Perception and Learning in Organizations: Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Mcshane/Von Glinow Ob 5E

Perception and
Learning in
Organizations
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
McShane/Von Glinow OB 5e Copyright © 2010 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Perception Defined
 The process of receiving

information about and making
sense of the world around us
• deciding which information to
notice
• how to categorize this
information
• how to interpret information
within our existing knowledge
framework
3-2
Perceptual Organization/Interpretation
 Categorical thinking
• Mostly nonconscious process of organizing
people/things
 Perceptual grouping principles

• Similarity or proximity
• Closure -- filling in missing pieces
• Perceiving trends
 Interpreting incoming information
• Emotional markers automatically evaluate
information
3-3
Social Perception and Social Identity
Categorization process
• compare characteristics of
our groups with other
groups
Homogenization process
• similar traits within a group;
different traits across groups
Differentiation process
• develop less favourable
images of people in groups
other than our own
HamidSenni
3-4
Stereotyping
 Assigning traits to people based on their

membership in a social category
 Occurs because:
• Categorical thinking
• Innate drive to understand and anticipate others’
behavior
• Enhances our self-concept
3-5
Stereotyping Issues
 Stereotyping Problems
• Overgeneralizes – doesn’t represent everyone in
the category
• Basis of systemic and intentional discrimination
 Overcoming stereotype biases

• Difficult to prevent stereotype activation
• Possible to minimize stereotype application
3-6
Attribution Process
Internal External
Attribution Attribution
Perception that behavior

Perception that behavior
is caused by situation or
is caused by person’s
fate -- beyond person’s
own motivation or ability
control
3-7
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Cycle
Supervisor
forms
expectations
Employee’s Expectations
behavior matches affect supervisor’s
expectations behavior
Supervisor’s
behavior affects
employee
3-8
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Effect is Strongest...
...at the beginning of the relationship (e.g.

employee joins the team)
...when several people have similar

expectations about the person
...when the employee has low rather than high

past achievement
3-9
Other Perceptual Errors
 Halo effect
• one trait forms a general impression
 Primacy effect
• first impressions
 Recency effect
• most recent information dominates perceptions
 False-consensus effect
• overestimate the extent to which others have
beliefs and characteristics similar to our own
3-10
Strategies to Improve Perceptions
1. Awareness of perceptual biases
2. Improving self-awareness
• Applying Johari Window
3. Meaningful interaction
• Close, frequent interaction toward a shared goal
• Equal status
• Engaged in a meaningful task
3-11
Know Yourself (Johari Window)
Feedback
Known to Self Unknown to Self

Known
to Others Open
Area Open Blind
Disclosure Area Blind
Area Area
Hidden
Area Unknown
Hidden Unknown
Area
Unknown Area Area
to Others
3-12
Definition of Learning
A relatively permanent change in

behavior (or behavior tendency) that
occurs as a result of a person’s
interaction with the environment
3-13
Explicit vs.Tacit Knowledge
 Explicit knowledge
• Knowledge that is articulated through language,
such as documents
 Tacit knowledge
• Knowledge acquired through observation and
direct experience
3-14
Behavior Modification
 We “operate” on the environment

• alter behavior to maximize positive and minimize
adverse consequences
 Learning is viewed as completely dependent
on the environment
 Human thoughts are viewed as unimportant
3-15
A-B-Cs of Behavior Modification
Antecedents Behavior Consequences
What happens What person What happens

beforebehavior says or does after behavior
Example
Warning Machine Co-workers

light operator turns thank
flashes off power operator
3-16
Behavior Modification in Practice
 Behavior modification is used in:

• every day life to influence behavior of others
• company programs to reduce absenteeism,
improve safety, etc.
 Behavior modification problems include:
• Reward inflation
• Behaviorist philosophy vs. learning through mental
processes
3-17
Organizational Learning
 Knowledge acquisition
• Extracting information and ideas from the external
environment as well as through insight
 Knowledge sharing
• Distributing knowledge to others across the
organization
 Knowledge use
• Applying knowledge in ways that adds value to the
organization and its stakeholders
3-18

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Perception and

 The process of receiving

 Perceptual grouping principles

 Assigning traits to people based on their

 Overcoming stereotype biases

Perception that behavior

...at the beginning of the relationship (e.g.

...when several people have similar

...when the employee has low rather than high

1. Awareness of perceptual biases

Known to Self Unknown to Self

A relatively permanent change in

 We “operate” on the environment

Antecedents Behavior Consequences

What happens What person What happens

Warning Machine Co-workers

 Behavior modification is used in:

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