Attitude

Introduction:

Attitudes are closely linked to behaviour in general, so they are an important factor in organisational behaviour. Managers complain about workers with “bad attitudes”. In a work environment, negative attitudes are often linked to poor performance, which can stem from a lack of motivation, inadequate feedback, a lack of trust in management, or other issues. On the positive side, recognition and praise from colleagues and supervisors can positively impact an individual’s attitudes and job performance. Thus, managers should understand the antecedents (a thing that existed before or a person's ancestors or family and social background) to attitudes as well as their consequences. They also need to understand the different components of attitudes, how attitudes are formed, the major attitudes that affect work behaviour, and how to use persuasion to change attitudes.

Note: We may be supportive, passive, or hostile, depending on our attitude

Meaning:

Attitudes are evaluative statements or judgements (favourable or unfavourable) concerning objects, people, or events.

Components of Attitudes:

 Attitudes have three components:

 1.Cognition

2. Affect,

3. Behaviour.

Cognition/Cognitive component: The opinion or belief segment of an attitude in the way things are. Ex.: The statement “My pay is low” is a cognitive component of an attitude

Affective component/affect: The affective component/affect is the emotional or feeling segment of an attitude. It is a person's thought processes, with special emphasis on rationality and logic. These thought processes lead to a favourable or unfavourable impression someone holds toward an object or person.

Ex.: “I am angry over how little I’m paid.” feeling/emotion reflected in the statement. Affect can lead to behavioural outcomes.

Behavioural component: The behavioural component of an attitude refers to a person’s intention to act toward someone or something in a certain way (e.g., friendly, warm, aggressive, hostile, or apathetic). Such intentions could be measured or assessed to examine the behavioural component of attitudes. Ex: “I’m going to look for another job that pays better.” 

Knowing attitudes and their three components—cognition, affect, and behavior—helps understand their complexity and the potential relationship between attitudes and behaviour. 

 Components of an attitude through a diagram

In organizations, attitudes are important for their behavioral component. If workers believe, for example, that managers, auditors, and engineers are in a conspiracy to make employees work harder for less money, we should try to understand how this attitude formed, how it impacts job behavior, and how it might be changed.

Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2018). ORGB 6