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Human beings have the natural tendency to attribute causes to behavior. The Attribution Theory can be used to help us understand and determine the factors that affect our behavior and the behaviors of our coworkers. According to this theory, the two main factors that shape behavior are dispositional and situational forces (McLeod). Dispositional or internal forces include things like work ethic, motivation, intelligence, discipline, and personality. Situational or external forces include environmental, economic, and cultural forces.
We tend to be biased in our own favor.
When we are successful, we attribute our success to our own internal capabilities and strengths. However, when we are unsuccessful we tend to blame our shortcomings on external forces that are completely out of our control (Khan Academy). If we get a promotion it is because we are hardworking and competent, but if we do not get a promotion it is the fault of our overbearing boss or substandard work environment.
On the contrary, when we observe others we do quite the opposite.
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If we see someone succeed we automatically attribute their success to external forces such as their economic background or their superior environment. Yet when we see others who are unsuccessful we attribute their lack of success to internal forces such as a lack of intelligence or discipline (Khan Academy). So, if we know a coworker who made it to a top management position we attribute their success to their superior work environment or economic background. But if they try to become the top manager and fail we attribute their failure to a lack of competency or hard work.
These observations are seen in day to day life as well as in the workplace.
Attribution errors can be seen in the workplace and can lead to poor performance. If team members are unaware of their own individual biases the whole team will fail. It is important for people in the workplace to understand that they are biased in their own favor. If everyone understood this about themselves the whole organization would run more smoothly and would perform at a higher rate.
When we fail to understand our own biases, it causes us to have a lack of compassion towards others. This can cause relational problems in the workplace. For example, if a manager is unaware of her own bias, and one of her punctual employees comes in late, she may automatically attribute the employee’s tardiness to internal behaviors. She may assume that the employee is late because he has poor time management skills.
However, he may just be late due to external forces such as a car accident or road construction. She should only discipline the employee if he consistently comes in late (Grimsley). If he is only late one time and she gets angry and blames his tardiness to internal factors it will cause an adversary relationship between the two. The employee will be far less motivated to come to work because he was wrongfully accused. This can be avoided if the manager understands the Attribution Theory. She would be able to observe his behavior patterns and see that his tardiness was likely due to external forces.
If this manager starts coming in late her employees will now attribute her tardiness to internal factors. They may talk amongst themselves about their boss’s lack of motivation or poor time management skills. This may or may not be true, but because the employees have been wrongfully accused by the manager, they will be far less understanding when she comes in late. Wrongful attribution can result in vengefulness which can cause a team to fall apart.
I think that managers should be required to go through training that discusses the attribution theory. They need to be able to observe behavior in an unbiased manor. They need to be able to identify the sources of behavior so that they can react accordingly (Grimsley). They must be able to understand their own biases and behaviors so that they can be understanding with their employees.
Dispositional and Situational Forces: Analasys. (2024, Feb 25). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/dispositional-and-situational-forces-analasys-essay
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