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The Manager as a Person

Chapter 3

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Learning Objectives1. Define attitudes, including their major components.

2. Discuss the importance of work-related attitudes.

3. Identify big five personality traits and describe how personality can influence workplace behaviors.

4. Define the four components of emotional intelligence and explain why they are important for today’s managers.

5. Define organizational culture and the factors that maintain and transmit organizational culture

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What is an attitude? – a collection of feelings or beliefs which predispose us to act in a positive or negative way toward something or someone.

You can’t ever see or touch an attitude – we infer attitudes from behavior or what people say

What is an Attitude?

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Components of Attitudes

Cognitive component includes the beliefs, opinions, and information the person has about the object of the attitude.• “My job is repetitive.”• “It is important to care for others”• “Good grades will give me a competitive advantage”

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Components of Attitudes

Affective component is the person’s emotions or feelings about the object of the attitude.• “I hate doing the same thing day after day.”• “I’m feel good when I am helping the community.”• “I’m glad to be in school.”

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Components of Attitudes

Behavioral component of an attitude is the person’s intention to act in a certain way toward the object of the attitude.• “I think I’ll take a sick day and stay home today.”• “I am going to volunteer for City Clean-up Day.”• “I am going to class every day.”

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High Performance Work AttitudesWhy should organizations be concerned about the components of attitudes?

• Attitudes may be linked to behavior – attitudes result in intended behavior but person may not always carry out intentions

• Behaviors which organizations are concerned with include productivity, organizational citizenship, turnover, absenteeism

• Generally, if one component of the attitude is changed (cognitive, affective, behavioral) may contribute to overall change in attitude.

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High Performance Work AttitudesTwo attitudes that may relate to performance are:

1. Job satisfaction.• Employee has a positive attitude toward his/her job.

• Satisfied employees have less turnover and absenteeism

• Links with productivity are less clear - may vary according to amount of control in the job the employee has, attitudes toward workloads

2. Organizational commitment.• Loyalty and heavy involvement in organization• Committed employees have less turnover and absenteeism

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Personality FactorsPersonality is a set of enduring characteristics

that influence how you think, feel and behave.

In looking at research across many studies, personality traits have been summarized into five general dimensions.

A person can have a low, moderate, or high degree of each of these five dimensions

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The Big Five Personality Traits

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The Big Five Personality Factors Extroversion

High - outgoing, social, assertive with other people

Low – less inclined toward social interactions

Negative Affectivity

High - feel distressed, often feel angry, critical of self and others

Low - calm, unworried, less critical of others and self

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The Big Five Personality Factors Agreeableness

High – likable, trusting, cooperativeLow – distrustful of others, unsympathetic, uncooperative

Conscientiousness High – dependable, persistent, organizedLow - lack direction and self-discipline

Openness to ExperienceHigh – have broad interests, take risks, imaginativeLow - less likely to take risks

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Personality and Job PerformanceConscientiousness - small positive impact on job performance. People describing themselves as dependable and persistent have better job performance.

Negative Affectivity - small positive impact on job performance. People who are calm, secure and have low anxiety tend to perform better.

Extroversion - related to performance in managerial jobs and sales positions (again small positive impact)

Agreeableness - may contribute to performance in customer service positions (again small).

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Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one’s own moods and emotions and the moods and emotions of other people

Emotional Intelligence can be learned and developed.

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Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence

Self-awarenessSelf-awareness Self ManagementSelf Management

Social SkillsSocial Skills Social AwarenessSocial Awareness

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Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance

Self-Awareness

Capitalize on your strengths

Work on improving your weaknesses

Understand the consequences of the emotions you display

Understand what or who triggers your emotions

Maintain a sense of humor about yourself

Recognize and identify your feelings

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Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance

Self-Management

Think before you act

Able to control impulses

Stay poised and positive in difficult situations

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Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance

Empathy

Sensitive and understanding of other’s people’s feelings

Have good listening skills

Can read other’s moods

Respect and relate well to people who are different from you

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Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance

Social Skills

Interact with others in a positive and productive manner

Find areas of common interest and build rapport with people you meet

Treat others with compassion and respect

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Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance

Emotional intelligence seems to be important for jobs which have higher amounts of social interaction such as managers.

Some organizations implementing programs to build emotional intelligence have found increased effectiveness in employees and teams

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Individual’s Personality andWork-Related Attitudes and Behaviors Locus of Control

The degree to which people believe the they have control over what happens to them

Internal locus of control – Believe they are responsible for their own fate. Place the primary responsibility for success or failure within themselves.

Expect that working hard leads to good performance

External locus of control – Believe their lives are controlled by outside forces (luck or chance)

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Locus of Control

Easier to motivate because rewards are a result of their own behavior.

Independent and achievement-oriented

May feel helpless to change things.

Less involved in their jobs.

Likely to blame others or situation for poor performance.

Internal External

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Organizational CultureShared set of beliefs, expectations, values, norms, and work routines that influence how members of an organization relate to one another and work together to achieve organizational goals

Organizations differ in the strength of their organizational cultures.

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Organizational Culture

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Organizational CultureValues of the FounderFounders and top management tend to hire employees who share their values and organizational goalsIn turn, these employees transmit these values to their subordinates

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Organizational CultureSocializationProcess in which new people in the organization learn the values, norms and work behaviors of the organization

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Organizational CultureCeremonies and Rites

Special events which recognize incidents of importance

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Organizational CultureStories and Language

Stories – either fact or fiction to provide examples of values and norms

Heroes – person who demonstrates values, norms and attributes of culture

Slogans – Phrase which expresses key corporate value