Deck 3: Attitudes and Job Satisfaction

Question 1

The theory of cognitive dissonance was proposed by ________.

A) Abraham Maslow
B) Leon Festinger
C) Geert Hofstede
D) Daryl Bem
E) Ivan Petrovich Pavlov

Answer 1

B
Explanation: Leon Festinger argued that attitudes follow behavior. Festinger proposed that cases of attitude following behavior illustrate the effects of cognitive dissonance, any incompatibility an individual might perceive between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes.

Question 2

The affective component of attitude is the emotional, or feeling, segment of an attitude.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: The affective component of attitude is the emotional, or feeling, segment of an attitude. It sets the stage for the more critical part of an attitude.

Question 3

The three components of an attitude are cognition, affect, and behavior.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: Typically, researchers have assumed that attitudes have three components: cognition, affect, and behavior.

Question 4

Which of the following statements represents the cognitive component of attitude?

A) I have decided to inform my supervisor that I will be quitting my job.
B) I intend to work during the weekend to meet the month's deadline.
C) I feel upset about having to work during Christmas.
D) It is disappointing to know that I did not get a good evaluation.
E) This job is not giving me an opportunity to explore my skills.

Question 5

Sarah Mayer works as a security officer and is in charge of keeping track of who is in the office at any given time. She notices that some employees do not sign out of the office when they go out for meals, which makes it difficult to keep track of attendance of employees. Even though Mayer has repeatedly asked the employees to sign out, they have not followed her advice. She now decides to report the issue to her supervisor. Which of the following components of an attitude is being demonstrated by Mayer?

A) affective
B) behavioral
C) positive
D) cognitive
E) knowledge

Question 6

Johanna Rouse feels disheartened because she was not selected for the campaign exchange program in Amsterdam. Which component of an attitude does Rouse's feeling represent?

A) cognitive
B) affective
C) reflective
D) behavioral
E) reactive

Question 7

Which of the following statements is an example of the behavioral component of an attitude?

A) I have decided to apply for the position of a campaigner in the climate department.
B) I am thrilled to know that the human resource department is looking for a climate campaigner.
C) The position of a climate campaigner is challenging and interesting.
D) The position of a climate campaigner will allow me to explore my skills as a campaigner.
E) I think the position of a climate campaigner involves extensive travel.

Question 8

Kimberley Mayfield recently evaluated her subordinate's progress report. She now plans to inform her about the objectives she did not achieve and how she can perform better. By doing this, Mayfield will be demonstrating the ________ component of an attitude.

A) cognitive
B) affective
C) reflective
D) behavioral
E) reactive

Question 9

Julie recently joined a youth center as a counselor who provides support services for teenage mothers. An important part of her job involves referring pregnant teenagers to abortion clinics, should they decide to avail of such services. This aspect of her work, however, conflicts with her religious beliefs. Her manager, Kyle, is aware of this and expects her to submit her resignation at any time, but Julie continues to carry out her duties in a sincere manner and shows no signs of quitting her job. Which of the following best explains this situation?

A) Julie allows her professional life to be dictated by her religious ideals.
B) Julie refuses to acknowledge the hard truths of life.
C) Julie has accepted that people have the freedom of choice.
D) Julie is unable to empathize with the teenagers who visit the youth center.
E) Julie does not realize the importance of her work to society.

Question 10

Any incompatibility between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes results in ________.

A) organizational dissonance
B) cognitive dissonance
C) attitudinal clarification
D) positivity offset
E) affective reactance

Question 11

Which of the following does cognitive dissonance indicate between two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes?

A) congruity
B) tenacity
C) solidarity
D) consistency
E) incompatibility

Question 12

The cognitive component of an attitude describes an intention to behave in a certain way toward someone or something.

Question 13

Janice Hartley works as a writer at a fashion magazine in New York. She was recently asked by her editor to write an article on "10 must-haves for the autumn season." Her editor has now sent back the article saying it is not interesting enough to hold the attention of the reader. Janice is upset and disappointed about the feedback. Which component of an attitude is represented in this scenario?

A) positive component
B) cognitive component
C) affective component
D) behavioral component
E) evaluative component

Question 14

The statement, "A person who eats meat and then fights for animal rights demonstrates double standards" is an evaluative statement. Such an opinion constitutes the ________ component of an attitude.

A) cognitive
B) affective
C) reflective
D) behavioral
E) reactive

Question 15

What are the three components of an attitude?

Question 16

Why is it difficult to analyze the three components of an attitude separately? Provide a workplace example that demonstrates the three components.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of the affective component of an attitude?

A) believing that one achieved all objectives of a project
B) relying on the information of a company's annual report
C) perceiving whistle-blowing as the right thing to do
D) feeling hurt at being unfairly accused of a wrongdoing
E) deciding to fire an employee because of underperformance

Question 18

________ refers to evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people, or events.

A) Attitude
B) Behavior
C) Appearance
D) Demeanor
E) Performance

Question 19

Abigail Jones is a sales executive at Orbit Bank in Brussels. She is the best performer on her team and often gets the highest number of corporate accounts for the company. However, she feels that she does not get sufficient credit for her hard work. During lunch, she says to her colleague, "I have been getting the largest accounts for the bank for the past eight months. Yet, my manager never acknowledges the kind of effort I put in to get these accounts." Which component of attitude is being demonstrated by Jones?

A) positive component
B) cognitive component
C) affective component
D) behavioral component
E) reflective component

Question 20

Attitudes are favorable or unfavorable evaluative statements about objects, people, or events.

Question 21

Attitudes that our memories can easily access are less likely to predict our behavior.

Question 22

Cognitive dissonance explains the linkage between attitudes and behavior.

Question 23

Describe a workplace example of how people seek consistency among their attitudes and their behavior by reducing cognitive dissonance. Then, sort your example into the three main components of attitudes.

Question 24

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

Question 25

Sonia works as a lab research assistant at Frost Labs, which conducts trials for cosmetic products such as sprays, dyes, ointments, soaps, and the like. She joined the firm right out of college and has been working there for almost two years now.
Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument that Sonia is experiencing cognitive dissonance?

A) She believes that beauty is merely a superficial aspect of one's personality.
B) She does not wear makeup as she is aware of the ingredients that go into making these products.
C) She recently attended a presentation on the harmful effects of certain chemicals used in cosmetics.
D) She believes that research and testing are an integral part of providing consumers with safe products.
E) She feels that this field of work does not allow her to utilize her full potential.

Question 26

Joseph Pierce is the managing director of Drake Coal Power Plant in North Yorkshire. He knows that coal is a major contributor to climate change and has made his research team study impacts of coal on the environment. After knowing the facts, he faces a high degree of dissonance between his values and behavior. Which of the following is he most likely to do to reduce the dissonance between his belief and behavior?

A) get government sanction to build and develop more power plants across the country
B) increase revenue by building power plants in developing and underdeveloped countries
C) reassure the public that there is no correlation between environment and coal production
D) hire more employees to fill positions in new power plant stations
E) provide locals benefits to substantiate for the effects of coal power stations

Question 27

Sonia works as a lab research assistant at Frost Labs, which conducts trials for cosmetic products such as sprays, dyes, ointments, soaps, and the like. She joined the firm right out of college and has been working there for almost two years now.
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument that Sonia is experiencing cognitive dissonance?

A) She believes that cosmetics help boost women's self-confidence.
B) She believes that testing products on animals is an unethical practice.
C) She majored in pharmacology as part of her master's degree program in college.
D) She recently received a positive performance review from her supervisor.
E) She is confounded by the fact that the cosmetic industry rakes in almost $7 billion annually.

Question 28

Jonathan is a scientist for a local manufacturer that employs a large percentage of the small town where he lives. Until recently, Jonathan loved his job. However, it has been discovered that the company is releasing small amounts of toxins into the local river. Jonathan is extremely bothered by this information. Based on what you know about Jonathan, describe the cognitive dissonance that he is experiencing and two ways that Jonathan can alter his behavior or attitude to reduce the dissonance.

Question 29

Which of the following statements is most likely to be true regarding cognitive dissonance?

A) High dissonance is accompanied by high rewards.
B) People are less inspired to reduce dissonance when it is within their control.
C) People are less likely to reduce dissonance when the behavior is crucial.
D) People are more motivated to reduce dissonance when attitudes are important.
E) The desire to reduce dissonance is not affected by moods and emotions.

Question 30

People seek consistency between their attitudes and their behaviors.

Question 31

Individuals will be more motivated to reduce dissonance when they believe the dissonance is due to something they cannot control.

Question 32

If there is an inconsistency between an individual's attitude on a specific issue and his/her behavior, there are only two courses of action available-alter the attitude or alter the behavior.

Question 33

Kim Anderson works as a campaign manager at an environmental organization in Ottawa. In the past few months, she has noticed that one team member, Janice Kenneth, has shown a lot of potential as the next project lead. However, Anderson heard from the grapevine that Kenneth may be quitting the job. She now needs to know whether she has the intention to lead the campaign in the next few months, which are crucial months for the campaign. Which of the following questions would best help Anderson understand Kenneth's intention toward the project?

A) How do you like your job on the whole?
B) Do you like the work culture in the organization?
C) Do you see yourself working with us in the next six months?
D) Are you motivated enough to achieve all project milestones?
E) Are you happy with your overall job performance?

Question 34

Discrepancies between attitudes and behavior tend to occur when social pressures to behave in certain ways hold exceptional power, as in most organizations.

Question 35

Which of the following is true with regard to moderating variables in attitude relationships?

A) Attitudes that our memories can easily access are more likely to predict our behavior.
B) General attitudes tend to predict particular or specific behaviors.
C) Attitudes are less likely to be remembered if frequently expressed or talked about.
D) The relationship between an attitude and a behavior is weaker if an attitude involves a direct relation to personal experience.
E) Conflicts between attitudes and behavior occur when there are no social pressures.

Question 36

No individual can completely avoid dissonance.

Question 37

Oversharers can contribute to teamwork when they share personal stories related to organizational goals, according to a Harvard Business Review article.

Question 38

Anna Jonas owns a manufacturing firm in Indonesia and strongly believes that it is important that workers' rights be respected. However, because of the recent economic meltdown, she makes the management pay workers a wage which is below ethical standards. In addition, the working conditions are below standards because of low investment in safety equipment. She knows her actions are unethical but continues to do so to avoid major losses. Jonas is most likely to be experiencing ________.

A) cognitive dissonance
B) emotional contagion
C) ethical evasion
D) self-concordance
E) positivity offset

Question 39

Leon Festinger argued that ________ follow(s) ________.

A) behavior; attitudes
B) emotions; attitude
C) attitudes; behavior
D) thought processes; moods
E) conduct; feelings

Question 40

With reference to cognitive dissonance, in which of the following situations is the attitude-behavior relationship most likely to be strong?

A) The affective component of the attitude is weak.
B) The behavior is not affected by the cognitive component of the attitude.
C) The attitude does not reflect the person's fundamental values.
D) The behavior is affected by external factors and is not entirely under the control of the person.
E) The attitude refers to something with which the person has direct experience.

Question 41

Employees with ________ strongly identify with and care about the kind of work they do.

A) high job involvement
B) high cognitive dissonance
C) low psychological empowerment
D) low organizational commitment
E) high emotional contagion

Question 42

The human resource department of Palmer Inc. is aiming to understand the degree of employee engagement in the organization. Which of the following statements would best help them in the process?

A) Do you believe in the organization's five-year plan?
B) Do you believe the organization is concerned about your well-being?
C) Do you enjoy your everyday tasks and achieving project milestones?
D) Do you feel the organization values your work?
E) Do you agree with the organization's stand on sustainable work practices?

Question 43

The degree to which a person identifies with his or her job, actively participates in it, and considers his or her performance as being important to self-worth is referred to as ________.

A) emotional contagion
B) job involvement
C) job stability
D) emotional dissonance
E) direct action

Question 44

Which of the following statements represents a person's job attitude?

A) I enjoy my work because it offers me challenges and helps me hone my networking skills.
B) I believe my work has a direct impact on the processes of the organization.
C) I believe my work performance indicates my caliber and potential.
D) I agree with the organization about its commitment to the environment.
E) I believe in the organization's objectives about supporting the underprivileged.

Question 45

Which of the following is most likely to be a characteristic of disengaged employees?

A) They feel a deep connection for their organization.
B) They have a sense of passion for their work.
C) They have the lowest levels of turnover.
D) They put in time but give no attention to their work.
E) They proactively take up responsibilities.

Question 46

Which of the following actions best represents Kelly's high job involvement?

A) Kelly always complains about her work to her colleagues.
B) Kelly actively takes part in team activities and proactively takes up additional job responsibilities.
C) Kelly shares the organization's vision of supporting renewable energy.
D) Kelly dislikes the unethical practices followed by her employer.
E) Kelly wants to continue working for the organization because many of her college friends are working there.

Question 47

Employees are most likely to perceive their organization as supportive when ________.

A) they experience a cognitive dissonance between their job attitude and behavior
B) the affective component of the attitude is extremely strong
C) there is a weak relationship between their attitude and behavior
D) they have a voice in decisions
E) they experience an emotional contagion while performing their job duties

Question 48

Which of the following questions best helps understand the degree of perceived organizational support among employees?

A) Do you believe that employee engagement has a large impact on productivity?
B) Do you believe there is sufficient employee engagement in your department?
C) Do your beliefs align with the organization's vision and long-term goals?
D) Do you feel the long-term goals on sustainable work practices are workable?
E) Do you feel the organization has sufficient recognition rewards to value good work?

Question 49

Bryan Eusebius has a positive attitude toward his organization. He feels the management treats all employees fairly in matters concerning rewards, is understanding toward their needs and requirements, and allows them to have a voice in decisions. Bryan's attitude toward his organization is indicative of ________.

A) emotional contagion
B) positivity offset
C) perceived organizational support
D) cognitive dissonance
E) self-concordance

Question 50

An individual's involvement with, satisfaction with, and enthusiasm for the work he/she performs is known as ________.

A) employee engagement
B) cognitive dissonance
C) emotional contagion
D) positivity offset
E) self-concordance

Question 51

Lillian Stintson works for a global women's rights organization. In the past few months, she has traveled across the globe for the campaign she was working on. In addition, she has been working weekends to meet campaign milestones. She has now decided to take a month's holiday to relax and get a much-needed break. She knows that the organization will understand her need for a long holiday. Which of the following best represents Stintson's feeling?

A) low employee engagement
B) high perceived organizational support
C) low organizational commitment
D) low job involvement
E) high interest in whistle-blowing

Question 52

Employees' beliefs in the degree to which they influence their work environment, their competence, the meaningfulness of their jobs, and their perceived autonomy is termed as ________.

A) psychological empowerment
B) organizational dissent
C) organizational commitment
D) employee engagement
E) secondary action

Question 53

Which of the following questions best helps understand an employee's organizational commitment?

A) Do you feel you have a good working relationship with team members?
B) Do you feel the organization will take care of you and your family in times of need?
C) Do you enjoy your work even in the face of challenges?
D) Does the organization provide valuable feedback to help you increase productivity?
E) Do you believe in the organization's objective on sustainable work practices?

Question 54

In her work in the publishing industry, Vera Loranzo seeks out new authors who she considers promising. In the past two years, she has found a number of new writers whose work she thought was exceptional and immersed herself in the task of helping them shape their manuscripts for submission to her managers for publishing. Although she was extremely proud of the results, none of the authors she worked with were chosen for publication. After learning about her management's decision, she is extremely frustrated and is beginning to resent the job she does. However, she knows there is nothing she can do and continues working because of the good perks and salary benefits the job offers. How can Loranzo's job attitude be best described?

A) low job involvement
B) low job satisfaction
C) high psychological empowerment
D) high positivity offset
E) low emotional contagion

Question 55

Organizational commitment is defined as ________.

A) the degree to which employees identify with the organization they work for and its goals
B) the state of discord caused by opposition of values between people working together
C) the degree to which an employee's sense of cognitive dissonance is related to his/her job
D) the employee's degree of disagreement or differential opinions about organizational practices
E) the degree to which employees believe their work impacts their organization significantly

Question 56

________ refers to a positive feeling about one's job resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics.

A) Job satisfaction
B) Job design
C) Positivity offset
D) Constructive dismissal
E) Picketing

Question 57

Ben has been working as a process executive at an accounting firm for the past two years. A hard worker, his work is of good quality and he often puts in extra hours at the office to ensure his schedules are on track. Noticing his efforts, the management offers him a 20 percent hike. Two months later, Ben submits his resignation and soon joins a startup organization, at a senior position. Which of the following best explains this situation?

A) Ben felt the hike was unwarranted.
B) Ben, though highly skilled, lacked ambition.
C) Ben was motivated by the prospect of extrinsic rewards.
D) Ben found his work to be routine and monotonous.
E) Ben was gunning for a position at the competing firm all along.

Question 58

Antonio Guillermo's wife was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Guillermo had to take a considerable amount of time off work to care for their children, and he was late in completing his portion of a large project. Guillermo never feared that his job was in jeopardy because of his absences or his delay in completion of work. Name the major job attitude associated with this example.

A) psychological empowerment
B) perceived organizational support
C) organizational commitment
D) employee engagement
E) job involvement

Question 59

________ is the degree to which employees believe the organization values their contribution and cares about their well-being.

A) Psychological empowerment
B) Employee engagement
C) Perceived organizational support
D) Organizational commitment
E) Job involvement

Question 60

The human resource department of Healthy Eating, a chain of health food stores, recently conducted a survey to analyze employee commitment. Which of the following statements is most likely to indicate a high degree of organizational commitment?

A) I am a great believer in the importance of a healthy diet and this is why I am glad to be working for a company that is trying to make simple, healthy food available to all.
B) I enjoy working for Healthy Eating because of the growth prospects that it offers and the wide range of responsibilities each one of us has.
C) Even though I only work in the production department, it's good to know that my feedback gets considered during our interactive in-house sessions.
D) The challenging nature of the work and the thoughtful and generous way the firm treats its staff has made Healthy Eating the best place I have ever worked in.
E) My company offers me good perks and benefits.

Question 61

Employees' beliefs in the degree to which they influence their work environment, their competence, the meaningfulness of their jobs, and their perceived autonomy is known as psychological empowerment.

Question 62

Job satisfaction describes a positive feeling about a job, resulting from an evaluation of its characteristics.

Question 63

Christina Hutchins was recently recruited by a publishing firm in Manhattan. During her first month on the job, she demonstrated positive core self-evaluations. Which of the following did she most likely do?

A) mentioned that she was confident about her basic competence
B) expressed dissatisfied with the nature of work
C) set less ambiguous goals and objectives
D) gave up easily on tasks when faced with difficulties
E) did not consider her work as challenging and fulfilling

Question 64

Which of the following statements is most likely to be true about the major job attitudes?

A) They are highly distinct from one another.
B) They are generally resistant to change.
C) They tend to overlap one another.
D) They are not correlated to one another.
E) They increase cognitive dissonance.

Question 65

Rachel, a sales executive at a bank, earns $35,000 a year. Her company often allows her to work her schedule around her daughter's school athletic events. She believes in the goals of her organization and works hard toward achieving them. Rachel's husband, Peter, has recently joined an engineering firm as a designer. He earns $75,000 a year. His job involves working long hours from Monday to Friday, and his work is often stressful. But he enjoys his work and is passionate about the projects he works on. Due to Peter's time constraints, his wife, Rachel, attends all their children's school events. How would you compare Rachel and Peter's levels of job satisfaction? Describe how you would measure their satisfaction level if the level of comfortable living in their country is $40,000. In addition, name at least three major job attitudes that play a part in each of their satisfaction levels.

Question 66

The business head at Solaris Services was alarmed by the finding of a recent survey conducted in-house which revealed that most employees were dissatisfied with their work. He holds a meeting with various department heads to identify ways to stem the brewing discontent. One manager suggests providing employees with greater training opportunities. What assumption is the manager making?

A) Employees feel that their efforts are not being adequately recognized by the management.
B) Employees are highly skilled and value economic rewards over and above opportunities for growth.
C) Employees are stifled by the degree of centralized control and bureaucracy within the organization.
D) Employees feel that their employer does not value them enough to make investments in them.
E) Employees feel excluded from organizational issues that have an influence on them.

Question 67

Compare and contrast job satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational commitment.

Question 68

Dennis Galvan works as a campaigner at Green Earth, an environmental organization. Every month, his organization arranges a team outing where they play disc golf, soccer, and participate in relays and other team-building activities. The human resource department ensures that there are regular interactions between employees through team dinners and cultural events. According to the information given in this case, which of the following is most likely to be the reason for Galvan's high level of satisfaction toward his job?

A) salary packaging
B) promotion and growth
C) constructive dismissal
D) social environment
E) profile of work

Question 69

Charles, Anna, Elle, and Adam are college friends and work in New York City. Comfortable living in New York occurs at about $40,000 a year. Charles makes $24,000 a year, Anna makes $30,000 a year, Elle makes $50,000 a year, and Adam makes $75,000 a year. Which of the following is most likely to be true with reference to correlation between pay and job satisfaction?

A) Charles is more satisfied with his job in comparison with Anna.
B) Anna is more satisfied with the job than Adam.
C) Charles and Adam share identical levels of job satisfaction related to pay.
D) Elle and Adam are most likely to have a similar level of job satisfaction.
E) Charles and Anna have the same levels of job satisfaction in relation to their pay.

Question 70

Job involvement measures the degree to which people identify psychologically with the organization's mission and vision.

Question 71

We have thousands of attitudes, but OB focuses on a very limited number that form positive or negative evaluations employees hold about their work environments.

Question 72

Which of the following statements is true about measuring job satisfaction?

A) The single global rating system is not very time consuming.
B) The summation of job facets approach takes into account cognitive dissonance experienced by employees.
C) The summation of job facets approach prevents managers from zeroing in on problems.
D) The summation of job facets approach involves responding to one particular question.
E) The single global rating approach is rarely used for measuring job satisfaction.

Question 73

________ refers to an organization's self-regulated actions to benefit society or the environment beyond what is required by law.

A) Emissions accountability
B) Sustainability level
C) Philanthropy profile
D) Corporate Social Responsibility
E) Ethical preference assessment

Question 74

Which of the following is true about the correlation between salary and job satisfaction?

A) Pay is not related to job satisfaction for employees in underdeveloped countries.
B) Salary and perks do not have a role in overall happiness of employees from poor countries.
C) Pay does not play a critical role in job satisfaction when an individual reaches a level of comfortable living.
D) Financial perks and benefits always create job satisfaction irrespective of standards of living.
E) High salary level always creates organizational commitment.

Question 75

Economic conditions influence job satisfaction levels.

Question 76

Asking employees how they feel about key elements in a job and then adding the results to create an overall job satisfaction score is the single global rating approach to job satisfaction.

Question 77

In Indonesia, comfortable living occurs at about $30,000. Based on the measurement of comfortable living, which of the following is most likely to be true?

A) People earning approximately $25,000 are content with their jobs.
B) People earning below $30,000 are as happy with jobs as those earning $35,000.
C) People earning below $30,000 experience a positive correlation between pay and job satisfaction.
D) People earning $50,000 have higher levels of job satisfaction than those earning $40,000.
E) People's earnings have no relation to their job satisfaction if they earn $25,000.

Question 78

The single global rating approach to measuring job satisfaction is more sophisticated than the summation of job facets approach.

Question 79

An individual's involvement with, satisfaction with, and enthusiasm for the work he or she does is known as employee engagement.

Question 80

What is power distance? Differentiate between high power distance and low power distance countries.