Perception
Nature and Importance
Factors influencing Perception
MBA 1st Semester; Course code: MBA18101CR
P-II
Prof.Shabir Ahmad
The Business School
University of Kashmir
2020
Perception: Highlights
Perception in an important input in individuals behavior. It is a
process by which individuals organize and interpret their
sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their
environment.
Perceptual process comprises five important stages:
Receiving; selecting; organizing; interpreting; reacting to
stimuli.
Each stage in the perceptual process is influenced by several
factors.
Attribution theory suggests that when we observe an
individual’s behavior, we attempt to determine whether it was
internally or externally caused. That determination depends
largely on three factors:
Distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency.
Attribution has implications for perception, leadership and
motivation.
What Is Perception, and Why Is It Important?
Perception
Perception is the set of • People’s behavior is
processes by which an
based on their
individual becomes aware
of and interprets perception of what
information about the reality is, not on reality
environment. itself.
• The world as it is
perceived is the world
that is behaviorally
important.
Factors that
Influence
Perception
Person Perception: Making Judgments About
Others
Attribution Theory:
Seeks to explain why people
behave as they do
When individuals observe
behavior, they attempt to
determine whether it is
internally or externally caused.
Distinctiveness: Shows different behaviors in different situations.
Consensus: Response is the same as others to same situation.
Consistency: Responds in the same way over time.
Errors and Biases in Attributions
Fundamental Attribution Error
The tendency to underestimate
the influence of external factors
and overestimate the influence
of internal factors when making
judgments about the behavior of
others
In general, we
tend to blame the
person first, not
the situation.
Errors and Biases in Attributions (cont’d)
Self-Serving Bias Thought: When
The tendency for individuals to students get an “A” on
attribute their own successes an exam, they often
to internal factors while putting say they studied hard.
the blame for failures on But when they don’t
external factors do well, how does the
self-serving bias
come into play?
Hint: Whose fault is it
usually when an exam
is “tough”?
Frequently Used Shortcuts in Judging Others
Selective Perception: is the process of screening
out information that we are uncomfortable with or
that contradicts our beliefs.
People selectively interpret what they see on the basis
of their interests, background, experience, and
attitudes.
Frequently Used Shortcuts in Judging Others
Halo Effect
Drawing a general impression
about an individual on the basis
of a single characteristic
Contrast Effects
Evaluation of a person’s characteristics that are
affected by comparisons with other people
recently encountered who rank higher or lower on
the same characteristics
Frequently Used Shortcuts in Judging Others
Projection
Attributing one’s own
characteristics to other
people
Stereotyping
Is the process of categorizing
people on the basis of single
attribute or judging someone
on the basis of one’s
perception of the group to
which that person belongs
Review and Discussion Questions:
• Define perception. Discuss the various factors
which influence the individual perception?
• Why is it important for managers to have a
working knowledge of perception and attribution?
• From your own experience, provide three
examples of perceptual errors. Discuss the
outcome of each instances.
• What is attribution theory? What is its application
in OB?
References and further readings:
“ Human Behavior at Work,” Keith Davis
“ Management and OB,” Mullins
“ Behavior in Organizations.” Greenberg and
Baron
“ Organizational Behavior.” Stephen Robbins
“ Organizational behavior;” Robbins and Judge
“ Organizational Behavior.” Fred Luthans
“ Fundamentals of OB,” Griffin
In case of any question, Please feel free
to call me on 7006131342 or mail at
[email protected]