Obstacles to Accurate Perception

Globalization brings people from different nationalities to work in one organization. When these people come and work in the same organization, they also hold different behaviors, and these become the touchy barriers for the organization to grow better. There are many barriers to the precise perception of others’ behavior. Each barrier is a possible source of misleading or distorted information. These barriers are included (Vecchio, 2006, pp. 40-43)

            A. Stereotyping: Stereotype is a judgment of others that is based on group membership. Such attributes as sex, race, ethic group, and age are the basis of commonly held stereotypes. This is not to say that stereotypes are totally worthless and inaccurate. In some instances, stereotypes can provide a useful shortcut for quick evaluation. But the potential cost of erroneous evaluations must always be considered.      

            B. Halo effect: The halo effect occurs when a perceiver uses a general impression of favorableness or unfavorableness as the basis for judgments about more specific traits. In essence, the perceiver’s evaluation is influenced by the overall information. The halo effect explains why a subordinate who is liked by a superior can do no wrong in the superiors’ eyes, while a subordinate who is disliked may have difficulty in obtaining a favorable review from the same superior.  

            C. Projection: It refers to ascribing ones own feelings and attributions to others. This mechanism helps us protect ourselves from unpleasant or unacceptable truths. An individual’s emotional state has been shown to influence his or her perception of that emotional state in others.

            D. Perceptual distortion: This refers to defending the egos by projecting feelings and attributes onto others. We may simply deny that something occurred or that we witnessed something. Similarly, we may modify or distort what we report in an attempt to avoid an unpleasant reality. It is related to our own personal perception.

            E. Selective perception: This rises from the tendency to be influenced by our own interest. It occurs in the organization when managers tend to interpret problem situations in light of their own background and interest.

Sam Aun (Andy)