Dr.P.S.

Swathi
SSIM
Introduction
 The world is not the same for every person and each
one may look at the same thing differently. Ex: Two
Managers’ perceptions about a methodical employee.
 People cannot see reality. We interpret what we see
and call it reality.
 Managers should not form opinions on the basis of
initial perceptions.
Nature of perception
• Perception is the process by which people, select,
organize and interpret and respond to information
from the world. Hence it is a person’s view of reality.
• Features:
1. Sensory Perceptions: External stimuli make us to
recognize them and we interpret the stimuli on the
basis of our senses. Ex: smell, touch, see, hear etc.
2. Subjective: people look at the same thing from
different angles and interpret the same in different
ways. Ex: Merit based promotion policy.
3. Filter: Raw data will be filtered by individuals before
understanding it. This process is called as Organizing
and Interpreting stimulus. Basing on the
understanding people respond to stimuli. Ex:
Incentive scheme.
 Unique Interpretation: Perception is a very
complex process that yields a unique picture of the
world, a picture that may be quite different from
reality. Ex: Man can fly only if he has wings. The
unique perception of Wright brothers, to day,
stimulated aviation industry.
 Setting things differently: The perceptual process
is influenced by individual’s past experiences,
expectations and opinions. Hence, people see
things differently. Ex: an innovative idea may be
seen differently by young and experienced
manager .
 Basis of Human Behaviour: Perception lies at the
base of every human behaviour. Positive
perceptions lead to positive behaviour and vice
versa. Ex: Manager’s dealing with subordinate.
 PERCEPTUAL PROCESS
Characteristics of stimuli
Perceptual Process External Factors - People,
Objects or situations)
Intensity Size
Contrast Movement
Repetition Familiarity
Novelty
Receiving Selecting Organizing

Reactin Checking Interpretin

g g

Perceptual Output
Opinions
Feelings
Attitudes
Characteristics of Perceiver Values
(Internal Factors)
Psychological Needs
Background Experience
Personality
Self-Acceptance
1
Importance of Perception
 Perception is a method by which persons arrange and
interpret their sensory thought to give meaning to
their surroundings.
 In organizations people actions are based on their
perception of what truth is, not on the truth itself.
 Their decision might be biased or might be taken
under pressure Ex: Performance evaluation
 The Problems in an organization arise mainly
because of the inaccurate perceptions by
managers.
 The Perceptual process consists of
1. Stimulus
2. Selection
3. Organization
4. Interpretation
5. Responding to Stimulus
Selection
 Human beings are continuously attacked by stimuli
through their senses and it is impossible to perceive
every thing. Hence, the first step involved in
perceptual process is to select the relevant stimuli and
leave irrelevant ones. Ex: Although we perceive many
stock prices in stock exchange, as company employees
we are more concerned about our company’s share
value.
 Perceptual selection is a tendency to filter information
that is discomforting, irrelevant or that contradicts our
beliefs.
 Selection of Stimuli is based on two kinds of factors
1. External
2. Internal
External Factors
1. Size
2. Intensity
3. Contrast
4. Repetition
5. Motion
6. Novelty and familiarity
 Size:
 Large or very small always attracts our attention.
 Basing on this principle, large hoardings are kept on
the streets for advertisements.
 Generally, exceptionally large or small things/people
attract our attention
 Intensity:
 The more intense a stimulus, the more likely it is to be
perceived.
 Bright colours, big sounds, strong odors attract the
attention, while the opposite does not.
 Contrast:
Stimuli which contrast with the environment are more like
to be selected for attention than stimuli that blends with
the surroundings. Ex: A manager coming in casuals to a
formal function is immediately noticed.
 Repetition: A repeated external stimulus is more
attractive. Usually, this principle is used in
advertising,.
 Using the same brand ambassadors (Sun Direct TV),
Using the same concept (Vodafone) repeating the
same tune/jingle (Airtel, Reliance, Sunrise, Lifeboy so
on and so forth)
 Motion: A moving stimulus attracts more attention
than a stationary one. Ex: Animated advertisements
and instructions, on and off bulbs attract people’s
attention.
 Novelty and familiarity: A stimulus that is new and
unique will attract the attention of people than a
routine one. Ex: A new model of an automobiles
attracts the attention of every one. Similarly familiar
things also attracts attention. Ex: Our company
uniform we can recognize even from far off places.
 Internal Factors
 Personality: The understanding of stimulus is done
on the basis of personality. Managers with positive
self concept can quickly recognize the positive
strengths of their subordinates.
 Personal moods: The interpretation of stimulus
will depend upon mood of the person. Ex:A subtle
joke on a manager may hurt him very badly if he is
not in a good mood. The same subtle joke may be
accepted by him when he is in a good mood.
 Experience: Successful experiences enhance the
perceptive abilities of managers. Ex: an incentive
announcement may be perceived correctly by a
manager who has enough experience with the
company.
 Values and beliefs: The stimuli is understood by the
manager on the basis of his values and beliefs. This
will be more obvious in the case of work ethos of an
individual.
 Expectations: Basing on the past incidents, managers
develop expectations and they interpret any stimulus
on the basis of these expectations. Ex: A poor
performance evaluation given by superior, may make a
manager to see every talk of the superior and every
circular received as threatening.
 Learning refers to any relatively permanent change in
behaviour that occurs as a result of experience. A
perceptual set is an expectation of a particular
interpretation based on past experience with the same
or similar object.
Motivation:
Our perceptions are guided by our needs, interests and
motives. Generally speaking, people perceive things
that promise to help satisfy their needs and that they
have found rewarding in the past. Ex: Hard work and
Promotions/incentives.
Perceptual Organization
 Involves three principles:
1. Figure Ground Principle:
2. Perceptual grouping:
3. Perceptual constancy:
4. Perceptual Context:
 Figure Ground Principle: In the perceptual field
certain factors are considered significant and
certain others as insignificant.
 The significant factors become figure and the
insignificant ground.
 Managers try to understand any stimulus on the
basis of this principle.
 Ex: An employees behaviour is understood on the
basis of his general conduct. (Behaviour is figure,
while conduct is ground)
 Perceptual Grouping: Groups are created on the basis of
similarity or proximity.
 The greater the similarity, the greater the probability that
we tend to perceive them as group. Ex: A reprimand by a
superior and a transfer given to the subordinate to another
department. Grouping is done on the basis of the following
 Closure, Simplification, Continuity, Proximity, Similarity.
 A. Closure: Managers when faced with incomplete
information have a tendency to fill in the gap themselves.
Ex: Managers try to assess an employee on the basis of
incomplete information where complete information
cannot be obtained
 B. Simplification: When too many stimuli are given to
a manager, he tries to understand that by simplifying
them. This he may do by leaving unimportant
information and concentrating more on important
information. Ex: Students study important points to
understand a subject and managers take critical points
for decision making.
 C. Continuity: This is the tendency to perceive
sensory data in continuous patterns if they actually
continuous. Principle of closure supplies missing
information, while principle of continuity gives
patterns and logic. Ex: 2 +2 =4, 4+4 = 8 ?+8= 16.
Similarly, lack of profits may be perceived as a lead
to closure of a firm
 D. Proximity: This is the tendency to perceive
sensory data as related because of close physical
location. Ex: one or two employees poor
performance may lead to perceive the entire group
as inefficient.
 E. Similarity: the greater the similarity of the
stimuli the greater the tendency to perceive them
as common group. All graduates from IIM A are
perceived as very bright students, which may not
be so in reality.
 Perceptual constancy: The tendency of human beings
to see objects constantly and understand them.
 Perceptual constancy is responsible for the ability to
identify objects under various conditions and to form
an accurate impressions. Ex. Managers should
continuosly observe an employee for sometime and
then only has to form an impression on him/her.
 Perceptual context: The understanding of an object
depends on the context. Context gives meaning and
value to the stimuli. Ex. Cost cutting by company may
be understood in one form when the economy is in
recession and another way when the economy is
booming.
Attribution Theory
 This is the theory about how people explain things .
 There are two types of explanations
 (A) Internal
 (B) External
 While explaining if a manager attributes success or
failure to himself it is known as internal.
 However he attributes success or failure to the
environment is called as external.
 While attributing success or failure to internal or
external factors one has to take into consideration
consistency and continuous repetition.
Attribution Errors

 Fundamental attribution error: When we made

judgement about the behaviour of the other people we
tend to underestimate the influence of external factors
and over estimate the influence of internal factors. Ex.
When production drops managers tend to attribute it
to employee’s laziness and not to system defects.
 Usually managers attribute success to themselves and
failure to their subordinates.
 The solution to rectify above two errors is to encourage
managers develop and practise internal approach
continuously. This will reduce misunderstandings and
demotivations and will create healthy organizational
atmosphere.
How to develop perceptual skills
1. Avoid perceptual distortions: Managers should not
form impressions about their employees with limited
information. They have to comprehensively study
and understand the subordinates.
2. Make accurate self perception: Manager has to
understand his areas of improvement and develop
accurate perceptual skills. Positive attitude to oneself
is likely to improve self and understanding of the
self.
3.Empathy: To understand others one must live in other
shoes. This will help them not only for accurate
perception but also sound interpersonal relations.
4.Manager has to create a good impression about himself
: Managers should conduct themselves in a groomed
manner especially in social settings. He must project a
positive, pleasing and attractive image.
 Conclusion: Perception is a person’s view of reality.
 Sensory experiences, subjectivity, filtering, unique
interpretation are some of the features of perception
 Having accurate perceptions about the world is
essential for the success of any manager.
 The perception process includes stimulus, selection,
organization, interpretations and outcome
 Selection of stimulus is imperative because we are
loaded with various stimuli. Hence we take only
stimuli which are relevant.
 External and Internal factors influence selection of
stimulus.
 Size, intensity, contrast, reputation, motion, novelty
and familiarity are the external factors. While
personality, personal moods, experience, values and
beliefs expectations, learning and motivation are the
internal factors influencing perceptual selection.
 The data selected should be organized and
intrepreted.
 Figure ground principle , perceptual grouping,
perceptual constancy and perceptual context would
help a manager to interpret the stimulus.
 The explain given for particular happening is known as
attribution. There are two ways to attribute internal
approach and external approach .
 Practicing continuously internal approach will develop
healthy organizational atmosphere and enhance
interpersonal relationships.
 By avoiding perceptual distortions making accurate
self perceptions, empathising, creating and
maintaining good image will help a manager to
increase his perceptual skills