Problem
Jack has been an IT software programmer for 20 years. He firmly believes that he is an adaptable individual, especially since he has been writing data entry and inventory management software for multiple industries over his years of experience. He was considered a relatble individual who kept pace with the industry for most of his career.
However, the last few years have not been great for Jack. Recently, significant changes have occurred in the technology landscape. Mobile and cloud computing is the main focus of today's IT industry, which relies on different design ideals and data management techniques. Software is also increasing written based on existing templates, significantly reducing the need for software engineers. Those who succeed are often highly innovative in blockchain and machine learning methods. These are skills that the new generation of fresh graduates are well-trained in, while those trained in the former tradition struggle to keep up.
This change has been hard for Jack to accept. He has been trying to justify his worth by arguing that he has years of experience and is a capable software programmer. He thinks that mobile computing is a fad that will pass, and the type of software he writes are essentials that all companies will continue to require.
Lately, his director confronted him about the issue that he is not as adaptable as he believes, and needs to double his effort to catch up with the new generation. Unfortunately, the director also took the chance to criticise how he likes to chit-chat too much in the office and has a poor fashion sense. He also told him to reduce the clutter on his desk and learn to blend in with the younger generation of programmers more.
Jack did not take the feedback well, believing that his director was just nit-picking on him because of his age. Furthermore, his criticisms are based on hearsay, as the director is hardly around to observe him in the office. His beliefs and attitudes have not improved since.
a) Analyse Jack's case using the concept of cognitive dissonance.
b) Analyse Jack's case using the concept of self-verification.
c) Apply the concepts of cognitive dissonance and self-verification to offer three suggestions Jack's director can use to help Jack change his self-concept and behavior.