ATTITUDE

Definition :

Evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people , or events. Attitudes are evaluative statementseither favorable or unfavorableabout objects, people, or events. They reflect how we feel about something. When I say I like my job, I am expressing my attitude about work.

Main Components of Attitudes

cognitive component :

The opinion or belief segment of an attitude.

affective component :

The emotional or feeling segment of an attitude. behavioral component : An intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something.

Main Components of Attitudes(Cond

Main Components of Attitudes(Cond

Exhibit 3-1 illustrates how the three components of an

attitude are related. In this example, an employee didnt get a promotion he thought he deserved; a co-worker got it instead. The employees attitude toward his supervisor is illustrated as follows: The employee thought he deserved the promotion (cognition), He strongly dislikes his supervisor (affect), and he is looking for another job (behavior). As weve noted, although we often think cognition causes affect, which then causes behavior, in reality these components are often difficult to separate.

Major Job Attitudes

job satisfaction : A positive feeling about ones job

resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics. job involvement : The degree to which a person identifies with a job, actively participates in it, and considers performance important to self-worth. psychological empowerment: Employees belief in the degree to which they affect their work environment, their competence, the meaningfulness of their job, and their perceived autonomy in their work. organizational commitment : The degree to which an employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals and wishes to maintain membership in the organization.

 cognitive (how we think or

reason through an attitude) emotional (how we feel regarding an attitude) behavioral (how we act on an attitude)

ATTITUDE FORMATION(Contd..)
Attitudes are learned. Individuals acquire attitudes from several Two major influences on attitudes are

sources

Direct experience 2. Social learning.

1.

1.Direct Experience
Attitudes can develop from a personally rewarding or

punishing experience with an object. Direct experience with an object or person is a powerful influence on attitudes. a. Classical Conditioning:
On the basis of learning principles.

People develop associations between various objects

and the emotional reactions that accompany them.

1.Direct Experience (Cond)

b. Operant Conditioning: Attitudes that are reinforced, either verbally or nonverbally , tends to be maintained. Conversely, a person who states an attitude that elicits ridicule from others may modify or abandon the attitude. c. Vicarious Learning: A person learns something through the observance of others. It is through vicarious learning processes that children pick up the prejudices of their parents

2. Social Learning
In social learning, the family, peer groups and culture

shape an individual's attitudes in an indirect manner. Substantial social learning occurs through modeling,
The learner must focus attention on the model. The learner must retain what was observed from the

model. Behavioural reproduction must occur; that is, the learner must practise the behavior . The learner must be motivated to learn from the model.

2. Social Learning (Cond)

(a) The Family:

A person may learn attitudes through imitation of parents. If parents have a positive attitude towards an object and the child admires his parents, he is likely to adopt a similar attitude, even without being told about the object, and even without having direct experience. Peer pressure moulds attitudes through group acceptance of individuals who express popular attitudes and through sanctions. Substantial social learning occurs through modelling, in which individuals acquire attitudes by merely observing others.

(b) Peer Groups:

(c) Modelling:

Attitude Measurement
Likert Scales: are type of scale in which a statement

about something is made and is then followed by a series of numbers which people can choose to show how much they agree with something. For example:
The Police are always impartial in their treatment of

suspects. Strongly agree 1 2 3 4 5 strongly disagree.

If you then sum the numbers for several statements

and you can come up with a score that represents the persons attitude towards the subject.

Attitude Measurement(Cond)
Semantic Differential Scales: A single attitude may include different meanings or qualities of

evaluation. For example, a negative attitude about cigarette advertising or the Tory Party might be made up of several beliefs or values. This can be tested in the following way: A statement is made followed by a series of scales. E.g. Cigarette advertising is:

Good Creative Honest Healthy

12345 12345 12345 12345

Bad Ugly Dishonest Unhealthy

Changing Attitudes
Can you change unfavourable employee attitudes?

Sometimes! It depends on who you are , the strength of the employee attitude, The magnitude of the change, and The technique you choose to try to change the attitude. Employees are most likely to respond to change efforts made by someone who is liked, credible, and convincing.

Changing Attitudes (Cond)

employee sees you as believable, knowledgeable about what

you're talking about, and unbiased in your presentation. Finally, successful attitude change is enhanced when you present your arguments clearly and persuasively. It's easier to change an employee's attitude if he or she isn't strongly committed to it. Conversely, the stronger the belief about the attitude, the harder it is to change it. Oral persuasion techniques are most effective when you use a positive, tactful tone; present strong evidence to support your position; tailor your argument to the listener; use logic; and support your evidence by Applying to the employee's fears,