Attitude plays a major role in bringing the best performance in organizations. Most often, attitudes are acquired through one’s own experiences in life, be it good or bad. The question is whether the emphasis is on skill building or attitude building. If more people knew what it fetches, if they develop and maintain a positive attitude they would probably invest more time in doing so. Success is a process not an event. If we believe we are born to win, we should also know that to be a winner we must plan to win, prepare to win, and then we can hope to win. Begin the day and end the day by reading or doing something positive, which will have lasting impact on the efficiency of the work you wish to accomplish for the day. Invest the time in building appropriate attitude and it will pay off in enhancing one’s skills as well as one’s performance, which are essential to move up in career.

The Impact of Personality on Training—Related Aspects of Motivation

The process of transfer of training has a great impact on job performance, effectiveness and satisfaction. There is a limited number of studies focusing specifically on the role of managers in the process. Some of the important studies on effectiveness of training have broadly focused on the impact of managers’ reinforcement on participants’ job attitude, performance, efficacy and satisfaction in the process of the transfer of knowledge, skill and attitude to be acquired through training programs in the workplace.

A recent model based on dispositional influences on training-related aspects of motivation predicted influences of the `big five’ personality variables on motivation to learn and transfer motivation, while controlling for general attitudes toward training. This model was tested empirically, drawing on a sample of 94 employees from various call centers who participated in a training program. Results indicated that motivation to learn was assessed by extraversion and agreeableness, and transfer motivation was assessed by motivation to learn, extraversion, and emotional stability. The impact of extraversion on transfer motivation was partially mediated by motivation to learn. In sum, the importance of dispositional factors in training was explored and clarified. This is one example which goes strongly in favor of supporting the doctrine that training towards attitude building affects motivation to learn and performance.

If increased profitability is an organizational goal, one of the first things to focus on is the work culture of an organization, which has an impact on its productivity. Work or corporate culture basically is the sum total of the formal and informal systems through which things happen in an organization. The work culture not only reflects the organizational flowchart, but also reflects who really has the decision-making power to make things happen and how that power is exercised. The strongest component of work culture is the beliefs and attitudes of the employees who are the main constituents of making up the culture. If these cultural norms contain negative beliefs such as, “Around here, nobody dares make waves or become creative” or “Do just enough to get along and others will leave you to your own sphere”, then the organization’s performance will reflect those beliefs accordingly.

On the other hand, if the corporate cultural system contains positive approaches such as, “Winners are rewarded here” or “People really care if you do a good job in this organization” or “Innovative ideas are highly valued”, then the same will be reflected in the organization’s performance. No amount of high-sounding corporate jargon or mottos will really affect bottom line performance unless the employees’ belief systems have produced and sustained a productive culture that is in consonance with the organization’s mission.

Influence of Attitudes on Work Culture

How culture is formed and reinforced by attitudes is an interesting question. There are several factors, which influence culture significantly and a few of them are discussed below.

The Manager’s Behavior

Several studies indicate that the most influencing factor on work culture is the attitude of the manager. As Lee Iacocca, Chairman of Chrysler says, “The speed of the boss is the speed of the team”. Employees quickly learn that the best way to move forward in an organization is not to pay attention to what the manager says, but to what the manager does. As rightly said, actions, in fact, do speak louder than words. The systems as established by the manager, and as influenced by his attitudes are generally followed religiously by a majority of the employees.

Selection of Employees

Some of the major high-performing organizations, such as IBM, Reliance, Infosys, Satyam etc., carefully select their employees to fit in with the existing corporate culture. It in turn leads to a highly productive organization as the employees acquire a new membership of a unique corporate culture since they are made to believe that they belong to exclusive professional teams or clubs, which in itself becomes a brand. For instance, they become IBMers, Infosyians, Satyamites, etc.

Improving the Culture

Since the nature and quality of the work culture have a bearing on the performance and profitability of a corporate entity, management is deeply interested to know how the work culture can be improved to increase their business efficiency. Once an assessment is made about the kind of systems and beliefs based on which a large number of employees tend to respond positively with respect to performing their duties, it becomes essential on the part of the management to reinforce such a culture through systematic and periodic training sessions. These need to be organized keeping in view the diverse nature of the functions carried by the employees. Following are few suggestions to improve the work culture in an organization.

Establish A Clear Corporate Mission

It is quite surprising that many organizations cannot state in simple terms the reasons for their existence. When they are asked to complete the statement—”This organization exists for the purpose of…” and it proves difficult to be completed, then we have a case for improving the work culture in the organization. A clear and easily understood organizational mission statement or simply putting its goal, makes it much easier for people within the organization to set priorities, make decisions, and determine values. It lets us know who we are as an organization. It helps everyone in the organization answer the most basic question, “What am I doing here?”

An equally important component of the mission statement is that all of the organization’s members be able to complete the statement—”The purpose of this organization is…” and arrive at the same answer as does the top management. Many managers seem to assume that employees can do this without even really finding out.

Sense of Ownership

It is imperative that managers clearly communicate with all the members of the organization about the purpose of the organization. Without understanding that, employees do not feel that they belong to the organization, its functions, or its future direction. They “just work there”. The results can be mediocre job performance, absenteeism, low corporate loyalty, and high turnover. People only stay on a train as long as they have a clear idea of where it is going, and as long as its destination is the same as their own.

Keep the Mission Upfront

Once an organization’s purpose has been clearly established, the manager must ensure that it is continually kept in front of the organization’s members and they are also made to feel proud in working towards it. It is not enough to remind employees at the annual company meetings or the half-yearly sales meeting; it must be done on a continuous basis. Managers must reflect the desired culture. When an organization’s mission and purpose have been made clear to all of its members, the manager must determine what behaviors are consistent with the desired culture and set an example of them. For example, if clear communication is important, then it is up to the managers to recognize and reward it, as well as practice it among themselves. If positive attitudes and beliefs are needed, then they must come from the top.

Employee Learning Must Be Ongoing

To generate a performance-oriented work culture, employees need to expand their skills and knowledge continually. They need to know what the organization expects in the way of quality products or service and how to achieve it. They need to be trained through new situations and helped to learn from mistakes.

Employees also need to be encouraged to try new ideas, methods, or approaches, so that organizational problems can be solved in innovative ways. Only in this way managers can develop a sufficiently supportive work culture to imaginatively solve the increasing number of problems brought on by an accelerated rate of change.

Conclusion

An organization’s cultural norms, which include attitudes, beliefs, opinions, etc., are so pervasive that they are almost invisible, but if we would like to improve performance and profitability, norms are one of the first places to look. Ask yourself if employee beliefs or attitudes, relate to the question, “How are things done around here?” When you have the answers, you will be on the track to comprehend your own corporate culture and its relationship to organizational performance.

A successful manager cannot leave the development of a high-performance work culture to chance if the business is not to risk its very future. Fortunately that need not be the case. An alert manager can take the necessary steps and initiate appropriate training modules to ensure that the quality of the work culture matches the quality of the organization’s products or services.

The work attitude culture and the quality of employee performance go hand-in-hand. It is up to the manager to determine along which path they will tread to enhance the productivity of their business.