ORGANIASTIONAL BEHAVIOUR IN CLASS TEST

ATTRIBUTION THEORY
-By
Akash.A
MAHRM (2020-
22)
 What is Attribution theory?
• Attribution theory is based largely on the work of Fritz Heider.

• Attribution theory tries to explain the ways in which we judge people

differently, depending on the meaning we attribute to a given behavior.

• The basis of attribution theory is that people want to know the reasons
for the actions or behavior of others.
• For Example, when a person is sad, we may often try to find the reason for it like,
whether he has lost someone close to him or he got scolded etc.,
Internal and External causes of Behaviour:

• Internal cause: Internal causes are those factors that are attributed to the
person being observed. Internal causes are usually controllable. For example,
a person has received a promotion. We believe the reason for her promotion
was her hard work, dedication, and skills.

• External cause: External causes are attributed to factors outside of the person
being observed. External causes are often not controllable, such as luck. For
example, let's say a person just received a promotion. We believe that he/she
received her promotion because he/she is a good friend of the manager.
Factors Influencing Attribution

• Distinctiveness refers to whether an individual displays different

behaviors in different situations.

• If everyone who faces a similar situation responds in the same way,

we can say the behavior shows consensus.

• Consistency refers to weather an individual respond the same way

over time.
Attribution Process:
• First we observe the behaviour, then interpret with the factors and finally we
try to find the cause of such behaviour and make judgements.
• Lets take an Example of an Employee coming late the organisation.
• First we see if the guy who comes late also often fails to deliver his promises
in other activities. If yes then his distinctiveness is low and we give it an
internal attribution, like he is lazy. If not then his distinctiveness is high and we
give it an external attribution, like it is because of the route and traffic.
• Secondly we see whether all other employees taking the same route were
also coming late, If yes then the consensus is high and we may attribute it to
the external cause. If no, the consensus is low and we will attribute it to the
internal cause
• Thirdly, we see whether this person has been late for sometime in the past. If
yes, then his consistency is high and we may attribute it to an internal cause.
If no, then his consistency is low and we attribute this to an external cause
Observation Interpretation Attribution of Cause

High
External
Distinctiveness
Low Internal

High
External
Individual
Consensus
Behaviour Low Internal

High
External
Consistency
Low
Internal
Errors in Attribution:
• Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to underestimate the
influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of
internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of
others.

• Self-Serving Bias: The tendency for individuals to attribute their own

successes to internal factors and put the blame for failures on
external factors.