OB: Ability, Attitude, Values

Ability: the main issue with ability is how people differ in ability and use that knowledge to increase the likelihood that an employee would perform his or her job well.

Ability refers to an individual's capacity to perform the various tasks in a job. it is a current assessment of what one can do.

an individual's overall abilities comprise two factors: intellectual and physical.

intellectual abilities are needed to perform mental activities, for example, thinking reasoning and problem-solving. intelligence is of high value in most societies. intelligence quotient (IQ) tests are designed to ascertain a person's general intellectual abilities.

various dimensions of intellectual abilities are:

1. number aptitude: the ability to do speedy and accurate arithmetic

2. verbal comprehension: ability to understand what is read or heard and the relation of words with each other

3. perceptual speed: ability to identify visual similarities and differences quickly and accurately

4. inductive reasoning: the ability to identify a logical sequence in a problem and solve the problem

5. deductive reasoning: ability to use logic and assess the implications of an argument

6. spatial visualization: ability to Imagine how an object would look if its position is changed

7. memory: ability to retain and recall information

intellectual dimensions are positively related and a high score in one means a high score in another. General Mental Ability(GMA) is an overall factor of intelligence as suggested by the positive correlations among specific intellectual ability dimensions. it does not deny the existence of specific abilities but it suggests the existence of general intelligence.

most companies use the Wonderlic test for both speed and power during interviews. interestingly research suggests that intelligence has almost zero correlation with satisfaction as most intelligent people are although better at their jobs and have better jobs in general they also expect more from their jobs.

Physical abilities: the capacity to tasks that require stamina, dexterity, strength and similar characteristics. the nine basic physical abilities are:

1. dynamic strength: ability to exert muscular force repeatedly or continuously over time

2. trunk strength: ability to exert muscular strength using abdominal muscles

3. static strength: ability to exert force against external objects

4. explosive strength: ability to expend a maximum of energy in a series of explosive tasks

5. extent flexibility : ability to move the trunk(abdominal) and back muscles as far as possible

6. dynamic flexibility: ability to make rapid and repeated flexing movements

7. body coordination: ability to coordinate the simultaneous actions of diff. parts of body

8. balance: ability to maintain equilibrium despite forces pulling off balance

9. stamine: maximum efforts for prolonged period of time

Attitude:

these are evaluative statements or judgments concerning objects, people, or events. it reflects what one feels about something.

the cognitive component of an attitude is the opinion or belief segment of an attitude. while the affective component is its emotional or feeling segment. the behavior segment on the other hand is an intention to behave in a certain way towards someone or something.

hence all attitudes are made up of three components: behavioral, cognitive, and affective. attitudes are important because they affect job behavior.

three main attitude under OB are:

1. Job satisfaction: it refers to an individual's general attitude towards his or her job. thus, high level of job satisfaction means a positive attitude towards job.

2. Job Involvement: it measures the degree to which a person identifies psychologically with his or her job and considers his or her perceived performance level important to self worth. employees with high level of job involvement really care about the kind of work they do, and leads to lower absence and lower resignation rates.

3. Organizational commitment: it is the degree to which an employee identifies with a particular organization and its goals, and wishes to maintain membership in the organization. high organizational commitment means identifying with ones employing organization.

in the 1950s, leon Festinger proposed the cognitive dissonance theory. it

Values: it represents the basic convection that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence.

Rokeach Value Survey: created by milton rokeach, it consists of two set of values:

1. terminal values: goals one want to achieve during their lifetime(eg. comfortable life, sense of accomplishment)

2. instrumental values: means of achieving terminal values(eg. ambitious, broad-minded, cheerful, clean, courageous)

Greet Hofstede's framework for accessing values across cultures: he game the following dimensions of national culture attribute:

1. power distance: a national culture attribute describing the extent to which a society accept that power in institution an organisation is distributed unequally.

2. individualism: the degree to which people prefer to act as individual rather than groups.

3. collectivism: a tight social framework in which people expect others in groups of which they are a part of to look after them and protect them.

4. quantity of life: the extent to which societal values are characterised by assertiveness and materialism.

5. quality of life: emphasis on relationships and concerns for others.

6. uncertainty avoidance: extent to which a society feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them.

7. long term orientation: emphasis on future, thrift, and persistence.

8. short term orientation: emphasis on the past and the present, respect for tradition, and fulfilling social obligations.