C H A P T E R 3

Perception and
personality in
organisations

 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by McShane and Travaglione
Chapter learning objectives
1. Outline the perceptual process.
2. Explain how we perceive ourselves and others through
social identity.
3. Discuss the accuracy of stereotypes.
4. Describe the attribution process and two attribution
errors.
5. Diagram the self-fulfilling prophecy process.
6. Discuss three types of diversity initiatives.
7. Explain how the Johari Window can help improve our
perceptions.
8. Identify the ‘Big Five’ personality dimensions.
9. Discuss the psychological dimensions identified by Jung
and
2003 McGraw-Hill
measured Australia Pty
in the Myers-Briggs LtdIndicator.
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Perceptions and age bias

After 200 unsuccessful job

applications, Chris Toye
concluded that Australian
employers are biased against
older people.

© Ian Cugley/News Limited

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 3
Perceptual process model

Environmental stimuli

Feeling Hearing Seeing Smelling Tasting

Selective attention

Organisation and
interpretation

Emotions and
behaviour
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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 4
Selective attention
 Characteristics of the object
 size, intensity, motion, repetition, novelty

 Perceptual context

 Characteristics of the perceiver

 values and attitudes
 perceptual defence
 expectations  condition us to expect events

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Perceptual organisation/interpretation
 Perceptual grouping principles
 trends
 similarity/proximity
 closure
 Mental models
 broad world-views or ‘theories-in-use’
 can blind people to potentially better perspectives

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McShane and Travaglione 6
Social identity theory

ACME
widget Employees at
employee other firms

Live in An individual’s People living

Australia social identity in other countries

Graduates from
Monash other schools
University
graduate
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McShane and Travaglione 7
Social identity theory features
 Comparative process
 compare characteristics of our groups with other
groups

 Homogenisation process
 perceive that everyone in a group has similar
characteristics

 Contrasting process
 form less favourable images of people in groups other
than our own

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McShane and Travaglione 8
The stereotyping process

Develop categories Professors are

and assign traits absent-minded

Assign person to category Our instructor

based on observable info is a professor

Assign category’s traits Our instructor is

to the person absent-minded

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How accurate are stereotypes?
 Some accuracy, but also distortion and error
 traits don’t describe everyone in the group
 we screen out inconsistent information

 Stereotypes are less accurate when

 we have little interaction with people in that group
 we experience conflict with members of that group

 Stereotypes enhance our own social identity

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 1
Attribution process
 Internal attribution
 perception that outcomes are due to
motivation/ability rather than situation or fate

 External attribution
 perception that outcomes are due to situation or fate
rather than the person

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 1
Rules of attribution

Internal attribution

Frequently Frequently Seldom

Distinctive Consensus
Consistent
from other (other people
with past
situations are similar)
Seldom Seldom Frequently

External attribution
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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 1
Attribution errors
 Fundamental attribution error
 attributing behaviour of other people to internal
factors (their motivation/ability)

 Self-serving bias
 attributing our successes to internal factors and our
failures to external factors

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 1
Self-fulfilling prophecy cycle
Supervisor
forms
expectations

Employee’s Expectations
behaviour matches affect supervisor’s
expectations behaviour

Supervisor’s
behaviour affects
employee
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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 1
Dealing with self-fulfilling prophecy
 Awareness training
 leaders learn effects of negative perceptions
 problem is that awareness doesn’t prevent self-
fulfilling prophecy

 Emerging three-prong strategy

 support a learning orientation
 engage in contingency leadership styles
 increase employee self-efficacy

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Other perceptual errors
 Primacy
 first impressions
 Recency
 most recent information dominates perceptions
 Halo
 one trait forms a general impression
 Projection
 believing other people are similar to you

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 1
Types of diversity initiatives
 Recruit people with diverse backgrounds
 Provide reasonable accommodation
 Diversity awareness activities
 appreciate differences
 sensitise people to stereotypes/prejudice
 dispel myths

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
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Improving perceptions through empathy

Australian P&O Cruises

executive Peter Frawley and
other corporate leaders are
bringing their perceptions
back into focus by working
alongside other employees
and customers.
© Jody D’Arcy/News Limited

 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a

Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 1
Improving perceptual accuracy

Diversity
initiatives

Know Improving Empathise

yourself with others
perceptual
accuracy
Compare Postpone
perceptions impression
with others formation
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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 1
Know yourself (Johari Window)

Feedback

Known to self Unknown to self

Known
to others Open
Area Open Blind
Area Blind
Disclosure area area

Hidden
Area Unknown
Hidden Unknown
Area
Unknown area area
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Personality defined
Relatively stable pattern of behaviours and consistent
internal states that explain a person's behavioural
tendencies.

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 2
Big five personality dimensions

Conscientiousness Caring, dependable

Emotional stability Poised, secure

Openness to experience Sensitive, flexible

Agreeableness Courteous, empathic

Extroversion Outgoing, talkative

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 2
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

During their retreat in

Maine, US, employees at
Thompson Doyle
Hennessey & Everest
completed the Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator and
learned how their
personalities can help them
Courtesy of Thompson Doyle Hennessey & Everest
understand each other
more effectively.

 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a

Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 2
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

 Extroversion versus
introversion
 Sensing versus intuition
 Thinking versus feeling
 Judging versus
perceiving
Courtesy of Thompson Doyle Hennessey & Everest

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Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 2
Locus of control and self-monitoring
 Locus of control
 internals believe in their effort and ability
 externals believe events are mainly due to
external causes

 Self-monitoring personality
 sensitivity to situational cues and ability to adapt
your behaviour to that situation

 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a

Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 2
Overview of the next chapter
 Types and levels of values within and across cultures
 Moral intensity, ethical sensitivity and the situation
influence ethical behaviour
 Linkages between emotions and behaviour
 The conditions that require, and the problems associated
with, emotional labour
 Dimensions of emotional intelligence
 Effect of job satisfaction on task performance and
customer service
 Five strategies to increase organisational commitment
 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a
Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by
McShane and Travaglione 2
C H A P T E R 3
Perception and
personality in
organisations

 2003 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim by McShane and Travaglione