UNIT : 2 – Perception – Process – Factors 5) Socially Connected: Every individual needs

affecting perception – Learning – Theories of to understand the nature of another person

learning – Social learning – Learning curve. from time to time because an individual’s
mindset evolves. Hence, it is asserted that
Meaning : perception is socially interconnected.
Perception is the organization, 6) Culturally Influenced: People’s views about
identification, and interpretation the world can be influenced by their cultural
of sensory information in order to represent values. For example, People from different
and understand the presented information or cultures speak different languages.
environment. All perception involves signals
that go through the nervous system, which in 7) Self-Fulfilling: When discussing person
turn result from physical or chemical perception, the perceiver and the perceived
stimulation of the sensory are the persons, making the scenario more
system. Vision involves light striking complex.
the retina of the eye; smell is mediated
by odor molecules; Importance of Perception
and hearing involves pressure waves.
 Perception plays a very important
Definition: role in shaping the personality of an
individual.
“ Perception can be defined as a process by
which individuals organise and interpret their  Perception is central in interpreting
sensory impressions in order to give meaning the world around us.
to their environment” – Stephen.P .Robbins
 Perception affects the outcome of our
Uday Pareek said perception can be defined behavior because we act on the basis
as “the process of receiving, selecting, of what we see.
organizing, interpreting, checking, and
 An understanding of perception is
reacting to sensory stimuli or data.”
important to understand and control
the human behavior.

 Because people’s behavior is based

on their perception of what reality is,
not on reality itself.

1)Int Perception Process :

ellectual Process: Perception involves the
selection, organising, and analysis of data
from the surroundings to gain some
viewpoints. Hence, it is an intellectual
process.

2) Psychological Process: Perception is based

on the psychology of people. Hence, the
perception of the environment influences how
a person acts, thinks, or feels.

3) Subjective Process: Two or more

individuals may perceive the same event in
different ways. This depends on their ability
to choose what to understand, and how to
classify the information collection and
analysis of the event. Thus, perception is a
subjective process.

4) Lens Providing Worldview: Perception acts Perception involves five sub-processes.

as a lens because it equips a person with a
viewpoint about his surroundings and reality.
Stimulus Situation
Perception initiates with the presence of a Characteristics of the Perceiver
stimulus situation. In organizational settings
the superior forms the stimulus situation for Several characteristics of the perceiver
the subordinate’s perceptual process. This is can affect perception. When an
governed both by factors external to the individual looks at a target and
perceived, such as the characteristics of the attempts to interpret what he or she
stimulus, and internal to the individual, such stands for, that interpretation is heavily
as the personality disposition and influenced by personal characteristics of
motivations of the perceiver. the individual perceiver.

Physiological Mechanism The major characteristics of the

perceiver influencing perception are:
Registration involves the physiological
mechanism including both sensory and 1. Attitude
neural. Obviously, an individual’s
2. Motives
physiological ability to hear and see
influences his perception. 3. Interest

4. Experience
Interpretation is a Highly Crucial Sub- 5. Expectation
Process
6. Self-Concept
Interpretation is a highly crucial sub-process.
Other psychological processes assist in Attitude :
perceptual interpretation. For instance, in
work settings, motivation, personality,
and learning process determine an The attitude and aptitude of employees
individual’s interpretation of a stimulus influence perception formation. If they have
situation. the perceiver’s assumptions of positive attitudes towards the management,
people and events and attributions about they directly perceive the stimuli given by
causes of behavior and feelings. management. In the case of negative
attitudes, the employees suspect the
management’s approach. Employees of high
Feedback
aptitude have a desire and attitude for
Feedback is important for interpreting growth. They behave positively toward the
perceptual event data. In work settings, the management of an organization.
psychological feedback that is likely to affect
Motives
a subordinate’s perception may be in the
form of a variation in the behavior of the The motives and desires of employees cause
superior. them to view stimuli differently as per their
level and angle. Helpful motives of the
Perception Ends in Reaction or
employees will always assist the
Response
management. If they desire to develop
Perception ends in reaction or response, themselves and the organization, they will
which may be in the overt or covert form. As perceive objects and situations positively.
a consequence of perception, an individual Employees having low motives will not work
responds to work demands. These sub- sincerely. The perception will differ depending
processes indicate the complexity of on different types of motives.
perception. Covert response will be reflected
in the attitudes, motives, and feelings of the
perceiver and overt responses will be Interest
reflected in the actions of the individual.
The interest of individuals draws more
attention and recognition to stimuli. Less
attention and recognition lowers the impact
Factors affecting Perception :
of stimuli or objects on behaviour. If
1. Characteristics of the Perceiver employees lack interest, behaviour pattern
will be less effective, and the perception will
2. Characteristics of the Target be weak.
3. Characteristics of the Situation Experience
The experience of employees results in Physical appearance plays a big role in our
different levels of perception. A young perception of others. The perceiver will notice
employee takes time to understand the the target’s physical features like height,
object and situation. Experienced employees weight, estimated age, race and gender.
generally understand objects quickly and Perceivers tend to notice physical
correctly. However, in contradictory appearance characteristics that contrast with
situations, it is difficult to correct aged the norm, that are intense, or that are new or
persons, whereas the young are easily unusual.
moulded towards achieving the objectives of
the organization. Verbal communication

Verbal communication from targets also

affects our perception of them. We listen to
Expectation the topics they speak about, their voice tone,
and their accent and make judgements based
Expectations distort perceptions. People see on this input.
what they expect to see. If they see the
object and the situation differently from their
expectations, they get frustrated. They are
unable to modify their behaviour. The Non-verbal communication
employees may expect more pay and so they
Non-verbal communication conveys a great
perceive the management from that angle.
deal of information about the target. The
The real stimuli are not properly perceived if
perceiver deciphers eye contact, facial
expectations exist there on. The
expressions, body movements, and posture
management has to evolve expectations for
all in an attempt to form an impression of the
proper perception.
target.
Self-Concept
Targets are not looked at in isolation; the
Another factor that can affect social relationship of a target to its background
perception is the perceivers’ selfconcept. An influences perception because of our
individual with a positive self-concept tends tendency to group close things and similar
to notice positive attributes in another things together.
person. In contrast, a negative self-concept
Objects
can lead a perceiver to pick out negative
traits in another person. Greater Objects that are close to each other will tend
understanding of self allows us to have more to be perceived together rather than
accurate perceptions of others. separately. As a result of physical or time
proximity, we often put together objects or
events that are unrelated.
Characteristics of the Target
People, objects or events that are similar to
each other also tend to be grouped together.
The greater the similarity, the greater the
Characteristics in the target that is being probability we will tend to perceive them as a
observed can affect what is perceived. group.
Physical appearance plays a big role in our
perception of others. Extremely attractive or
unattractive individuals are more likely to be
Characteristics of the Situation
noticed in a group than ordinary looking
individuals. Change in situation leads to incorrect
perception about a person.
Motion, sound, size and other attributes of a
target shape the way we see it. The factor that influence the perception are:
1. Physical appearance 1. Time
2. Verbal communication 2. Work setting
3. Non-verbal communication 3. Social setting
4. Objects

Physical appearance Time

The situation in which the interaction
between the perceiver and the target takes
place has an influence on the perceiver’s
impression of the target.

Work setting

We would have very frequently heard people

say that their manager is different during
working hours and 1800 opposite while in a
social setting.

Social setting

The strength of the situational cues also

affects social perception. Some situations
provide strong cues as to appropriate
behaviour. In these situations, we assume Key Concepts:
that the individual’s behaviour can be
accounted for by the situation and that it Stimulus-Response Associations: Learning
may not reflect the individual’s disposition. occurs through associations between stimuli
This is the discounting principle in social and responses.
perception.
Conditioning: Environmental stimuli
Learning become linked with specific responses
through repeated exposure.
Definition: Learning is a complex and
dynamic process involving the acquisition of Application in Business:
knowledge, skills, attitudes, or behaviors
through experience, study, and teaching. In a Marketing: Advertisers use classical
business context, learning is essential for conditioning to associate positive emotions
adaptation, skill development, and overall with products, creating favorable consumer
organizational growth. responses.

b. Cognitive Learning Theory:

Theories of Learning: Key Concepts:

a. Behavioural Learning Theory Mental Processes: Learning involves

(Pavlovian/Classical Conditioning): mental processes such as memory, problem-
solving, and critical thinking.

Reward and Punishment: Behavior is

influenced by consequences, including
rewards and punishments

Application in Business:

Decision Making: Cognitive learning theory

is relevant in understanding how individuals
make decisions based on their cognitive
processes and the perceived outcomes of
their choices.
c. Operant Conditioning Learning encouraging employees to actively engage in
Theory: problem-solving and creative thinking.

Key Concepts In summary, learning and the associated

theories play a fundamental role in the
Reinforcement: Strengthening behavior success and growth of businesses. By
through consequences—positive adds, incorporating diverse learning strategies and
negative removes. understanding individual and collective
learning processes, organizations can
Punishment: Decreasing behavior by adding
enhance employee performance, foster
something aversive (positive) or removing
innovation, and adapt to ever-changing
something desirable (negative).
business environments.
Extinction: Diminishing behavior by ending
reinforcement.
Learning Curve :
Shaping: Gradually reinforcing steps toward
a target behavior.

Application in Business

Operant conditioning shapes employee

behavior through positive recognition and
rewards, fostering motivation, while in
customer relations, loyalty programs and
positive reinforcement counterbalance
potential negative experiences, influencing
customer loyalty and behavior in business
settings.

d. Social Learning Theory (Bandura):

Key Concepts:

Observational Learning: Learning occurs

through observing and imitating others.

Modeling: Individuals model their behavior

based on the actions of others.

Application in Business:

Training Programs: Social learning theory

supports the effectiveness of on-the-job
training and mentorship programs, where
employees learn by observing experienced
colleagues.

Benefits of Applying Learning Theories

in Business:

Employee Development: Understanding

learning theories helps design effective
training programs that align with employees' A “learning curve” is the rate at which
cognitive processes, maximizing skill someone acquires a new skill or knowledge.
acquisition. The curve aspect of the term comes from the
Adaptive Leadership: Leaders who grasp graphical representation that plots the
various learning theories can adapt their progress of learning against the time or effort
leadership styles to better suit the needs and invested.
learning preferences of their team members.

Innovation and Problem Solving: The curve usually starts low, indicating we’re
Applying experiential and constructivist unlikely to know a lot at the start. As the
learning principles fosters innovation by learning curve continues, the line on the
graph ascends, illustrating increasing can give we a significant advantage
proficiency or understanding. in a competitive market.

While the basic concept is straightforward,

various factors such as individual aptitude,
the complexity of the task, and available Questions :
resources can influence the shape. Over time,
1. What is Perception ?
learning curves have been questioned as an
effective measure for ranking a cohort’s 2. Discuss in detail the various
learning speed, as everyone learns so stages involved in perception
differently. process.

 Efficient planning: Knowing how 3. Elaborate on factors determining

quickly skills are gained can help we the perception .
plan training sessions more
effectively. If we need more resources 4. Briefly state Cognitive Theory.
for certain teams, you can plan
5. Elaborate on the theories of
accordingly.
learning .
 Cost savings: A well-understood
6. Discuss about Learning Curve .
learning curve can help we predict
the financial resources needed for a
training programme. This is useful for
budgeting and ensures we don’t
overspend.

 Time management: When we

understand how long it takes to
master a skill, we can schedule
training programs accordingly. This
ensures that employees spend their
time productively.

 Personalised
learning: Understanding individual
or departmental learning curves
allows for a more tailored training
approach. This not only improves the
training’s effectiveness but also
enhances learner engagement.

 Performance metrics: A learning

curve can serve as a baseline to
measure the effectiveness of our
training programs. Comparing actual
performance against the expected
learning curve can provide valuable
insights.

 Resource
allocation: Understanding the
learning curve helps we allocate
resources where they are most
needed. Whether it’s more hands-on
training or additional eLearning
materials, we can make data-driven
decisions.

 Competitive advantage: A well-

managed learning curve can speed
up the skill acquisition rate within our
organisation. A faster learning team