Attitudes & Values

Prepared by Rushad Shah

Attitudes can be defined as a persistent tendency to feel and behave in a particular way towards some object. OR Attitudes are evaluate statements - either favourable or unfavourable concerning objects, people or events.

If a man perceives some relationship between two things or between something and a characteristic of it, he is said to hold a belief. (The harder you work, the more profit you earn). An attitude is an organisation of several beliefs focused on a specific object (physical or social, concrete or abstract) or situation, predisposing one to respond in some preferential manner.

There are three basic components:-

1. Emotional Component: Involves the persons feelings, or affect positive, neutral, or negative - about an object.

2. Informational component: Consists of the beliefs and information the individual has about the object. It makes no difference whether or not this information is empirically correct or real.

3. Behavioural Component: Consists of a persons tendency to behave in a particular way towards an object.

Attitudes determine meaning: Much of what is seen in the environment and in other peoples behaviour is determined by attitudes. Attitudes Organise Facts: Objective events can be differently perceived by different people because of different attitudes.

Attitudes reconcile contradictions: People do hold contradictory opinions. However, with the proper attitude as a background, intelligent people can reconcile or rationalise the same actions which to others are obvious contradictions.

Attitudes selects Facts From the plethora of environmental facts and stimuli, one tends to select those which are in consonance with ones cherished beliefs and attitudes. Attitudes thus act as a screen or filter.

Prior Commitments: This occurs when people feel a commitment to a particular course of action and are unwilling to change. Insufficient Information: Sometimes people do not see any reason to change their attitudes.

Providing new information: This method is often used for overcoming barrier to changing attitudes.
Use of Fear: If high degree of fear arousal is used, people often reject the message because it is too threatening.

If low of fear arousal are used people often ignore them.

If moderate levels of fear are aroused people often become aware of the situation and will change their attitudes.

Resolving Discrepancies: Another way of changing attitudes is by resolving discrepancies between attitudes and behaviour. Influence of friends and peers: Attitudes can change through persuasion from friends and peers.

The co opting approach: This means taking people who are dissatisfied with a situation and getting them involved in improving things.

Job Involvement - Extend that a person identifies with their job. Organisational Commitment - Extend that a person identifies with the organisation. This a great predictor for turnover.

Job Satisfaction - A persons general attitude toward work.

It is job related attitude that refers to an individuals general attitude towards his or her job. Locke had defined it as a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job or job experience.

Job satisfaction is an emotional response to a job situation. As such it cannot ne seen, only inferred. Job satisfaction is often determined by how well outcomes meet or exceed expectations. Job satisfaction represents several related attitudes.

Exit

Active

Voice

Destructive Neglect Passive

Constructive Loyalty

Exit: Dissatisfaction expressed through behaviour directed towards leaving the organisation. Voice: Dissatisfaction expressed through active and constructive attempts to improve conditions. Loyalty: Dissatisfaction expressed by passively waiting for conditions to improve. Neglect: Dissatisfaction expressed through allowing conditions to worsen.

Commitment is defined as (1) a strong desire to remain a member of a particular organisation; (2) a willingness to exert high levels of effort on behalf of organisation; (3) a definite belief in, and acceptance of the values and goals of the organisation.

Mayer and Allens (1991) Three component model - Affective commitment Involves the employees emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in the organisation. - Continuance Commitment Involves commitment based on the costs that the employee associates with leaving the organisation.

- Normative Commitment - Involves the employees feelings of obligation to stay with the organisation.

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being CAN alter his life by changing his attitude. William James And so it is with you you are in charge of your attitude.

Value is the worth or excellence or the degree of worth ascribed to an object or a class thereof. It is an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally and socially preferable to the alternative modes of conduct or end states of existence.

Value is a standard or yardstick to guide actions, attitudes, evaluations and justifications of the self and others.

Is it worth or excellence ascribed to a particular aspect of the work in the managers interaction with that work.

A number of dimensions of work may be identified for understanding the work values of managers. These include the opportunity the work offers for a person to (a) be creative, (b) earn money, (c) take challenges, (d) serve others, (e) have good working conditions, (f) enjoy prestige and status,

(g) have good colleagues, (h) have a stable & secure job, (i) be independent, (j) do academic work, (k) do rural work.

A value may be of two different types - instrumental values : this relates to a single belief that always takes the form: I believe that such and such a mode of conduct (e.g. Honesty, courage etc.) is personally and socially preferable in all situations with respect to all objects.

Terminal Value: It takes a comparable form; I believe that such and such an end state of existence ( e.g. Salvation, a world at peace etc.) is personally and socially worth striving for. The goals that a person would like to achieve during his or her lifetime.

Thanks