case regarding attitude

8/10/2019 Case regarding attitude

1/4

1

1.Write the synopsis of the case.

This article is concerned with the attitude, its components and barriers. It clearly depicts what are

the factors that can act as a barrier, the factors that can have impact on the attitude and how a

person can act judgmental.

Ralph, being a member of union and having negative attitude towards the management, was

promoted to Supervisor. Due to escalation of commitment and insufficient information, Ralph

had positivity towards union. But after getting additional information and due to co-opting

approach, his attitude gets changed and builds positivity towards the management which was a

case of cognitive dissonance.

2.Identify the critical issues in the case.

The critical issues in the case are:

Ralphs negativity for the management and positivity for the union being a member with

regard to the attitude.

Ralph being invited to board by management to train supervisors in ways of dealing with

the union.

Attitudinal change in Ralph in due course of time but there was no change in the attitude

of the union members.

Ralph being treated the same way as he used to think and treat the management while he

was in union.

3. What is Ralphs initial attitude towards the union when he became a supervisor? Why

do you think he had that attitude to the union?

Ralph was a member of union previously and was promoted to supervisor. As such, he definitely

had affection and positive attitude towards the union. So, his attitude towards the union was

based on three components:

a.Cogni tive component(Evaluation part of Attitude)


2/4

2

Ralph had a positive attitude about the union and thought that the union was too powerful. He

had a favorable opinion towards the union which he thought was necessary in order to ensure a

fair and win-win relationship between management and union.

b.Af fective component(Feeling part of Attitude)

Having being a part of union, Ralph had developed a feeling of affinity and kinship with the

union, especially during the strikes. So, he had emotional attachment with the union.

c.

Behavioral component (Action Part of Attitude)

Ralph had an intention of protecting the union and showing the management personnel were

afraid of losing their authority and control over the workers. Moreover, he was trying to show the

management down for not acting favorably.

4. What barriers were there that initially prevented him from changing his attitude

regarding the union?

The barriers that initially prevented him from changing his attitude regarding the union were:

a)Escalation of commitment

People tend to justify their current attitude despite new evidence is wrong.

Same had happened here. Ralph invested a lot of time in the union activities while he was

himself in the union; so it was preventing him from changing his favorable attitude for the

management and against the union.

b)I nsuff icient inf ormation

People need information to analyze and derive a reason to change their attitude. But at times,

people may not find a reason to change their attitude due to the lack of information.

Ralph was promoted to supervisor so he was too judgmental to be a good supervisor. So, he was

yet to learn the management's perspective and what it takes to deal with the union workers.


3/4

3

The boss may not like an associate's negative attitude, but the latter may be quite pleased with

his own behavior. Unless the boss can show the individual why a negative attitude is detrimental

to career progress or salary raises or some other desirable personal objective, this person may

continue to have a negative attitude.

5. Why did Ralphs attitude change?

Ralph's attitude changed due to the following factors:

a)New information

Peoples attitude towards others may be positive as well as negative. But, it depends on the

availability of the information. If relevant and adequate information are present, the attitude may

change.

Before joining the management, Ralph was against the management. He had ill thinking about

the management. Later when he was promoted into the management rank, his attitude changed.

He became aware of what the company was doing to help the workers and how the union was

working against the company. This new information resulted in a change in his thinking about

management and his attitude towards both the company and the union.

b)Co-opting approach

If a person from different group be included in our own group, then it is effective only when

his/her attitude changes. With this, policies formulation is even more effective and conclusive

with their participation as they had been a part of those different group.

The management knew that Ralph feels that the management takes less interest on union's issues

and doesnt address much. So, the board invited Ralph to formulate policies for dealing with the

union with an attempt to change Ralph's negative attitude towards the management.


4/4

4

6. Is there any evidence of Cognitive Dissonance in the case?

Yes, there is evidence of Cognitive Dissonance in the case.

Firstly, Ralph had kinship relation with union and against the management. Later when he was

invited to the board, he gained the knowledge on management-union relations at the company

that changed his attitude. Though he had negative attitude initially, he also acquired positive

attitude towards the management that was conflicting to his previous attitude.

Secondly, he had treated well for the union while staying in the union. Later when he went to the

management, he was accused for harassing one of the workers and for disciplinary action i.e. for

ill-treatment which changed his attitude towards the union. So, he had well-treated and ill-treated

attitude for the union.

So, these are the evidences of cognitive dissonance.

case regarding attitude

Documents