Dispositional Influences on Attributions Concerning Absenteeism

Because the degree to which absenteeism is within or beyond an employee’s control is a significant yet unresolved issue in the absence literature, it is important to understand the factors which influence employees’ attributions about the causes of absence events. As a result of recent research suggesting that personality variables are important influences on work attitudes and behaviors, the present study took a dispositional approach in investigating the predictors of employee absence attributions. Using data collected from three sources, between-subjects analyses suggested a number of dispositional influences on absence attributions. Within-subjects analyses suggested that the factors leading to external attributions vary widely across individuals.