Attitudes, Job Satisfaction, and Motivation

Attitudes, Job Satisfaction, and Motivation

Reflecting back on week two discussion, this paper will discuss the drivers of employee behaviors and how values help us understand people attitude and performance. It will also bring to light the drivers of job satisfaction and how job satisfaction is linked to behavior, performance, and productivity. One other important topic this paper will discuss is motivation and the various theories that took interest in this concept.

Attitudes are mere statements evaluating objects, people, or events (Robbins & Judge, 2011). They are reflections of how we feel, and they give warning of potential problems and influence behavior. Different forms and concepts exist about attitudes, and one specific attitude that leader possess could matriculate the entire mindset of those around him or her. There are three different components to attitudes: (1) The cognitive component, which is a description of way things are, (2) the affective component, which is the feeling or emotion segment of an attitude, and (3) the behavioral component, which is a description of an intention to behave a certain way toward something or someone. For instance, "my pay is low" describes the way one's pay is. The affective component of an attitude leads to have a certain feeling about the pay, and the behavioral component will tie into taking action or having the intent to behave a certain way toward the low pay.

Values are basic convictions as to what is right, good, or desirable. Values vary among groups and generations, and they help us understand people attitudes toward work ethics, motivation, and performance. For instance, Veterans are hardworking, conforming, and loyal to the organization; Baby Boomers dislike authority, and are loyal to their careers. Values are closely tied to employee satisfaction, which has different connotations to different people, some of which have intrinsic value and have to do with engagement and the nature of the job, and others have extrinsic value such as pay.

Job satisfaction is a key component of higher performance and productivity stemming from various factors such as job involvement, organizational commitment, and loyalty. When individuals lack job satisfaction, employers start to face behaviors such as absenteeism and turnover. Such behaviors are indicators of deviant behavior. The control theory question why people conform. If an individual has an affection and respect for what he or she does, then he or she wants to act in a responsible way to advance the well-being of his or her organization, and if an individual has invested education, career, and home, the more that individual wants to conform to protect what he or she has worked so hard to obtain (Theories to Explain Deviant Behaviors, 2011)

Motivation is another driver of employee satisfaction, and it is comprosed of three components: (1) intensity,