Values, Attitudes and Their Effects in the Workplace

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Chapter 3
Values, Attitudes and Their Effects in the
Workplace
Instructors
Cathy Aspen Yajuan (Amy) Du Sanghwa Kim Don Sun
23 September 2004
MOB Dynamics MNGT 2030E
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Today we will discuss
Values A framework for Assessing Cultural
Value Canadian Social values Implications for
Cultural Differences for OB Attitudes The
Attitude of Job Satisfaction Attitudes and
Consistency Attitudes and Workforce Diversity
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Values
Defined as
Fundamental standards of desirability by which
we choose between alternatives, assumptions about
the nature of reality
Values are
1.Learned early, continue to develop 2.Drive
choices and behavior 3.Differ based on culture
and environment
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Values Value System
Defined as
A hierarchy based on a ranking of an
individuals value in terms of their intensity.
There are two types of personal values
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A Framework for Assessing Cultural Values
5 Value Dimensions of National Culture
1. power distance 2. individualism and
collectivism 3. quantity of life and quality of
life 4. uncertainty avoidance 5. long-term and
short term orientation
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5 Value Dimensions of National Culture
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Values

• Managers
• Value sense of accomplishment, self-respect, a
  comfortable life, power independence more than
  others
• Highest instrumental value ambition
• Highest terminal value accomplishment
• Tend to be achievement-oriented

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Values

• Learning style
• An individuals inclination to perceive,
  interpret and respond to information in a certain
  way
• Two key dimensions 1. manner in which you
  gather information 2. way in which you
  evaluate and act on information

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Values

• Learning styles Kolb
• Concrete experience learn through personal
  involvement
• Reflective observation seek meaning through
  study
• Abstract conceptualization build theories using
  logic, ideas and concepts
• Active experimentation change situations and
  influence others to see what happens

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Canadian Social Values

• 4 Broad Age Groups
• 1. The Elders over 60
• 2. The Boomers born between mid-40s
  mid-60s
• 3. Generation X born between mid-60s to
  early 80s
• 4. The Ne(x)t Generation born between 1977
  1997

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Canadian Social Values

• The Elders
• Core Values believe in order, authority,
  discipline, the Juedo-Christian moral code the
  Golden Rule
• Playing by the Rules
• 80 of elders

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Canadian Social Values

• The Boomers
• 4 Categories
• 1. Autonomous Rebels
• 2. Anxious Communitarians
• 3. Connected Enthusiasts
• 4. Disengaged Darwinists
• 3 of the 4 groups fit in the stereotypes

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Canadian Social Values

• Generation X
• 5 Categories that share the same common values
• 1. Thrill-Seeking Materialists
• 2. Aimless Dependants
• 3. Social Hedonists 4. New Aquarians 5. Autono
  mous Post-Materialists

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Canadian Social Values

• The Ne(x)t Generation
• Also know as the Net Generation
• Curious, Contrarian, flexible, collaborative
  have high self esteem

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The Application of Canadian Values in the
Workplace

• Understanding the value structure helps to manage
  better relate to other generations
• The Elders Boss-knows-Best
• The Boomers Workaholics
• Generation X Want more experience
• The Net Generation Communication Information

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The Application of Canadian Values in the
Workplace

• Organization can mould the workplace
• Alignment of an individual and an organization
  values

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The Application of Canadian Values in the
Workplace

• 3 Broad Cultural Groups
• Francophone
• Anglophone
• Aboriginal

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Canadian Cultural Groups

• Francophone
• Collective Achievement
• Managers Affiliation extrinsic
• Anglophone
• Individualist Risks
• Managers autonomy intrinsic
• Similar type of theories

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Canadian Cultural Groups

• Canadian Aboriginal
• Aboriginal values
• Non-Aboriginals vs. Aboriginals

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Canadian Values and the Values of NAFTA Partners

• United States
• Big business
• Different values than Canadians
• American are comfortable with the unknown where
  as Canadians are shy
• No safety nets

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Canadian Values and the Values of NAFTA Partners

• Mexico
• Different managerial style
• Employee expect more respect from managers
• Teamwork
• Quantity of life

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Social Values of other Business Partners

• East and Southeast Asian Values
• Guanxi
• The establishment of a connection between two
  independent individuals to enable a bilateral
  flow of personal or social transactions. Both
  parties must derive benefits from the
  transactions to ensure such a relationship.

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Implications of Cultural Differences for OB

• Values and Workforce Diversity
• Regarding the employment diversity as a part of
  annual report and employee information packets.
• When companies design publicize statements
  about importance of diversity, are producing
  value statements.
• Hope to change attitudes of members because
  values are harder to be changed
• Focus on attitudes in the workplace and toward
  diversity.

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Attitudes

• Defined as
• Positive or negative feelings concerning
  objects, people, or events
• Are responses to situations.
• Attitudes and values are different but
  interrelated.
• Attitudes affect job behavior
• Employees maybe negatively affected by the
  attitudes of co-workers or clients.

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Attitudes

• Types of Attitudes
• Job Involvement
• Organizational commitment
• Job satisfaction

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Types of Attitudes

• Job Involvement
• Defined as
• The degree to which people identify with their
  jobs, actively participate in them, and consider
  their performance important to self- worth.
• High levels of job involvement are related to
  fewer absences and lower turnover rates.
• High job involvement identifying with the
  specific job

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Types of Attitudes

• Organizational commitment
• Defined as
• The degree to which an employee identifies
  with a particular organization and its goals,
  and wishes to maintain membership in the
  organization.
• High Organizational Commitment means identifying
  with the employing organization.

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Types of Attitudes

• 3 types of commitment 1. Affective commitment
  individuals relationship to the
  organization 2.      Continuance commitment the
  perceived cost of leaving 3.      Normative
  commitment the obligation an
  individual feels to staying

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Types of Attitudes

• 5 reasons for employee commitment
• 1. Are proud of aspirations, accomplishment
  s, legacy share values. 2.       Know
  expectations, performance measures why it
  matters.
• 3.      In control of own destinies savor
  high-risk, high-reward work. 4. Recognized for
  quality of performance. 5. Have fun enjoy the
  supportive interactive environment

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Types of Attitudes

• Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)
• Defined as
• Discretionary behavior that is not part of an
  employees formal job requirements, but that
  nevertheless promotes the effective functioning
  of the organization.

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The Attitude of Job Satisfaction

• Job Satisfaction
• Defined as
• An individuals general attitude toward his or
  her job.

Job Satisfaction and its affect on 5
areas Individual productivity Organizational
productivity Absenteeism Turnover Organizati
onal citizenship behavior
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The Attitude of Job Satisfaction

• Satisfaction and individual productivity
• relation between the two is slightly positive
• productivity affected by internal and external
  factors
• link dependant on level of external constraint
• - operator of machine and productivity depend on
  
• machine not satisfaction.
• higher correlation with professionals, white
  collar
• workers and managers
• studies show production level actually
  influences
• satisfaction

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The Attitude of Job Satisfaction

• Satisfaction and organization productivity
• relation between the two is much stronger here
• more satisfied employees more productive org.
• hasnt received strong support
• -many studies focus on individuals not
  organizations
• -doesnt account for workplace complexities

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The Attitude of Job Satisfaction

• Satisfaction and absenteeism
• relation between the two is negative
• ie. Less satisfaction leads to absenteeism
• many factors that affect absenteeism

• Satisfaction and turnover
• relationship between the two is negative
• strong relationship
• consider external factors
• must consider employees predisposition to life

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The Attitude of Job Satisfaction

• Satisfaction and OCB
• previous views have linked satisfaction with OCB
• recent studies show that this relation occurs
• through fairness
• if an employee feels they are being treated
• unfairly then job satisfaction is negative.
• if an employee feels they are being treated
• fairly, then trust is built, thus job
  satisfaction
• increases and then OCR increases

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Attitudes and Consistency

• people seek consistency between attitudes and
  behaviors
• - if these dont match, individuals reconcile
• attitudes and behaviors to match each other.
• - ensure that attitudes and behaviors are
  rational
• fix by altering attitude or behaviors or by
  finding an excuse
• to justify it.

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Attitudes and Consistency

• Cognitive dissonance
• Any incompatibility between two or more
  attitudes or between behaviors and attitudes.
• any form of inconsistency is felt as discomfort.
• individuals work to reduce dissonance and hence
  discomfort

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Attitudes and Workforce Diversity

• a more diverse workforce is a reality
  organizations
• must face.
• - age
• - gender
• - nationality
• is a managers concern to monitor attitudes and
  behavior
• toward minorities especially after significant
  events that
• influence perceptions
• organizations was to change employee attitudes
  to a more
• diversity oriented
• cant force change in belief but you can
  influence behavior

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Open Discussion

• Do your values affect your attitudes?
• How has the change in values changed the
  workplace?
• Which are more important to you, your values or
  your attitude?