Applying Attribution Theory

Managers frequently draw conclusions about the causes of employees' behaviour. Sometimes, managers attribute these behaviour to the employees themselves, or$,$ in other words, to internal causes. Other times, managers conciude the behaviour originate from external factors. This exercise will help you learn about attribution theory, an explanation of how managers form these conclusions. Attribution theory doesn't tell you whether your conclusion about the cause of employees' behaviour is correct; it just helps you understand how you arrived at that conclusion. Knowng how you form perceptions is a key to being an effective manager.

conscious process of deciding whether an observed behaviour is caused mainly ue environment $($external factors$).$ The conclusion of where the behaviour originates disuncuveness, and consensus of the behaviour. behaviour that are high in consistency, low in distinctiveness, and low in consensus are attributed to internal causes. behaviour that are low in consistency, high in distinctiveness, and high in consensus are attributed to external causes.

Read the following case and then use Attnibution Theory as your gulde to answer the questions. Your correct use of the theory will generate a strategy that explains how attnouttons are made.

Consider yourself in the position of branch manager at an office of a large corporation. Lately, you have had some trouble with one of your employees named Jake Last week, Jake arrived late to work three times. Your branch office opens promptly at $8$:$00am,$ and customers are almost always walting at the door. Not having Jake there ready to serve customers has created some real problems. You need to get to the bottom of why Jake is late so the situation can be corrected. initially, however, you have some ideas of your own about the source of the problem.

Attribution Theory explains how we decide whether an observed behavlour is caused mainly by the person $($internal factors$)$ or by the environment $($external factors$).$ Use Altribution Theory to answer the following questions. Answering these questions correctly will illustrate how you would likely attribute cause for Jake's behavour.

You pride yoursert on running a fainy stict business, and overall, employees are almost never late for work. Last week, however, was somewhat odd. Eight of the ten ot those late arnvals were on the same days that Jake was late. This leads to what type of attribution regarding Jake's behavlour?

Murnpie Choice