Chapter 3

Values, Attitudes, and

Their Effects in the
Workplace

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Values, Attitudes, and Their
Effects in the Workplace
Questions for Consideration
What is the relationship between
values and individual behaviour?
How do values differ across cultures?

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Values
Values
Basic convictions about what is important
to the individual
They contain a judgmental element of what
is right, good, or desirable.
Content: what is important
Intensity: how important
Value System: a hierarchy based on a
ranking of an individuals values in
terms of their intensity.
Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Values
Types of values
Terminal: Goals that individuals would
like to achieve during their lifetime
Instrumental: Preferable ways of
behaving
Importance of values
Values generally influence attitudes and
behaviour.

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Values vs. Ethics
Ethics
The science of morals in human conduct
Moral principles; rules of conduct
Ethical values are related to moral
judgments about right and wrong

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 A Framework for Assessing
Cultural Values
Hofstedes Dimensions
Power Distance
Individualism Versus Collectivism
Quantity of Life Versus Quality of Life
Uncertainty Avoidance
Long-term versus Short-term Orientation

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Exhibit 3-2 Examples of
National Cultural Values

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Canadas Multicultural Society
1996 immigrant population
42 percent of Torontos population
34.8 percent of Vancouvers
18 percent of Montreals
2001 Census findings on language
17 percent spoke neither English nor French. Of
these:
Largest majority spoke Chinese (either
Mandarin or Cantonese)
Followed by Italian, German, Punjabi, and
Spanish

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Canadian Social Values
The Elders
Those over 50
Core Values: Belief in order, authority, discipline,
and the Golden Rule
The Boomers
Born mid-1940s to mid-1960s
Autonomous rebels, anxious communitarians,
connected enthusiasts, disengaged Darwinists

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Canadian Social Values
Generation X
Born mid-1960s to early 1980s
Thrill-seeking materialists, aimless dependents,
social hedonists, new Aquarians, autonomous post-
materialists
The Ne(x)t Generation
Born between 1977 and 1997
Creators, not recipients
Curious, contrarian, flexible, collaborative, high in
self-esteem

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Francophone and Anglophone
Values
Francophone Values Anglophone Values

More collectivist or Individualist or I-

group-oriented centered
Greater need for More task-centered
achievement
Take more risks
Concerned with
interpersonal aspects Value autonomy
of workplace
Value affiliation

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Canadian and American Values
Canadian Values American Values
Protectionist business Greater faith in the
environment family, the state, religion,
Personality: more shy and and the market
deferential, less violent, More comfortable with
more courteous big business
More rule-oriented Intense competition in
Peace, order, equality business
Uncomfortable Individuality and freedom
celebrating success, play it More comfortable with
down the unknown and taking
risks

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Canada, the US and Mexico
Canada and the US Mexico
Lower power distance Higher power distance
More likely to tolerate Managers more autocratic
and paternalistic
abrasiveness and
insensitivity by managers Employees defer more to
managers
Lower risk takers
Greater uncertainty
More individualistic avoidance
Less agreeable to Managers are greater risk
teamwork takers
Greater reliance on
networks and relationships
Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 East and Southeast Asian
Values
North America East and Southeast Asia
Networked relations: Guanxi relations: based on
based on self-interest reciprocation
Relationships viewed with Relationships meant to be
immediate gains long-term and enduring
Enforcement relies on Enforcement relies on
institutional law personal power and authority
Governed by guilt Governed by shame (external
(internal pressures on pressures on performance)
performance)

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Attitudes
Positive or negative feelings concerning
objects, people, or events.
Less stable than values

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Cognitive Dissonance
Any incompatibility that an individual
might perceive between two or more of
his or her attitudes, or between his or her
behaviour and attitudes.
Inconsistency is uncomfortable
Individuals will attempt to reduce the
dissonance and, hence, the discomfort

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
 Summary and Implications
Values strongly influence a persons attitudes.
An employees performance and satisfaction are likely
to be higher if his or her values fit well with the
organization.
Managers should be interested in their employees
attitudes because attitudes give warning signs of
potential problems and because they influence
behaviour.
Managers should also be aware that employees will try
to reduce cognitive dissonance.

Chapter 3, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Organizational Behaviour, Third Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2003 Pearson Education Canada Inc.