Attitudes toward Work

An attitude is a mental position, feeling, or emotion toward a fact or state. Attitudes toward work are the mental positions, feelings, or emotions that employees associate with work and the workplace.

In the classical perspective on organizations, employees are viewed generally as having negative attitudes toward work. The classical perspective is based on the view that employees are “basically lazy” and “motivated almost entirely by money.” Thus, management needs to keep firm control over employees and closely supervise their work to increase employee productivity.

The classical view is fundamental to Douglas McGregor's 1960 Theory X, which assumes that:

• Human beings inherently dislike work and will avoid it when possible.
• Employees then must be closely supervised, directed, or threatened to ensure that they maintain an adequate work effort to achieve the organization's objectives.
• The average employee prefers direction from those in charge in order to avoid responsibility.
• Most employees have little ambition and value job security more than any other job factor.

The human resource development perspective, on the other hand, is based on the view that employees share common needs for belonging, recognition, and respect and want to contribute effectively and creatively to work that is worthwhile and meaningful. Michael Maccoby wrote in 1988 that employees' positive attitudes toward work are influenced by feelings of trust, caring, meaning, self-knowledge, challenge, opportunity for personal growth, and dignity. Leadership needs to develop an environment where employees can contribute their talents to the accomplishment of organizational goals.

The human resource development view is basic to McGregor's 1960 Theory Y, which assumes that:

• Employees view work as natural and accept it if it is satisfying to them.
• When employees feel committed to the goals of the organization, they will exercise initiative, self-direction, and self-control.
• Under the right conditions, the average employee not only accepts responsibility but seeks it.
• The average employee values creativity and looks for opportunities to be creative at work.

In a Theory Y work environment, autonomy and a sense of control and empowerment are important factors in employees' positive attitudes toward work.

Shared values also influence work attitudes and performance. In 1985, Barry Posner, James Kouzes, and W. H. Schmidt found that shared values foster strong feelings of personal effectiveness, promote high levels of company loyalty, and foster pride in the company. Shared values facilitate understanding about job expectations and consensus about key organizational goals and stakeholders. Shared values also encourage ethical behavior, promote strong norms about working hard and caring, and foster teamwork and esprit de corps.

Not only do leaders want employees with positive attitudes, but employees want leaders with positive attitudes. When leaders are enthusiastic, energetic, and have a positive attitude about the future of the organization, they make the context of work more meaningful and employees are more likely to buy into organizational goals. In addition, positive attitudes can sustain people through difficult and challenging times. There is also evidence that a leader's credibility influences employee attitudes toward work and work behavior. Credibility is the power to inspire belief. Employees want to be able to believe in their leaders. When workers perceive their immediate managers to have high credibility, they are more likely to be proud to tell others they are part of an organization. However, when managers are perceived as having low credibility, employees generally feel unsupported and unappreciated. They are more likely to be productive only if they are watched. They are motivated primarily by money and would consider looking for another job if the organization were having problems. They would also say good things about the organization in public but criticize it privately.

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