Research indicates that the most common causes of cognitive dissonance experienced by employees are unhealthy leadership styles, harassment, discrimination, inappropriate business practices, and personal behaviors in the workplace. The workplace tends to cause cognitive dissonance, especially if you witness a situation that goes against your views or ethical beliefs. Explore some examples of cognitive dissonance from real life in the workplace. A study conducted by Lopez and Picardi (201) explored the effect of perceived workplace fairness on employee cognitive dissonance.
According to the authors, people tend to adjust their behavior in the workplace in accordance with a sense of fairness. Therefore, the cognitive dissonance between organizational requirements and perceived inequity causes discomfort and, by extension, a decrease in productivity (Lopez & Picardi, 201. Sometimes, the ways in which people resolve cognitive dissonance contribute to unhealthy behaviors or poor decisions). For example, respondents may not be familiar with the concept of cognitive dissonance and, therefore, could not differentiate between the emotional setback associated with it and those commonly seen as a result of the stress and interpersonal conflicts that are common in organizations in the process of change. The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe mental distress that results from having two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes.
The analysis also confirmed the existence of negative effects of cognitive dissonance on interactions with the team. As a result, such studies are only tangentially applicable to cognitive dissonance theory and its effects. Since its introduction by Festinger, the concept of cognitive dissonance has become an important part of organizational culture. 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.
Therefore, understanding cognitive dissonance can reveal not only its adverse qualities, but also illustrate the means to address them. The two main independent variables involved in the study are internal conflict and cognitive dissonance in leaders. When there are conflicts between cognitions (thoughts, beliefs, and opinions), people take steps to reduce dissonance and feelings of discomfort. Fourthly, some of the answers indicate an insufficient familiarity of the sample with the concept of cognitive dissonance and its manifestations in the emotional and psychological state of the individual.
The concept of cognitive dissonance has been recognized as an important contribution to the field of behavioral studies and was successfully used to clarify several psychological phenomena. From the perspective of the entire team, cognitive dissonance can undermine the emotional climate within the team. 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.
