FACULTY OF ACCOUNTANCY

INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (MGT430)

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 1:
CAE STUDY: HY DAIRIES INC

TITLE: PERCEIVING OURSELVES AND OTHERS IN ORGANIZATIONS

PREPARED BY:

Name Mohamad Hafidz Nadzhan bin Abdul Wahab

Student ID 2022794009

Group A4AC2205F

PREPARED TO:
Dr. Murni Zarina binti Mohamed Razali

SUBMISSION DATE:
15 June 2023
Question 1
Apply your knowledge of stereotyping and social identity theory to explain what went
wrong here.

Stereotyping is typically a technique used to give people characteristics based on the

social group they belong to. It indicates that judgments are made about other people based
on their gender, race, religion, appearance, nationality, etc. Stereotyping typically develops
from personal experience, media representation, and other cultural prototypes. Most people,
including us, have used stereotypes. For instance, women typically believe that being thin is
attractive. Some people will try anything to lose weight, including dieting and taking
supplements. What went wrong in this case is that Rochelle Beauport felt she was
marginalized in the organization as soon as Syd Gilman explained that he wanted Beauport
to take on the role of marketing research coordinator, applying knowledge of stereotyping and
the theory of social identification. Rochelle Beauport wrongly believed that the technical
support position assigned to the coordinator of the marketing report was a 'back-room' job
unrelated to the organization's core business operations. In most businesses, it wasn't the
road to top management. Beauport felt this way because of the characteristic of her former
employer where after a brief term in lower brand management jobs, women appear to be put
in technical support roles.
There are a few causes for stereotypes in society. First and foremost, it results from
categorical thinking. The human mind naturally and unconsciously tends to think in categories.
People frequently think solely in terms of generalizations about entire groups rather than
specific individuals. In addition, people have a natural desire to comprehend and predict the
behavior of others. Lack of knowledge about someone causes stereotypes and surgical
procedures. The need for social identity and self-enhancement of the observer is the third and
final reason for stereotyping. Beauport used categorical reasoning in this situation. In essence,
it describes how people and things are arranged into preconceived categories and then stored
in long-term memory as a subconscious mechanism She needed to gather her thoughts and
concentrate on what she had done wrong. Syd Gilman, the manager of Beauport, had a
natural tendency to understand and anticipate other people's behavior. This is one of the
causes of stereotypes, according to research. Gilman believed that Beauport's surprise was
a result of her enthusiastic response upon learning about the fantastic career opportunity.
According to the social identity theory, people identify themselves with the groups they
belong to or feel a strong emotional connection to. Additionally, it is a complicated combination
of numerous memberships arranged in a hierarchy of importance. A few key elements of social
identity include how people categorize themselves as members of reference groups, including
gender, race, age, and ethnicity. The minority status of a group is a further consideration,
followed by the standing of the group. The processes of categorization, homogenization, and
differentiation are brought about by the interaction of social identity and self-enhancement.
As for categorization, the categorization process involves grouping people into distinct
categories based on certain criteria or characteristics. Meanwhile, Syd Gilman is a man and
white person who are more privileged in the company because this industry is made for men,
while Rochelle Beauport is a woman and colored person who are less privileged in the
business because people think that women are vulnerable and not many women work in this
field. The homogenization process is a process of assigning similar traits within a group;
different traits to other groups. We can see that Rochelle Beauport believes Syd Gilman and
the business are similar to her former employer, which led her to believe that any company

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owned by a majority of white people is prejudiced against minorities and frequently takes
advantage of them if they have the chance to boost the effectiveness of the business. Lastly,
the differentiation process. The process of assigning more favorable attributes to our groups
and less favorable to other groups. Based on the case of Hy Dairies, Syd Gilman thinks this
deal is perfect for Beauport because he was a business marketing researcher before
becoming one of the company's managers. Rochelle Beauport, however, claims that this offer
implies that she should not be given a promotion to a more senior position because this type
of business favors men more than women and because women are too sensitive to deal with
it because of the segregated state of gender.

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Question 2
What other perceptual errors are apparent in this case study?

The halo effect, primary effect, recency effect, and false-consensus effect are four
additional perceptual effects that can occur in an organizational setting. First and foremost,
the halo effect. When someone only evaluates a person on the basis of one standout quality
and distorts the rest, it happens. This typically occurs when people try to fill in the blanks with
their general impression. The second one is the false-consensus effect. The false-consensus
effect is a psychological bias that describes the tendency of individuals to overestimate how
much other people share their opinions, beliefs, preferences or behaviors. On top of that, the
primary effect is that people have the tendency to quickly form opinions of others based on
the first information they receive about them. First impressions stay longer, whether that is
true or not. The last one is the recency effect. It happens when people's perceptions are
dominated by the most recent information. The final items, words, concepts, or arguments will
be remembered more clearly than the first and second. Commonly if the information is
delivered too fast, it will increase the recency effect.
According to the Hy Dairies case, the perceptual error that is apparent in this case
study is the false-consensus effect. It happens when we exaggerate how much other people's
beliefs or behaviors look like our own. In this instance, perceptual effects make Gilman think
that rewarding Beauport for her hard work by giving her the vacant position of market research
coordinator was a wise choice. He believes that Beauport's response to the news was similar
to his own several years ago. His temporary transfer to marketing research several years ago
served as a stepping stone in the development of his career and now he is currently the vice
president of marketing at Hy Dairies. Gilman is further convinced that Beauport enjoys her
new job as a result because it will help her advance her career with the company. Beauport,
however, takes Gilman's assumption the wrong way. She is satisfied in her current role as an
assistant brand manager and believes that the path to top management did not involve
marketing research. In conclusion, it is wrong for Gilman to believe Beauport was comparable
to him when he was offered a position in marketing research.

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Question 3
What can organizations do to minimize misperceptions in these types of situations?

Hy Dairies can do a number of things that are effective in reducing misperception, one
of which is raising employee awareness of perceptual biases. The company can provide
training sessions or workshops that highlight different types of perceptual biases, including the
false-consensus effect. Encourage your staff to consider how these biases may affect their
judgments, choices, and interactions with others. Organizations can foster a more inclusive
and objective work environment where misperceptions are minimized, resulting in better
decision-making and collaboration, by raising awareness of perceptual biases.
Next, Hy Dairies can minimize perceptual biases by improving employee self-
awareness. The employee must become more conscious of their attitudes, values, and beliefs.
As a result, they might develop a better understanding of the biases that affect their own
choices and actions. The Implicit Association Test (IAT), one of the tools used in formal testing
to identify any implicit biases people may have towards others, is something Hy Dairies should
introduce and encourage its employees to take. After learning that their test results indicate
a personal bias against other people, the employees will be more cautious about their
stereotypes and prejudice as a result of this test. Apart from that, Hy Dairies may improve self-
awareness by applying Johari Window. The Johari Window is a method that divides
information into four "windows" which are open, blind, hidden, and unknown. It is intended to
help people better understand their relationships with themselves and others. The open area
is information about yourself that is known to you and to others. Blind area is the information
that is known to others but not to you. The hidden area is information known to you but
unknown to others while the unknown area is information about your values, beliefs and
experiences that are buried so deeply that neither you nor anyone else is conscious of them.
The objective of using this model is to expand the "Open" area while reducing the "Blind,"
"Hidden," and "Unknown" areas. It implies that Hy Dairies employees must communicate their
opinions, sentiments, and experiences which could affect how well they get along with their
coworkers at work. Additionally, they must accept criticism and guidance from others regarding
their behavior. This will create an environment of self-discovery, open communication, and
mutual understanding leading to personal growth and improved relationships within groups or
individuals.
Lastly, Hy Dairies can minimize misperceptions through meaningful interaction. It is an
indirect way to improve self-awareness and mutual understanding. Meaningful interaction is
any activity in which people engage and mutual understanding. Based on the contact
hypothesis, the more people interact with each other, the less perceptual bias will happen.
Gilman and Beauport need to have a better relationship with each other in other to reduce
misperception. He would have a better chance to explain everything about the position that
he offered to Beauport. Beauport won't misinterpret Gilman and Hy Dairies' intent as a result.
People can increase empathy, lessen prejudice, and foster positive relationships among
various social groups by promoting meaningful interactions based on the contact hypothesis.
This will help to create a society that is more inclusive and harmonious.