Work Attitudes
A person’s attitude is one of the essential contributors to organizational success. According to Bauer and Erdogan (2020), an attitude is an individual feeling toward a certain aspect of the environment around us. The two particular concepts that are inextricably linked to employee attitudes are job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Job satisfaction outlines one’s attitude toward their job and the ability of the organization to create an environment that most workers do not consider a complete nightmare (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020). On the other hand, organizational commitment stems from the idea that employees can feel and express a specific level of attachment toward the company they serve. The link between attitudes and behaviors is important to understand for better insights into how employee performance could be improved over time. Thus, numerous factors can be intended to help workers achieve an amended state of affairs and sport positive work attitudes.
For example, personality is important for workers because it can help them remain happy in life regardless of what kind of environmental factors affect them (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020). The same also goes for the person-environment fit because certain employees could have issues when matching their job demands against the company values. Job characteristics and the amount of feedback on the job could affect one’s commitment. This is why the organization should establish a psychological contract with employees and ensure that every party is satisfied (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020; Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2020). The concept of organizational justice cannot be ignored because it regulates interpersonal relationships and fair social acceptance. In line with Bauer and Erdogan (2020), work-life balance and occupational stress are the ultimate factors to consider.
The importance of work attitudes cannot be underestimated by the management. Therefore, they have to be maintained and assessed with the aid of leadership and attitude surveys, respectively (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020). Even when an employee leaves the job, it is recommended to carry out an exit interview to make sure that the primary reasons for leaving the company can be identified.
Work Behaviors
Speaking of work behaviors, there are four essential types of these that are affected by multiple factors. The first one is job performance, and it is based on a worker’s general mental ability, also known as cognitive ability. Employees must possess specific set of skills in order to engage in strong decision-making and prediction activities (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020; Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2020). General mental abilities are exceptionally important in jobs with high complexity. Also, it has to be noted how employees are treated within the organization and what level of stress they experience. Without these data, the organization could have trouble ensuring that an employee fits the company and displays an adequate grade of commitment.
Another work behavior that has to be mentioned is organizational citizenship. This factor revolves around how an employee could motivate others to perform and contribute to the greater good (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020; Tasselli et al., 2018). Thus, for many employees, the extent to which they are treated fairly can be one of the predictors of proper citizenship behaviors. The willingness to reciprocate is not going to appear within an organization where employees are treated unfairly. Nevertheless, employee personality should also be considered because conscientious workers can be seen as predictors of stronger citizenship.
The notion of absenteeism has to be covered within the framework of the current discussion because it is unpredictable and revolves around impulsive workplace nonappearances. For Bauer and Erdogan (2020), some types of absenteeism are unavoidable due to health reasons and acute stress. The evidence also shows that the issues that could be caused by absenteeism are exceptionally costly due to the long-term outcomes that could affect the whole organization. In companies where work-life balance is not maintained, workers are much more predisposed to absenteeism due to the lack of support from the management (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020; Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2020). The most important element that can cause issues associated with absenteeism is poor work attitude. According to Bauer and Erdogan (2020), it could appear in response to extreme levels of stress and issues associated with the overall employee dissatisfaction.
The concept of turnover relates to a situation where a worker leaves the organization due to being discouraged by specific internal or external factors. For instance, employees with poor performance often leave the organization without preliminary notice (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020). It creates numerous negative scenarios for the organization because customer service quality drops and demotivates other workers. The impact of work attitudes on turnover is also substantial because unhappy employees could be way more prone to leaving their job in an attempt to become happier (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020; Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2020). While personality plays a huge role, the biggest influence is the number of years that the given worker had spent with the organization. In certain cases, employee turnover could be caused by the inability to withstand the routine.
Ethics and National Culture
It is generally accepted that employees prefer working within an environment where ethical constructs are deployed and respected. It means that a specific workplace climate should help the company build a sense of attachment in workers. In line with Bauer and Erdogan (2020), it can be considered unethical when managers force employees to perform behaviors that are not part of their job descriptions. Many employees’ preference for collectivist workplaces can be explained by addressing workers’ overall happiness. For instance, citizenship behaviors could significantly enhance an organization’s ethical standards. The key problem that will have to be resolved is the presence of commitment that could avert employees from reporting unethical behaviors (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020; Tasselli et al., 2018). This inconsistency cannot be eradicated due to many workers recognizing that it might be seen as a betrayal to report organizational wrongdoings.
The existence of issues related to ethical inconsistencies represents the biggest obstacle on the way to organizational success. Even though more than a few individuals – also known as whistleblowers – report wrongdoings, irreversible damage can be given to the organization’s stance on ethics and cultural standards (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020). The lack of freedom can be seen as unfair treatment by employees, leaving the management no choice but to reduce unethical behaviors using alternative means of control. The frequency of citizenship behaviors can be different, especially when looking into how shared values might not be created using an ethical climate (Tasselli et al., 2018). For Bauer and Erdogan (2020), culture represents another significant contributor to organizational ethics because job performance definitions alter broadly depending on the region. Even the notions of turnover and absenteeism are treated diversely, depending on how the team could validate the fact of granting additional time to a person to resolve their issues.
The connection between ethics and organizational culture cannot be overlooked because it creates premises for establishing a committed workforce. In the case where the management does not recognize the importance of employee satisfaction and happiness, it will have to cope with the increasing rates of absenteeism and turnover (Bauer & Erdogan, 2020; Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2020). The overall unpredictability of the aforementioned constructs creates additional obstacles for those organizations where the management cannot exert citizenship behaviors and help employees cope with their issues without affecting the company.
Summary
From this chapter, I have learned that various factors can affect organizational performance and behaviors. Bauer and Erdogan (2020) provided a number of detailed descriptions of a variety of concepts that play an important role in defining a high-performance workplace where the needs and interests of a worker can be considered. Without a thorough understanding of work attitudes and behaviors, managers will not be able to control the workforce. This is especially important for developing an organizational climate where employees will not feel additional pressure when experiencing personal problems. The connections between one’s personality and organizational values cannot be overlooked either. I believe that it can be safe to say that Bauer and Erdogan (2020) provide the reader with vast evidence that uncovers the fundamental truth about organizational performance.
References
Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2020). An introduction to organizational behavior. Portland State University.
Tasselli, S., Kilduff, M., & Landis, B. (2018). Personality change: Implications for organizational behavior. Academy of Management Annals, 12(2), 467-493. Web.
Wagner, J. A., & Hollenbeck, J. R. (2020). Organizational behavior: Securing competitive advantage. Routledge.