Perception, Attribution, Emotions & Stress Prof Karen Hanen Mgt 360

Perception The process through which people receive, organize and interpret information from the environment People can perceive the same things or situations differently People behave on the basis of their perceptions Psychological contract Person-job fit begins here A set of expectations held by an individual about what will be given and received in the employment relationship An ideal work situation is one with a fair psychological contract Balance of contributions and inducements Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 15.1 Components in the psychological contract Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Perception & Attribution Attribution The process of developing explanations for events Fundamental attribution error Occurs when observers blame another’s performance failures or problems on internal factors rather than external factors Self-serving bias Occurs because individuals blame their personal performance failures or problems on external factors and attribute their successes to internal factors Perceptual Distortions Stereotypes Occur when attributes commonly associated with a group are assigned to an individual Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Ability, Age, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Medical Condition, Marital Status, Etc. Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Perceptual Distortions Halo effects Occur when one attribute is used to develop an overall impression of a person or situation Impression Management Systematic attempt to influence how others perceive us dress to convey positive appeal flatter others to generate positive feelings when conversing, make eye contact and smile display a high level of energy Selective perception The tendency to define problems from ones’ own point of view (you see what you want to see – view life from your own lens) Projection The assignment of personal attributes to other individuals Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Attitudes Attitude A predisposition to act in a certain way toward people and things in one’s environment Components of attitudes: Cognitive component Affective or emotional component Behavioral component Cognitive dissonance The discomfort a person feels when attitudes and behavior are inconsistent Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Attitudes Job satisfaction The degree to which an individual feels positively or negatively about various aspects of work Common aspects of job satisfaction: Work itself Quality of supervision Coworkers Opportunities Pay Work conditions Security Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. What Other Sources of Job Satisfaction Can You Think Of?

Attitudes Satisfaction-related concepts having quality of work life implications … Strong positive feeling about one’s job and the organization Employee engagement The extent to which an individual is dedicated to a job Job involvement Loyalty of an individual to the organization Organizational commitment Willingness to do more than the minimum required Organizational citizenship Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Attitudes Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Do you Agree or Disagree that Satisfaction leads to better Performance, which in turn, leads to higher Satisfaction?

Emotions & Emotional Intelligence Emotions Strong feelings directed toward someone or something Emotional intelligence Ability to understand emotions and manage relationships effectively Emotional Intelligence covers Personal Qualities: Initiative Empathy Adaptability Persuasiveness Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Emotional Intelligence Self-awareness Self-management (Regulation) Social-awareness (Empathy) Social-awareness (Empathy) Relationship Management The four steps of emotional intelligence build upon one another.

Emotional Intelligence Self-Awareness - the ability to recognize & understand your moods, emotions and drives and their impact on others. Self-Management/Self-Regulation - the ability to regulate and redirect one’s own disruptive impulses and moods. Social-Awareness/Empathy - the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. Relationship Management/Social Skill - the ability to build social networks, find common ground, and build rapport.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2-13 Social Intelligence 1.An accurate perception of other’s emotional and behavioral responses. 2.The ability to cognitively and emotionally relate to the responses of others. 3.Social knowledge 4.Social problem solving 13

Moods & Stress Moods Generalized positive and negative feelings or states of mind Mood contagion Spillover of one’s positive or negative moods onto others Stress A state of tension experienced by individuals facing extraordinary demands, constraints, or opportunities Stressors Originate in work, personal, and non-work situations Have the potential to influence work attitudes, behavior, job performance, and health Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stress Consequences of stress: Constructive stress (aka eustress) Acts as a positive influence Can be energizing and performance enhancing Destructive stress (aka distress) Impairs performance Breaks down a person’s physical and mental systems Can lead to job burnout and/or workplace rage Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stress Work factors as potential stressors: Includes: Excessively high or low task demands Role conflicts or ambiguities Poor interpersonal relationships Too slow or too fast career progress Work-related stress syndromes: Set up to fail Mistaken identity Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 15.3 Potential negative consequences of a destructive job stress-burnout cycle Copyright ©2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2-18 Managing Stress A Hierarchy of Approaches Enactive Strategies: Eliminate stressors Proactive Strategies: Develop resiliency strategies Reactive Strategies: Learn temporary coping strategies 18

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2-19 Effective Time Management 1.Spending time on important matters 2.Distinguishing between important tasks versus urgent tasks 3.Focus on results rather than methods 4.Not feeling guilty when saying “no” 19

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2-20 Small Wins Strategy Identify something under your control Change it in a way that leads toward desired goal Find another small thing to change and change it Keep track of changes made Maintain the small gains made through change 20

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2-21 Balancing Life Activities Insert figure

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2-22 Resiliency The capacity to withstand or manage the negative effects of stress, to bounce back from adversity, and endure difficult situation 22 Physiological ResiliencyPsychological Resiliency Social Resiliency Cardiovascular conditioning Proper diet Balanced lifestyle Hardy personality Small-wins strategy Supportive social relations Mentors Teamwork

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2-23 Temporary Stress Reduction Techniques Physiological Techniques Muscle relaxation Deep breathing Psychological Techniques Imagery and fantasy Rehearsal Reframing 23

Next Class – Feb 29 Complete your 4th OQ this week, Due Friday, Feb 26, 11:55pm Complete your 5th OA this week before 11:30 am next class Read CH 14 Class Paper Assignment Feb 15- Due March 28, 11:30am Post General Questions on Moodle or me – Have a great week!!