Chapter 4: Attitudes

Question 1

What are Attitudes?

Answer 1

a fairly stable tendency to respond consistently to some specific target (e.g., person, situation, etc.)
* Often positive or negative toward the target
* Less stable than values
* attitudes can (sometimes) predict behavior like job performance

Question 2

Behavior aligns with attitudes more closely when

Answer 2

 The person has direct experience with the target.
 The attitude is strong and confidently held.

Question 3

Formation of Attitudes:

Answer 3

Beliefs (Cognitive component): What a person thinks is true.

Values (Affective component): What a person feels is important

Question 4

Job performance is a behavior, and encompasses:

Answer 4

Task performance
Organizational citizenship behavior
Counterproductive work behaviors

Question 5

Task performance

Answer 5

Behaviors that are recognized as part of the job (e.g., doing the duties and responsibilities of the job; making something, providing a service; how many units you make in a shift)

Question 6

Organizational citizenship behavior

Answer 6

voluntary, informal behaviors that benefit the organization and are not formally rewarded, such as helping coworkers
o Fair treatment and positive moods enhance OCB, while perceived unfairness may reduce it.

Question 7

Counterproductive work behaviors (CWB)

Answer 7

Voluntary behaviors that harm the well-being of the organization (e.g., incivility, aggression, theft)

Question 8

Job Satisfaction

Answer 8

“A collection of attitudes that workers have about their job”
* how content one is with their job (or individual facets of their job)
* Positively related to job performance
* Negatively related to absenteeism and turnover
- affective and cognitive assessment

Question 9

Facets of job satisfaction

Answer 9

Nature of the work itself, Compensation, Career Opportunities, Recognition, Benefits, Working Conditions, Supervision, Coworkers, Organizational Policies…
- satisfaction with the Nature of the work itself has the Strongest relationship with job performance

Question 10

What determines job satisfaction?

Answer 10

• A large percentage of overall job satisfaction variance is attributable to genes (~30%)
• Job satisfaction depends on disposition and the situation

Question 11

Disposition

Answer 11

an individual’s personality traits and their influence on job satisfaction. Some people may be predisposed to feel more or less satisfied with their jobs due to personality factors.
- tends to remain stable over time, even when switching jobs.

Question 12

Measurement Tools for Job Satisfaction

Answer 12

 Job Descriptive Index (JDI)
 Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ)

Question 13

Discrepancy Theory

Answer 13

Job satisfaction results from the gap between the job outcomes people want and the outcomes they perceive they receive.

Question 14

3 types of Fairness (aka Organizational Justice)

Answer 14

1. Distributive Fairness
2. Procedural Fairness
3. Interactional Fairness

Question 15

Factors influencing Distributive Fairness

Answer 15

1. Value Systems
2. Equity Theory: Individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes with those of others and then respond so as to eliminate any inequities.
   outcomes are anything that you receive because of your inputs (i.e., because of everything that you do)

Question 16

Cultural Variations in Fairness

Answer 16

• Individualistic Cultures (e.g., North America): Fairness is often linked to individual contributions, emphasizing performance-based outcomes.
• Collectivist Cultures: Fairness might emphasize equal outcomes or team performance.
• Feminine Cultures: Outcomes may be allocated based on need rather than performance to ensure fairness.

Question 17

Procedural Fairness

Answer 17

= the perceived fairness of the processes used to determine work outcomes rather than the fairness of the outcomes themselves
* Consistency: Procedures are applied consistently over time and across all employees.
* Accuracy and Objectivity: Decisions are based on accurate, unbiased information.
* Two-Way Communication: Employees are involved in the decision-making process and allowed to express their perspectives.
* Appeals Process: Employees have the opportunity to challenge decisions and request reviews.

Question 18

Interactional Fairness

Answer 18

= how individuals are treated and communicated with during the decision-making process. It focuses on respectful and informative communication when sharing work-related decisions.
* Respectful Communication: Sincere, polite, and considerate behavior.
* Informative Communication: Candid, timely, and thorough explanations about decisions.
o Interpersonal justice (treatment with respect and dignity when receiving outcomes)
o Informational justice (adequacy and appropriateness of explanation when receiving outcomes)

Question 19

Some Responses to Inequity

Answer 19

• Change Inputs (e.g., social loaf – slack off)
• Change Outcomes (e.g., ask for a raise)
• Adjust Perceptions of Self (e.g., see our own inputs as less valuable)
• Adjust Perceptions of Others (e.g., see their inputs as more valuable)
• Compare to someone else (e.g., someone more similar to ourself)
• Quit

Question 20

Self Perception Theory

Answer 20

People make reasonable inferences about their attitudes based on perceptions of their behavior

Question 21

Cognitive Dissonance

Answer 21

e.g., when behavior and attitudes are inconsistent. Can lead to anxiety and a change in attitude (to reduce the anxiety)