ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR W W W. P R E N H A L L. C O M / R O B B I N S

Values

Types of Values

Values  Tend to be relatively stable and enduring  A significant portion is genetically determined  You also learn from your culture, parents, teachers, friends, family, environment

Framework for Assessing Culture  Power – Distance  Individualism-Collectivism  Uncertainty Avoidance  Long term/Short term orientation *** HOFSTEDE is a name frequently associated with this area of research.

Attitudes

Types of Attitudes  Job Satisfaction Refers to an individual’s general attitude toward his or her job.  Job Involvement Measures the degree to which a person identifies psychologically with his or her job and considers his or her perceived performance level important to self-worth.  Organizational Commitment The degree to which an employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals, and wishes to maintain membership in the organization.

The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance Desire to reduce dissonance Importance of elements creating dissonance Degree of individual influence over elements Rewards involved in dissonance Desire to reduce dissonance Importance of elements creating dissonance Degree of individual influence over elements Rewards involved in dissonance

Measuring the A-B Relationship  Recent research indicates that the attitudes (A) significantly predict behaviors (B) when moderating variables are taken into account. Ex) Moderating Variables Importance of the attitude Specificity of the attitude Accessibility of the attitude Social pressures on the individual Direct experience with the attitude Ex) Moderating Variables Importance of the attitude Specificity of the attitude Accessibility of the attitude Social pressures on the individual Direct experience with the attitude

Job Satisfaction  Measuring Job Satisfaction –Single global rating –Summation score  How Satisfied Are People in Their Jobs? –Job satisfaction declined to 50.7% in 2000 –Decline attributed to: Pressures to increase productivity Less control over work

The Effect of Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance  Satisfaction and Productivity –Satisfied workers aren’t necessarily more productive. –Worker productivity is higher in organizations with more satisfied workers.  Satisfaction and Absenteeism –Satisfied employees have fewer avoidable absences.  Satisfaction and Turnover –Satisfied employees are less likely to quit. –Organizations take actions to cultivate high performers and to weed out lower performers.

Responses to Job Dissatisfaction E X H I B I T 3-6

Summary and Implications for Managers  Values strongly influence a person’s attitudes.  An employee’s performance and satisfaction are likely to be higher if his or her values fit well with the organization.  Managers should be interested in their employees’ attitudes because attitudes give warning signs of potential problems and because they influence behavior.  Managers should also be aware that employees will try to reduce cognitive dissonance. Managers can manage cognitive dissonance….