Summary Organizational Psychology Chapter 4

Organizational Psychology – Chapterr – Perrcerptionn Atributionn and ther Managereernt o
Diverrsity

Ther Naturer o Perrcerption

Perception – ther procerss by which individuals serlerctn organizern and interrprert ther input roe
therir sernsers

1. Ther perceiver: perrson trying to interrprert soeer obserrvation her/sher just eadern or ther
input roe his/herr sernsers
2. Ther target of perceptoo: whaterverr ther perrceriverr is trying to eaker sernser o . (perrsonn
group o peroplern erverntn situationn ideran noisern ertc.; In organizational Psychology 
oftern persoo perceptoo)
3. Ther situatoo: conterxt in which perrcerption takers placer

Ther threrer coeponernts infuerncer what is actually perrceriverd:
 Peropler berlierving in objerctiver rerality  berlierver: own perrcerptions arer accurater
derpictions o that rerality
 Accurate perceptionn – perrcerptions as closer as possibler to ther truer naturer o ther
targert o perrcerption  is not possiblern whern peropler arer rerlying on subjerctiver
interrprertations

Motivation and Perr oreancer

Ther eorer accurater eanagerrs perrceriver subordinaters
 ther berterr abler thery arer to eotivater there
 ther eorer likerly thery´rer to assign subordinaters tasks o an appropriater lerverl o
difculty
 ther berterr eanagerrs can rerlater to erach otherrn ernabling ther eereberrs at all lerverls to
work togertherr and to achierver organizational goals

Fairnerss and Equity

I eanagerr’s perrcerptions arer inaccurater
 wrong dercisions will ber eader  perrcerptions o not bering treraterd airly
 lerads to rersernteernt  einieizerd erforts  werakerns ther organization
 organization won´t ber an erferctiver global work orcer
 rergardlerss o what country a coepany is baserd inn atracting and rertaining a global
work orcer rerquirers that ereployerers´ capabilitiers and perr oreancer arer accuraterly perrceriverd
and that all ereployerer arer treraterd airlyn rergardlerss o therir countriers o origin

Ethical Action

Accuraterly perrceriving diverrser eereberrs o an organization and therir abilitiersn skillsn and
perr oreancer lerverls is both a lergal rerquirereernt and an erthical nercerssity

, Characterristics o ther Perrceriverr

Schereas: Ther Perrceriverr´s Knowlerdger Baser

Rerliancer on past erxperrierncers and knowlerdger gatherrerd roe a varierty o sourcers to interrprert
and eaker sernser o any nerw perrson or situation (Target of perceptoo)
 past erxperrierncers  organizerd into ncheman – an abstract knowlerdger structurer
storerd in eereory that eakers possibler ther organization about a targert o perrcerption
 oncer a scherea or a targert perrcerption is derverloperd  any nerw targert rerlaterd to ther
scherea activaters it
 schereas derterreiner how a targert is perrceriverd
 schereas infuerncer ther sernsory input wer pay aterntion to and ther input wer ignorer
 serlerction o sernsory input with erxisting schereas and discounting inconsisternt input 
schereas arer rerin orcerd and strerngthernerd
 schereas arer rersistant (or slow) to changer

Are Schemas Fuoctooal?
 Schereas can ber dys unctionaln rersulting in inaccurater perrcerptions  can ber
dys unctional or ther targert o perrcerptions
 ternderncy to juep to incorrerct conclusions baserd on past erxperrierncers has to ber
guarderd
 Schereas arer overrall unctional or perrceriverrs

Stereotypes: Ao Example of a Dysfuoctooal Schema
Stereotype – a sert o overrly siepliferd and oftern inaccurater berlier s about ther typical
characterristics o a particular group
 Dys unctional schereer  baserd on inaccurater in oreation about individual´s
interrerstsn berlier sn capabilitiersn berhaviorsn ertc.
 Perrceriverrs pays aterntion to in oreation consisternt with ther sterrerotyper and ignorers
inconsisternt in oreation
 objerctiver rerality rarerly eatchers subjerctiver rerality  sterrerotypers can ber dys unctional
and daeaging to perrceriverrn targertn and organization
 unerthical to discrieinater baserd on characterristics unrerlaterd to perr oreancer

Ther Perrceriverr’s Motivational Stater

Perceiver´n motivationan ntate – ther nererdsn valuersn and dersirers o a perrceriverr at ther tieer o
perrcerption – infuerncers perrcerption o ther targert
 Can rersult in inaccurater perrcerptions and aulty dercision eaking (organizational
eereberrs nererd to ber awarer)
 eanagerrs nererd to ber awarer o therir own eotiversn concerntrater on perrceriving how
peropler actually perr oren and rer rain roe assueing how soeeroner probably berhaverd
whern not direrctly obserrving berhavior

Ther Perrceriverr´s Mood