Tying Concepts Together
Chapter 4: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
Job Satisfaction: Trends and Causes
Positive trend in 2013–2016 after slump
Survey items
Organizational satisfaction lower than job satisfaction
Possible explanations
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
2
Overall job satisfaction in the United States experienced a positive trend from 2013 to 2016, after it had slumped in 2012–2013
The following survey items were rated “very important” by high percentages of respondents:
Respectful treatment of employees (65%)
Overall compensation and pay (61%)
Trust between employees (61%)
Job security (58%)
Opportunities to use their skills and abilities at work (56%)
Organizational satisfaction has been lower than job satisfaction every year of the survey, with a small decline in 2016
Possible explanations:
Stagnant wages
Higher health care deductibles
Prescription copays
2
What is an Attitude? (1 of 3)
Attitude definition
Components of an attitude
Cognitive
Affective
Behavioral
These attitudes are related and converge
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
3
4-1 Define the concept of an attitude and know its three components
Attitude: A psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor—that is, a person’s evaluation of something.
Components of an Attitude
Cognitive: A statement of belief about something.
Ex: “My boss is a mean person.”
Affective: The emotional component of an attitude.
Ex: “I am angry because my boss is mean.”
Behavioral: An intention to act based upon cognitions and affect.
Ex: “I am going to go to the Human Resources department and report my mean boss.”
These three attitudes are closely related and converge.
3
What is an Attitude? (2 of 3)
Cognitive Dissonance
Definition
Motivation for resolving dissonance
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
4
4-1 Define the concept of an attitude and know its three components
Cognitive dissonance: The incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between attitudes and behavior.
Creates stress in an individual, which can be resolved by making a change in one or both of the conflicting components so thoughts, feelings, and behaviors align.
Festinger proposed that the degree to which people are motivated to resolve dissonance is related to:
The importance of what creates it
How much influence the person has over it
Reward
4
What is an Attitude? (3 of 3)
Do Attitudes Matter?
Importance of gauging satisfaction and engagement
Relation to job performance and turnover
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
5
4-1 Define the concept of an attitude and know its three components
Gauging satisfaction and engagement is important:
Dissatisfied employees may express negative perceptions to coworkers, spreading dissatisfaction.
Employees may post anonymously on career websites if they are dissatisfied, reducing the number of excellent job applicants.
Leaders must address dissatisfaction to convert negative attitudes to positive ones.
Job satisfaction and organizational commitment are significantly related to job performance and turnover.
5
Job Satisfaction (1 of 6)
Definition
Often equals improved performance
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
6
4-2 Define job satisfaction and know the consequences of dissatisfaction.
Job satisfaction is a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experience.
High job satisfaction often translates into improved performance (like higher customer satisfaction and engagement).
6
Job Satisfaction (2 of 6)
Job satisfaction changes over time
Increases, then decreases
Levels during relative economic levels
Study findings
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
7
4-2 Define job satisfaction and know the consequences of dissatisfaction.
Job satisfaction changes over time:
Satisfaction increases after starting a new job, then decreases around the one-year point.
Graduates who enter the workforce during economic downturns are more satisfied with their current jobs than those who enter during more prosperous times.
Over a 40-year study, people appeared to become less satisfied as their tenure within a given organization increased. However, as people aged and moved to different organizations, their satisfaction increased.
In part, this is explained by pay increases over time.
Changing to a completely different occupation, however, may result in decreases in satisfaction that last up to 6 years.
7
Job Satisfaction (3 of 6)
Job satisfaction changes over time
“Gender paradox”
Transitioning employees more satisfied during/after
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
8
4-2 Define job satisfaction and know the consequences of dissatisfaction.
Job satisfaction changes over time:
The “gender paradox:” women are more satisfied with their jobs than men, despite income disparities and, sometimes, fewer opportunities for promotion.
Transitioning employees are more satisfied with their work during and after transitioning to their preferred gender.
8
Job Satisfaction (4 of 6)
Job satisfaction facets
Job Descriptive Index (JDI)
Relationship between pay and satisfaction
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
9
4-2 Define job satisfaction and know the consequences of dissatisfaction.
Job Descriptive Index (JDI) includes different scales that measure attitudes about aspects of the work experience:
Pay (lowest relationship to overall job satisfaction)
Promotions
Supervision
Coworkers (with supervision, found to be the second most important factor)
The work itself (found to be the most important factor)
Relationship between pay and satisfaction:
Highly paid employees were just as satisfied as those who made less.
Once an individual reaches an income level where they can live comfortably, the relationship between income and job satisfaction goes away.
Recent research indicates the relationship may, however, be more complex (higher pay may correlate with more difficult work, offsetting job satisfaction; pay relative to other employees may be more significant than an employee’s objective income).
9
Job Satisfaction (5 of 6)
Responses to Job Dissatisfaction
Active response
Passive response
Constructive response
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
10
4-2 Define job satisfaction and know the consequences of dissatisfaction.
Active response: Responses which require significant action on the part of the employee, such as leaving an organization or voicing dissatisfaction.
Passive response: Responses which require less or no action on the part of the employee, such as waiting for an organization to change or putting in less effort at work.
Constructive response: Responses which positively contribute to the growth or improvement of the organization, such as voicing dissatisfaction or trusting management to resolve issues over time.
10
Job Satisfaction (6 of 6)
Responses to Job Dissatisfaction
Destructive response
Four reactions which combine these response qualities
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
11
4-2 Define job satisfaction and know the consequences of dissatisfaction.
Destructive response: Responses which negatively impact the organization, such as finding another job or becoming frequently tardy/absent
There are four main reactions which combine these four qualities of a response, known as the EVLN approach to job satisfaction:
Exit: The employee searches for another job and leaves. This is an active/destructive response.
Voice: The employee discusses their dissatisfaction with a supervisor, making suggestions for improvement. This is an active/constructive response.
Loyalty: The employee waits for the situation to improve, trusting that the management will address it in time. This is a passive/constructive response.
Neglect: The employee allows the situation to get worse and may be late or absent from work and put in less effort on the job. This is a passive/destructive response.
11
Job Search Attitudes (1 of 2)
Job search process includes ups and downs
Career adaptability: Resources for coping
Concern
Control
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
12
4-3 Explain the role of job attitudes in the job search process.
The job search is characterized by ups and downs in attitudes during the process
Career adaptability: A psychosocial construct that denotes an individual’s resources for coping with current and anticipated tasks, transitions, and traumas in their occupational roles. Composed of the “Four C’s”:
Concern
Control
12
Job Search Attitudes (2 of 2)
Career adaptability: Resources for coping
Curiosity
Confidence
Job search envy
Resume fraud
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
13
4-3 Explain the role of job attitudes in the job search process.
Career adaptability: A psychosocial construct that denotes an individual’s resources for coping with current and anticipated tasks, transitions, and traumas in their occupational roles. Composed of the “Four C’s”:
Concern
Control
Curiosity
Confidence
Job search envy: A situational form of envy specific to the job search domain.
Being envious of the success of others, combined with time pressure, often results in resume fraud:
Making false claims on a resume
Overstating information
Fabricating degrees or work experience
13
Organizational Commitment (1 of 4)
Related to turnover, absences, motivation, and performance
Definition
Components
Higher commitment reduces organizational deviance
Job insecurity leads to lower organizational commitment
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
14
4-4 Discuss the concept of organizational commitment and its three components.
Organizational commitment closely related to turnover, as well as absences, motivation, and performance
Organizational commitment: A psychological state that describes an employee’s relationship with their organization and a propensity to continue the relationship with the organization.
Three components of organizational commitment:
Affective commitment: Refers to an employee’s emotional attachment to an organization (caring and loyalty).
Continuance commitment: The degree to which an employee is aware of the costs of leaving the organization (inability to leave).
Normative commitment: The moral obligation to stay with the organization (staying is the right thing to do).
Higher commitment makes organizational deviance (excessive breaks, intentionally poor work quality) and interpersonal deviance (gossiping, bullying) less common.
Increased job insecurity, like that following the Great Recession of 2008, led to lower organization commitment.
14
Organizational Commitment (2 of 4)
Job Involvement
Definition
Institutionalized “Stars”
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
15
4-4 Discuss the concept of organizational commitment and its three components.
Job involvement: How much an employee identifies with his or her job and views their performance at work as an essential part of their self-esteem.
Related to turnover, organizational citizenship, and performance.
Institutionalized “Stars”
Efforts are focused on both the task and the group to which they belong.
High organizational commitment and job involvement.
15
Organizational Commitment (3 of 4)
Job Involvement
“Apathetics”
“Lone Wolves”
“Corporate Citizens”
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
16
4-4 Discuss the concept of organizational commitment and its three components.
Job involvement: How much an employee identifies with his or her job and views their performance at work as an essential part of their self-esteem.
“Apathetics”
Low effort and little concern for team members.
Low organizational commitment and job involvement.
“Lone Wolves”
Prefer to “go it alone” and are more likely to leave the organization.
High job involvement, but little concern about the team.
“Corporate Citizens”
Not often star performers, but loyal employees.
Low job involvement, but attentive to the maintenance of the team.
16
Organizational Commitment (4 of 4)
Employee Engagement
Definition
Related factors
Costs of actively disengaged employees
Small organizations report highest engagement
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
17
4-4 Discuss the concept of organizational commitment and its three components.
Employee engagement: Related to job involvement and enthusiasm for the work performed; the investment of an individual’s complete self into a role.
Engagement is related to customer satisfaction, productivity, profit, employee turnover, and safety.
Gallup estimates actively disengaged employees cost the United States between $450 and $550 billion annually in lost productivity.
Small organizations (less than 100 employees) report the highest levels of engagement.
17
Perceived Organizational Support (1 of 5)
Definition of POS
Major categories of beneficial treatment
Fairness
Supervisor support
Organizational rewards/favorable job conditions
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
18
4-5 Define perceived organizational support (POS), and explain its relationship to fairness in the workplace.
Perceived organizational support (POS): Employees’ perception of whether the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being.
Three major categories of beneficial treatment:
Fairness
Supervisor support
Organizational rewards/favorable job conditions
18
Perceived Organizational Support (2 of 5)
Effects of POS
Positive job satisfaction and organizational commitment
Positive employee performance
Negative turnover intention
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
19
4-5 Define perceived organizational support (POS), and explain its relationship to fairness in the workplace.
Employees with a higher POS engage in more helping behavior and are less tardy, and POS has the following effects:
Strong positive effects on job satisfaction and organizational commitment
Moderate positive effect on employee performance
Strong negative effect on turnover intention
19
Perceived Organizational Support (3 of 5)
Strategies for Increasing POS
Implement supportive workforce services
Be fair and equitable in management practices
Set achievable goals and reward proportionately
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
20
4-5 Define perceived organizational support (POS), and explain its relationship to fairness in the workplace.
Strategies for increasing POS to enhance engagement:
Implement supportive workforce services that go beyond what you are required to do.
Be fair and equitable in making, monitoring, and enforcing management practices.
Set achievable goals and reward proportionately.
20
Perceived Organizational Support (4 of 5)
Strategies for Increasing POS
Offer individualized benefits
Support supervisors
Train subordinates to be supportive
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
21
4-5 Define perceived organizational support (POS), and explain its relationship to fairness in the workplace.
Strategies for increasing POS to enhance engagement:
Offer individualized benefits, tailored to the type of supports your workforce needs.
Support supervisors so they will foster POS in their subordinates.
Train subordinates to be supportive.
21
Perceived Organizational Support (5 of 5)
Strategies for Increasing POS
Promote strong social networks
Begin organizational support prior to employment
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
22
4-5 Define perceived organizational support (POS), and explain its relationship to fairness in the workplace.
Strategies for increasing POS to enhance engagement:
Promote strong social networks.
Begin organizational support prior to the start of employment.
22
Psychological Empowerment (1 of 2)
Definition
Meaning
Competence
Self-determination
Impact
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
23
4-6 Explain psychological empowerment and its relationship to job performance.
Psychological empowerment: Intrinsic task motivation manifested in a set of four cognitions reflecting an individual’s orientation to his or her work role: competence, impact, meaning, and self-determination.
Meaning: How much work goals align with your personal standards (“fit” your values).
Competence (or self-efficacy): Your belief in your capabilities to show mastery in your work role.
Self-determination: The degree to which you feel that you have a choice in your work and autonomy to carry it out according to your own preferences.
Impact: Refers to how much you believe that you can influence important work outcomes (like administrative policies).
23
Psychological Empowerment (2 of 2)
What it is positively related to
Team members feel empowered with discretion
Sense of meaning
Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 3e. © SAGE Publications, 2020.
24
4-6 Explain psychological empowerment and its relationship to job performance.
Psychological empowerment is positively related to managerial effectiveness, innovation, and organizational commitment, as well as lower stress.
Team members feel more empowered when they are allowed discretion in how they do their work, which translates into higher team performance.
Sense of meaning: Creating a sense of meaning at work may enable leaders to activate other positive attitudes about work and improve employee motivation.
24