 Why is Perception important in the study of

OB?

Simply because people’s behaviour is based on their

perception of what reality is, not on reality itself.
 Perception
 Perception is a process by which
individuals organise and interpret their
sensory impressions in order to give
meaning to their environment.
 Perceptual Process
 The components of perceptual process are:
(i) Inputs
(ii) Perceptual Mechanisms

- Selection
- Organisation (Figure-Ground, Perceptual
Grouping, Simplification, Closure)
- Interpretation
(iii) Outputs
(iv) Behaviour
 Factors affecting Perception
 Characteristics of the Perceiver
-Attitudes
-Motives
-Interests
-Past Experience
-Expectations
 Characteristics of the Situation
-Time
-Work setting
-Social setting
 Characteristics of the Target(Perceived)
-Novelty
-Motion
-Size
-Background
-Proximity
-Similarity
 Attribution Theory
 The theory suggests that when we observe an
individual’s behaviour, we attempt to determine
whether it was internally or externally caused. This
determination largely depends on three factors:
(i) Distinctiveness: It refers to whether an individual
displays different behaviours in different situations.
(ii) Consensus: If everyone who is faced with a
similar situation responds in the same way, it
means the behaviour shows consensus.
(iii) Consistency: Does the person responds the same way over
time.
Distortions in attribution:
-Fundamental Attribution Error: While making judgements
about the behaviour of other people, the tendency to
underestimate the influence of external factors and
overestimate the influence of internal factors.
-Self-serving Bias: The tendency for individuals to attribute
their own successes to internal factors while putting the
blame for failure on external factors.
 Perceptual Errors
 Selective Perception- People selectively interpret
what they see on the basis of their interests,
background, experience and attitudes.
 Halo Effect- Drawing a general impression about an
individual on the basis of a single characteristic.
 Contrast Effect- 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.
 Projection- Attributing one’s own characteristics to
other people.
 Stereotyping- Judging someone on the basis of
one’s perception of the group to which that person
belongs.
 Specific Applications in Organisations
 Employment Interview
 Performance Expectations (Self- fulfilling

prophecy)- A situation in which one person

inaccurately perceives a second person and the
resulting expectations cause the second person to
behave in ways consistent with the original perception.
 Ethnic Profiling- A form of stereotyping in which a
group of individuals is singled out typically on the
basis of religion or ethnicity for intensive enquiry or
investigation.
 Performance Evaluation
 Employee Effort- An assessment of an individual’s
effort is a subjective judgment susceptible to perceptual
distortions and bias.