Stability in the midst of change: A dispositional Approach to job attitudes (1985)
| Venue: | Journal of Applied Psychology |
| Citations: | 85 - 1 self |
BibTeX
@ARTICLE{Staw85stabilityin,
author = {Barry M. Staw and Jerry Ross},
title = {Stability in the midst of change: A dispositional Approach to job attitudes},
journal = {Journal of Applied Psychology},
year = {1985},
pages = {469--480}
}
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Abstract
Most recent debates on the determinants of job attitudes have concentrated on situational theories, stressing external influences such as job design and social information processing. In contrast, this research examines the dispositional argument that job attitudes are rather consistent within individuals, showing stability both over time and across situations. To test this notion, longitudinal data on job satisfaction were analyzed from a national sample of over 5,000 middle-aged men. Results showed significant stability of attitudes over a 5-year time period and significant cross-situational consistency when individuals changed employers and/or occupations. Prior attitudes were also a stronger predictor of subsequent job satisfaction than either changes in pay or the social status of one's job. The implications of these results for developing dispositional theories of work behavior are discussed, along with possible implications for popular situational theories such as job design and social information processing. In recent years almost all research on job attitudes has been situationally based. Situa-
Keyphrases
job attitude dispositional approach job design social information processing work behavior recent debate dispositional theory dispositional argument longitudinal data job satisfaction possible implication 5-year time period social status significant cross-situational consistency situational theory prior attitude significant stability recent year subsequent job satisfaction national sample middle-aged men external influence popular situational theory
