ATTITUDES

Things are the way you think they are, because you think they are that way

The rose within

Man planted a rose watered faithfully examined before it blossomed. Later saw a bud but also thorns thought how can a beautiful flower come from a plant with so many thorns.? saddened neglected to water just to bloom but died. So it is with us. Within every soul there is a rose. God like qualities are planted in us at birth, amidst the thorns of faults. We see thorns despair neglect our own selves never realise our potentials. Lack positive attitude. We can help through love, know their true faults and accept them as they are. If we show them the rose within them, they will conquer their thorns. Only then, they will blossom many times over.

P.R.LAWRENCE Attitude represent the cluster of beliefs, assessed feelings and behavioural intentions towards an object. GORDON ALLPORT Attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness, organised through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individuals response to all objects and situations with which it is related. Attitudes are evaluative statements either favourable or unfavourable concerning objects, people, or events. They reflect how one feels about something. When I say I like my job, I am expressing my attitude about work.

DEFINITIONS

Attitudes can be thus referred to as evaluative statements regarding people, objects or events which may be either favourable or unfavourable.

Attitudes may be further defined as relatively lasting feelings, beliefs and behavioural tendencies directed towards specific people, groups, ideas, issues or objects.
Attitudes reflect an individuals background and experiences. It is formed due to strong influence of significant people in a person's life like parents, elders, friends, teachers, and members of social and work groups.

SOURCES OF ATTITUDES

Attitudes and values are acquired from parents, family members (especially elders), teachers and peer groups. It is generally derived and developed from two important sources viz., a) our own experiences, b) our perception towards the object, person or events.

In contrast to values, attitudes are less stable, and in organisations attitudes are very important because they affect job behaviour or performance.

Lord Rama in Ramayana - sadaika priyadarshanah always a dear person mitabhaashi talking in measured tones and with economy of words. Therefore, first impression is the last impression. Vidya dadaati vinayam humility marks an educated man. Manners maketh a man

Nature of attitudes

1. Attitude is a continuous tendency to feel and behave in a specific way towards some object. For e.g. Munna hates working overtime. This means that he has a negative attitude towards OT.

2. Every person holds attitudes towards an object/person, irrespective of their status and intelligence. 3. Attitudes tend to continue unless something is done to change them. Ex. Incase of extra wages for OT, one may work.

4. Attitudes can fall anywhere doing a continuum between extremely favourable to extremely unfavourable. Ex. If c/off is given, attitude may change to be extremely positive. 5. Attitudes are aimed at some object about which the person has some associated feelings.

6. Attitudes are unique to the individual and also affect their behaviour.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ATTITUDES

It is important to know the characteristics of attitudes in understanding attitude change. Some of them are : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Multiplicity Consistency Interconnectedness Cognitive dissonance Number of needs Strength of the needs Centrality of the related values Extremeness of the attitude Simplicity.

COMPONENTS OF ATTITUDES

The ABC model

AFFECTIVE

COGNITIVE

BEHAVIOURAL ATTITUDES

AFFECTIVE

- Feelings, sentiments, moods and emotions about some idea, person, event or object.
- The beliefs, opinion, knowledge or information held by the individual.

COGNITIVE

BEHAVIOURAL- The predispositions to get a favourable or unfavourable evaluation of something.

FUNCTIONS OF ATTITUDES
ADJUSTMENT

KNOWLEGE

ATTITUDE

EGO DEFENCE

VALUE EXPRESSION

ADJUSTMENT FUNCTION

Attitudes help employees to adjust to their work environment. When people are well treated, they most likely develop a positive attitude towards management and oganisation

EGO DEFENCE FUNCTION

People often form and maintain certain attitudes to protect their own self images meaning attitudes help individuals in defending their self image. Ex. Prakash- manager working since long gets support of Mr. Rakesh (asst. Mgr) newly employed. Mr. Prakash feels threatened by Rakesh because of his high potentialities. Rakesh sometimes challenges the decision of Prakash. In such a case, Prakash may feel Rakesh to arrogant, immature and impolite. So, Prakash may not accept his decisions and start blaming him. Outcome - Further negative attitude of Rakesh towards Prakash and vice versa.

VALUE EXPRESSION FUNCTION

Attitude provides the basis for people to express their values. This function contains three main aspects : 1. It helps express the individuals central values and self identity. Ex. Consumer express their values in the products they buy, the shops they patronise and the life style they exhibit. Example of society Tea. 2. It helps the individuals define their self concept and it facilitates the adoption of sub culture values. Ex. Teenagers dress and behave in a certain way to faster their status in a group.

3.

It helps the individuals adopt and internalise the values of a group they have joined and thus are able to relate to the group. Ex. Individual joined an ecology group may manifest purchase and use of a cycle instead of a scooter/bike. Or recycling of bottles to make a better environment. Etc.

KNOWLEDGE FUNCTION

This attitude provides standards and frames for reference by which people are able to organise and make meaning or explanation of the world around them. Ex. The trade union leaders ,who often have negative attitudes towards the company, may not want to believe in what management wants to communicate with the workers and so may manipulate or distant facts, This is done only to prevent chaos.

WAYS OF CHANGING ATTITUDES

OFFERING NEW INFORMATION BY USING FEAR BY RESOLVING DISCREPANCIES THROUGH PEER PRESSURE BY USING CO-OPTING APPROACH BY USING ROLE MODEL BY IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS

1. OFFERING NEW INFORMATION When new information his provided to a person it may help him/her to change his/her beliefs and eventually change attitude. Very often lack of insufficient information may be the cause of negative attitude.
2. BY USING FEAR By using right measure of fear, ear can also force a person to change his attitude. Ex. If late coming three times is considered a day leave, then the worker may change his attitude and avoid late comings in the future.

3. BY RESOLVING DISCREPANCIES Attitudes can be changed by resolving discrepancies between attitudes and behaviour. Ex. A fresh graduate may select one job of 3 to 4 jobs offered to him. But sometime later he may feel to have made a wrong choice and thus develops negative attitude towards his selected job and if he feels that it was only a temporary feeling then he may have negative attitude towards other jobs offered to him.

4. THROUGH PEER PRESSURE Attitudes can also be changes through persuasion and influence of peer group. Peers/friends with high credibility are able to exercise pressure and change the attitude of an individual. Ex. If one manager is into bad habits, is corrected by a senior manager, can consider to change the attitude and solely discontinue his habit.

5. BY USING CO-OPTING APPROACH Co-opting means to try to change the attitude of an individual by making persons who complain to become personally involved in changing the situation o0r improving things. Ex. A person complains about problems in Accounts department. So his boss assigns that person some specific jobs in the Accounts department so that the person can see for himself /herself how hard the department works.

There are several ways of changing attitudes of ones own self by the following ways : 1. Be aware of ones attitude 2. Think for self 3. Realise that negative attitude are disadvantageous 4. Keep an open mind 5. Get into continuous education programme 6. Build a positive self esteem 7. Stay away from negative influences such as smoking, drinking, pornography, bad company etc.

TYPES OF ATTITUDES

There are many types of attitudes. But here we limit to only to the work related issues. The job related attitudes are classified as : a) Job involvement b) Organisational Commitment c) Job Satisfaction.

a) Job involvement

Measures the degree to which a person identifies himself psychologically with his job and considers his perceived performance level important to self worth. Performance of the employees is directly related to the amount of job involvement.

b) Organisational Commitment

Its a state in which an employee identifies himself with a particular organisation and its goals and wishes to maintain membership in the organisation. It depicts the level of attachment of the individual towards the organisation.

c)

Job Satisfaction.

This is the individuals attitude towards ones job. The level of the satisfaction differs from one job to another and also from one individual to other.

How can we develop our personality and attitude ?

We can do this through : Self image and self reformation Education and hard work Discipline and organisation Belief in goodnesses and truth and many more.

Individuals have a basic set of general beliefs passed on from one generation to another. These stable, long-lasting beliefs represent values. They are evaluative standards that help us define what is right or wrong / good or bad. Ex. Some value money while others morals as more important.

VALUES

Case study

Hemlatha as an entrepreneur, wants to find out how she can make her employees work harder. Right after completing her graduation she had taken this job. Her father passed away suddenly due to an attack and she was left with limited resources to take her fathers business. She changed the philosophy of the organisation. She wanted her employees to work on their own to come out with innovative ideas in solving their problems. On the other hand, the employees developed an attitude towards Hemlatha being very rude in her approach towards them.

There was lot of commotion. Her instruction to the supervisors to increase the production went in vain. Though the employees were paid well, their absenteeism increased. Finally Hemlatha called on her employees in desperation. She announced that those employees who are failing to give the expected productivity might have to undergo a cut in their salary. 1. If you were the entrepreneur, what would you do in this situation ? 2. Suggest a possible solution in this case. 3. Explain the different attitudes you find in the case.