Week 3 Flashcards
(47 cards)
What are the main focuses of ‘Theme 2 c) Attitudes and Job Satisfaction’?
- Examine various attitudes and values.
- Provide specific focus on the attitude of Job Satisfaction.
- Look at how Job Satisfaction inter-relates with other dependant variables in OB: Productivity, Absenteeism, and Turnover.
How are ‘values’ defined in this context?
Basic convictions on how to conduct yourself or how you live your life in a way that is personally or socially preferable to you – your views on ‘How To’ live life properly!
Values are more fundamental and broader than attitudes.
Where are values primarily derived from, and what do they influence/represent?
Derived from our upbringing (culture, community).
Influence our perceptions of the world.
Represent our interpretations of ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’
Lead us to believe some behaviors/outcomes are preferred.
What can happen when values differ between groups?
This can cause conflict.
How are ‘attitudes’ defined?
Evaluative statements or judgements (favourable/unfavourable) concerning people, objects, or events. Attitudes are how one ‘feels’ about something.
Attitudes are more specific than values and are directed towards a particular target.
How are attitudes and values interrelated?
They are interrelated, which can be seen by looking at the three components of attitudes.
What are the 3 components of an attitude? Describe each.
Cognitive component: A value statement; the opinion or belief segment of an attitude. (e.g., ‘My pay is low.’)
Affective component: The more critical part; the emotional or ‘feeling’ part of an attitude. (e.g., ‘I am angry about my low pay.’)
Behavioural component: The intention to behave in a certain way towards someone or something based on the cognitive and affective parts of the attitude. (e.g., ‘I’m going to look for another job that pays better.’)
This is often called the ABC model: Affective, Behavioural, Cognitive.
Name and describe the 3 ‘Types of Attitudes’ discussed in the slides.
Job Satisfaction: An individual’s general attitude towards their job. (High satisfaction = positive attitude).
Job Involvement: The degree to which a person identifies with his or her job, actively participates in it, and considers his or her performance as important to self-worth. (High involvement linked to low absenteeism/turnover).
Employee Engagement: The degree to which an individual is excited about and enthusiastic about the work he or she is doing.
Employee engagement is often seen as a deeper level of connection than job satisfaction, encompassing vigor, dedication, and absorption in work.
What is Organisational Commitment?
The degree to which an employee identifies with a particular organisation and its goals and wishes to maintain membership in the organisation.
High organisational commitment is linked to low absenteeism and turnover and is considered a better predictor of these than job satisfaction alone.
What are the 3 components of Organisational Commitment as detailed on the ‘4. Organisational Commitment’ slide?
Affective commitment: An emotional commitment to the organisation.
Continuance commitment: The desire to stay with the organisation (often due to perceived costs of leaving).
Normative commitment: Commitment to the values, beliefs, and ethics of the organisation; feeling you owe the organisation.
What is Perceived Organisational Support (POS)?
Refers to the emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support – feeling that the organisational and its management are concerned about the employees’ wellbeing and will assist when the employee is experiencing distress.
High POS can lead to increased job satisfaction, higher commitment, and better performance.
What is ‘Perceived Insider Status’ (as listed under types of attitudes/Organisational Commitment)?
The slides list ‘Perceived Insider Status’ as a type of attitude or related to Organisational Commitment but do not provide a specific definition for it.
Generally, Perceived Insider Status refers to the extent to which an employee feels they are a valued and accepted member within the core of the organization, privy to information and included in key activities.
Where are attitudes acquired from, and how stable are they compared to values?
Acquired from parents, teachers, and peers; some genetic aetiology.
We shape attitudes after those we admire, respect, or fear by observing their behavior.
Attitudes are less stable than values and therefore more amenable to change.
Why are attitudes important for organisations?
They affect job behaviour. Understanding how attitudes are formed and their relationship to actual behaviour allows organisations to try to change attitudes and thereby change behaviour.
What aspects of Job Satisfaction are covered in the slides?
What it is, how to measure it, what causes it, what could lead to satisfaction/dissatisfaction, how dissatisfied employees behave, and its relation to other dependant variables.
How is Job Satisfaction defined in the ‘What is it and how do we measure it?’ section?
The attitude that an individual has towards his or her job. A job is made up of a great number of elements that contribute to whether or not the individual is satisfied.
What are the two ways of measuring job satisfaction described? Briefly explain each.
The single global rating method: Asks individuals to respond to one general question (e.g., ‘I am very satisfied with my job?’) using a Likert-type scale.
The summation score of job factors method: Asks employees about their feelings about each element in their job (e.g., nature of work, co-workers, supervision), rating each on a standardised scale and adding them up for an overall score.
Which method of measuring job satisfaction has research shown to be more valid, according to the slides?
The single global rating method.
This is somewhat counterintuitive, but it’s simpler, less time-consuming, and often captures the overall feeling effectively.
What are the 4 factors listed that determine Job Satisfaction?
Mentally challenging work
Equitable rewards
Supportive working conditions
Supportive colleagues and bosses
How does ‘Mentally Challenging Work’ contribute to job satisfaction?
Employees prefer jobs that give them opportunities to use their abilities and skills. Characteristics like freedom, feedback, and variety make work mentally challenging and allow employees to feel pleasure and satisfaction. Non-challenging jobs create boredom and frustration.
How do ‘Equitable Rewards’ contribute to job satisfaction?
Employees want rewards (pay, promotions) perceived as just and in line with expectations. Satisfaction occurs if pay is seen as based on job demands, skill, and community standards. The perception of fairness is key, not just the amount. Fair promotional decisions also contribute.
How do ‘Supportive Working Conditions’ contribute to job satisfaction?
Employees prefer comfortable conditions that enable optimal job performance. Environmental factors (temperature, light, noise) shouldn’t be extreme. Proximity to home, cleanliness, technology, and adequate tools also help.
How do ‘Supportive Colleagues’ (and bosses) contribute to job satisfaction?
Employees work for social interaction as well as tangible achievements. Friendly and supportive co-workers and superiors help lead to increased job satisfaction.
What is the EVLN Model used to describe?
How employees can express dissatisfaction.
