Dispositional Versus Situational Factors and Job Attitudes - Coursework Example

Dispositional versus Situational Factors and Job Attitudes al Affiliation) Dispositional factors and situational factors both affect the attitude that employees have towards their jobs. Take for instance individuals who are thorough in what they do, have vast knowledge on their job description and enjoy their jobs. Such individuals will develop a positive attitude towards their jobs. They will arrive to work punctually and do all they can to increase their productivity at the workplace. On the other hand, individuals who are lazy, lack knowledge of their jobs, and dislike their jobs develop a negative attitude towards their jobs.

They will provide substandard work, always come up with excuses for poor performance and will eventually resent their jobs. Dispositional factors therefore affect job attitudes. Negative factors result to negative attitudes and positive factors to positive attitudes.Situational factors such as the employee salary, working conditions, and job description affect individuals in the following ways: a high salary, benefits and bonuses motivate employees to do their best thus fostering a positive attitude towards their jobs and vice versa.

Poor working conditions reduce employee morale resulting to a negative attitude while good conditions develop positive attitude. A job that challenges employees and that which does not also affects employees attitudes in that it will either motivate or demotivate them which will develop an attitude depending on the situation. The above therefore shows that dispositional and situational factors both affect attitude. However, take an instance of a hardworking employee who is punctual, consistence and who loves their profession but works for an organization that pays poor wages, has poor working conditions and the job description does not challenge them.

Such an individual will develop a negative attitude despite their positive dispositional factors. Reasons being that the situational factors are demotivating. Another individual can be lazy, hate their job since they lack the skills and techniques for that job but the situational factors are excellent with a comfortable salary and good working conditions. That individual will have a negative attitude towards their job because of the poor dispositional factors.Therefore, both situational factors and dispositional factors affect the attitudes of an employee and should be balanced to obtain positive results.

They work hand in hand to cultivate good job attitudes from employees. Organizations should therefore look at the dispositional factors of potential employees and hire those with factors that prove to be beneficial to the company. They should then provide situational factors that will motivate these employees. Only then can they obtain good job attitudes from their employees (Illies & Judge 2003).ReferenceIlies, R., & Judge, T. A. (2003). On the heritability of job satisfaction: The mediating role of personality.

Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), 750759.