Perception and Learning in OrganizationsCopyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Chapter Three
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
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Characteristics of the perceiver
Perceptual grouping principles
Identifying trends
May block recognition of new opportunities/perspectives
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Categorization process
Homogenization process
Differentiation process
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3-*
Stereotyping
Assigning traits to people based on their membership in a social category
Occurs because:
Categorical thinking
Enhances our self-concept
Overgeneralizes
Stereotypes don’t represent all or most people in the category
Discrimination
Systemic
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Attribution Process
Internal Attribution
Perception that person’s behavior is due to motivation/ability rather than situation or fate
External Attribution
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Fundamental Attribution Error
attributing own actions to external factors and other’s actions to internal factors
Self-Serving Bias
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Positive Self-Fulfilling Prophecies at Cocoplans
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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
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Primacy effect
first impressions
Recency effect
False-consensus effect
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Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Improving self-awareness
Applying Johari Window
Equal status
Improves empathy
Vodafone executive Grahame Maher maintains meaningful interaction with staff by discarding the executive suite and working alongside employees every day.
Grahame Maher
Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Definition of Learning
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Tacit knowledge
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alter behavior to maximize positive and minimize adverse consequences
Learning is viewed as completely dependent on the environment
Human thoughts are viewed as unimportant
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every day life to influence behavior of others
company programs to reduce absenteeism, improve safety, etc.
Behavior modification problems include:
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Learning behavior consequences
Self-reinforcement
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Reward experimentation
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Organizational Learning
Knowledge acquisition
Extracting information and ideas from the external environment as well as through insight
Knowledge sharing
Knowledge use
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Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Chapter Three