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Perception Management Lecture BS 6

Perception management involves influencing how others perceive an organization, individual, or event. There are several strategies for perception management, including having clear goals, maintaining credibility with consistent messaging, and controlling information. Organizations use perception management for both positive and negative events to shape perceptions of the organization's image, reputation, and identity. In politics, perception management strategies aim to influence voter perceptions and can involve either leading public opinion or following public sentiment.

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132 views6 pages

Perception Management Lecture BS 6

Perception management involves influencing how others perceive an organization, individual, or event. There are several strategies for perception management, including having clear goals, maintaining credibility with consistent messaging, and controlling information. Organizations use perception management for both positive and negative events to shape perceptions of the organization's image, reputation, and identity. In politics, perception management strategies aim to influence voter perceptions and can involve either leading public opinion or following public sentiment.

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Alamgir
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Perception Management:

"Perception" is defined as the "process by which individuals select,


organize, and interpret the input from their senses to give meaning and
order to the world around them". This definition overlaps with the higher-
order perceptual processes as defined biologically (the lower-order
biological processes are in no way susceptible to management; these low-
level processes include a great deal of underlying perceptual categorization
performed prior to conscious categorization. Components of perception
include the perceiver, target of perception, and the situation. Factors that
influence the perceiver:

 Schema: organization and interpretation of information based on past


experiences and knowledge
 Motivational state: needs, values, and desires of a perceiver at the
time of perception
 Mood: emotions of the perceiver at the time of perception

Factors that influence the target:

 Ambiguity: a lack of clarity. If ambiguity increases, the perceiver may


find it harder to form an accurate perception
 Social status: a person's real or perceived position in society or in
an organization
 Impression management: an attempt to control the perceptions or
impressions of others. Targets are likely to use impression management
tactics when interacting with perceivers who have power over them.
Several impression management tactics include behavioral matching
between the target of perception and the perceiver, self-promotion
(presenting one's self in a positive light), conforming to situational
norms, appreciating others, or being consistent.

Strategies:

There are nine strategies for perception management. According to Kegon


Thomas, these include:

1. Preparation – Having clear goals and knowing the ideal position you
want people to hold.
2. Credibility – Make sure all of your information is consistent, often
using prejudices or expectations to increase credibility.
3. Multichannel support – Have multiple arguments and fabricated
facts to reinforce your information.
4. Centralized control – Employing entities such as propaganda
ministries or bureaus.
5. Security – The nature of the deception campaign is known by few.
6. Flexibility – The deception campaign adapts and changes over time
as needs change.
7. Coordination – The organization or propaganda ministry is
organized in a hierarchical pattern in order to maintain consistent and
synchronized distribution of information.
8. Concealment – Contradicting information is destroyed.
9. Untruthful statements – Fabricate the truth

Organizations use perception management in daily internal and external


interactions as well as prior to major product/strategy introductions and
following events of crisis. Life cycle models of organizational
development suggest that the growth and ultimate survival of a firm is
dependent on how effectively business leaders navigate crisis, or crisis-
like, events through their life cycles. As suggested by
studies, organizational perception management involves actions that are
designed and carried out by organizational spokespersons to influence
audiences' perceptions of the organization. This definition is based on the
understanding of four unique components of organizational perception
management: perception of the organization; actions or tactics;
organizational spokespersons; and organizational audiences. The
organizational perceptions are further classified into three major forms
namely organizational images, organizational reputation,
and organizational identities.

Perception Management Events: Perception management is often used


by an organization in the following major events:

1. Dealing with perception-threatening events: Include such events


as scandals, accidents, product failures, controversial identity
changes, upcoming performance reviews, and introduction of new
identity or vision.
2. Dealing with perception-enhancing events: Include such events as
positive/negative ranking or rating by industry groups, overcoming
hardships, and achievement of desired goals.

Perception management in politics is referred to as "political


marketing strategy", or "strategic political marketing". It originated from
traditional business marketing strategies applied to politics, largely for the
purpose of winning elections. Political parties and actors can choose
between two fundamental methods: leading the market or following the
market. Leading the market involves fulfilling underlying demands of
principle, and a political actor would essentially assume the position of one
who leads on their own ideas and principles. Following the market entails
the political actor's reliance on research such as public opinion surveys and
adoption of those principles and ideas held by the majority of the people
who the political actor wishes to influence.

Central to political marketing is the concept of strategic political postures—


positions organizations assume to prompt the desired perceptions in a
target group. Each strategic political posture relies on a different mix of
leading and following, and includes four general types of postures:

 the political lightweight: neither leads nor follows very well; does not
represent a posture easily sustained; is not confident in own ideals or
particularly concerned with adapting to the needs and wants of
constituents.
 the convinced ideologist: leads exceedingly well, holding its own
opinions and endeavoring to convince others of their merit.
 the tactical populist: emphasizes following to achieve power; focuses
on adopting political policies that appeal to a majority in order to attain
the political power necessary to implement a party's goals.
 the relationship builder: both leads and follows; has confidence in
own ideas but able to adapt to the needs and wants of constituents.
Political market orientation (PMO) originated from commercial market
orientation strategies applied to a political environment. Developed by
Robert Ormrod, the comprehensive PMO model involves four attitudinal
constructs and four behavioral methods:

Organizational attitudes include:

 Internal orientation: focuses on including and acknowledging the


importance of other party members and their opinions
 Voter orientation: focuses on the importance of current and
future voters and the awareness of their needs.
 Competitor orientation: focuses on awareness of competitors'
positions and strengths, and acknowledges that cooperation with
competing parties can advance the party's long-term goals.
 External orientation: focuses on the importance of parties that are
neither voters nor competitors, including media, interest groups,
and lobbyists.

Organizational behaviors include:

 Information generation: focuses on gathering information about


every party involved in a given issue.
 Information dissemination: focuses on receiving and
communicating information, both formally and informally.
 Member participation: focuses on involving all party members,
through vigorous discussion and debate, to create a consistent party
strategy.
 Consistent Strategy Implementation: focuses on implementing
consistent, established strategies through formal and informal channels

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