Attitudes, Self-Concept,

& Values
In this chapter we will…
• Continue to focus on and develop
INTRAPERSONAL skills that affect behavior,
relationships, & performance
▫ ATTITUDES
▫ JOB SATISFACTION
▫ SELF-CONCEPT
▫ VALUES
▫ PERSONAL MORALS & ETHICS
Attitudes
 ATTITUDE = a strong belief or feeling
toward people, things, and situations.
 They can be positive, negative, or ambivalent.
 They are shown by our behaviors.
 We acquire them through life
experiences and learning from others.
 Not quick judgments – we don’t
change them easily or quickly –
but they can be changed.
 Cognitive
Component: Attitude: Emotional
BeIiefs, thoughts, Jill has a negative Component:
ideas about· the attitude toward Feelings ond
attitude obiect fast-food restau ra nts. emotions abou t the
,'The ea sy ava ilability of attitude ob ject
fast food "Fe st food is disgusting.
discourages people I hate their greasy fries
from eating healthy and their fake
food, like fresh miIkshakes. Not to
fruits mention their smarmy
Beha vior al ad ca mpa igns '"
and vegetables.,,
Component:
Pred isposition to act
in a partlcular way
'W hen a big
hamburger chain
tried to bvild o new
restouront In my nelgh
borliood , I org a nized
a petition dr ive to
oppose it."
Types of Attitudes
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.
The Theory of Cognitive
Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance
Any incompatibility between two or more attitudes
or between behavior and attitudes.

Desire to reduce dissonance

• Importance of elements creating dissonance
• Degree of individual influence over elements
• Rewards involved in dissonance
Management Attitudes
 THEORY X
◦ The belief that employees dislike work and must be closely
supervised to get them to work – (micro-management).
 THEORY Y
◦ The belief that employees like to work and do not need to be
closely supervised to get them to work – (autonomy).
 YOUR SCORE
◦ LOWER SCORES 10-19 = THEORY X
◦ HIGHER SCORES 31-40 = THEORY Y
◦ MEDIUM SCORES 20-30 = BALANCED
 EFFECTS OF MANGEMENT ATTITUDES
◦ Pygmalion Effect = the attitudes and expectations of the
boss & how they treat employees largely determine their
performance.
Your Job Attitude
 WAYS TO IMPROVE ATTITUDES
◦ Remember…a positive attitude is a
major key to success.
◦ Be aware of your attitudes.
Look for the good in things.
◦ Realize negativity is harmful.
Harboring negative feelings hurts
everyone.
◦ Keep an open mind.
Listen to others – use their input to
boost your positive attitude.
Changing Attitudes
 You can control your attitude and direct your life! We
are what we think we are!
 Difficult to change your own.
 Even harder to change others.
 Helpful tips to improve others .
◦ GIVE FEEDBACK
Let people know when they are being negative.
◦ ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE
Make sure people have what they need.
◦ PROVIDE CONSEQUENCES
Reward positive behavior.
◦ BE A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL
Practice what you preach – if you talk the talk then walk the
walk.
 - - [
"

Changing your attitudes

Do not harbor
negative thoughts Keep an
Be aware of
your attitudes open mind

Shaping and changing employee attitudes

Accentuate
Be a positive
positive conditions
Provide role model
Give employees
consequences

•1 11•11•11 11 1
feedback

11 11 1
Job Satisfaction
 Is a set of attitudes toward work.
 S a t i s f action is what more people seek on
the job – over security or higher pay.
 S a t i s f ied people stay longer - are absent
less & are generally happier and better workers.
 Job satisfaction surveys…
◦ Are a process of determining employee attitudes about
the job and work environment.
◦ Currently we see a decline in worker’s dedication,
attendance, and punctuality.
◦ Why do you think that is so?
◦ What are you looking for in a job?
 _ _ - If

The work
itself

Growth and
upward mobility ! Pay and benefits

/
•I I
Coworkers Job Job security
satisfaction

I
Attitude toward work
\ Supervision
7 Important Factors in Job Satisfaction
 THE WORK ITSELF
◦ Do you think it is important – interesting – valuable to society?
 PAY & BENEFITS
◦ We need to feel valued – if we feel underpaid it leads to negative
behaviors – today’s issues of health care & faltering retirement
benefits play a big role in satisfaction.
 GROWTH & UPWARD MOBILITY
◦ Does it have a future – does it provide challenges for growth - raises –
promotions?
 SUPERVISION
◦ Personal relationship with boss – good or bad can impact.
 COWORKERS
◦ Relationship with co-workers – do you like the people you work with?
 JOB SECURITY
◦ During times of high unemployment – like now – stress about being
laid off can affect job satisfaction.
 ATTITUDE TOWARD JOB
◦ Is it something you love to do?
Research Findings
 Highest rates of satisfaction found in…
◦ Professional & management positions & those
in non-manual jobs.
◦ With long-term contracts.
 Lower rates of satisfaction…
◦ In manual labor jobs.
◦ Short-term contracts.
◦ No contracts.
 Levels of satisfaction vary across cultures.
◦ Increased global competition can impact job
satisfaction.
◦ Pushing employees to increase productivity
can decrease satisfaction and have negative
consequences on job performances.
How Employees Can Express
Dissatisfaction
Exit Voice
Behavior directed toward Active and constructive
leaving the organization. attempts to improve
conditions.

Loyalty Neglect
Passively waiting for Allowing conditions to
conditions to improve. worsen.
Responses to Job Dissatisfaction

Source: C. Rusbult and D. Lowery, “When

Bureaucrats Get the Blues,” Journal of
E X H I B I T 3–5
Applied Social Psychology. 15, no. 1,
1985:83. Reprinted with permission.
Job Satisfaction and OCB
Satisfaction and Organizational Citizenship Behavior
(OCB)
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.
Job Satisfaction and Customer
Satisfaction
Satisfied employees increase customer satisfaction
because:
They are more friendly, upbeat, and responsive.
They are less likely to turnover which helps build long-term customer
relationships.
They are experienced.
Dissatisfied customers increase employee job
dissatisfaction.
Self-Concept
• YOUR OVERALL ATTITUDE
ABOUT YOURSELF
▫ Do you like yourself?
▫ Do you think you are a valued person?
▫ Are you happy with the way you live
your life?
▫ Do believe you can meet the challenges in your life?
▫ Your thoughts & feelings about yourself have more
influence on your self-concept than your behaviors.
▫ Other people also influence your self-concept.
Self-Concept
• SELF-EFFICACY
▫ Your belief in your capability to perform
in a specific situation.
▫ Self-fulfilling prophecy
Occurs when your expectations affect your SUCCESS
OR FAILURE.
• ATTRIBUTION
▫ One’s perception that the cause of behavior
is either internal or external.
▫ We do not really know the cause of someone’s
behavior – all we see is the result – the behavior.
Fundamental Attribution Error
• This refers to our tendency to view observed behavior as an
expression of a person’s personality as opposed to due to social and
environmental forces.
▫ Example: When the clerk at the store is rude we usually attribute it to
them being a jerk – or take it personally – gee, what did I do?
▫ What we need to do is ask ourselves
what may have happened to that
person to make them behave the
way they did. Did they get chewed
out by someone? Did their dog die?
 There is always a reason, and it usually
is not about us – but we tend to think
it is regardless. It takes a lot of practice
to learn to step back and evaluate
rather than just giving knee-jerk
reactions.
Building a Positive Self-Concept
Your Personal Values
• Are the things that have worth or
are important to the individual.
▫ Value system = the set of standards by
which you live.
▫ Values are stronger and
more stable than attitudes.
Attitudes can change easier
than deeply held values.
Values tend to be a more
widely held culturally belief.
Spirituality in the Workplace
• Seeing your work as a spiritual path.
▫ Opportunity to grow & contribute in meaningful ways.
▫ Learning to be caring & compassionate toward others.
▫ Having integrity.
▫ Very individual and personal matter.
Guidelines for Leading from a Spiritual
Perspective
 KNOW YOURSELF
◦ Be self-aware – examine your reactions to situations.
 ACT WITH AUTHENTICITY
◦ Being yourself – not just playing a role.
 R E SPECT & HONOR THE BELIEFS
OF OTHERS
◦ Do not impose your belief system on others.
 BE AS TRUSTING AS YOU CAN
◦ Listen to your inner voice.
 MAINTAIN A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
◦ Most frequently mentioned practice is spending time
in nature.