Module IV:

Values and attitudes: Definitions – values, Attitudes: Types of values, job satisfaction, job involvement,
professional Ethics, Organizational commitment, cognitive dissonance.
Conflict Management: Definition of conflict, functional and dysfunctional conflict, stages of Conflict
process.

VALUES:
We can define values as the moral principles or standards of behaviour. Thus, values often stand as the
moral ethics of a person or a society. In brief, values are those what are known as the code of
conduct for a person.
Thus, they are the fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate the attitudes or actions of a
person. Values are highlighted under ethical studies. Moreover, family, religion, culture, and moral
figures in the society strongly influence the values. Hence, values serve as the guiding principles for a
person in their lives.
values may also differ from one person to another, from one culture
to another, and also from one place to another. Nevertheless, there are
some universal values such as integrity, kindness, honesty, love,
compassion, justice, equality, humbleness, and freedom.
The Importance of Values:
Values are part of the makeup of a person. They remind us as to what is important in our lives, such as
success or family, but also, by the virtue of their presence, they provide contrast to what is
not important. For example, if family is important, then potentially, achievement in a high-powered job
is not important. Since you value family, it would be hard to value a high-powered job that might
take you away from your family. Thus, all values exist in a balance within us.
That is not to say that, over time, values cannot change. As we grow and change as individuals, we will
begin to value different aspects of life. If we value family when we are younger, as our children
get older, we might start to value success in business more than family so we can pay for things like
college, cars, etc.
Regardless of what we value or why, the importance of values cannot be ignored. They are
the guideposts of our lives, and they direct us to who we want to be. By doing that, they help us
become who we are and are a huge part of our makeup, ethical compass, and, ultimately, personality.
Sources of Values:
A person’s values system develops in the cultural settings in which he lives. Thus,
national culture, parents, friends, teachers, media, and other external reference groups influence
individual’s values. In every culture, there are certain values developed over time and are continuously
reinforced. For e.g.: In India, peace, cooperation, equity, respect, democracy etc. are considered
desirable. These values are not fixed, but when they change, they do so very slowly. In initial years
(childhood), one inculcates values from their parents. Many of early ideas of what is right and
wrong probably formulated from the values expressed by one’s parents. As one grow up, and
exposed to other value systems like peer groups in school, social clubs, different groups at work place,
his value system alters.
Experience of a person with different aspects of the society will promote and
strengthen particular values. Religious places, Community centers, social clubs, libraries, sports clubs
– institutions that person shares and recognizes as promoting the common good – may increase the
importance of equality, social justice, or friendship. Competitive work environment promotes Extrinsic
and Security motivational values. The position of a person in an organization expects him to
imbibe certain positional values. One should have dual roles to play i.e., an individual and as an
19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 1
officer. People change

19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 2
their value system to align with that of the others. But basic values are relatively stable and enduring.

Sources of values are:

 Family: Family is a great source of values. A child leams his first value from his family.
 Friends & peers: Friends and peers play a vital role in achieving values.
 Community or society: As a part of society, a person leams values from society or different groups
of society.
 School: As a learner, school and teachers also play a very important role in introducing values.
 Media: Media such as – Print media, electronic media also play the role of increasing values in the
mind of people.
 Relatives: Relative also helps to create values in the minds of people.
 Organization: Different organizations and institutions also play a vital role in creating value.
 Religion.
 History.
 Books.
 Others…

Characteristics of values:
 These are extremely practical, and valuation requires not just techniques but also an understanding
of the strategic context.
 These can provide standards of competence and morality.
 These can go beyond specific situations or persons.
 Personal values can be influenced by culture, tradition, and a combination of internal and external
factors.
 These are relatively permanent.
 These are more central to the core of a person.
 Most of our core values are learned early in life from family, friends, neighbourhood school, the
mass print, visual media and other sources within the society.
 Values are loaded with effective thoughts about ideas, objects, behavior, etc.
 They contain a judgmental element in that they carry an individual’s ideas as to what is right, good,
or desirable.
 Values can differ from culture to culture and even person to person.
 Values play a significant role in the integration and fulfilment of man’s basic impulses and desire
stably and consistently appropriate for his living.
 They are generic experiences in social action made up of both individual and social responses and
attitudes.
 They build up societies, integrate social relations.

Types of Values:
Rokeach divided values into two types: Two types of values are;
1. Terminal Values.
2. Instrumental Values.
Terminal Values are most desirable to humans and Instrumental values are views of how
human desires should be achieved. These are values that we think are most important or most desirable.
These refer to desirable end-states of existence, the goals a person would like to achieve during his or
her lifetime.
They include happiness, self-respect, recognition, inner harmony, leading a prosperous life, and
professional excellence.

19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 3
 Instrumental values deal with views on acceptable modes of conductor means of achieving the
terminal values.
These include being honest, sincere, ethical, and being ambitious. These values are more focused on
personality traits and character.

There are many typologies of values. One of the most established surveys to assess individual values is the
Rokeach Value Survey. This survey lists 18 terminal and 18 instrumental values in alphabetical order.

Terminal Values Instrumental Values

A comfortable life (a prosperous life) Ambitious (hardworking)

An exciting life (a stimulating, active life) Broadminded (open-minded)

A sense of accomplishment (lasting contribution) Capable (competent, efficient)

A world of peace (free of war and conflict) Cheerful ( light-hearted, joyful)

A world of beauty (the beauty of nature and the arts) Clean (neat, tidy)

Equality (brotherhood, equal opportunity for all) Courageous (standing up for your beliefs)

Family security (taking care of loved ones) Forgiving (willing to pardon)

Freedom (independence, free choice) Helpful (working for the welfare of others)

Happiness (contentedness) Honest (sincere, truthful)

Inner harmony (freedom from inner conflict) Imaginative (daring, creative)

Mature love (sexual and spiritual intimacy) Independent (self-reliant, self-sufficient)

National security (protection from attack) Intellectual (intelligent, reflective)

Pleasure (an enjoyable, leisurely life) Logical (consistent, rational)

Salvation (saved, eternal) Loving (affectionate, tender)

Self-respect(self-esteem) Obedient (dutiful, respectful)

Social recognition (respect, admiration) Polite (courteous, well-mannered)

A true friend (close companionship) Responsible (dependable, reliable)

Wisdom ( a mature understanding of life) Self-controlled (restrained, self-disciplined)

The values a person holds will affect his or her employment.

$

Values in Workplace:
Values can strongly influence employee conduct in the workplace. If an employee values honesty, hard
work, and discipline, for example, he will likely make an effort to exhibit those traits in the workplace.

This person may, therefore, be a more efficient employee and a more positive role model to others than
an employee with opposite values.

19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 4
Conflict may arise, however, if an employee realizes that his co-workers do not share his values.
For example, an employee who values hard work may dislike co-workers who are lazy or unproductive
without being reprimanded.
Even so, additional conflicts can result if the employee attempts to force his own values on his
co- workers.
ATTITUDE: Meaning and Definition
Attitude is important variable in human behavior which helps in a person’s personality traits i.e.
optimistic or pessimistic, negative or positive etc.
According to Michael Hogg, “An attitude is a negative or positive evaluation of an object which
influences human’s behavior towards that object”.
Martin Fishbein defined attitude as “An attitude is a learned predisposition to respond in a favourable
or unfavourable manner towards people, an object, an idea or a situation”.
According to Stephen P Robbins, “Attitude are evaluative statements, either favourable or unfavourable
concerning objects, people or events.”
Schermerhorn says, “Attitudes is the predisposition to respond in a positive or negative way
to someone or something in one’s environment.”
According to Newcomb, “Attitude is a learned predisposition to respond in a consistently favourable
or unfavourable manner with respect to given objective.”
Joseph Reitz says, “The word attitude describes a persistent tendency to feel and behave in a particular
way towards some objects.”
CHARACTERISTICS OF ATTITUDE:
1 Attitudes are learnt: Attitude is learnt through experiences or social interaction or encounter of
an event. It is not an inborn phenomenon.
2. Attitudes are predispositions: It is already formed opinion or predetermined on the basis of prior
experience or information.
3. Attitude has an object: It has an object (object can be an idea, a person or situation) which
is favoured or disfavoured or analyzed as positive or negative.
4. Attitude has an emotional component: Attitude is having an emotional aspect in the form of like or
dislike, or positive or negative.
5. Attitudes influence human behavior: Attitude has all the power to mould the behavior of a person
in a positive or negative form.
6. Attitude is relatively stable phenomena: Attitude is basically a stable phenomenon which persists for
a period of time. It does not change so frequently.

COMPONENTS OF ATTITUDE
1) Informational or Cognitive Component
The informational component consists of beliefs, values, ideas and other information a person
has about the object. For example, a person seeking a job may learn from his own sources and
other employees working in the company that in a particular company the promotion chances
are very favourable. In reality, it may or may not be correct. Yet the information that person is
using is the key to his attitude about that job and about that company.
19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 5
2) Emotional or Affective Component
The informational component sets the stage for the more critical part of an attitude, its
affective component. The emotional components involve the person’s feeling or affect-
positive, neutral or negative-about an object. For example, “I like this job because the future prospects
in this company are very good”.
3) Behavioural Component
The behavioural component consists of the tendency of a person to behave in a particular
manner towards an object. For example, the concerned individual in the above case may decide to
take up the job because of good future prospects.
$

An attitude refers to our opinions, beliefs, and feelings about aspects of our environment. We
have attitudes toward the food we eat, people we interact with, courses we take, and various other
things. At work, two particular job attitudes have the greatest potential to influence how we behave.
These are job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Job satisfaction refers to the feelings people
have toward their job. If the number of studies conducted on job satisfaction is an indicator,
job satisfaction is probably the most important job attitude.

Organizational commitment is the emotional attachment people have toward the company they
work for. There is a high degree of overlap between job satisfaction and organizational commitment,
because things that make us happy with our job often make us more committed to the
company as well. Companies believe that these attitudes are worth tracking because they are
often associated with important outcomes such as performance, helping others, absenteeism, and
turnover.
What is organizational commitment?
Organizational commitment refers to the connection or bond employees have with their employer (the
organization). This is based on industrial-organizational psychology (I/O psychology) and
describes the individual’s psychological attachment to the organization.
The level of organizational commitment can help predict employee engagement and
satisfaction, performance, and distribution of leadership.
When an employee feels a strong sense of organizational commitment, they buy into the heart
and future vision of the company (both professionally and personally), they understand the goals
of the organization, they feel as though they fit in and are well respected and compensated for the work
they do.
This is likely to lead to an increase in productivity, engagement, commitment, and morale and
will increase an employee’s chances of staying with that organization for a longer period. Given
the ever- increasing competitive nature of organizations, this is key to companies retaining their best
talent.
What is the difference between organizational commitment and employee engagement?
The term “employee engagement” is often confused with employee commitment. But there is one
crucial difference:
An engaged employee will not automatically be a committed employee. Similarly, a
committed employee will not always be an engaged one.
Engagement refers to how happy an employee is in their job, while commitment refers to how
much effort an employee puts into their job.
19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 6
So, which one is more important? They both are. The best thing any organization can do is strive for a
delicate balance between both engagement and commitment.
How commitment affects organizational development
Organizational development is a science-based process that centers on developing and improving
various strategies, structures, and operations within an organization, which increases its capacity
to change and be more effective.
Organizational development usually aims to increase profits or profit margins, customer
satisfaction, cultural values, adaptability or agility, and market share. The central goal here is
to improve an organization’s effectiveness and its ability to compete in its industry. To be more
effective, a company must have committed and engaged employees.
Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction, an unquantifiable metric, is defined as a positive emotional response you
experience when doing your job or when you are present at work. Leading organizations are now trying
to measure this feeling, with job satisfaction surveys becoming a staple at most workplaces.
It’s important to remember that job satisfaction varies from employee to employee. In the
same workplace under the same conditions, the factors that help one employee feel good about their job
may not apply to another employee. For this reason, it is essential to have a multidimensional
approach to employee.
10 Factors That Determine Your Employees’ Satisfaction Levels

There’s no one definition of

job satisfaction, and factors
contributing to it will depend on
the nature of your workplace. For
example, a satisfied employee in
the manufacturing sector looks
different from a satisfied software
developer. However, there are ten
traits that every workplace geared
toward employee well-being and
satisfaction will have in common.

19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 7
What is the Difference Between Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict?
Conflict is a natural and necessary part of life. It can arise in any relationship, whether it
be with a spouse, co-worker, friend, or family member. The way that conflict is handled can
make or break the relationship. Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional.
Functional conflict is when people have opposing goals that can be resolved without conflict.
Dysfunctional conflict, by contrast, is a type of conflict in which people can’t work together to achieve
their common goals, often due to a lack of resolution of differences.

What is Functional Conflict?

Functional conflict is a type of conflict that is characterized by the parties’ efforts to
achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. It is typically characterized by parties working together to
resolve the conflict in a constructive way. It is different from dysfunctional conflict, which is
characterized by the parties’ attempts to resolve the conflict in a way that harms or destroys the
relationship
Functional conflict is typically characterized by parties working together to resolve the conflict
in a constructive way. It is different from dysfunctional conflict, which is characterized by the parties’
attempts to resolve the conflict in a way that harms or destroys the relationship.

What is Dysfunctional Conflict?

Dysfunctional conflict is a type of conflict that occurs when two or more parties come to an agreement
that is not beneficial to all involved. This type of conflict can cause emotional harm, distress,
damage to relationships, and create a power struggle.
Dysfunctional conflict is a disagreement or conflict in which each side of the argument is using
or trying to use the other side to achieve their own personal goal. Dysfunctional conflicts are
often destructive and can lead to tension, anger, and resentment.

How to Resolve Conflict?

The way to resolve conflict is to first identify the problem. Once you know the problem, you can work
together to find a solution.
Functional conflict is productive and helps to resolve the issue at hand. Dysfunctional conflict, on the
other hand, is destructive and often leads to further conflict. It is important to recognize when conflict
is happening and to try to use functional conflict as much as possible in order to resolve the issue.
If the problem cannot be solved, then you can decide whether to resolve the conflict or move on.

5 Stages of Conflict process

The conflict process can be seen as comprising five stages (1) potential opposition or incompatibility
(2) Cognition and personalization (3) intentions (4) Behavior (5) Outcome.
Stage 1: Potential opposition or incompatibility: The first step in the conflict process is the
presence on conditions that create opportunities for conflict to rise. These cause or create
opportunities for conflict to rise. These causes or sources of conflict have been condenses into three
general categories – (1)Communications (2) Structure (3) Personal Variables.

(1) Communications: Different words connotations, jargon insufficient exchange of information

and noise in communication channel are all antecedent conditions to conflict. Too much
communication as well as too little communication can rely foundation for conflict.
(2) Structure: The term structure is used, in this context to include variables such as size, degree
of specialization in the tasks assigned to group members, jurisdictional clarity, members/ goal
compatibility, leadership styles, reward systems and the degree of dependence between groups.
The size and specialization act as forces to stimulate conflict. The larger the group and the
more specialized its activities, the greater the likelihood of conflict. Tenure and conflict have been
found to be inversely related,. The potential for conflicts tends to be greatest when group members are
younger and when turnover is high. The greater the ambiguity in defining where responsibility for
action lies, the greater the potential for conflict to emerge. Such Jurisdictional ambiguity
increases inter group fighting for control or resources and territory.
(3) Personal Variables: Certain personality types- for example individuals who are highly authoritarian
and dogmatic- lead to potential conflict. Another reason for conflict is difference in value
systems.
19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 8
Value differences are the best explanations of diverse issues such as prejudice disagreements over one’s
contribution to the group and rewards one deserves.
Stage 2: Cognition and personalization: conflict must be perceived by the parties to it whether or
not conflict exists is a perception issue. If no one is aware of a conflict, then it is generally agreed
that no conflict exists. Because conflict is perceives does not mean that is personalized. For e.g. ”
A may be aware that B and A are in serious disagreements but it may not make A tense or nations and
it may have no effect whatsoever on A’s affection towards B” It is the felt level , when
individuals become emotionally involved that parties experience anxiety , tension or hostility.
Stage2 is the place in the process where the parties decide what the conflict is about and emotions plays
a major role in shaping perception.
Stage 3: Intentions: Intentions are decisions to act in a given way intentions intervene between people’s
perception and emotions and their overt behavior.
Using two dimensions cooperativeness (the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy the
other party’s concerns) and assertiveness (the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy his or
her own concerns)- five conflict handling intentions can be identified.
1) Competing: when one person seeks to satisfy his or her own interests regardless of the impact on the
other parties to the conflict, he is competing.
2) Collaborating: A situation in which the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns
of all the parties. In collaborating, the intention o the parties are to solve the problem by
clarifying differences rather than by accommodating various points of view.
3) Avoiding: a person may recognize that a conflict exists and want to withdraw from it or suppress it.
Avoiding included trying to just ignore a conflict and avoiding others with whom you disagree.
4) Accommodating: The willingness of one partying a conflict top lace the opponent’s interest above
his or her own.

5) Compromising: A situation in which each party to a conflict is wiling to give up something.

Intentions provide general guidelines for parties in a conflict situation. They define each
party’s purpose. Yet people intention is not fixed. During the course of conflict, they might change
because of reconceptualization or because of an emotional reaction to the behavior of other party.
Stage 4: Behavior: This is a stage where conflict becomes visible. The behavior stage includes
the statements, actions and reactions made by the conflicting parties. These conflict behaviors are
usually overt attempt to implement each party’s intentions.
Stage 5 Outcomes: The action reaction interplay between the conflicting parties result in consequences.
These outcomes may be functional in that the conflict results in an improvement in the
group’s performance, or dysfunctional in that it hinders group performance.

Conflict is constructive when it improves the quality of decisions simulates creativity and innovations
encourages interest and curiosity among group members provides the medium through which problems
can be aired and tensions released and fosters an environment of self evaluation and change.
Conflict is dysfunctional when uncontrolled opposition breeds discontent, which acts to
dissolve common ties and eventually leads to the destruction of the group. Among the more
undesirable consequences are a retarding of communication, reductions in group cohesiveness and
subordination of group goals to the primacy of infighting between members.

19 EHS 402: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (IDE-I) – HEMANTH – MECH - GITAM-VSP – Curtsy- Authors & Web 9