Chapter 4 PERCEPTION & LEARNING

LEARNING OUTCOMES - Define perception and the importance of perception   - Define perception and the importance of perception - Explain the factors that influence perception - Explain attribution theory and the three determinants of attribution - Identify the shortcuts in making judgements about others - Explain the link between perception and decision making - Define learning and its importance to the organization

PERCEPTION PROCESS Perception is a process of classifying, interpreting and giving meaning to what is happening and what we see around us.

Factors Influencing Perception Perceiver Situation Target

PERCEIVER The individual who makes the perception. Each individual is different therefore interpretation is different. Among individual characteristics which would influence perception: their past experiences their motivation level and motivation drivers attitudes individual personality

OBJECT OR TARGET Object or target are the items which we intend to make perception on. Characteristics of the target or the object affect the perception Example: motion, sound, background, proximity as well as the similarity which the target has

SITUATION The situation would be the context in which we see the object or experience the event.

PERCEPTUAL DISTORTIONS Perceptual Distortions – Shortcuts Shortcuts hinder us in making and giving the correct meaning to the situation. Shortcuts need to be avoided. It is very dangerous to an organization’s productivity and effectiveness.

PERCEPTION DISTORTIONS (cont.) High level of awareness Seek information from various sources Be empathetic Help to rectify incorrect perceptions Avoid common perceptual distortions

How to Manage Perception Distortion? Have a high level of awareness Seek information from various sources Be empathetic Help to rectify incorrect perceptions Avoid common perceptual distortions

KELLY’S ATTRIBUTIONTHEORY - Explains why people tend to make judgements and assign reasons to other people’s behaviour. People tend to observe other people and later tend to give reasons and assume the cause of the behaviour, whether it is internally caused or externally caused. There are three factors which determine whether it is internal or externally caused. The factors are distinctiveness, consensus and consistency.

SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY: THE PYGMALION EFFECT Tendency for someone’s expectation about another to cause that person to behave in a manner consistent with the expectation.

LEARNING Learning is a behaviour which happens all the time. It is a relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a result of experience. There are three theories which explain a learning process: classical conditioning operant conditioning social learning

IMPACT TO ORGANIZATION Managers must understand and must be able to manage perception process. - Decision-making based on perception would result in biased and unfair decisions and this would lead to dissatisfaction among employees. Failure to avoid the dissatisfaction would lead to less productivity which would later hinder the profitability of the organization.