Perception is how we understand the world around us. It’s like a mental filter that helps us make sense of what we see, hear, and feel. Our brain takes in information from our senses and organizes it, so we can recognize things and decide what they mean. But sometimes, our thoughts and experiences can influence how we see things, leading to different interpretations. This process shapes our feelings, thoughts, and actions, impacting how we interact with people and our environment.
In organizations, how employees see things is really important. It shapes how they understand and feel about their workplace. It’s like a lens through which they look at everything, like their surroundings, the people they work with, their tasks, and the overall vibe of the company. This lens affects how they act and think, which has a big impact on how the organization works. When they start working, they get a lot of information from what they see, hear, and experience. They sort through all of this information and decide what’s important based on what they like, what they’ve been through before, and the situation they’re in.
This process creates mental frameworks called “schemas.” These help employees understand things quickly by finding patterns and connections. But sometimes these schemas can cause misunderstandings because they can also lead to biases or wrong ideas about the same thing. So, it’s important for business leaders to understand how perception works to help everyone see things more clearly.
How employees see their work and the organization really matters. If they see things positively, like being treated fairly, having chances to grow, and being in a supportive environment, they’ll likely be happier and more engaged. But if they see things negatively, like favoritism or not getting enough recognition, they might become unhappy and less involved. This affects how much effort they put into their work and how long they stay in the company, which ultimately affects the health and future of the company.
Business leaders also need to pay attention to how employees see them. If employees see leaders as friendly and trustworthy, they’re more likely to listen and cooperate. But if they see leaders as distant or bossy, they might not feel as comfortable speaking up or working together. The way employees see the company’s culture is also important. Company’s culture influences how employees see things. If the culture values fairness and open communication, employees will likely see things positively. But if the culture is secretive or unfair, employees might not trust what they see.
On the other hand, characteristics of the perceiver can also affect perception. When a person looks at a goal and attempts to interpret what it stands for, that interpretation is heavily influenced by the individual characteristics of the individual thinker. The perception of individuals is basically determined by their internal needs and motives. How a person actually views others or the rest of the world will clearly determine how he thinks of himself, or his self-concept. It is largely based on the complex psychological makeup of individuals. Besides, people’s perception is greatly influenced by their past experiences. A person having good experience in the past will perceive accordingly and vice versa. The experience of employees results in different levels of perception. A young employee takes time to understand the object and situation. Experienced employees generally understand objects quickly and correctly. Furthermore, expectations are a major player in deciding how a person will feel. The employees may expect more pay and so they perceive the management from that angle. The attitude and aptitude of employees influence perception formation. If they have positive attitudes towards the management, they directly perceive the stimuli given by management. In the case of negative attitudes, the employees suspect the management’s approach. Employees of high aptitude have a desire and attitude for growth. They behave positively toward the management of an organization.
The fundamental attribution error occurs when individuals tend to attribute others’ behavior to internal or dispositional factors while overlooking the influence of external or situational factors. For example, if someone sees a coworker arrive late to work, they may assume the coworker is lazy or irresponsible (internal attribution) rather than considering that there might have been traffic or an emergency (external attribution) causing the lateness.
Various empirical reviews show that perception is the experience of an object, incident, or relation resulting from the conclusion of information and interpretation of meaning. It is a psychological process that involves the brain translating the sensory experience into the human senses. There are two types of perception: positive and negative. Positive perception describes information knowledge positively, allowing individuals to accept and support the perceived object, while negative perception describes information negatively or not suitable for the perceived object. Thus, as business and corporate organizations are competing for success, it is important for them to understand how perceptions of those associated with those organizations can help and hinder their progress. In the world of business, organizations and entrepreneurship, perception matters a lot.
Upasana Paudyal is a BBA student at Bhaktapur Multiple Campus.
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