Exam 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Attitudes are evaluative statements.

Ramiro has been a forklift driver for the local grocery store for six years. He earns $32,000 a year. He works with a nice crew. He plays softball with his coworkers on the weekends. They also volunteer together at the local food bank during the holidays, and socialize with their families at summer picnics. Ramiro is highly satisfied with his job. Which of the following is the most probable cause of Ramiro's high job satisfaction?

Clara is a clerk at a retail outlet. She earns $35,000 a year. She is allowed to work her schedule around her daughter's school athletic events, and because she has seniority over the other clerks, rarely has to work holidays. Jeff is a new designer for an engineering firm. He earns $75,000 a year. He must be at the office Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00. His wife attends all their children's school events. His job is stressful, and if a project is due, he often works weekends and sometimes holidays, although from home. How would you compare Clara and Jeff's levels of job satisfaction? Describe how you would measure their satisfaction and name at least three major job attitudes that play a part in each of their satisfaction levels.

The theory of cognitive dissonance was proposed by ________.

"Dissonance" means ________.

Employees at Acme Express are dissatisfied with the working conditions, salary, and the general attitude of the management. Mark, Susan, and Toni are good friends who work at Acme, yet each seems to be reacting differently to the problems at work. Susan has composed a list of concerns along with her suggestions for improving conditions. Susan is dealing with her dissatisfaction through ________.

Sharon is unhappy with her job as a salesperson at a retail store for many reasons. Yesterday a customer asked her where the shampoo was located. Sharon listlessly replied, "I don't know." She then turned her back on the customer and continued stocking the shelf. This is an example of how job satisfaction can affect ________.

A satisfied workforce does not guarantee successful organizational performance. In order to improve organizational effectiveness, managers ________.

Organizational commitment is defined as ________.

Rewards can offset dissonance.

Discuss cognitive dissonance theory. How do individuals seek consistency among their attitudes, and between their attitudes and their behavior?

Thad, Jamarcus, and Willy have been working for Davidson International each for three years. While the trio started together as analysts and are all still on the same team, Jamarcus has recently been made a team lead while Willy and Thad are still in their respective positions although Willy did receive a small raise after his last performance evaluation. Willy was happy to receive the raise but felt guilty that Thad did not also get a raise. Which best describes Willy's feelings?

Rashid is dissatisfied at work. He feels he is paid too little and asked to do too much. To compensate for his perceived unjust pay, he regularly takes work supplies home for personal use, such as computer ink cartridges, staplers, and reams of paper. Rashid's behavior is an example of ________.