Page 20 - eBOOK ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR FULL REPORT (eISBN)
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CHAPTER 2: ATTITUDES AND JOB SATISFACTION
2.1 Definition of Attitudes
An attitude is an expression of some degree of favorableness or un favorableness towards a
particular situation or an object at hand. Attitudes can also be defined as a person’s feeling
about objects, events or other people. The feelings can be either positive or negative.
2.2 Components of Attitudes
The following are the three basic components of attitudes – all three components are
interrelated, with the cognitive and affective components being interconnected.
a) Cognitive Component
A description of or belief in the way things are. The statement “My pay is low” is the
cognitive of an attitude.
b) Affective Component
It sets the stage for the more critical part of an attitude. Affect is the emotional or feeling
segment of an attitude and is reflected in the statement “I am angry over how little I’m
paid.”
c) Behavioral Component
The behavioral component of an attitude describes an intention to behave in a certain
way toward someone or something. For the example, “I’m going to look for another job
that pays better.”
Figure 2.1 illustrates how the three components of an attitude are related. In this example,
an employee didn’t get a promotion he thought he deserved; a co-worker got it instead.
The employee’s attitude toward his supervisor is illustrated as follows: the employee
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