PERCEPTION
Meaning and definition
Nature of perception
Components of perception
Factors influencing perception
Perceptual process
Perceptual errors/ distortion
Importance of perception
Managerial implications of perception
Strategies for improving perceptual skills
Meaning & definition of perception
MEANING
• It refers to the stimuli that our senses gain from the surrounding
• It comprises of 5 senses which are touch, smell, taste, sight and sound
• It includes cognitive processes that are needed to derive information like
detecting the face or recognizing the voice of a person
• It is the mechanism which enables a person to understand and organise his
thoughts and ideas pertaining to his environment
• At the last the judgment might not be neutral
DEFINITION
• According to, “Perception may be defined as a process by which individuals
organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their
environment”.
• According to, “Perception is selection and organisation of material which stems
from the outside environment at one time or the other to provide the meaningful
NATURE OF PERCEPTION
• Intellectual process
• Psychological process
• Subjective process
• Lens providing worldview
• Socially connected
• Culturally influenced
• Self-fulfilling
FACTORS INFLUENCING PERCEPTION
Internal factors (characteristics of the perceiver)
• -need and motives
• -Self-concept
• -Beliefs
• -Past experience
• -Current psychological state
• -Expectation
External factors (characteristics of the target or perceived)
• -size
• -intensity
• -frequency
• -status
• -contrast
Characteristics of situation
PERCEPTUAL PROCESS
Perceptual selection
• -sensory activation
• -Sensory adaptation
Perceptual organisation
• Factors affecting perceptual organisation
• -figure and ground
• -perceptual grouping
• Perceptual constancy
• Perceptual context
• Perceptual defense
Perceptual interpretation
• -dynamic / influential
• -Ambiguous in nature
• -depends on stimuli
MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS OF PERCEPTION
• Motivation
• Hiring
• Performance expectations
• Performance appraisal
• Employee effort
• Employee loyalty
• Building relationships
• Self-assessment and development
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING PERCEPTUAL SKILLS
• Have a high level of Self-awareness
• Seek information from various sources
• Be empathetic
• Influence perceptions of other people
• Avoid inappropriate attributions
• Diversity management programmes