ATTITUDE Facilitated by Mrs. Namita Gupta

Imagine the following scenarios: Becky and Pam have worked as customer service reps at Bellson Communications for the past 2 years. Becky loves her job and wants to stay there until retirement in 8 years. Pam hates her job, uses all available sick days, and would leave in a second if there were another job out there. Carrie is meeting with a career adviser—she hates her current job and, frankly, has hated every job she’s ever had. Carrie hopes a career adviser can find “the job” for her. Chris loves his job and can’t wait to go to work in the morning. He loves his work, loves his current job, and has loved every job he’s ever had. Matt, HR director of Dillard Manufacturing, is frustrated because his company has the highest turnover rate in the area. Also, employees stay with Dillard just long enough to get experience and then leave for higher pay with Next Enterprises, another local company.

Think about… Why does Becky love her job and Pam hate the same job? Why do Carrie and Chris have such different attitudes about their jobs? What is Next Enterprises doing better than Dillard?

Attitude What is Attitude? DEFINITIONS--A manner showing one’s feeling or thoughts. 1.An enduring positive or negative evaluation of people, objects, and ideas (Eagly & Chaiken 1998) 2.A predisposition to think, feel, and behave towards people, objects, or an event (Richardson 1977) 3.A positive, negative or mixed reaction to a person, object, or idea (Brehm, Kassin & Fein 2002). “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”

Contributes to Success A study attributed to Harvard University found that when a person gets a job, 85% of the time it is because of their attitude, and only 15% of the time because of how smart they are and how many facts and figures they know. Surprisingly, almost 100% of education dollars go to teach facts and figures which account for only 15% of success in work!

Effects/Importance of a good attitude… - Life is easier - Performance improves & Success comes more quickly (especially at work) -Your health is improved If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life. People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success. --Norman Vincent Peale

Attitudes Perceptions Expectations Initiatives Thoughts Feelings Human Fuel Factors effected due to attitude

A Sculptor A gentleman once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked."There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work.

The sculptor "Where are you going to install the idol?" The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I know it and God knows it!" The desire to excel should be exclusive of the fact whether someone appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excel at a task today - not necessarily for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction.

Determinants of attitude How do attitudes develop? èPrimary socialisation: (immediate family etc) èSecondary socialisation: Media, school, peers etc) èClassical & operant conditioning ( peoplas part of socialisation) èBiological (e.g. inherent aversion, low moods due to health)

Attitudes and Change Affective ASPECTS OF ATTITUDE Cognitive Behavioural What a person knows about the situation How the person feels about it How the person reacts People build up attitudes which fit their needs and values as they perceive them to be

Changing the Attitude Using a participatory approach may help the change process: INITIATING CHANGE BUILDING ON THE PAST COMMUNICATION GAINING COMMITMENT ECONOMIC INCENTIVES TURNING PERCEPTIONS OF THREAT INTO OPPORTUNITY EARLY INVOLVEMENT BARGAINING PROVIDING HELP TO MEET THE CHANGE It helps to develop an adaptive learning capacity within the organisation

Strategies for Changing the Attitude Coercive So Which CHANGE STRATEGIES will be most effective? Empirical Re- educative Rational explanation of need for change Imposing the change - use of authority Highlighting the benefits of change

What are the Major Work Related Attitudes? Job Satisfaction –A positive feeling about the job resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics. Job Involvement –Degree of psychological identification with the job where perceived performance is important to self-worth –Competence, job meaningfulness, and autonomy Organisational Commitment –Emotional attachment to Organization –Identifying with a particular organization and its goals, while wishing to maintain membership in the organization.

Important Outcomes of Job Satisfaction on Organizations Job Performance –Satisfied workers are more productive Organizational Citizenship Behaviors –Satisfaction influences how employees help and support each other as they feel their organization is treating them fairly. Customer Satisfaction –Satisfied frontline employees help improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Absenteeism Satisfied employees are less likely to miss work.

More Outcomes of Job Satisfaction Turnover –Satisfied employees are less likely to quit. –Many moderating variables in this relationship. Economic environment and tenure Organizational actions taken 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.

Important: Summary and Managerial Implications Managers should watch employee attitudes: –They give warnings of potential problems –They influence behavior Managers should try to increase job satisfaction and generate positive job attitudes –Reduces costs by lowering turnover, absenteeism, tardiness, theft, and increasing Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Focus on the intrinsic parts of the job: make work challenging and interesting –Pay is not enough