Organizational Behaviour
Group posting: Perceiving Ourselves and Others
Group Posting #2: Worksheet
Members:
1. Define perception and explain why it is important to managers.
Perception refers to interpreting and organizing sensory information to create meaning
and understand the environment. Possessing the correct perception is a vital aspect
needed for managers to have effective leadership. It is significant for managers because it
impacts their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours, influencing their decision-making and
interactions with others. A manager's viewpoint can influence their perception of their
organization's goals and priorities, as well as their employees' drive and capabilities.
Furthermore, perception can affect communication, resulting in misunderstandings and
misinterpretations; managers must be conscious of their perception to assess both their
surroundings and the viewpoints of others appropriately to become effective.
2. Everyone sets up short cuts to the judgements we make through perception however these
shortcuts can be mistaken in some situations. Common perceptual errors are: to
stereotype, the halo effect, the recency effect, the fundamental attribution error, and false
consensus effect.
Exchange personal experiences [your lived experience] with these errors. Choose two
errors and provide the example from a group member that best represents the error in the
space below.
Student 1
Stereotyping: A manager may unconsciously hold a preconceived notion about a
particular group of people based on their race, gender, religion, or nationality, leading
them to make judgments without fully considering individual differences. For example, a
manager may assume that only some women are interested in pursuing leadership roles,
leading them to overlook qualified female candidates for promotions.
Halo Effect: This error occurs when a manager forms an overall impression of an
individual based on a single characteristic or trait, leading them to judge other aspects of
their abilities or performance. For example, managers may view employees as highly
competent based on their effective communication skills but overlook their lack of
expertise in their field.
Group posting: Perceiving Ourselves and Others
Group Posting #2: Worksheet
Members:
1. Define perception and explain why it is important to managers.
Perception refers to interpreting and organizing sensory information to create meaning
and understand the environment. Possessing the correct perception is a vital aspect
needed for managers to have effective leadership. It is significant for managers because it
impacts their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours, influencing their decision-making and
interactions with others. A manager's viewpoint can influence their perception of their
organization's goals and priorities, as well as their employees' drive and capabilities.
Furthermore, perception can affect communication, resulting in misunderstandings and
misinterpretations; managers must be conscious of their perception to assess both their
surroundings and the viewpoints of others appropriately to become effective.
2. Everyone sets up short cuts to the judgements we make through perception however these
shortcuts can be mistaken in some situations. Common perceptual errors are: to
stereotype, the halo effect, the recency effect, the fundamental attribution error, and false
consensus effect.
Exchange personal experiences [your lived experience] with these errors. Choose two
errors and provide the example from a group member that best represents the error in the
space below.
Student 1
Stereotyping: A manager may unconsciously hold a preconceived notion about a
particular group of people based on their race, gender, religion, or nationality, leading
them to make judgments without fully considering individual differences. For example, a
manager may assume that only some women are interested in pursuing leadership roles,
leading them to overlook qualified female candidates for promotions.
Halo Effect: This error occurs when a manager forms an overall impression of an
individual based on a single characteristic or trait, leading them to judge other aspects of
their abilities or performance. For example, managers may view employees as highly
competent based on their effective communication skills but overlook their lack of
expertise in their field.
