model (Exit–Voice–Loyalty–Neglect)

  • Quadrants defined by Active/Passive & Constructive/Destructive.

  • Exit (Active–Destructive): resigning, transferring, attempting to leave; often triggered by “shock events.”

  • Voice (Active–Constructive): suggesting improvements, formal complaints, forming coalitions.

  • Loyalty (Passive–Constructive): patiently waiting, defending organisation externally, trusting leadership.

  • Neglect (Passive–Destructive): reduced effort, poor service quality, absenteeism, tardiness.

  • Exit & Neglect correlate with negative performance indicators (productivity ↓, absenteeism ↑, turnover ↑).

• Counterproductive Work Behaviour (CWB)

  • Deviant acts: substance abuse, theft, excessive socialising, gossip, cyberslacking, sabotage.

  • Often individual-specific choice of behaviour but rooted in shared dissatisfaction; employers must address root causes.

• Absenteeism & Tardiness

  • Dissatisfied employees more likely to be absent or late; though some absences are legitimate, patterns can indicate discontent.

• Turnover

  • Causes include stalled career growth, micromanagement, stress, poor management.

  • High costs: search, selection, onboarding, training.

  • Intangible loss: expertise, relationships, morale ripple effects.

Managerial Implications & Ethical/Practical Considerations

• Monitoring attitudes via SGR & SJF helps anticipate problems before they escalate (turnover, CWB).

• Enhancing intrinsic job characteristics, fair compensation, supportive supervision & healthy culture ethically promotes both wellbeing & performance.

• Respectful treatment and acknowledgement of contributions are low-cost, high-impact levers.

• Address dissatisfaction proactively (voice channels, fair promotion policies, safe work environment) to foster trust and reduce destructive responses.

Connections to Foundational Theories & Prior Lectures

• Maslow’s Hierarchy (salary meets lower-order needs, self-actualising work meets higher needs).

• Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (intrinsic factors – work itself – create satisfaction; extrinsic factors – pay/conditions – prevent dissatisfaction).

• Psychological Empowerment aligns with Self-Determination Theory’s autonomy & competence needs.

• Equity Theory: fair pay & promotions influence satisfaction via perceptions of justice.

• Social Exchange: trust reciprocation (OCB ↔ managerial trust) exemplifies reciprocal exchange principles.

Numerical & Statistical References

• $3$ attitude components (Affective, Behavioural, Cognitive).

• $2$ main job satisfaction measurement approaches (SGR & SJF).

• Meta-analysis of $300$ studies establishing performance link.

• Research across $18$ nations linking trust, OCB & satisfaction.

• Entrepreneur stat: dissatisfaction with career growth ⇒ $12$× higher quit likelihood.

Key Terms Quick-List (flash review)

• Attitude, Affective, Behavioural, Cognitive, Job Satisfaction, Job Involvement, Psychological Empowerment, Single Global Rating, Summation of Job Facets, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour, Counterproductive Work Behaviour, ELVN Model, Exit, Voice, Loyalty, Neglect.