3 Perception and Learning in Organizations McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Vodafone Executive Grahame Maher Vodafone executive Grahame Maher keeps his perceptions in focus by discarding the executive suite and working alongside employees every day Bob Finlayson/Newspix McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-2 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Perception Defined The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information in order to make sense of the world around us Bob Finlayson/Newspix McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-3 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Perceptual Process Model Environmental Stimuli Feeling Hearing Seeing Smelling Tasting Selective Attention Organization and Interpretation Attitudes and Behavior McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-4 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Selective Attention What is it influenced by? • Characteristics of the object – size, intensity, motion, repetition, novelty • Characteristics of the perceiver – attitudes – expectations condition us to expect events McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-5 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Perceptual Organization/Interpretation • Categorical thinking – Mostly unconscious process of organizing people/things – Perceptual grouping principles • Closure filling in missing pieces • Identifying trends • Similarity or proximity • Mental models – Broad world-views or ‘theories-in-use’ – Help us to quickly make sense of situations – May block recognition of new opportunities/perspectives McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-6 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Social Identity Theory Oracle Corp Employee Live in the United States An Individual’s Social Identity University of Massachussetts Graduate McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-7 Employees at other firms People living in other countries Graduates from other schools © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Social Identity Theory Features • Categorization process – compare characteristics of our groups with other groups • Homogenization process – similar traits within a group; different traits across groups • Differentiation process – develop less favorable images of people in groups other than our own McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-8 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Stereotyping & Social Identity in Engineering Women are underrepresented in engineering and computer science partly because: – Social identity • Women dislike the ”geek” stereotype of engineers and computer scientists – Sex role stereotyping • Women discouraged from becoming engineers – Prejudice • Still some bias against female engineering students McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-9 Mel Melcon/ Los Angeles Times © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Stereotyping • Process of assigning traits to people based on their membership in a social category – Categorical thinking – Strong need to understand and anticipate others’ behavior – Enhances our self-perception and social identity Mel Melcon/ Los Angeles Times McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-10 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Other Perceptual Errors • Primacy – first impressions • Recency – most recent information dominates perceptions • Halo – one trait forms a general impression • Projection – believe other people the same things or have the same attitudes as you McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-17 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Improving Perceptions • Empathy – Sensitivity to the feelings, thoughts, and situation of others – Cognitive and emotional component • Self-awareness – Awareness of your values, beliefs and prejudices – Applying Johari Window McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-18 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Know Yourself (Johari Window) Feedback Known to Self Known to Others Disclosure Unknown to Others McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Open Area Open Area Hidden Area Hidden Area Slide 3-19 Unknown to Self Blind Area Blind Area Unknown Unknown Area Area © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Definition of Learning A relatively permanent change in behavior (or behavior tendency) that occurs as a result of a person’s interaction with the environment McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-20 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Learning and Behavior • Learning affected behavior through three MARS model elements: – Ability learning increases skills and knowledge – Role perceptions learning clarifies roles and priorities – Motivation learning is necessary for some need fulfillment McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-21 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Behavior Modification • We “operate” on the environment – alter behavior to maximize positive and minimize adverse consequences • Learning is viewed as completely dependent on the environment • Human thoughts are viewed as unimportant McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-22 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved A-B-Cs of Behavior Modification Antecedents Behavior Consequences What happens before behavior What person says or does What happens after behavior Machine operator turns off power Co-workers thank operator Example Warning light flashes McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-23 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Contingencies of Reinforcement Consequence is introduced Behavior increases/ maintained Positive reinforcement Behavior decreases Punishment McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-24 No consequence Consequence is removed Negative reinforcement Extinction Punishment © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Schedules of Reinforcement behaviors Continuous Fixed ratio Variable ratio Time (Days) 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Fixed interval Variable interval McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-25 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Behavior Modification in Practice • Behavior modification is used in: – every day life to influence behavior of others – company programs to reduce absenteeism, improve safety, etc • Behavior modification problems include: – Reward inflation – Ethical concern that variable ratio schedule is a lottery – Behaviorist philosophy vs learning through mental processes McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-26 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Social Learning Theory • Behavioral modeling – Observing and modeling behavior of others • Learning behavior consequences – Observing consequences that others experience • Self-reinforcement – Reinforcing our own behavior with consequences within our control McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-27 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model Concrete experience Active experimentation Reflective observation Abstract conceptualization McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-28 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Developing a Learning Orientation • • • • Value the generation of new knowledge Reward experimentation Recognize mistakes as part of learning Encourage employees to take reasonable risks McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-29 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Action Learning • Experiential learning in which employees, usually in teams, investigate and apply solutions to a situation that is both real and complex, with immediate relevance to the company – Concrete experience – Learning meetings – Team conceptualizes and applies a solution to a problem McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide 3-30 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Perception and Learning in Organizations McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved ... All rights reserved A-B-Cs of Behavior Modification Antecedents Behavior Consequences What happens before behavior What person says or does What happens after behavior Machine operator turns... reserved Behavior Modification in Practice • Behavior modification is used in: – every day life to influence behavior of others – company programs to reduce absenteeism, improve safety, etc • Behavior. .. Prophecy Cycle Supervisor forms expectations Employee’s behavior matches expectations Expectations affect supervisor’s behavior Supervisor’s behavior affects employee McShane/Von Glinow OB4e Slide