ATTITUDESATTITUDES

Attitudes Attitudes • Wikipedia- ”An attitude is a hypothetical

construct that represents an individual's degree of like or dislike for an item. Attitudes are generally positive or negative views of a person, place, thing, or event-- this is often referred to as the attitude object. People can also be conflicted or ambivalent toward an object, meaning that they simultaneously possess both positive and negative attitudes toward the item in question.”

Characteristics/Nature of Characteristics/Nature of Attitudes Attitudes

• Attitudes-Have subject-object relationshipAre learnedAre relatively enduring states of readinessHave motivational characteristicsAre numerousRange from strongly positive to strongly

negativeAre internal dispositions

Factors that Influence Factors that Influence Development of Attitudes Development of Attitudes

• Integration of person’s experiences• Differentiation of experiences• Dramatic experiences• Individual’s physical development• Individual’s emotional development• Individual’s social development• Individual’s ethical/moral

development

• Individual’s home & family• Individual’s social environmentBROADLY TWO CATEGORIES:Factors within the individual

himself/herselfFactors within the individual’s

environment

Implication for organization Implication for organization • It may lead to job satisfaction: recognition, achievement, type of work,

advancement etc • It may lead to job dissatisfaction: salary, working conditions, relations with

subordinates, job security etc• Need for study of attitude of the

employees• Need for identifying the factors

determining attitude and its change

Industrial Morale Industrial Morale • It may be defined as the possession

of a feeling on the part of the employee of being accepted and belonging to a group of employees through adherence to common goals and confidence in the desirability of these goals.

• Feeling accepted by one’s work group

• Sharing common goals with one’s work group

• Having confidence in the desirability of these goals

Characteristics of Industrial Characteristics of Industrial MoraleMorale

• It is dynamic• It is complex• It is an attribute of individual• It exists with reference to job situation• It is influenced by motivation• It is applicable to employees at all the job

levels• It involves ego & its satisfaction

Factors that Influence Factors that Influence Morale Morale

• Group cohesiveness or feeling of togetherness

• Need for a goal• Observable progress towards the goal-

there must be observable progress towards the goal

• Specific meaningful tasks- individual in the group must have specific meaningful tasks that are necessary to the achievement of the goal

• Job security. • Management style. • Staff feeling that their contribution is valued by

their employer. • Realistic opportunities for merit-based promotion. • The perceived social or economic value of the

work being done by the organization as a whole. • The perceived status of the work being done by

the organization as a whole. • Team composition. • The work culture.

Measures of Improving Measures of Improving Morale Morale

• incorporate tangible factors like food and money as well as less concrete facets such as time, learning, and culture

• Morale boosting techniques/methods can be implemented in almost any aspect of the work environment

• Application of methods such as: increasing employee recognition and

involvement fostering communication and a sense of

belongingness and ownership within the organization

providing opportunities for education and personal development

creating a physically comfortable work environment

• Make workers feel that the organization they work for genuinely cares about them

• Ask employees if they feel they are working to their potential

• Cross-train employees