Components of Attitudes according to Korschun Bhattacharya and Swain (2014)

Kehoe and Wright (2013) stated that attitude is a tendency to respond positively as well as negatively to a person. It is the mental state of willingness; systematize to throughout experience that applies directive control on responses on the individual to the circumstances with which the persons are connected. Korschun Bhattacharya and Swain (2014) mentioned three components of attitudes such as emotional, informational and behavioural. Fabi, Lacoursiere and Raymond (2015) stated that job satisfaction is how satisfied a person is with his/her job based on its nature of work as well as supervision. Barrick, Mount and Li (2013) argued that job satisfaction measures contrast in scope to which they determine feelings and conditions about their job.

The report analyzes on the impact of attitudes and job satisfaction on the employee’s motivation at work and their organizational behaviour. It also summaries the sources of employee attitudes, result of both positive and negative job satisfaction and way to measure employee attitudes.

In the workplace, bad attitude and job dissatisfaction affects the employee’s motivation at work and causes conflict among the employees. In this report, firstly the causes of employee attitude and job satisfaction are reviewed. The HR practitioners should understand the importance of working situation as a cause of employee attitude and help the HR to influence with use of organizational programs (Mowday, Porter and Steers 2013). One of the most significant areas of operational situation is to control the job satisfaction. The causes of employee attitude and job satisfaction are as follows:

Fear of inadequacy: It causes attitude problem among the employees those are feeling helpless. The employee feels that their talent is not sufficient to execute at the similar level as their co-workers (Pinder 2014). It causes conflict among the employees.

Personal problems: When the employees are pressured at various aspects of their life, then it causes non-productivity in the business (Hulsheger et al. 2013). Some of the employees have personal problems with their co-workers such as they think that the co-worker is taking unfair advantage of their feelings.

Enforce rules: Within the workplace, ethical behaviour is most important. The employees are fostering bad attitude due to enforcing of rules of behaviour throughout the company (Miner 2015). When a people is allowed to act in a positive way while others are punished  for similar behaviour with no clarification, then this type of situation causes bad attitude from the person who feel they are mistreated.

Job Satisfaction as Defined by Fabi, Lacoursiere and Raymond (2015)

Culture: When the employees like their colleagues and they discover commonalities among the peers as well as supervisors, it tends to provide more satisfactory at work. Job satisfaction shows personal relationships with the supervisors (Bagger and Li 2014). Recruitment of managers as well as owners looks for employees with comparable backgrounds as well as feels as the existing staff and hires those who are easily well into present culture of the company.

Rewards: Pay is not the prime reason for satisfaction of job. The employees are satisfied with their job when they are rewarded based on their performance. Incentives, bonuses as well as pay hike helps the employees to conquer poor attitudes towards co-workers and supervisors. When the workers are receiving rewards for their great job, then they feel more satisfied with the jobs (CH Chan and Mak 2014). Options for stock as well as sharing of profit are providing the employees with feeling of ownership within the company. It offers to raise satisfaction when consequences of work illustrate up within confirm.

Low stress: Sometimes, the employees are feeling pressure in their job due to strict deadline as well as target. It results into high blood pressure, muscle tension, apathy as well as headaches. Job satisfaction increases when the employees are working into stress free environment (Mathieu et al. 2014). It eliminates negative thinking as well as resolving of conflicts among the employees.

Along with attitude and job satisfaction, motivation at work is an important part to understand the organizational behaviour. Smith and Shields (2013) stated that theories of motivation are important within the field in order to re-emphasize the organization behaviour. Dwivedula, Bredillet and Muller (2017) defined motivation as a process that begins with physiological deficiency. It also makes active behaviour as well as forces that aspire at goal motivation.

In order to understand the attitudes of employee and job satisfaction in motivation at work, Herzberg’s motivation hygiene theory is used to determine the factors within employee’s working environment, which causes satisfaction/dissatisfaction (Miner 2015). This motivational theory is also termed as two-factor theory. The satisfiers are called motivators and dissatisfies are termed as hygiene factors.

Figure 1: Herzberg two-factor principles

(Source: Smith and Shields 2013, pp-191)

Herzberg argued in the fact that job enrichment is needed for intrinsic motivation and it is termed as continuous management process. The job is a challenge in order to utilize capability of the employees. The employees those are gaining increasing level of ability, they are given rising level of accountability (Cao et al. 2013). The hygienic factors are considered as the basic requirements of the individuals. Basic requirements of human beings are the hygienic factors. When the basic requirements of the employees are fulfilled, then there are no possibilities of dissatisfaction. For example, Disney decided an innovative way to motivate their employees. The management team of Disney formed “Magic Kingdom Club” for the corporate employees so that they are given discounted entrances on those days. This employee motivation plan worked for Disney beyond their expectations when the families those were getting discounted tickets are started to spend more time within the park with the children.

Causes of Employee Attitude and Job Satisfaction

Lazaroiu (2015) stated that as per this theory the motivation at work comes from within the person, and not from the environment such as external factors. The managers apply this theory in order to motivate the employees. After analyzing the hygienic factors, the managers fulfill the basic employee’s requirements and removes constituent of dissatisfaction. For example, McDonald’s believes that this motivation theory brings employee satisfaction. Cao et al. (2013) identified that in McDonald’s when the employees are not dissatisfied with their job, then they are better form to be motivated. By developing the job content, the employees get superior sense of attainment as well as work satisfaction (Lester 2013). The advantage of this theory is that the managers are working based on the basic requirements of their employees. Dwivedula, Bredillet and Muller (2015) argued that when the employees are satisfied with the job, it leads to better organizational behaviour. McDonald’s tries to make their employees motivated by their job in its place of hygiene factors such as salary. The employees those are satisfied with their job requires from the team of management. When the rate of job satisfaction is high, the employees are willing to work more. Apart from advantage of Herzberg’s theory, there are some weaknesses such as it cannot account for different job factors that cause satisfaction as well as dissatisfaction (Bishop 2016). The scales of job factor are not merely motivation.

Jerome (2013) stated that the performance of employee is associated with cognition of people, perception as well as feelings related to their jobs. Employee’s job performance is influenced by work efforts as well as output. Employee satisfaction is affected by performance of workers. There is a direct relationship between employee performance and attitude. Taormina and Gao (2013) stated that the employee’s motivation towards work is predicted by its performance at the organization. There are four features, which are required to measure job performance such as salary, working environment, and job individuality as well as administration political affairs. Ozguner and Ozguner (2014) argued that highly satisfied employees are demonstrated with higher performance level. The theories of motivation imply that both leaders as well as followers are rising to higher level of motivation. Therefore, the performance of employees working within the organization is improved by increasing motivational level (Smith 2014). Another motivation theory is critically analyzed in this report. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the theory, which focuses on basic requirements of the employees.

Motivation at Work and Herzberg’s Motivation Hygiene Theory

Lee and Hanna (2015) pointed that attitudes of the employees are not creating competition within the workplace; however, it enhances competition in the business environment. Negative attitudes affect the workplace by creating a distrust atmosphere between the managers as well as employees. It also restricts creativity, as the employees are not feeling grateful in order to add to growth of company. One of the impact that attitude provides into workplace are retention of employee (Fabi, Lacoursiere and Raymond 2015). It leads to negative turnover as well as loss of experienced staff members that are humiliating the capability of the company in their business growth. In this particular study, important motivational factors are pay as well as promotion, which are the one of Herzberg’s two-factor theory, which is classified as hygiene factor. This theory is stipulating the absence of better salaries, which causes the employees in order to look for better opportunities in job. Sun et al. (2016) explained that when the employees think that there is lack of appreciation, then the employees are demodulated with the working of employees.

When Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is being functional in the working situation of employees, then it is seen that the managers should take the duty to ensure the insufficiency requirements are met. Therefore, a safe surroundings as well as appropriate wages are required. Kehoe and Wright (2013) defined that the manager should produce a climate under, which the employees can able to expand work potential. If it is failed to do so, then it increases job dissatisfaction and results into poor job performance, lower satisfaction in job as well as rise in withdrawal from the business. As per this theory, job safety as well as layoffs threats are blocking the person from high growth needs (Cao et al. 2013). The following figure 2 shows the possible ways of employee satisfaction in their job based on theory of Maslow’s hierarchy of need. The following are the five needs of the motivation theory with taking an example of an organization, McDonald’s, which are categorized from starting with mainly basic needs:

Physiological needs: It consists of needs, which are satisfied for the employees to live. The organizational factors, which convince those requirements, are minimum pay, which are required to survive as well as functioning conditions, which can encourage existence (Ozguner and Ozguner 2014). In almost every town, the stores of McDonald’s are found. Therefore, it is convenient that the employees can get job in the organization. It motivates them to work as satisfies physiological needs.

Performance of Employees and the Relationship with Attitude and Motivation

Safety needs: It consists of security of the employees. The employees of the organization are offered with safe working environment, rules as well as regulations, security over job, pension plans, insurance plans are required to live safely (Jerome 2013).  

Belongings and love: It consists of social interaction with the staffs, managers and senior management team (Taormina and Gao 2013). It also includes of friendship and affection. Organizational factors are social relation, teamwork as well as supportive supervision. The employees of McDonald’s do not fear of their managers, therefore it offers them love as well as belongings.

Esteem needs: It includes of competence, confidence as well as recognition from side of others. The organizational factors are tasks leads to achievement, responsibility. Rewards and promotion are the most important esteem factors, which satisfy the needs of employees. McDonald’s employee of the month is the esteem needs.

Self-actualization needs: Those needs develop the potential requirements of individuals to full extent. The organizational factors, which are providing with self-actualization, are morality, creativity, growth and recreation of structure in order to authorize self-improvement as well as individual succession (Dwivedula, Bredillet and Muller 2015). Self-growth among the employees of McDonald’s is done throughout trainings. The organization has its own university; Hamburger University provides training for work. This university helps to upgrade skills and learn workplace works to achieve self-esteem.

Figure 2: Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory

(Source: Taormina and Gao 2013, pp-172)

In this theory, wages are considered as a part of deficiency needs. It means security measures are taken for betterment of the employees. Financial bonuses are required to fulfill the esteem needs. Rewards are also considered as esteem needs. The following are some of the strategies, which are used to motivate the workers in their work:

Salary, wages and service conditions: Salary is used as a motivator to motivate the employees in their job. The managers follow four main elements for the salary structure. Job rate, payment, special allowances as well as fringe benefits are the major elements (Kehoe and Wright 2013). These ensure that the employees are satisfied with the job.

Training to the staffs: Higher productivity leads to higher motivational level. Staff training is required to motivate the workers (Taormina and Gao 2013). The organization should conduct training program for development of employee’s skills.   

Information accessibility and communication: The manager can inspire motivation by providing of relevant information on the costs of actions. In order to improve the business process, proper communication plan should be done by the managers through, which they can interact with the employees (Cao et al. 2013).

Importance of Employee Attitudes in the Workplace

Satisfaction over job as well as motivation is reviewed as a growth in recognition, advancement as well as responsibility. Positive feelings towards the job improve the performance of employees (Taormina and Gao 2013). Job satisfaction affects the company’s policy, interpersonal relationship within the organization, working environment, and salary as well as job security. Therefore, it can be removed by changing those factors that cause performance development (Fabi, Lacoursiere and Raymond 2015). However, positive job feeling is not guaranteed, as the hygiene factors can shift towards motivation of the employees towards the job. As for example, Google Company motivates their employees by giving reimbursement of $5000 to their employees as legal expenses. The organization provides with financial support to their employees when any employee adopts child. Lunch as well as dinner is provided to the employees with free of cost. Healthy meals are available to them.

Fabi, Lacoursiere and Raymond (2015) demonstrated that commitment of job as well as motivation is significant. Therefore, the managers require to link payment with the performance. It should require providing timely training to the employees so that a perfect job design is improved at the performance level. The factors, which affect the job satisfaction, provide an effect on the performance level (Sun et al. 2016). Experience level can increase employee’s attitudes. Both job satisfaction as well as commitment demonstrates strong consequences on performance. Dwivedula, Bredillet and Muller (2015) argued that the organization provides of knowledgeable personnel as well as plan efficient retention policy by providing of salary, base payment as well as promotion to the employees. Most of the researchers identified that job attitude are considered as key sources to enhance the employee’s performance. The leaders are influencing the attitude so that they can able to construct higher organizational performance. Lee and Hanna (2015) concluded that the performance and motivational level of employees are based on their attitudes in doing their work. The organization motivates the employees so that they can gain higher performance level than less motivating organizations.

Figure 3: Factors enhancing better employee performance

(Source: Lee and Hanna 2015, pp-142)

Barrick, Mount and Li (2013) stated that the employees wish to earn balanced salaries, as money is most important motivation, when talking of significant value. Financial rewards consist of ability to continue as well as motivate the persons towards high-level performance; the persons are using the money for satisfying with the employee’s needs. Thus, pay gives a significant impact in order to start of workers’ diligence as well as promise. Fabi, Lacoursiere and Raymond (2015) argued that pay does not enhance the productivity of organization based on long term. Money is not improving the performance (Kehoe and Wright 2013). Apart from the financial factors, there are also non-financial factors, which give positive influence on the employee motivation, categories as rewards, feedback based on performance as well as recognition. Korschun, Bhattacharya and Swain (2014) pointed out that the rewards lead to satisfaction to the job. It will positively influence the employee’s performance. Rewards are also a factor, which will not only give positive effect on motivation at work, but it also improves the organization behaviour. Most of the companies are paying, promoting and providing bonuses and rewards to the employees so that they get motivated and results into performance enhancement (Dwivedula, Bredillet and Muller 2017). While salary is used as motivator, the managers should require improving the structure of salary as per job requirement.

Proper leadership natures of the managers motivate the employees. They can gain the employee’s trust by supporting and helping them in their work. Both the leaders as well as managers help each other in order to gain morality, creativity as well as motivation. Taormina and Gao (2013) demonstrated that trust is the perception of one person over other. Therefore, trust is also an important factor that can motivate the employee at work. It fosters interpersonal communication among the managers as well as employees. In order to attain productivity, both motivation and staffs effectiveness is required. Barrick, Mount and Li (2013) argued that developments as well as implementation of training programs are required in order to motivate the workers. Communication and interaction among the managers and employees can enhance motivation, as degree of ambiguity reduces. Employee fulfillment is influenced by execution of laborers. There is an immediate relationship between worker execution and state of mind. Smith and Shields (2013) expressed that the employee’s inspiration towards work is anticipated by its execution at the association. There are four components, which are required to increase work execution, for example, pay, working condition, and employment distinction and organization political issues. Fabi, Lacoursiere and Raymond (2015) contended that profoundly fulfilled representatives are exhibited with higher execution level.

Conclusion

It is concluded that bad attitude as well as job dissatisfaction influences the worker’s inspiration at work and causes struggle among the workers. The reasons for worker attitude are fear of inadequacy, personal problems and enforce rules. On the other hand, causes of job satisfaction are culture, rewards and low stress. Incentives, bonuses as well as pay hike helps the employees to conquer poor attitudes towards co-workers and supervisors. Herzberg’s motivation hygiene theory is used to determine the factors within employee’s working environment, which causes satisfaction/dissatisfaction. The benefit of this theory is that the supervisors are working in view of the essential necessities of their workers. The motivation theories infer that both leaders and supporters are ascending to more elevated amount of inspiration. In this way, the execution of workers working inside the association is enhanced by expanding motivational level. One of the effect that attitude give into work environment are maintenance of worker. It prompts to negative turnover and additionally loss of experienced staff individuals that are mortifying the ability of the organization in their business development. Apart from this, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the theory, which focuses on basic requirements of the employees. In this theory, wages are considered as a part of deficiency needs. It means security measures are taken for betterment of the employees.

References

Bagger, J. and Li, A., 2014. How does supervisory family support influence employees’ attitudes and behaviours? A social exchange perspective. Journal of Management, 40(4), pp.1123-1150.

Barrick, M.R., Mount, M.K. and Li, N., 2013. The theory of purposeful work behaviour: The role of personality, higher-order goals, and job characteristics. Academy of Management Review, 38(1), pp.132-153.

Bishop, J., 2016, January. An analysis of the implications of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for networked learning design and delivery. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Information and Knowledge Engineering (IKE) (p. 49). The Steering Committee of The World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Applied Computing (WorldComp).

Cao, H., Jiang, J., Oh, L.B., Li, H., Liao, X. and Chen, Z., 2013. A Maslow’s hierarchy of needs analysis of social networking services continuance. Journal of Service Management, 24(2), pp.170-190.

CH Chan, S. and Mak, W.M., 2014. The impact of servant leadership and subordinates’ organizational tenure on trust in leader and attitudes. Personnel Review, 43(2), pp.272-287.

Dwivedula, R., Bredillet, C. and Müller, R., 2015. Towards an Understanding of Work Motivation in Temporary Organizations. PM World Journal, 4(9), pp.1-12.

Dwivedula, R., Bredillet, C.N. and Müller, R., 2017. Work Motivation in Temporary Organizations: A Review of Literature Grounded in Job Design Perspective. In Leadership, Innovation and Entrepreneurship as Driving Forces of the Global Economy (pp. 609-618). Springer International Publishing.

Fabi, B., Lacoursière, R. and Raymond, L., 2015. Impact of high-performance work systems on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intention to quit in Canadian organizations. International Journal of Manpower, 36(5), pp.772-790.

Hülsheger, U.R., Alberts, H.J., Feinholdt, A. and Lang, J.W., 2013. Benefits of mindfulness at work: The role of mindfulness in emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), p.310.

Jerome, N., 2013. Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory; impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource and employee’s performance. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(3), pp.39-45.

Kehoe, R.R. and Wright, P.M., 2013. The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees’ attitudes and behaviours. Journal of management, 39(2), pp.366-391.

Korschun, D., Bhattacharya, C.B. and Swain, S.D., 2014. Corporate social responsibility, customer orientation, and the job performance of frontline employees. Journal of Marketing, 78(3), pp.20-37.

L?z?roiu, G., 2015. Work Motivation and Organizational Behaviour. Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, (2), pp.66-75.

Lee, J.M. and Hanna, S.D., 2015. Savings goals and saving behaviour from a perspective of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 26(2), pp.129-147.

Lester, D., 2013. Measuring Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Psychological Reports, 113(1), pp.15-17.

Mathieu, C., Neumann, C.S., Hare, R.D. and Babiak, P., 2014. A dark side of leadership: Corporate psychopathy and its influence on employee well-being and job satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 59, pp.83-88.

Miner, J.B., 2015. Organizational behaviour 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge.

Mowday, R.T., Porter, L.W. and Steers, R.M., 2013. Employee—organization linkages: The psychology of commitment, absenteeism, and turnover. Academic press.

Ozguner, Z. and Ozguner, M., 2014. A Managerial Point of View on the Relationship between of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Dual Factor Theory. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5(7).

Pinder, C.C., 2014. Work motivation in organizational behaviour. Psychology Press.

Smith, D.B. and Shields, J., 2013. Factors related to social service workers’ job satisfaction: Revisiting Herzberg’s motivation to work. Administration in Social Work, 37(2), pp.189-198.

Smith, S., 2014. How Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs influences Employee Engagement. Iš „HR Zone “[interaktyvus].

Sun, Y., Gergen, E., Avila, M. and Green, M., 2016. Leadership and job satisfaction: Implications for leaders of accountants. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 6(03), p.268.

Taormina, R.J. and Gao, J.H., 2013. Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: Measuring satisfaction of the needs. The American journal of psychology, 126(2), pp.155-177.