Introduction. Attitudes are learned predispositions to think, feel and behave in a favourable or unfavourable way towards objects, persons or situations. In a dynamic business environment, organisations frequently introduce new technologies, systems, policies and values. Successful implementation of these changes requires corresponding changes in employees’ attitudes – for example, from indifference to customer-orientation, from resistance to acceptance of safety rules, from narrow departmental loyalty to organisational commitment. However, attitudes are often deeply rooted and do not change easily. Therefore, a manager must understand both the nature of attitude change and the barriers which obstruct it, and should use appropriate methods for overcoming these barriers.
Meaning of Changing Attitudes
Attitude change may be defined as a process through which an individual’s existing attitude towards a person, object, idea or situation is modified, strengthened or reversed as a result of new information, experiences or influence.
In other words, when people:
- Replace negative attitudes by positive ones,
- Replace rigid attitudes by flexible ones, or
- Strengthen certain favourable attitudes and weaken unfavourable ones,
we say that attitude change has occurred.
From the viewpoint of organisational psychology, attitude change has the following important features:
- It is a learning process, not a sudden event.
- It involves change in all three components of attitude – beliefs (cognitive), feelings (affective) and behavioural tendencies.
- It may be gradual or abrupt, voluntary or forced.
- It may be brought about by communication, group influence, new experiences, rewards/punishments, or inner tension (cognitive dissonance).
Need and Importance of Changing Attitudes
Managers try to change attitudes because:
- Negative attitudes such as cynicism, resistance to authority, bias, prejudice and carelessness reduce productivity and spoil relations.
- New strategies (quality orientation, customer focus, cost consciousness, teamwork) require corresponding supportive attitudes.
- To implement change programmes like computerisation, TQM, safety culture, ethical standards, etc., attitude change is essential.
Yet, despite its importance, attitude change is difficult due to several barriers discussed below.
Barriers to Attitude Change
People resist changes in their attitudes for many reasons. Barriers may be grouped into cognitive (intellectual), emotional (psychological), social and organisational categories.
I. Cognitive / Intellectual Barriers
1. Selective Perception and Selective Exposure
- Individuals tend to notice and accept information that agrees with their existing attitudes and to ignore or reject information that contradicts them.
- This selective perception prevents them from seeing the full picture and thus blocks attitude change.
- Example: An employee who believes that “management is always exploitative” may ignore evidence of genuine welfare measures and may treat them as mere tricks.
2. Lack of Accurate Information or Misunderstanding
- Sometimes negative attitudes are based on ignorance or misunderstanding about the object (e.g., new technology, safety rules).
- However, once a person has formed a strong attitude, he may not be willing to listen to new information that could correct the misunderstanding.
3. Inconsistency with Existing Belief System
- Each person has a network of interrelated beliefs and values.
- If the proposed attitude change clashes with basic values (e.g., honesty, religious beliefs), the person experiences inner conflict and tends to resist the change.
II. Emotional / Psychological Barriers
4. Fear of the Unknown and Insecurity
- Attitude change is often associated with change in behaviour (e.g., learning new tasks, working in teams, dealing with customers).
- People fear that they may not cope successfully with new expectations; this fear of failure and uncertainty leads to emotional resistance.
5. Threat to Ego and Self-Concept
- Accepting that one’s old attitude was wrong may be experienced as an attack on the ego or self-respect.
- For example, a supervisor who has always believed in strict control may find it difficult to accept participative management because it implies that his earlier style was faulty.
6. Habit and Comfort with Routine
- Many attitudes are supported by long-standing habits and routines.
- Changing attitude means giving up comfortable habits and learning new ones, which people naturally resist.
7. Emotional Attachments and Prejudices
- Some attitudes are linked with strong emotions and prejudices (e.g., caste, gender, religion, union loyalty).
- Because they serve as outlets for anger, frustration or identification with a group, individuals cling to them even in the face of rational evidence.
III. Social and Group Barriers
8. Group Norms and Peer Pressure
- Individuals are part of various groups – work groups, unions, friendship circles, communities.
- If the group norms support an existing attitude (e.g., negative attitude towards management, safety, punctuality), individual members may fear rejection or ridicule if they change their attitudes.
- Thus group pressure acts as a strong barrier to attitude change.
9. Cultural and Social Traditions
- Deeply rooted cultural beliefs (e.g., about hierarchy, gender roles, caste distinctions) may support certain attitudes.
- Attempts to change such attitudes may be perceived as attack on tradition and may be strongly resisted by family and community.
IV. Organisational and Environmental Barriers
10. Lack of Credibility of the Change Agent
- People are more likely to change attitudes when they trust the source of the message.
- If employees perceive management as insincere, selfish or inconsistent, they will not take its suggestions for attitude change seriously.
11. Inconsistent Organisational Practices
- If the organisation’s policies and actions contradict its stated values, employees’ attitudes do not change.
- For example, management may preach about quality and customer service but continue rewarding only high output; employees then maintain their old production-oriented attitudes.
12. Inadequate Reinforcement and Support
- Even when employees begin to change their attitudes, if the organisation does not reward and support new behaviours, change is not sustained.
- Absence of training, resources, feedback and recognition acts as a barrier.
Measures to Overcome Barriers and Bring About Attitude Change
Although barriers are strong, they can be overcome through systematic managerial efforts. Important methods are:
1. Providing Accurate Information and Education
- Misunderstandings and ignorance can be reduced by education and communication.
- Lectures, presentations, films, case studies, demonstrations and written material can explain:
- Why the change is necessary,
- How it will be implemented,
- What benefits it will provide to organisation and employees.
- Information should be simple, honest and repeated through multiple channels.
2. Using Credible Communicators and Role Models
- Messages for attitude change should be delivered by persons who have credibility in the eyes of employees – respected managers, union leaders, senior workers, external experts.
- When employees see that top management itself practices the new values (e.g., punctuality, safety, customer orientation), they are more likely to change their attitudes.
3. Participation and Involvement in Change
- People accept changes in attitudes more readily when they are actively involved in diagnosing problems and designing solutions.
- Group discussions, quality circles, suggestion schemes and joint committees offer opportunities for participation.
- Participation reduces fear and increases ownership of the new attitudes.
4. Creating New Experiences and Situations
- Since direct experience is a powerful source of attitudes, managers should provide structured positive experiences.
- Examples:
- Allowing employees to interact directly with satisfied customers to experience the value of customer orientation,
- Giving responsibility and autonomy so that employees experience the benefits of trust and empowerment,
- Job rotation and project work to change attitudes towards other departments.
5. Training, Counselling and Sensitivity Programmes
- Training programmes in human relations, communication, teamwork, leadership, safety and quality create awareness of existing attitudes and their consequences.
- Counselling helps individuals deal with emotional barriers such as fear, insecurity and ego problems.
- Sensitivity training and role plays allow participants to view situations from others’ perspectives, thereby changing negative attitudes.
6. Group Influence and Use of Opinion Leaders
- Since group norms are powerful barriers, managers should work through informal group leaders.
- If opinion leaders are convinced about the benefits of change, they can influence group members to modify their attitudes.
- Group discussions, workshops and team-building exercises can be used to develop new group norms supporting desired attitudes.
7. Reinforcement Through Rewards and Punishments
- Behaviour consistent with desired attitudes should be recognised and rewarded through praise, promotions, incentives, certificates, etc.
- Unacceptable behaviour based on old negative attitudes should be discouraged by suitable corrective feedback and, if necessary, penalties.
- Over time, reinforcement strengthens new attitudes and weakens old ones.
8. Gradual and Realistic Pace of Change
- Attitudes generally do not change overnight; hence goals of change should be realistic and gradual.
- Large changes may be broken into smaller steps so that people can adjust physically and psychologically.
- Early small successes should be highlighted to build confidence in the change process.
9. Ensuring Consistency Between Words and Actions
- Management’s behaviour must be consistent with its stated values and messages. “Walk the talk” is essential.
- When employees see consistency, their trust increases and they become more willing to modify their attitudes.
10. Creating Supportive Organisational Climate
- Long-lasting attitude change requires a climate of openness, fairness and psychological safety.
- Employees should feel free to express doubts, ask questions and experiment with new behaviours without ridicule.
- Support from supervisors, HR department and top management is vital.
Short Note: Role of Cognitive Dissonance in Attitude Change
The concept of cognitive dissonance (Festinger) states that when individuals find inconsistency between their beliefs, attitudes and behaviour, they experience psychological discomfort and are motivated to reduce it, often by changing their attitudes. Managers can sometimes bring about attitude change by:
- Creating awareness of the gap between current attitudes and actual behaviour/results, and
- Encouraging employees to take small steps in the new direction, which then require attitude change for internal consistency.
Conclusion. To conclude, changing attitudes means modifying the existing favourable or unfavourable orientation of individuals towards particular persons, objects or situations. Attitude change is essential in modern organisations to support new technologies, methods and values, but it faces strong barriers arising from selective perception, lack of information, fear of the unknown, threat to ego, habits, prejudices, group norms, cultural traditions, low credibility of management and inadequate reinforcement. These barriers can be overcome through a carefully planned strategy involving education and communication, credible role models, participation, new experiences, training and counselling, group influence, systematic reinforcement, gradual implementation, consistency between words and actions and creation of a supportive climate. A manager who understands both the obstacles and the techniques of attitude change is better equipped to secure employees’ cooperation and to build a positive, dynamic organisational culture.