Organizational behavior core concepts by kinicki chapter2

Learning Objectives• Describe perception in terms of the social information processing model • Give examples of how social perception affects organizational behavior • Explain how indivi

Perception and Diversity:

Why Viewpoints Differ

Copyright © 2008 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved.

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Organizational Behavior, Core Concepts

Learning Objectives

• Describe perception in terms of the social

information processing model

• Give examples of how social perception affects organizational behavior

• Explain how individuals formulate causal

attributions

• Discuss why diversity is important in today’s

Social Perception: A Social

Information Processing Model

Figure 4-1

Figure 2-1

A Social Information Processing Model of Perception

• Perception

– the process of interpreting one’s environment.

A Social Information Processing Model of Perception

Social perception involves a four-stage

information processing sequence

1 Selective attention/comprehension

2 Encoding and simplification

3 Storage and retention

4 Retrieval and response

Stage 2: Encoding and

Simplification

• Stereotype

– belief about the characteristics of a group

• Not always negative

• May or may

not be accurate

Stage 2: Encoding and

Simplification

• Stereotypes

– Can lead to poor decisions– Can create barriers for older individuals, people of color, and people with disabilities– Can undermine loyalty and job satisfaction

Stereotyping Process

1 Categorize people into groups according to

various criteria

2 Infer that all people within a category possess

the same traits

3 Form expectations of others and interpret

their behavior according to our stereotypes

Stereotyping Process

4 Stereotypes are maintained by:

• Overestimating the frequency of

stereotypic behavior exhibited by others

• Incorrectly explaining expected and

unexpected behaviors

• Differentiating minority individuals from

Common Perceptual Errors

Stage 3: Storage and Retention

Stage 4: Retrieval and Response

• Decisions are based:

– On the process of drawing on, interpreting, and integrating categorical information

stored in long-term memory – Retrieving a summary judgment that was already made

Managerial Implications: Hiring

• Interviewers make hiring decisions based on their impression of how an applicant fits the perceived requirements of a job

• Inaccurate impressions

in either direction produce poor hiring decisions

Managerial Implications:

Performance Appraisal

• Important for managers to accurately identify the behavioral characteristics and results

indicative of good performance

• Characteristics serve as the benchmarks for evaluating employee performance

Managerial Implications:

Leadership

Good leaders exhibit the following behaviors:

– Assigning specific tasks to group members– Telling others they had done well

– Setting specific goals for the group– Letting other group members make decisions

– Trying to get the group to work as a team– Maintaining definite standards of

performance

Managerial Implications:

Leadership

• Poor leaders exhibit the following behaviors:

– Telling others they had performed poorly– Insisting on having their own way

– Doing things without explaining themselves– Expressing worry over the group members suggestions

Kelley’s Model of Attribution

Question?

What involves comparing a person’s behavior on

one task with the behavior from other tasks?

A Consensus

B Distinctiveness

C Consistency

D Personality

Kelley’s Model of Attribution

Kelley’s Model of Attribution

• Consensus relates to other people

• Distinctiveness relates to other tasks

• Consistency relates to time

Attributional Tendencies

• Fundamental attribution bias

– ignoring environment factors that affect behavior

• Self-serving bias

– taking more personal responsibility for success than failure

• An employee’s attributions for his own

performance have dramatic effects on subsequent motivation, performance, and self-esteem

Defining and Managing Diversity

• Diversity

– the host of individual differences that make people different from and similar to each other

Four Layers of Diversity

Figure 2-2

Defining and Managing Diversity

Diversity in the Workforce

1 Women and minorities are experiencing a

glass ceiling

2 Racial groups are encountering perceived

discrimination

3 There is a mismatch between workers’

educational attainment and occupational requirements

4 The workforce is aging

Diversity in the Workforce

• Glass ceiling

– invisible barrier blocking women and minorities from top

management positions

Glass Ceiling

See an article on

“Breaking the Glass Ceiling” by Wirth

Diversity in the Workforce

• Underemployment

– the result of taking a job that requires less education, training, or skills than possessed

by a worker

Impact of Diversity on

Organizations

Two recommendations to help organizations

adapt to an aging workforce:

1 Firms should help employees deal with

personal issues associated with eldercare

2 Employers need to make a concerted effort to

keep older workers engaged and committed and their skills current

Barriers and Challenges

1 Inaccurate stereotypes and prejudice

2 Ethnocentrism

3 Poor career planning

4 An unsupportive and hostile working

environment for diverse employees

5 Lack of political savvy on the part of diverse

Barriers and Challenges

6 Difficulty in balancing career and family

issues

7 Fears of reverse discrimination

8 Diversity is not seen as an organizational

priority

9 The need to revamp the organization’s

performance appraisal and reward system

10 Resistance to change

Specific Diversity Initiatives