1. Chapter Five
Work-Related Attitudes: Prejudice, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment

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Three Good Reasons Why You Should Care About Work-Related Attitudes
We are all potential victims of prejudice and discrimination on the job; nobody is immune
The more people are satisfied with their jobs and committed to their organizations, the less likely they are to be absent and voluntarily resign
Changing attitudes is not impossible. There are specific things that practicing managers and their organizations can do to enhance the work-related attitudes of employees (attitudes are learned)
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3. Job Attitudes (Morale)
Work-related attitudes are the thoughts and feelings people have about everything related to their jobs, whether it’s the work itself, superiors, coworkers, subordinates, or even the food in the company cafeteria
Four major targets to consider:
Prejudice: attitudes toward others
Job satisfaction: attitudes toward the job as a whole; pay, supervision, etc. (measures cognitive component)
Organizational commitment: attitudes toward the organization
Job involvement: job activities are the specific target
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Anatomy of Prejudice
Stereotypes are beliefs that people who belong to certain groups possess certain characteristics
Prejudice may be defined as negative feelings about people belonging to certain groups
Discrimination is a form of negative behavior associated with a given stereotype
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5. Prejudice versus Discrimination
Prejudice is an attitude consisting of negative beliefs (known as stereotypes), negative feelings about those beliefs, and negative predispositions toward people described by those stereotypes. These attitudes sometimes (but not always) lead to behavior consistent with that attitude – that is, discrimination
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Bases for Prejudice
Age
Physical Condition
Gender (being female)
Sexual Orientation
Race and National Origin
Religion
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Women at the Top
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8. Managing a Diverse Workforce
Affirmative Action Plans generally involve efforts to give employment opportunities to qualified individuals belonging to groups that traditionally have been disadvantaged
Diversity Management Programs are efforts to celebrate diversity by creating supportive, not just neutral, work environments. They can also be used to train people to embrace individual differences
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Affirmative Action
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10. Diversity Management Practices
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11. Theories of Job Satisfaction
Two-factory theory (Herzberg’s motivational theory)
Value theory (Expectancy)
Social information processing model
Disposition model
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Two-Factor Theory
A theory that conceives of satisfaction and dissatisfaction as separate variables, rather than conceiving of job satisfaction as falling along a single continuum
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Value Theory
A theory that focuses on discrepancies between what people want from a job and what they actually receive from the job, particularly in terms of outcomes that they value highly (e.g., pay, learning opportunities)
Satisfaction is a function of unmet expectations.
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14. Social Information Processing Model
The idea that people’s attitudes toward their jobs are based on information they get from other people
Attitudes can be learned by observing others on the job (Schein’s: Organizational Socialization-’learn the ropes’.
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Dispositional Model
The conceptualization proposing that job satisfaction is a relatively stable disposition of an individual – that is, a characteristic that stays with people across situations
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16. Consequences of Job Dissatisfaction
Employee Withdrawal: Actions such as chronic absenteeism and voluntary turnover (i.e., quitting one’s job) that enable employees to escape from adverse organization situations
Job Performance: no relationship, one reason since people don’t control their job activities directly
Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: Activities that enhance social relationships and cooperation with the organization but go beyond formal job requirements
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17. Do Attitudes Predict Behavior (not always)
If strongly held and no outside influences
Specific attitude predicts specific behavior: specific attitude against littering leads to specific behavior of no littering
General attitude does not predict behavior: General attitude towards the environment does not predict specific behavior of littering.
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18. Job Satisfaction and Absence
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Turnover
Unfolding model of voluntary turnover: A conceptualization that explains the cognitive processes through which people make decisions about quitting or staying on their jobs
Decision depends on:
Shock to the system: An attention-getting event that gets employees to think about their jobs (e.g., merger with another company)
Decision frames: A set of internalized rules and images regarding how to interpret something that has occurred (e.g., based on what I know from the past, is there an obvious response?)
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20. Promoting Job Satisfaction
Pay people fairly (intrinsic rewards)
Improve the quality of supervision
Decentralize organizational power
Match people to jobs that fit their interests
Job enrichment
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21. Lawler-Porter Model Performance leads to Job Satisfaction (JS)
Intrinsic rewards: Higher order motivators such as feeling good about a job well done. (strong relationship to JS)
Extrinsic rewards: (weak relationship)
Rewards lead to satisfaction moderated by perceived equity of the reward
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22. Organizational Commitment
The extent to which an individual identifies and is involved with his or her organization and/or is unwilling to leave it
Continuance Commitment: The strength of a person’s desire to continue working for an organization because he or she needs to do so and cannot afford to leave
Affective Commitment: The strength of a person’s desire to work for an organization because he or she agrees with its underlying goals and values
Normative Commitment: The strength of a person’s desire to continue working for an organization because he or she feels obligations from others to remain there
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23. Organizational Commitment
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24. Why Commitment Matters
Committed employees are less likely to withdraw
Committed employees are willing to make sacrifices for the organization
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25. Developing Commitment
Enrich jobs
Align the interests of the company with those of the employees
Recruit and select new employees whose values closely match those of the organization
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Changing Attitudes
Communicator: Prestige and Trust
Message: logical argument, fear, repetition
Medium: face-to-face
Process: Elaboration Likelihood Model
Central processing: cognitive
Peripheral processing: expert source
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27. Other Theories (changing attitudes)
Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger): After choosing one of two job offers, the accepted job is viewed more positively and the job not accepted is viewed more negatively.
Self-perception theory (Bem): Behavior determines attitude, ‘if I keep talking to this person I must like this person’.
Reactance Theory (Brehm): People cherish their freedom, and when they lose control they fight to regain their freedom. If told you can’t have something you like it even more and increase your drive to attain it.
Balance Theory (Heider): People like to have their beliefs consistent with the beliefs of people they like.
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