...Kelley’s Attribution Theory Essay In this essay, readers will be presented with the literature review of Kelley’s attribution theory (1967), which was developed after the research done by Fritz Heider on attribution theory (1944, 1958). Moreover, a real world example relating to the theory will also be discussed along with the limitations and the three elements of the theory, which are consistency, distinctiveness and consensus. With that, recommendations will be given on how my experience can be improved with the chosen theory. There have been a great number of research done on perception over the last decade and social psychology had been primarily focused, perceiving causes of a person’s behavior (Kelley and Michela, 1980). In Kelley (1973), it is mentioned that Heider (1958) research has played a major role in contributing to the origination of attribution theory and it is still the major source cited in publications. Kelley’s attribution theory was also built onto Heider’s (1958) theory with an understanding that humans are “naïve psychologists” determining behaviors based on causes and effects (Hewstone and Jaspars, 1987). In Kelley (1973), it was mentioned that the central idea of attribution theory is the causal concept where human’s behavior relies on either the characteristics of the person (internal attribution) or the environment (external attribution). To determine whether a person’s behavior is caused by internal or external attribution, Kelley’s theory requires...
Words: 2692 - Pages: 11
...Which motivational theory is influenced by personality? Discuss the motivational theory with the personality elements that are involved in the theory. What would be the likely effect of personality if you were to implement this method of motivation? Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y is influenced by personality. McGregor concluded that mangers’ views of the nature of human beings are based on a certain grouping of assumptions and that they tend to mould their behavior towards employees according to these assumptions. Under Theory X, the four assumptions held by managers are: 1. Employees inherently dislike work and whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it. 2. Since employees dislike work, they must be coerced, controlled or threatened with punishment to achieve goals. 3. Employees will avoid responsibilities and seek formal direction whenever possible. 4. Most workers place security above all other factors associated with work and will display little ambition. Under Theory Y, the four assumptions held by managers are: 1. Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play. 2. People will exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives. 3. The average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibility. 4. The ability to make innovative decisions is widely dispersed throughout the population and isn’t necessarily the sole province of those in management positions. Theory X assumes that lower-order...
Words: 1521 - Pages: 7
...accuracy of stereotypes. 4. Describe the attribution process and two attribution errors. 5. Diagram the self-fulfilling prophecy process. 6. Discuss three types of diversity initiatives. 7. Explain how the Johari Window can help improve our perceptions. 8. Identify the ‘Big Five’ personality dimensions. 9. Discuss the psychological dimensions identified by Jung and measured in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Perception and personality in organisations Why do so few women opt for careers in Engineering and Information Technology? •Sex-role stereotyping •Fewer role models •Low self-confidence •Image of industry Perceptual process model Environmental stimuli Feeling Hearing Seeing Smelling Tasting Selective attention Organisation and interpretation Emotions and behaviour © Ian Cugley/News Limited Selective attention • Characteristics of the object –size, intensity, motion, repetition, novelty Perceptual organisation/interpretation • Perceptual grouping principles –trends –similarity/proximity –closure • Perceptual context • Characteristics of the perceiver –values and attitudes –perceptual defence –expectations − condition us to expect events • Mental models –broad world-views or ‘theories-in-use’ –can blind people to potentially better perspectives 1 Social identity theory ACME widget employee Employees at other firms People living in other countries Graduates from other schools Social identity theory features • Comparative process –compare...
Words: 1017 - Pages: 5
...most decision making in organizations are not completely rational. Person perception is the main issue in organizational behavior and decision making for the fact that based on M.J. Martinko et al.’s (2007) assertion the limited information or immediate impressions of employee performance could result in an inaccurate perceptual judgment made by the employers. In an attempt to explain the ways in which people form perceptions about each other, this essay will examine the influence of the attribution theory towards decision-making and illustrate three common biases and errors that distort the attribution formation through the application of three mini-case. This essay will also discuss the importance of attribution theory in relation to organizational behavior as well as decision-makers in organizations. Attribution theory is concerned with how individuals perceive and infer causality (Robert E. Ployhart and Crystal M. Harold, 2004). Johns et al. (2007) also state that the attribution theory is an attempt when individuals observe behavior to determine whether it is internally or externally caused. Internally caused behaviors refer to the behaviors which are under individual control while externally caused behaviors are the result of outside causes (Johns et al. 2007). To distinguish whether the behavior is one’s own outcomes or others’ actions, Robert E. et al. (2004) applied three pieces of information which originate from the Kelly model to infer causality: first of all...
Words: 1239 - Pages: 5
...behaviour come from making attributions. Attributions are when we assign a causal meaning behind behaviour (Michael A. Hogg, 2014). For example, someone may attribute being given a compliment to dispositional factors such as them looking good or to external factors such at the other person being friendly. Attribution theories are not necessarily the actual cause of behaviour, but scientific theories behind what humans perceive to be the cause of behaviour (Försterling, 2013). Throughout our life we will construct our own, naive reasons for other peoples’ behaviour in order to gain a stable and predictive view of the world around us. While they are prone to...
Words: 1446 - Pages: 6
...from objective reality. People’s behaviour is based on their perception of what reality is, not reality itself. Factors that influence it Attribution theory The attribution theory is an attempt to determine whether an individual’s behaviour is internally or externally caused. Internally caused behaviours are those we believe to be under the personal control of the individual whereas externally caused behaviour is what we imagine the situation forced the individual to do. * Determinants of attribution 1. Distinctiveness: what we want to know is whether behaviour is unusual, if so we are likely to give it an external attribution. If not we will probably judge the behaviour to be internal. 2. Consensus: behaviour shows consensus when everyone who faces a similar situation responds in the same way. If consensus is high you will probably give an external attribution to the individual’s behaviour whereas if the consensus is low it will be attributed to an internal cause. 3. Consistency: does the person respond the say way over time? The more consistent the behaviour is the more we are inclined to attribute it to internal factors. Errors and bias that distort attribution: Fundamental attribution error: the tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgements about the behaviour of others. Self-serving bias:...
Words: 1619 - Pages: 7
...ATTRIBUTION THEORY (Attribution - to explain by indicating a cause) ATTRIBUTION THEORY - motivational theory looking at how the average person constructs the meaning of an event based on his /her motives to find a cause and his/her knowledge of the environment. Att. Theory basically looks at how people make sense of their world; what cause and effect inferences they make about the behaviors of others and of themselves. Heider states that there is a strong need in individuals to understand transient events by attributing them to the actor's disposition or to stable characteristics of the environment. The purpose behind making attributions is to achieve COGNITIVE CONTROL over one's environment by explaining and understanding the causes behind behaviors and environmental occurrences. Making attributions gives order and predictability to our lives; helps us to cope. Imagine what it would be like if you felt that you had no control over the world. (talk about later) When you make attributions you analyze the situation by making inferences (going beyond the information given) about the dispositions of others and yourself as well as inferences about the environment and how it may be causing a person to behave. Two basic kinds of attributions made: INTERNAL and EXTERNAL INTERNAL - dispositional EXTERNAL - situational Consequences of making inferences: 1) gives order and predictability; 2) inferences lead to behavior - you will...
Words: 2096 - Pages: 9
...kind of attribution do people most often make about others? Internal If Little Joey gets punished every time he plays with matches, Joey may develop a negative attitude toward matches. If so, what would social psychologists say best explain Joey's negative attitude toward them? operant conditioning Which of the following is NOT one of the three components of attitudes? Evaluative ________attribution is to person to as ________ attribution is to situation Internal; external Which of the following processes is most likely to lead to increased intrinsic motivation? self-perception processes One problem with using severe punishment to control behaviors is that it | serves as an external justification for "being good", so a child has no incentive to behave when s/he thinks s/he won't be caught | When we conclude that there is something about a situation that is causing a person's behavior, we are making a(n)______ personal attribution ________ refers to the desire to undertake an activity because of external rewards, not because we find it interesting or enjoyable in its own right. Extrinsic motivation In the forbidden toy experiment the boys least likely to play with the forbidden toy robot when later given the opportunity to play with any toy they wanted were those who 6 weeks earlier had been told simply "it is wrong to play with the robot" before being left alone with the toys. | | When people make the fundamental attribution error,...
Words: 994 - Pages: 4
...Discuss the errors in attribution Attribution= how people interpret and explain casual relationships in the world Attribution theory= ways in which people explain the behavior of others, or themselves with something else. Faulty assumptions, individuals attribute events. Situational= causality on external factor. Dispositional= causality on internal factor. Fundamental Attribution theory Tendency to over value dispositional factors, undermining situational explanations. Promotes understanding of common errors in explanation. Culturally biased and low in ecological validity. Jones and Harris (1967) Aim: investigate whether people would attribute behvaiors which people had a choice in disposition. Procedure: sample of university students read political student essays that were either pro or anti Fidel Castro. Told some writers freely chose be the pro or anti others were assigned determined by a coin toss. Participants asked to rate how pro/anti the attitudes of the writers were. Findings: participants believed writers freely chose= rated people who spoke in favor have a more positive attitude towards Castro (dispositional). Determined by coin toss= write in pro= more positive. Participants unable to see the influence of situational restraints placed upon writers could not refrain from dispositional belief even though participants were randomly assigned. Evaluation: lead to further research, all American sample, and question ecological validity. Suedfeld (2003) ...
Words: 1044 - Pages: 5
...The story is about a ski instructor named Miranda who is having several issues with her new boss, Hank because he has done and said many things over the course of the time that he has been there to show that he may be sexist. This scenario has a lot to do with perception. Perception is defined as “a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment” (Robbins & Judge, 166). This paper will discuss what perception is and how much of an impact in can have in the work place. Miranda’s perception of her boss Hank is that he is a sexist. The initial problem that is discussed is the fact that she did not like the fact that as one of the most experienced ski instructors at the resort but she was only being assigned to teach the children instead of the adults, the same for all the other female instructors. She sees how Hank separates the men and the women instructor to have a meeting about work procedure, “After introducing himself and Harika, he took the men to one room, and Harika took the women to another,” (Cohan, Fink,Gadon, Willits & Josefowitz, 2013). That was the first thing that bothered her because she could not understand what it is that had to be said to only the male instructors that could not also be said to the female. Although this bothered her initially, she decided to find a positive side to the situation, and went along with it. The more she went along with what was going around the job place...
Words: 1342 - Pages: 6
...The value of organizational behavior is that it isolates important aspects of the manager’s job and offers specific perspectives on the human side of management. Organizational behavior is a field of study, an applied field, and a study of what people do in organizations The field of organizational behavior attempts to understand human behavior in organizational settings, the organization itself, and the individual organization interface. Managers need to plan, organize, lead, and control Manager roles – interpersonal, informational, and decision-maiking. Manager skills – technical skills, interpersonal, conceptual, and diagnostic. Process approach – includes scientific management which used scientific methods to define the “one best way” for a job to be done. Human relation – focuses on the importance of the attitudes and feelings of workers Quantitative approach- includes applications of statistics, models System approach – provides useful framework for understanding how the elements of an organization interact among themselves Contingency approach – fit between organizational processes and characteristics of the situation. Three levels of analyses – individual processes (work attitudes), group processes (communication), and organizational processes (structure) Perception – set of processes by which an individual becomes aware of and interprets information about the environment. Perception influences – interpretation, spoken words, and visual images Perceptual...
Words: 583 - Pages: 3
...Psychological Theories 1. The Self-fulfilling theory The self-fulfilling theory deals with a prediction that directly or indirectly causes it to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior. In other words, it is based on the believe will come true because you will subconsciously and consciously act in ways that cause the event to happen. Self fulfilling theory was developed by Robert K. Merton, an American sociologist. It seeks to explain how a belief or expectation, whether true or not, affects the outcome of a situation or the behavior of a person or group. According to this theory, we form certain expectations of people or events and either consciously or unconsciously convey those expectations with various cues and signs, either in the way we talk or behave, that led to people adjusting their behavior to match those expectations. The result is that the original expectation becomes true (Tim, 2010). The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behavior which makes the original false conception come 'true'. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning.[1] In other words, a prophecy, strongly held belief, or a delusion, declared as truth when it is actually false may sufficiently influence people, either...
Words: 3727 - Pages: 15
...“eHRM”, “Did You Know”, “Best Practices” & “HR Oops” sections of the HR textbook. Make sure you download the post-lecture slides from Carmen On page 4 of this study guide I have provided some example questions. Remember the likely sources of exam material: • Material Found in Book & Slides (found both places) – MOST LIKELY • Material Found Only In Slides (I have placed an ASTERISK on slides with non-book content that is exam material) • Material Found Only In Book (e.g. definitions, frameworks,…) Strategy & Strategic OB: K&K Chapter 1: Definitions (key terms): contingency approach, human capital, management, organizational behavior, social capital, Theory Y, total quality management Reading: p.5-16 (just the top of 16) Key concepts Human Relations Movement Theory X, Theory Y Total Quality Management Deming’s 85-15 Rule Contingency Approach Human Capital Social Capital Congruence Model Organizational Culture & Socialization: K&K Chapter 2: Definitions (key terms): adhocracy culture, anticipatory socialization, change and acquisition, clan culture, enacted values, encounter phase, espoused values, hierarchy culture, market culture, mentoring, onboarding, organizational culture, organizational socialization Reading: p. 36-54 (just the top of 54) Key...
Words: 834 - Pages: 4
...How can Perceptions and Attributions Of Certain Roles in the Organization Be Controlled Within Organizational Change? Christine Freese 4020 Derby Drive, Cumming, GA 30040 cfreese@ariba.com 770-402-6287 MGMT591- Leadership and Organizational Behavior Joseph Walkowicz September 29, 2013 * Introduction a) The organization discussed in this research paper is Ariba, Inc (an SAP Company). Ariba is a software and information technology services company located in Sunnyvale, California. It was acquired by German software maker SAP AG in 2012. Ariba provides "Spend Management solutions" which help companies "analyze, understand, and manage their corporate spending to achieve cost savings and business process efficiency." Currently, 94 of the Fortune 100 and more than 200,000 other companies use Ariba's SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions to manage their spend and commerce activities. (Ariba, 2013) b) The role of the researcher is Senior Director of Global Commercial Operations for the Sales Organization. She manages the following teams; Requests for Proposals, Deal Pricing, Deal Bookings, Non Corporate Compensation, Commissions and overall Sales Operations. For the purposes of this paper her role will be related to the Account Executives (Sales people). Specifically in the area of recruiting and retention. c) Prior to the acquisition, Ariba was a 3,000 employee company with approximately 100 Account Executives worldwide. The main objective...
Words: 1345 - Pages: 6
...classroom since it is password protected. Don’t cheat! Anyone using their phone or any other electronic device besides your computer will receive an automatic zero and your college record will reflect this incident. This test has 65 questions. It should take you about an hour to complete (don’t worry, I will allow everyone time to finish - up to two hours). When you finish, quietly pack up and leave the room’. Please don’t stand right outside the door yakking with your buddies – it hinders the concentration of those still writing. Onward to the review: Chapter 1 Approx. 15 questions Know and be able to explain the basic definitions: - Organizational behaviour, manager, management, ethics, contigency etc Know McGregor's Theories Understand Globalization Study the Diversity wheel Chapter 11 Approx. 14 questions Know and be able to explain the basic definitions: - Organizational Culture, Values, Sustainability, mentor etc Know and be able to eplain the competing values Framework `- clan culture, adhocracy etc Know and understand Feldman's Model of Organizational Socialization - anticipatory socialization, encounter etc Understand the four functions of org. culture - identity, committment etc Chapter 12 Approx. 12 questions Know and be able to explain the basic definitions: - Org. Chart, span of control, organization, unity of control, sustainability (meeting the needs of...
Words: 410 - Pages: 2
