Chapter 5 Values & Attitudes PDF

 Chapter (5) Values &Attitudes Chapter outline Values: Concept Types of values Values across cultures Definition of Attitudes Basic components of attitudes. Attitudes formation Changing attitudes. I)Values: Concept The principles or standards that people u...

 Chapter (5) Values &Attitudes Chapter outline Values: Concept Types of values Values across cultures Definition of Attitudes Basic components of attitudes. Attitudes formation Changing attitudes. I)Values: Concept The principles or standards that people use, individually or collectively, to make judgments about what is important or valuable in their lives. Also, Values can be defined as normative viewpoint about proper standards of conduct. Thus values represent our convictions about what is right or moral and the way we ought to behave. Types of Values: Allport and his colleagues classified values into six types as follows: Theoretical : Accords high importance on the discovery of truth through a critical and rational approach. Economic: Emphasizes on the usefulness and practicability. Aesthetic: Places the top most importance on form and harmony. Social : Accords the highest value to love and affection of mankind. Political : Assigns importance to the acquisition of power and influence. Religious: Having faith that a religion provides an accurate and acceptable way of understanding the world. Work-related values characterize the principles upon which everyone in the organization operates, these are the end states people desire and feel they ought to be able to realize through working as shown in table below: Scale Description of value Typical occupation Theoretical Search for truth Professor Economic Pragmatic, applied Business Social Helping people Social work Aesthetic Artistic value Artist Political Power and influence Politics Religious Religion Clergy Values across cultures: (Hofstede’s Framework for Assessing Cultures) The five value dimensions are: 1. Power Distance Power distance is the willingness of a culture to accept status and power differences among its members. In cultures with low power distance, people are likely to expect that power is distributed rather equally, and are furthermore also likely to accept that power is distributed to less powerful individuals. As opposed to this, people in high power distance cultures will likely both expect and accept inequality and steep hierarchies. 2. Uncertainty Avoidance This dimension measures the extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguous situations. These uncertainties and ambiguities may be handled by an introduction of formal rules policies, procedures. The majority of people living in cultures with a high degree of uncertainty avoidance, are likely to feel uncomfortable in uncertain and ambiguous situations. 3. Masculinity vs. Femininity Masculine culture: Emphasis on masculine work related goals, and assertiveness (earnings, advancement, success.). Masculine cultures are generally male dominating cultures. Feminine culture: Emphasis on humanistic goals (friendly working climate, cooperation, nurturance,. etc.). More feminine cultures accept fluid gender roles, stress sexual equality, and stress quality of life. Japan is considered a very masculine culture whereas Thailand is considered a more feminine culture 4. Individualism vs. Collectivism Individualism stands for a society in which the ties between individuals are loose. In individualistic cultures people seek to accomplish individual goals and needs. Collectivism stands for a society in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups. In collectivistic cultures, people have greater emphasis on the welfare of the entire group to which the individual belongs, where individual wants, needs and dreams are often set aside for the common goals. 5. Long vs. Short Term Orientation: Long term orientation stands for a society which fosters virtues oriented towards future rewards, in particular adaptation, perseverance and thrift. Short-term orientation stands for a society which fosters virtues related to the past and present, in particular respect for tradition, preservation, and fulfilling social obligations. II) WHAT IS AN ATTITUDE? “A summary evaluation either- favorable or unfavorable- of an object of thought’. Attitude objects may be concrete (e.g. pizza) or abstract (e.g. freedom of speech). They may be things (e.g. sports cars), persons (e.g. your teacher) or groups (e.g. conservative politicians, foreigners) , So it can be said that attitudes indicate the individual’s response positively or negatively to objects in this environment. Major work-related attitudes: 1-Job satisfaction 2- Organizational commitment 2-COMPONENTS OF ATTITUDES : 1-The cognitive component (what you believe), is composed of the belief in the way things are, whether they are true or false. 2-The affective component (how you feel), is the more critical part of the attitude, as it calls upon the emotions or feelings. It is the liking or disliking of any particular person, item, or event. 3-The behavioral component (how you are predisposed to act), describes the intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something consistent with our beliefs and feelings. Attitude Components ATTITUDES FORMATION: There are several factors that can influence the formation of attitudes, including:  Personal values and beliefs: An individual's values and beliefs can influence the formation of their attitudes. For example, an individual who values honesty and integrity may have a negative attitude towards lying and deceit.  Education and knowledge: Education and knowledge about a particular topic can influence an individual's attitudes towards it. For example, an individual who is well-informed about the science of climate change may have a positive attitude towards taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Psychological factors: Psychological factors, such as emotions, mood, and personality, can also influence attitudes. For example, an individual who is in a positive mood may have a more positive attitude towards a particular object or situation.  Social norms : Social norms and expectations can influence the formation of attitudes by defining what is considered appropriate or acceptable behavior. For example, an individual who lives in a culture that values respecting elders may have a more positive attitude towards moral responsibility an empathy towards older generation.  Group membership and identification: Group membership and identification can also influence attitudes by shaping an individual's sense of identity and belonging. For example, an individual who strongly identifies with a particular religious or political group may adopt the attitudes and beliefs of that group. 5 - CHANGING ATTITUDES : While attitudes can have a powerful effect on behavior, they are not set in stone. In some cases, people may alter their attitudes to better align them with their behavior, this can take place through: Cognitive dissonance : Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort (tension) a person feels when their behavior does not align with their values or beliefs. It can also occur when a person holds two contradictory beliefs at the same time. In order to reduce this tension, people may change their attitudes to reflect their beliefs or actual behaviors. Example: A person who wishes to protect other people and who believes that the COVID-19 pandemic is real might wear a mask in public. This is cognitive consonance. If that same person believed the COVID-19 pandemic was real but refused to wear a mask, their beliefs and behaviors would contradict each other. This is cognitive dissonance Elaboration Likelihood Theory: This theory of persuasion suggests that people can alter their attitudes in two ways. First, they can be motivated to listen and think about the message, thus leading to an attitude shift. Second , they might be influenced by the characteristics of the speaker, leading to a temporary or surface shift in attitude. Messages that are thought-provoking and that appeal to logic are more likely to lead to permanent changes in attitudes DISSCUSION QUESTIONS: The extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguous situations, stands for…… a) Power distance b) Uncertainty Avoidance. c) Individualism vs. Collectivism d) Long vs. Short Term Orientation ……… stands for a society in which the ties between individuals are loose. a) Individualism. b) Collectivism c) Masculinity d) Femininity Attitudes are made up of three basic components including: a) An organizational commitment component b) An affective component. c) A job satisfaction component d) None of the above - Having a passion in volunteering while also being friendly toward the people you are helping. This situation is an example of…… a) Cognitive Consonance. b) Cognitive dissonance c) Classical conditioning d) None of the above 5-Mona has been told that her new boss is hard to work with and was not looking forward to meeting her. Mona’s attitude toward her boss is an example of which component of an attitude? a) Behavioral b) Cognitive. c) Affective d) None of the above Another example: Many people smoke even though they know it is harmful to their health. The magnitude of the dissonance will be higher in people who highly value their health. So, people may take steps to try to resolve the inconsistency. It is possible to resolve cognitive dissonance by either changing one’s behavior or changing one’s beliefs so they are consistent with each other