Chapter 4 - Extra Readings

To a United Pilot, The Friendly Skies Are a Point of Pride:

Cat. Flanagan is an example of the perfect employee for United. From his strong organizational commitment, which is easily identified as affective commitment. I would have to question his "belief in the goals and values of the organization." I believe his actions are more closely related to his ethical beliefs and values that this is the way he should act as a pilot, over United's corporate culture of its ok to have poor customer service. United has serious problems with employee moral and customer service, and having one person as the "great ambassador for the company," doesn't cut it. A company as large as United can not just point at one person, and say, "be more like him."

I wonder if Capt. Flanagan has any cognitive dissonance over United and its employees acting in a way completely opposite from his own attitudes and behavior. He obviously has strong ethics, values, and internal locus of control. He is a great example of someone who has a high level of organizational citizenship behavior, and has a level III cognitive moral development.

Rules of Engagement:

This article champions the new trend of removing the "rigid, controlling workplaces of the past" and creating more positive work environments, by reducing cognitive dissonance through modeling the work force with participative management. Additionally, it states that companies can increase job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior, and affective commitment to the organization though flex time and "work-family balance." There is strong evidence that companies with positive work environments and high empl0yee engagement cultures, have higher corporate profits and less employee turnovers and absences.

Companies with positive work environments and employee engagement cultures, are companies that most likely have very capable and experienced management team. They most likely have a high level of performance in all of the companies departments, from finance, marketing, research development, operations, etc . . . I believe that if a company's CEO was an innovator of change in all areas of the corporate structure, that he would allow for a better workplace for the employees. Without changing the workplace in some way to increase organizational commitment of the workforce, major changes can not be successfully implemented into the company. If a new CEO wants to save a failing company, or take a new direction that will lead to great success in the future, attitudes and behaviors of the workforce must be change to increase job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior.