02- OB- ch02

Chapter 2: Perception, Personality, and Emotions

Overview

Chapter 2 of Organizational Behaviour focuses on three key areas: perception, personality, and emotions. Understanding these areas is critical for effectively managing human interactions in organizational settings.

Chapter Outline

• Perception

  • Factors That Influence Perception

  • Perceptual Errors

  • The Importance of Perception and Judgment

• Personality

  • Definition of Personality

  • Methods to Measure Personality

  • Determinants of Personality

  • Personality Traits

  • The Dark Triad and Other Influential Personality Attributes

• Emotions

  • Definitions of Emotions and Moods

  • Emotional Labour

  • The Significance of Emotions in the Workplace

Learning Outcomes

1. Define perception and its influencing factors.

2. Explain attribution theory along with its determinants.

3. Describe the concept of personality, measurement methods, and its determinants.

4. Discuss the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) framework, highlighting strengths and weaknesses.

5. Identify key traits of the Big Five Personality Model and analyze its predictive ability regarding workplace behavior.

6. Differentiate between emotions and moods.

7. Assess the impact of emotional labour on employees.

8. Explore the controversial existence of emotional intelligence.

9. Identify strategies for emotion regulation and their anticipated effects.

Perception

• Definition: Perception is the process through which individuals organize and interpret their impressions to create meaning from their environment.

• Importance: Behavior is influenced by perceptions of reality rather than objective reality itself, making it critical to understand how perceptions impact behavioral responses.

Factors Influencing Perception

1. The Perceiver: Personal experiences and biases can shape how a person perceives events and individuals.

2. The Target: The characteristics of the person or object being observed play a significant role in perception.

3. The Situation: Contextual factors, including environmental conditions and social interactions, influence how perceptions are formed.

Perceptual Errors

• Attribution Theory: Analyzes how we attribute causes to behavior—whether internal (due to personal traits) or external (due to situational influences).

  • Determinants of Attribution:

    • Distinctiveness: Consistency of an individual's behavior across various situations.

    • Consensus: Comparison of an individual's behavior with others in similar situations.

    • Consistency: Examination of behavior frequency over time.

• Common Errors:

  • Fundamental Attribution Error: Overemphasizing internal traits while downplaying external factors when assessing others' behaviors.

  • Self-Serving Bias: Attributing personal successes to internal factors and failures to external circumstances.

  • Selective Perception: Interpreting information based on personal background and experiences.

  • Halo Effect: Generalizing a positive or negative impression based on a single characteristic of a person.

  • Contrast Effects: Judging a person based on comparisons with others encountered recently.

  • Stereotyping: Making assumptions based on group membership rather than individual traits.

Personality

• Definition: Personality represents the sum of ways individuals interact with and respond to others, encompassing stable behavioral patterns.

• Measuring Personality:

  • Self-Report Surveys: Assessments where individuals judge their own traits.

  • Observer Ratings: Independent assessments provide a more objective perspective.

• Determinants:

  • Heredity, environmental conditions, and specific situational influences shape personality traits.

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): A widely used personality tool categorizing people into 16 different types based on four dichotomies:

  1. Extraverted (E) vs. Introverted (I)

  2. Sensing (S) vs. Intuitive (N)

  3. Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)

  4. Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

The Dark Triad

• Definition: Refers to a trio of negative personality traits: Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy.

  • Machiavellianism: Characterized by manipulation and a focus on self-interest.

  • Narcissism: Associated with grandiosity and a constant need for admiration.

  • Psychopathy: Reflects a lack of empathy and remorse in social interactions.

Emotions

• Definition: Emotions are intense feelings directed toward someone or something; moods are less intense and may arise without a clear cause.

• Emotional Labour: Involves managing emotions in the workplace, especially in roles that require interpersonal interactions.

• Importance of Emotions: They influence workplace behavior, decision-making, and team dynamics. Understanding emotional cues can enhance communication and relationship management.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

• Definition: The ability to perceive, understand, and regulate emotions in self and others.

• Components of EI:

  1. Perceiving emotions

  2. Understanding emotional meanings

  3. Regulating emotions in an adaptive manner

Impacts of Emotions in the Workplace

• Negative Effects: Emotions can lead to employee deviance, such as reduced productivity or workplace conflicts.

• Emotion Regulation: Effective management of emotions can improve task performance and foster positive workplace relationships.