Keeping it Simple

I suppose its true when they say that if you're upset, you get a stomachache...

Anyway, today I am going to explore a concept which is particularly pertinent to the social science field, and which is of great interest to students majoring in Pscyhology like myself. Combining my other major which is Organizational Behavior, this concept can be applied to the organizational setting... or any other setting too.

Most would recognize cognitive dissonance as one of the fundamental processes which people go through when they experience a fair amount of internal conflict.

For example, I want to eat more than three meals a day and I want to be slim and look good. Surely, these two propositions are in contrast with each other. Cognitive dissonance happens and as the theory predicts, humans would do as much as possible (but most probably choose the alternative which requires the least effort) to reduce the dissonance.

Explanations done, lets move on to application.

I am in an organization and i am putting in as much effort as I can. However, i know that i am curently under-appreciated which really irks me. Cognitive dissonance sets in because
a) I work my ass off to make things work when I see colleagues not working as hard or half as hard as me.
b) I do it for the benefit of the company which doesnt seem to recognize any benefits for me.
c) It would be nice if colleagues can understand that I am not always this compromising and this selfless and this giving. I have a limit and yet i continue to take in all the crap.

Ok... so we have the setting for cognitive dissonance... Now, here's the alternatives which would reduce my cognitive dissonance...

a) Stop working my ass off and putting in effort because no one seems to care anyway.
b) Tell yourself that this company isnt really worth much effort and i can get away with the minimal.
c) Tell myself that i am really not putting in that much effort so it is true that people under-appreciate me.
d) Tell myself that my colleagues are truly putting in the same effort as me
e) Talk to them and tell them how i am feeling so they would appreciate me more.
f) Quit the company

Now now.. since the theory proposes that the person would most probably choose the easiest alternative, i wonder which i would choose...

I also wonder if i am really talking about me in an organization.