Chapter 4
Nelson & Quick
Attitudes, Values, & Ethics
Copyright ©2005 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved.
Attitude
Attitude - a psychological tendency expressed by
evaluating an entity with some degree of favor or
disfavor
Should poor performance be
blamed on “bad attitude”?
ABC Model of an Attitude
Component
Measured by
Example
A ffect
Physiological indicators I don’t like my
Verbal statements
boss.
about feelings
B ehavioral
Observed behavior
Verbal statements
about intentions
Attitude scales
Verbal statements
about beliefs
intentions
C ognition
I want to transfer
to another
department.
I believe my
boss plays
favorites.
M.J. Rosenberg and C. I. Hovland, “Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Components
of Attitude,” in M.J. Rosenberg, C.I. Hovland, W.J. McGuire, R.P. Abelson, and J.H.
Brehm, Attitude Organization and Change, 1960
Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance - a state of tension that is
produced when an individual
experiences conflict between
attitudes and behavior
Two Influences on
Attitude Formation
Direct Experience
Social Learning
the process of deriving attitudes from family, peer
groups, religious organizations, and culture
Four Processes for Social
Learning through Modeling
The learner must




Focus on the model
Retain what was observed
Practice the behavior
Be motivated
Attitude–Behavior
Correspondence Requirements
 Attitude Specificity - a specific attitude
 Attitude Relevance - some self-interest
 Measurement Timing - measurement close to
observed behavior
 Personality Factors - ex. self-monitoring
 Social Constraints - acceptability
Work Attitudes: Job Satisfaction
Job Satisfaction - a pleasurable or positive
emotional state resulting from the appraisal of
one’s job or job experience
Organizational Citizenship Behavior
 Behavior that is above and beyond duty
 Related to job satisfaction
Work Attitudes: Organizational
Commitment
Organizational
Commitment
The strength of an
individual’s
identification with
an organization
Affective Commitment
Desire to remain
Continuance Commitment
Cannot afford to leave
Normative Commitment
Perceived obligation to remain
Process of Persuasion
Source
individual
influences
target
NEW attitude of the
target individual
Characteristics
Persuadable Target **lower self esteem,
**moderate attitudes
**good mood
Message **non-threatening
**acknowledging
Influential Source **trustworthy
**attractive
**expertise
Cognitive Routes to Persuasion
High
Elaboration
Careful
processing
Attitude change
depending on
quantity of arguments
Absence of
careful
processing
Attitude change
depending on source
characteristics or
non-substantial aspects
of the message
Message
Low
Elaboration
Adapted from R.E. Petty and J.T. Cacioppo, “The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion,” in L. Berkowitz, ed.,
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, vol. 19 (New York: Academic Press, 1986): 123-205.
Values
Enduring beliefs 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
Values
Instrumental - values that represent the acceptable
behaviors to be used in achieving some end state
Examples: honesty, politeness, courage
Terminal - values that represent the goals to be
achieved or the end states of existence
Examples: happiness, salvation, prosperity
Work Values




Achievement (career advancement)
Concern for others (compassionate behavior)
Honesty (provision of accurate information)
Fairness (impartiality)
Cultural Differences in Values
Authority is a
right of
office and
rank
Decisions should
be challenged
France
The Netherlands
Handling Cultural Differences
 Learn about others’ values
 Avoid prejudging business customs
 Operate legitimately within others’ ethical points of
view
 Avoid rationalizing “borderline” actions with excuses
 Refuse to violate fundamental values
 Be open and aboveboard
Ethical Behavior
Acting in ways consistent with one’s personal
values and the commonly held values of the
organization and society
Qualities Required for Ethical
Decision Making
The competence to identify ethical issues and evaluate
the consequences of alternative courses of action
The self-confidence to seek out different opinions about
the issue and decide what is right in terms of a situation
Tough mindedness--the willingness to make decisions
when all that needs to be known cannot be known and when
the ethical issue has no established, unambiguous solution
Individual/Organizational Model
of Ethical Behavior
Individual Influences
Value systems
Locus of control
Machiavellianism
Cognitive moral development
Organizational Influences
Codes of conduct
Norms
Modeling
Rewards and punishments
Ethical
Behavior
Values, Ethics & Ethical Behavior
Value Systems - systems of beliefs that affect what
the individual defines as right, good, and fair
Ethics - reflects the way values are acted out
Ethical behavior - actions consistent
with one’s values
Locus of Control
Locus of Control - personality variable that affects
individual behavior
Internal - belief in personal control and personal
responsibility
External - belief in control by outside forces (fate,
chance, other people)
Machiavellianism
A personality characteristic indicating one’s
willingness to do whatever it takes to get one’s own
way
Cognitive Moral Development
Cognitive Moral Development - the process of
moving through stages of maturity in terms of
making ethical decisions
Level l
Premoral
Level ll
Conventional
Level lll
Principled