Change in the Job choice: A Matter of Dissonance

Transcription

1 International Journal of Applied Research Studies ISSN 7 90 Research Article Change in the Job choice: A Matter of Dissonance Authors: Dr. Ekta Sharma Address for Correspondence: Assistant Professor, Amrut Mody School of Management, Ahmedabad University. Abstract The sample of 0 students who have just enrolled for the Post graduate program was taken and test was conducted on them to know the dimensions important to make the Job choice. The results of the research prove that the dissonance exists in the behaviour of the students as the result of the test conducted pre post graduation differs from the post employment test. Keywords: Cognitive dissonance, two factor theory, job choice, hygiene, motivator Introduction The opportunities are plenty and hence the scope to make a choice. This is true even in context of the employment market, provided the aspirant is competent. All the more, the job choices change when the aspirant adds value to himself by attaining professional degree. It is evident that people try to prove that they have made correct decisions in the past. Hence, they might change belief after taking an action leading to dissonance in the past attitude and present behaviour. (Festinger,957).The study aims at finding out the important dimensions of Job choice and also the difference in the job choice dimensions, before Post graduation and after employment. Theoretical Constructs Herzberg s Two Factor Theory Different theories form the basis of this study. But the one that has the highest influence is the Herzberg s two factor theory and the other is Festinger s Cognitive Dissonance theory. Herzberg has propounded the Job satisfaction continuum. He emphasized that job satisfaction scale is not Bipolar and the opposite of job satisfaction is not job dissatisfaction. Instead, the opposite of job satisfaction is no satisfaction but not dissatisfaction. On basis of this continuum Herzberg has devised Motivators and Hygiene model. According to Herzberg, the work one considers to be significant leads to satisfaction. Thus factors that depict job satisfaction are completely different from those factors that lead to job dissatisfaction. Therefore, these feelings are not polar opposites: in other words the opposite of job dissatisfaction is not job satisfaction, but no job satisfaction. The hygiene factors are also referred to as the maintenance factors and comprise of the physiological, safety and love needs from Maslow s ijars/ Vol. I/ Issue I/Jun-Aug, 0/5

2 International Journal of Applied Research Studies ISSN 7 90 hierarchy of needs. They are factors that are not directly related to the job but the conditions that surround doing the job. They operate primarily to dissatisfy employees when they are not present, however, the presence of such conditions does not necessarily build strong motivation. These factors include; company policy and administration, technical supervision, interpersonal relations with supervisor, interpersonal relations with peers and subordinates, salary, job security, personal life, work conditions and status. Herzberg called these hygiene factors, since they are necessary to maintain a reasonable level of satisfaction and can also cause dissatisfaction. The hygiene factors are not direct motivators but are necessary to prevent dissatisfaction and at the same time serve as a starting point for motivation. However, improvements in these conditions do not create motivation. (Baah and Amoako,0) According to Herzberg, the motivator factors pertain to the job content, they are intrinsic to the job itself and do not result from carrot and stick incentives. They comprise the physiological need for growth and recognition. The absence of these factors does not prove highly dissatisfying but when present, they build strong levels of motivation that result in good job performance. They are therefore called satisfiers or motivators. These factors include; achievement, recognition, advancement, the work itself, the possibility of personal growth and responsibility. (Baah and Amoako, 0) Festinger s Cognitive Dissonance theory Festinger (957) described a person as being in a dissonant state if two elements in her/his cognition (that is, in her/his knowledge of her/himself, her/his behaviour, her/his feelings, desires, or in her/his knowledge of the world) are inconsistent. Cognitive dissonance may result when an opinion is formed or a decision taken when cognition and opinions direct us in different directions. However, Festinger (957, p. ) also seems to have intended an emotional conceptualisation, suggesting that, for some people, dissonance is an extremely painful and intolerable thing. Literature Review The dissonance in job choice is although noticed by many people but has not been studied formally. In the article titled, Job Choice and Post Decision Dissonance the job choice and post decision attitude and behaviour of accounting students was studied. It proved that the attractiveness of working for different firms is a good predictor of both the job application and the job choice behavior of the individuals. It showed that the chosen firms increased in attractiveness after choice and the rejected firms decreased. (Lawler, Kuleck, Jr.,Rhode and Soresen, 975) Doran, Stone; Brief, George.(99), have studied behavioural intentions as antecedents of job attitudes for the sample of retail salespeople. The study reflects the strong relationship between these variables. Cognitive Dissonance as a Mechanism in Vocational Decision Processes by Ruth Charles (9) investigated cognitive dissonance as a mechanism associated with vocational decision processes in students enrolled in a professional training program. In the article titled Simulated organizational choice: Post decision dissonance reduction and selfperception, by Misra and Kalro(97), tested the subsequent effect of choice between two equally attractive organizations on changes in their overall attractiveness and in the attractiveness of their instrumentality for the attainment of job goals (motivators and hygiene). ijars/ Vol. I/ Issue I/Jun-Aug, 0/5

3 International Journal of Applied Research Studies ISSN 7 90 Methodology The sample of 0 students who have just enrolled for the Post graduate program was taken and test was conducted on them. The same test was repeated after they have attained the post graduation degree and were employed. The paired comparison test of both the tests has been done to find out, if the difference exists between the results of two tests. Hypothesis: Hypothesis : There is no difference in the ranking of the Job choice dimensions pre post graduation and post employment. According to Table, and the difference exists in the ranking of the job choice dimensions. Thus, the hypothesis is rejected. Hypothesis : There is no difference in the ranking of Hygiene motivator pre post graduation and post employment. According to Table,5 and the difference exists in the ranking of hygiene and motivator. Thus, the hypothesis is rejected. Discussion The Table shows that there is a significant difference in the means of the variables before and after employment. Table and exhibits that the most important job dimensions are-chances for promotion (Mean Rank before after employed respectively), followed by high Income and interesting work. There is a significant difference between hygiene factors in after before scenario, as shown in the table. Mean of Motivators have decreased where as means of hygiene have increased after post graduation. (Refer Table and 5) Conclusion The results of the research prove that the dissonance exists in the behaviour of the students as the result of the test conducted pre post graduation differs from the post employment test. This is probable that attaining the higher educational degree, adds value to the individual and hence his job choice changes based on his development. Thus, Festinger s theory stands true in the contemporary times as well. Tables Table : T-Test for the variables pre post graduate program and after employment Note: In the test, includes variable post pre PG program. The variable with as suffix is the test variable of after employment test. ijars/ Vol. I/ Issue I/Jun-Aug, 0/5

4 International Journal of Applied Research Studies ISSN 7 90 ed Samples Statistics Working independently Working independently Chances for promotion Chances for promotion Contact with people Contact with people Flexible hours Flexible hours Healt h insurance other benef its Healt h insurance other benef its Interesting work Interesting work Work important to society Work important to society Job security Job security skills skills High income High income Recognition f rom team members Recognition f rom team members Vacation Time Vacation Time Regular hours Regular hours Working close to home Working close to home Little job Stress Little job Stress others others Std. Error Mean N Std. Dev iat ion Mean ijars/ Vol. I/ Issue I/Jun-Aug, 0/5

5 International Journal of Applied Research Studies ISSN 7 90 Table : Correlation of the variables pre post graduate program and after employment ed Samples Correlations r r r r 5 r r 7 r r 9 r 0 r 0 r r r r 5 r 5 N Correlation Sig. Working independently Correlations Working independently Chances for promotion Chances for promotion Contact with people Contact with people promotion Flexible hours Flexible hours.5 0 people Health insurance other Flexible benefits Health insurance other other benefits Health Interesting work 0.0 other.0 Interesting work Work important to society Work important to work society society Job security Job to security Job skills Opportunity to learn new skills new High income High to income skills Recognition from team High members Recognition from team members team Vacation Time Vacation Recognition Time members Regular hours Regular Vacation hours 0 Working close to home Regular Working close to home Little job Stress Little job Stress.5 0 home Little others A job in which I Stress can help others help I 7 others ijars/ Vol. I/ Issue I/Jun-Aug, 0/5

6 International Journal of Applied Research Studies ISSN 7 90 Table : ed Sample T-Test Working independently - Working independently Chances for promotion - Chances for promotion Contact with people - Contact with people Flexible hours - Flexible hours Health insurance other benefits - Health insurance other benefits Interesting work - Interesting work Work important to society - Work important to society Job security - Job security skills - Opportunity to learn new skills High income - High income Recognition from team members - Recognition from team members Vacation Time - Vacation Time Regular hours - Regular hours Working close to home - Working close to home Little job Stress - Little job Stress others - A job in which I can help others Mean ed Samples Test ed Differences 95% Confidence Interval of the Std. Error Difference Std. Deviation Mean Lower Upper t df Sig. (-tailed) Table : ed sample statistics For Hygiene Motivators ed Samples Statistics motiv ators Motiv ators hy giene Hy giene Std. Error Mean N Std. Dev iation Mean ijars/ Vol. I/ Issue I/Jun-Aug, 0/5

7 International Journal of Applied Research Studies ISSN 7 90 Table 5: ed sample correlation For Hygiene Motivators ed Samples Correlations motiv ators Motiv ators hygiene Hy giene N Correlation Sig Table : ed sample T Test for Hygiene Motivators motivators - Motivators hygiene - Hygiene ed Samples Test ed Differences 95% Confidence Interval of the Std. Error Difference Mean Std. Deviation Mean Lower Upper t df Sig. (-tailed) References. Baah, Kwasi Dartey and Amoako, George Kofi. 0. Application of Frederick Herzberg s Two-Factor theory in assessing and understanding employee motivation at work: a Ghanaian Perspective. European Journal of Business and Management.Vol, No.9. Doran, Lucinda I.; Stone, Veronica K.; Brief, Arthur P.; George, Jennifer M.99.. Behavioral intentions as predictors of job attitudes: The role of economic choice. Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 7(), Festinger,L.957. A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Stanford U. Press. 5. LawlerIII,Edward; Kuleck Jr.,Walter J;Rhode, Grant John and Sorensen, James E.975. Job Choice and Post Decision Dissonance. Organizational Behavior and human performance, -5.. Misra, Sasi; Kalro, Amar.97. Simulated organizational choice: Postdecision dissonance reduction and self-perception.journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 5(), Thomas, Ruth G;Bruning,Charles R.9. Cognitive Dissonance as a Mechanism in Vocational Decision Processes.Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol..No..-7. simulated organizational choice: Postdecision dissonance reduction and self-perception. ijars/ Vol. I/ Issue I/Jun-Aug, 0/5