Role of Attitude in Organizational Behavior Essay

Role of Attitude in Organizational Behavior - Essay Example For example, the attitude of a person towards a friend can be examined in terms of cognitive component (â€Å"I think my friend is funny and pleasant†), affective component (â€Å"I feel nice when I am around this friend†) and behavioral component (â€Å"I try to spend time with this friend whenever I get an opportunity†). Attitudes of a person are influenced by both values and beliefs. Values reflect a general sense of right or wrong and do not require an identifiable object towards which it is directed (Cheek 2006). Values are therefore deeply rooted views that act as guiding principles for an individual. On the other hand beliefs are assumptions that one makes about oneself, about others and about how we expect things to be (Cheek 2006). Attitudes develop from past experiences or observations and have been found to guide future behavior. Behavior is the way one acts and includes the things that we say or do, like facial expressions, hand gestures, eye contact and choice of words (Standen n.d.). Behavior is usually an outward expression of one’s attitude. However, the two are not always related. Attitudes are only one of the determinants of behavior. It is the predisposition to behave in a particular way in a given situation. However, how one would actually behave in a given scenario, depends on many other factors like immediate consequences of the behavior, perception of others viewing the behavior, personal habits and other situational factors (Standen n.d.). A classic example to describe this is the study conducted by LaPiere (1934) where he went on a tour with a Chinese couple (at a time when Chinese were discriminated against) in the southwest. He asked the hotel proprietors if this couple could stay in their hotel and also if they could eat there.