Chapter 2

Perception,
Personality, and
Emotion

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Perception and Personality,

and
Emotions
Questions for Consideration
Questions for Consideration

What is perception?
What causes people to have different
perceptions of the same situation?
Can people be mistaken in their perceptions?
Does perception really affect outcome?
What is personality and how does it affect
behaviour?
Can emotions help or get in the way when
dealing with others?
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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 peoples 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.
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Why We Study Perceptions

We study this topic to better understand
how people make attributions about
events.
We dont see reality. We interpret
what we see and call it reality.
The attribution process guides our
behaviour, regardless of the truth of the
attribution
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Factors Influencing
Perception
The Perceiver
The Target
The Situation

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Exhibit 2-1 Factors that

Influence Perception
The Situation
Time

The Perceiver

Work setting
Social setting

Attitudes
Motives
Perception

Interests
Experience
Expectations

The Target
Novelty
Motion
Sounds
Size
Background
Proximity

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Perceptual Errors

Attribution Theory
Selective Perception
Halo Effect
Contrast Effects
Projection
Stereotyping

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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?
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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.

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Exhibit 2-2 Attribution

Theory
Observation

Interpretation
Distinctiveness
(How often does the
person do this in
other settings?)

Individual
behaviour

Consensus
(How often do other
people do this in
similar situations?)

Consistency
(How often did the
person do this in
the past?)

High
(Seldom)

Attribution
of cause

Low
(Frequently)
High
(Frequently)

Low
(Seldom)
High
(Frequently)

Low
(Seldom)

External
Internal

External
Internal

Internal
External

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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 persons evaluation is affected by comparisons
with other individuals recently encountered
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Additional Perceptual Errors

Projection
Attributing ones own characteristics to
other people

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

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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
individuals behaviour
The Big Five Model
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Exhibit 2-3 Sixteen Primary

Personality Traits
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Reserved
Less intelligent
Affected by feelings
Submissive
Serious
Expedient
Timid
Tough-minded
Trusting
Practical
Forthright
Self-assured
Conservative
Group-dependent
Uncontrolled
Relaxed

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

Outgoing
More intelligent
Emotionally stable
Dominant
Happy-go-lucky
Conscientious
Venturesome
Sensitive
Suspicious
Imaginative
Shrewd
Apprehensive
Experimenting
Self-sufficient
Controlled
Tense

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

The Big Five Model

Classifications
Extroversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Emotional Stability
Openness to Experience

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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 persons likeability and
team performance

Conscientiousness

* Positively related to job

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

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Exhibit 2-5 Big Five Personality

Factors and Performance
Big Five Personality
Factor

Relationship to Job
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

Relationship to Team
Performance

*Data unavailable

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Major Personality Attributes

Influencing OB

Locus of Control
Machiavellianism
Self-Esteem
Self-Monitoring
Risk Taking
Type A and Type B Personalities

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Self-Esteem
Individuals degree of liking or disliking
of themselves

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Self-Monitoring
A personality trait that measures an
individuals ability to adjust behaviour
to external situational factors

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Risk-Taking
Refers to a persons willingness to take
chances or risks

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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.

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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.
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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.

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Exhibit 2-6 Emotion

Continuum

Happiness

Surprise

Fear

Sadness

Anger

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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 whats
expected of them.

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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)
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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 individuals perceptions

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

OB at Work

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

For Review
1. Define perception.
2. What is attribution theory? What are its implications
for explaining organizational behaviour?
3. How are our perceptions of our own actions different
from our perceptions of the actions of others?
4. What is stereotyping? Give an example of how
stereotyping can create perceptual distortion.
5. Give some positive results of using shortcuts when
judging others.

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

For Review
6. What behavioural predictions might you make if you
knew that an employee had (a) an external locus of
control? (b) a low-Mach score? (c) low self-esteem?
(d) a Type A personality?
7. What are the personality dimensions of the Big Five
Model?
8. What is emotional labour and why is it important to
understanding OB?
9. What is emotional intelligence and why is it
important?
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

For Critical Thinking

1. How might the differences in experience of students and
instructors affect their perceptions of students written work
and class comments?
2. An employee does an unsatisfactory job on an assigned project.
Explain the attribution process that this persons manager will
use to form judgments about this employees job performance.
3. One day your boss comes in and hes nervous, edgy, and
argumentative. The next day he is calm and relaxed. Does this
behaviour suggest that personality traits are not consistent from
day to day?
4. What, if anything, can managers do to manage emotions?
5. Give some examples of situations where expressing emotions
openly might improve job performance.

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Breakout Group Exercises

Form small groups to discuss the following
topics.
1. Think back to your perception of this course and your
instructor on the first day of class. What factors may have
affected your perceptions of what the rest of the term
would be like?
2. Describe a situation where your perception turned out to
be wrong. What perceptual errors did you make that
might have caused this to happen?
3. Compare your scores on the Learning About Yourself
Exercises at the end of the chapter. What conclusions
could you draw about your group based on these scores?
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Supplemental Material
Slides for activities I do in my own
classroom

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Personality Inventory
In groups:
Quickly determine the means for each of the
personality items
Develop a summary statement of your group
based on the means for each of the items
What are the implications for the workplace of
scoring either high or low on these dimensions?
(Your group will be asked to examine one of the
dimensions)

Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

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 theres pressure to get the team on track because of the impending
class assignment deadline.
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

In Groups

Agree on answers to the following questions, then report back on your

groups conclusions. Time: 30 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 persons 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.
Source: Larry Anderson, Faculty of Commerce, UBC
Chapter 2, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.