hahah (oh wow someone said i'm onto something for once!
). I agree that attitude is a big thing, but theres another (sub?)factor:
Enthusiasm,
Enthusiasm is the key to being good at what you do, if you enjoy doing it, in most cases you will do it better than one who doesn't.
(I'm enthusiastic about learning to fly, so I go ahead and reading all the stuff it says to read in the ebrief (and more!) to prepare for the coming lesson(s), because i enjoy flying so much)
Now an employer can generate enthusiasm by offering rewards, bonuses, and being generally social with the employees and letting them have a say in what the company does.
Working for a rude, stuck up employee will make you enjoy the job less, meaning you won't want to try as hard (because when you have a good employer, you really want it to be mutual, and want to please him/her), and standards will degrade.