Attitudes and Job Satisfaction Attitudes are Evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people, or events. Three components of an Attitude: • • • Cognitive - The opinion or belief segment of an attitude, based on information or knowledge Affective – The emotional or feeling segment of an attitude, how we feel about something, Behavioral- reflects how attitude affects the way we act or behave, An intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something The relationship between attitudes and behavior According to Leon Festinger, Behavior Always does not Follow from Attitudes, the reasons are as follows. No, behavior does not always follow from attitudes. While attitudes can influence behavior, there are various factors that can lead to inconsistencies or deviations between attitudes and actual behavior. Situational factors, social norms, personal values, and other influences can all impact whether or not behavior aligns with attitudes. Therefore, the relationship between attitudes and behavior is complex and not always direct or predictable. “Leon Festinger proposed cognitive dissonance.” that cases of attitude following behavior illustrate the effects of Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a perceived inconsistency between attitudes and behavior, leading to discomfort. To reduce this discomfort, individuals may either change their attitudes to align with their behavior or change their behavior to align with their attitudes. • Desire to reduce dissonance depends on: ✓ Importance of elements ✓ Degree of individual influence ✓ Rewards involved in dissonance. Moderating variables to the relationship between attitudes and behavior • Importance of the attitude • Correspondence to behavior • Accessibility • Existence of social pressures • Personal and direct experience of attitude Predicting Behavior from Attitudes • Important attitudes have a strong relationship to behavior. • The closer the match between attitude and behavior, the stronger the relationship: ▪ Specific attitudes predict specific behavior ▪ General attitudes predict general behavior • The more frequently expressed an attitude, the better predictor it is. • High social pressures reduce relationships and may cause dissonance. • Attitudes based on personal experience are stronger predictors. Major Job Attitudes • Job Satisfaction - A positive of its characteristics. • Job Involvement - Degree to which a person identifies with a job, actively participates in it, and considers performance important to self-worth. • Psychological Empowerment- Belief in the degree of competence, job meaningfulness, and autonomy. feeling about the job resulting influence from over an evaluation the job, Compare major job attitudes. Job Satisfaction: - Job satisfaction refers to an individual's overall positive or negative evaluation of their job and work experiences. - It is influenced by various factors such as work environment, relationships with colleagues, compensation, and job security. - Job satisfaction is important as it can affect an individual's motivation, engagement, and overall well-being at work. - It can also impact job performance, employee retention, and organizational success. Job Involvement: - Job involvement refers to the degree to which an individual identifies with and is personally invested in their job. - It reflects the extent to which individuals consider their work as a central part of their self-identity and derive meaning and fulfillment from it. - Highly involved employees tend to be more committed, motivated, and dedicated to their work. - They may have a strong sense of responsibility, exhibit higher levels of performance, and actively seek opportunities for growth and development. Psychological Empowerment: - Psychological empowerment refers to the belief and perception of individuals that they have control, influence, and autonomy over their work and its outcomes. - It consists of four dimensions: meaningfulness (believing that work is personally meaningful), competence (feeling capable and confident in performing job tasks), self-determination (having a sense of autonomy and decision-making authority), and impact (believing that one's actions can make a difference). - Psychological empowerment is associated with increased motivation, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. - It can also enhance creativity, innovation, and problem-solving abilities among employees. While all three job attitudes relate to employees' experiences at work, they have distinct focuses: - Job satisfaction reflects overall evaluation and contentment with the job and work environment. - Job involvement emphasizes personal identification and investment in the job. - Psychological empowerment centers on individuals' perceived control, autonomy, and impact in their work. Having positive attitudes in these areas can contribute to higher levels of employee engagement, job performance, and overall satisfaction with work. Organizations that foster job satisfaction, job involvement, and psychological empowerment are likely to experience higher levels of employee well-being, productivity, and retention. Are These Job Attitudes Really Distinct? While job satisfaction, job involvement, and psychological empowerment are often discussed as distinct job attitudes, it is important to note that there can be some overlap and interconnections between them. Here are a few points to consider: 1. Overlapping Constructs: Job satisfaction, job involvement, and psychological empowerment share some common elements. For example, all three attitudes are related to employees' overall experiences and perceptions of their work. Job satisfaction can be influenced by the level of job involvement and the perception of psychological empowerment. 2. Mutual Influence: These attitudes can influence each other. For instance, higher job involvement may contribute to increased job satisfaction, as individuals who are more engaged in their work are likely to experience greater satisfaction. Similarly, psychological empowerment can impact both job involvement and job satisfaction, as individuals who feel empowered may be more involved and satisfied with their work. 3. Multidimensional Nature: Each attitude comprises multiple dimensions. Job satisfaction can encompass facets such as pay, benefits, relationships, and work-life balance. Job involvement involves emotional and cognitive engagement with work. Psychological empowerment consists of meaningfulness, competence, self-determination, and impact. These dimensions contribute to the distinctiveness of each attitude. 4. Unique Focus: Despite potential overlap, these attitudes place emphasis on different aspects of work experience. Job satisfaction primarily focuses on overall contentment, whereas job involvement centers on personal identification and investment in the job. Psychological empowerment highlights individuals' perceived control, autonomy, and impact on their work outcomes. While there may be some interconnectedness and shared influences among these attitudes, considering them as distinct concepts allows for a deeper understanding of various aspects of employee experiences at work. It enables organizations to address specific areas of improvement and design interventions that target different dimensions of job attitudes. Job satisfaction • One of the primary job attitudes measured. There are 2 methods of measuring, Single job rating and the summation of job facets. In single rating method, there is one question to response. Summation Score means identifying key elements in a job and asks for the employee's feelings about each. Typical factors that would be included are the nature of the work, supervision, present pay, promotion opportunities, and relations with co-workers. Causes of Job Satisfaction 1. Pay influences job satisfaction only to a point - Once an individual reaches a comfortable level of living, there is no relationship between the amount of pay and job satisfaction. Money may bring happiness, but not necessarily job satisfaction. 2. Personality can influence job satisfaction - People who have positive core self-evaluations, who believe in their inner worth and basic competence are more satisfied with their jobs than those with negative core self-evaluations. Those with negative core self-evaluations set less ambitious goals and are more likely to give up when confronting difficulties. Identify Four Employee Responses to Dissatisfaction ACTIVE EXIT Behavior directed toward leaving the organization. DESTRUCTIVE VOICE Active and constructive attempts to improve conditions. NEGLECT LOYALTY Active and Passively waiting for constructive attempts conditions to improve. to improve conditions. CONSTRUCTIVE PASSIVE Outcomes of Job Satisfaction • Job Performance – Satisfied workers are more productive AND more productive workers are more satisfied. The causality may run both ways. • Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) – Satisfaction influences OCB through perceptions of fairness. Satisfied employees who feel fairly treated by and are trusting of the organization are more willing to engage in behaviors that go beyond the normal expectations of their job. • Customer Satisfaction Satisfied frontline employees increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Because they are more friendly, upbeat, and responsive. Helps build long-term customer relationships and They are experienced. • Absenteeism Satisfied employees are moderately less likely to miss work. • Turnover Satisfied employees are less likely to quit. Organization should take actions to retain high performers and to weed out lower performers. • Workplace Deviance Dissatisfied workers are more likely to unionize, abuse substances, steal, be tardy, and withdraw.
