As a result, cognitive dissonance begins to negatively affect employees. This can lead to low job satisfaction and poor work performance. If not resolved in due time, employees begin to be absent and try to avoid the workplace where they feel uncomfortable. The theory of cognitive dissonance (CDT), proposed by Leon Festinger (195), explains the tendency of people to seek coherence in their thoughts and the consequences of that tendency.
There are many examples and scenarios that can cause cognitive dissonance in support functions, ranging from having to observe inappropriate and poor leadership practices to being asked to perform tasks that are not in line with procedures, rules, training, or organizational or personal values. Employees who suffer from cognitive dissonance tend to distance themselves and others, and disengage from the key processes of the organization that they intended to support and promote. Cognitive dissonance refers to the unpleasant emotion that results from believing two conflicting things simultaneously. When it comes to cognitive dissonance in the workplace, the first and most important step in dealing with DC-induced stress should be an internal analysis based on individual reach of control, operational structure, and a relationship of positional responsibility, responsibility and authority.
Cognitive dissonance can cause absurd decision-making when a person tries to reconcile their conflicting beliefs. The most common causes of cognitive dissonance in organizational support functions are factors such as the particular management or leadership style, harassment, discrimination, the application of double standards, inappropriate or unethical business practices, and many others. If not addressed in a timely manner, some cases of cognitive dissonance can easily push a person away from the organization and create the perception that the only way out of the situation is to file a report of work stress. For example, a human resources manager who is asked to fire an employee for misconduct without adequate evidence or with evidence that points against the measures being taken will experience significant cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance can only be resolved by the person experiencing it, and that cannot be done until the person realizes that one of their thinking patterns is wrong and that they must make an effort to correct it. In the author's opinion, the existence of absenteeism related to cognitive dissonance is very little recognized and underreported, which reduces the opportunities for introducing various corrective actions. However, if you ask thought-provoking questions in a progressive way that helps them realize that their beliefs aren't really as important as they thought, you can resolve the cognitive dissonance that exists in them. Reducing dissonance by obtaining new information and, therefore, reducing the importance of cognitions is a simpler option.
When cognitive dissonance occurs during training, it can cause confusion, stress and, of course, a tendency to ignore the information presented in the training.
