MRK360

Week 2

Re-cap from last class

What is OB? We talked about challenges in the Canadian

workplace in three levels – what are they? Explain some of the challenges individuals

face Explain some of the challenges groups face Explain some of the challenges organizations

face

Chapter 2

Perception, Personality, and Emotion

What do you see?

Which of these people is more outgoing? Which is more successful?

Perception

What is Perception? The process by which individuals organize and

interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.

Why Is it Important? Because people’s behaviour is based on their

perception of what reality is, not on reality itself. The world as it is perceived is the world that is

behaviourally important.

Why We Study Perceptions

We study this topic to better understand how people make attributions about events.

We don’t see reality. We interpret what we see and call it reality.

The attribution process guides our behaviour, regardless of the truth of the attribution

Factors Influencing Perception

The PerceiverThe TargetThe Situation

Exhibit 2-1 Factors that Influence Perception

Perception

The Target

• Novelty• Motion• Sounds• Size• Background• Proximity

The Perceiver

• Attitudes• Motives• Interests• Experience• Expectations

The Situation

• Time• Work setting• Social setting

Perceptual Errors – “shortcuts” that we all take

Attribution Theory Selective Perception Halo Effect Contrast Effects Projection Stereotyping

You have all read the book – take a minute and think of one example of each of these that you have seen.

Attribution theory

The class average for the midterm was 90% but you got 45% - What happened?

Was this:Externally caused – the teacher hates me orInternally caused – I was up too late partying!

Attribution Theory

When individuals observe behaviour, they attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused. Distinctiveness

Does individual act the same way in other situations? Consensus

Does individual act the same as others in same situation? Consistency

Does the individual act the same way over time?

Attribution Theory

Fundamental Attribution Error The tendency to underestimate the influence of

external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behaviour of others.

Self-Serving Bias The tendency for individuals to attribute their own

successes to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on external factors.

Additional Perceptual Errors

Selective Perception People selectively interpret what they see based on

their interests, background, experience, and attitudes

Halo Effect Drawing a general impression about an individual

based on a single characteristic Contrast Effects

A person’s evaluation is affected by comparisons with other individuals recently encountered

Additional Perceptual Errors

ProjectionAttributing one’s own characteristics to other

people Stereotyping

Judging someone on the basis of your perception of the group to which that person belongs

Personality

The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others.

Personality Determinants Heredity Environment Situation

Personality Traits Enduring characteristics that describe an

individual’s behaviour The Big Five Model

vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.vs.

OutgoingMore intelligentEmotionally stableDominantHappy-go-luckyConscientiousVenturesomeSensitiveSuspiciousImaginativeShrewdApprehensiveExperimentingSelf-sufficientControlledTense

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.

Exhibit 2-3 Sixteen Primary Personality Traits

Reserved Less intelligent Affected by feelingsSubmissiveSeriousExpedientTimidTough-mindedTrustingPracticalForthrightSelf-assuredConservativeGroup-dependentUncontrolledRelaxed

The Big Five Model

ClassificationsExtroversionAgreeablenessConscientiousnessEmotional StabilityOpenness to Experience

The Big Five Model

Can you think of a famous (or not famous) person on each end of the scale?

Highly extroverted Highly introverted

Highly Conscientious

Emotionally Stable

Open to experiences

Agreeable Not agreeable

Not very Conscientious

Not Emotionally Stable

Not open

Exhibit 2-5 Big Five Personality Factors and Performance

Big Five Personality Factor Relationship to Job Performance

Relationship to Team Performance

Extroversion * Positively related to job performance in occupations requiring social interaction

* Positively related to training proficiency for all occupations

* Positively related to team performance

* Positively related to degree of participation within team

Agreeableness * Positively related to job performance in service jobs

* Most studies found no link between agreeableness and performance or productivity in teams

* Some found a negative link between person’s likeability and team performance

Conscientiousness * Positively related to job performance for all occupational groups

* May be better than ability in predicting job performance

Exhibit 2-5 Big Five Personality Factors and Performance

Big Five Personality Factor Relationship to Job Performance

Relationship to Team Performance

Emotional Stability * A minimal threshold amount may be necessary for adequate performance; greater degrees not

related to job performance

* Positively related to performance in service jobs

* May be better than ability in predicting job performance across all occupational groups

Openness to Experience *Positively related to training proficiency

*Data unavailable

Major Personality Attributes Influencing OB

Locus of ControlMachiavellianismSelf-EsteemSelf-MonitoringRisk TakingType A and Type B Personalities

Locus of Control

The degree to which people believe they are in control of their own fate Internals

Individuals who believe that they control what happens to them

Externals Individuals who believe that what happens to

them is controlled by outside forces such as luck or chance

Machiavellianism

Degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes that ends can justify means

Self-Esteem

Individuals’ degree of liking or disliking of themselves

Self-Monitoring

A personality trait that measures an individual’s ability to adjust behaviour to external situational factors

Risk-Taking

Refers to a person’s willingness to take chances or risks

Type A Personality

Always moving, walking, and eating rapidly. Feel impatient with the rate at which most events

take place. Strive to think or do two or more things at once. Cannot cope with leisure time. Are obsessed with numbers, measuring their

success in terms of how many or how much of everything they acquire.

Type B Personality

Never suffer from a sense of time urgency with its accompanying impatience.

Feel no need to display or discuss either their achievements or accomplishments unless such exposure is demanded by the situation.

Play for fun and relaxation, rather than to exhibit their superiority at any cost.

Can relax without guilt.

What is your personality?

Rank yourself

Internal Locus of Control

External Locus of Control

High Self Esteem

High Self Monitoring

Type A

Highly Mach. Not Mach.

Low Self esteem

Low Self Monitoring

Type B

Group Discussion

Personality Characteristics

What are Emotions?

Three related terms: Affect

A broad range of feelings that people experience.

Emotions Intense feelings that are directed at someone or

something.

Moods Feelings that tend to be less intense than emotions and

that lack a contextual stimulus.

Exhibit 2-6 Emotion Continuum

FearHappiness SadnessSurprise Anger Disgust

Choosing Emotions: Emotional Labour

When an employee expresses organizationally desired emotions during interpersonal interactions.

Employees can experience a conflict between what they feel, and what’s expected of them.

Emotional Intelligence

Noncognitive skills, capabilities, and competencies that influence a person's ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures

Five dimensions Self-awareness Self-management Self-motivation Empathy Social skills

Negative Workplace Emotions

Negative emotions can lead to a number of deviant workplace behaviours. They fall in categories such as: Production (leaving early, intentionally

working slowly)Property (stealing, sabotage)Political (gossiping, blaming co-workers)Personal aggression (sexual harassment,

verbal abuse)

Summary and Implications

Perception Individuals behave based not on the way their

external environment actually is but, rather, on what they see or believe it to be

Evidence suggests that what individuals perceive from their work situation will influence their productivity more than will the situation itself

Absenteeism, turnover, and job satisfaction are also reactions to the individual’s perceptions

Summary and Implications

Personality Personality helps us predict behaviour Personality can help match people to jobs, to some

extent at least

Emotions Can hinder performance, especially negative

emotions Can also enhance performance

Perception Exercise

In the new OB project team, two members obviously have different perceptions on just about everything the team does. Kevin ‘sees’ the project one way; Kim ‘sees’ it differently. They have different perceptions about team goals, methods, values and the roles team members should play. Kevin gives the impression he wants “to be in charge” and he argues aggressively to get his way. Kim, who is more reserved, offers thoughtful ideas in rebuttal, and usually consults with the other group members for their views and support. Privately, Kevin bad-mouths Kim to anyone who will listen. He says that he has been on successful teams many times and ‘knows’ the best ways to operate the team. He says that Kim is a “control freak” and “the only one on the team holding up progress”. Kim, on the other hand, only conveys her feelings about Kevin when team members are present, but she has repeatedly said out loud, “There are more ways of getting this team started than just yours! Too bad you have a closed mind!” For the most part, the other team members perceive Kim and Kevin to have a “personality conflict”, and they are avoiding getting involved. The team is ineffective so far, and there’s pressure to get the team on track because of the impending class assignment deadline.

In Groups

Agree on answers to the following questions, then report back on your group’s conclusions. Time: 20 minutes. What main factors may account for the different perceptions held

by Kevin and Kim? In each perceiver? In the targets? In the current situation?

What are some ‘short cuts’ each may be taking in judging the other? Are these judgements correct?

To what extent might the current situation be affecting the different perceptions?

To what extent might each person’s apparent personality be the cause for the current conflict? Define their respective personalities.

If behaviour such as this happens often, how can perceptions be changed to that people in conflict like Kevin and Kim can reach consensus? List some ideas.

Homework for next class

Complete and Score:Learning About Yourself Exercise 1 – pg 55Learning About Yourself Exercise 2 – pg 56Learning About Yourself Exercise 3 – pg 57Learning About Yourself Exercise 4 – pg 58Learning About Yourself Exercise 5 – pg 59Learning About Yourself Exercise 6 – pg 61