THE COGNITIVE BASIS OF INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR - OB

This chapter has examined the core cognitive processes and has illustrated their importance to organizational behavior. To begin with, it looks at perception and specifies three characteristics of the perceptual process. Perception was first characterized as a selective activity. People cannot perceive all the stimuli confronting them from the surrounding environment. Thus, it is safe to say that managerial action usually takes place on the basis of imperfect or incomplete information. The stimuli that are selected are usually those that reinforce the attitudes of the perceiver.

Perception is further characterized by closure. Even though people selectively screen environmental stimuli, they fill in gaps and complete the perceptual picture as if they had complete information. Finally, perception takes place within a context. The context helps people to orient themselves to reality. In practical terms, the perceptual process is important is important to management because this process determines the quantity and quality of information upon which decisions are made.

Learning is discussed as a cognitive process. a distinction is made between classical and instrumental conditioning, in classical conditioning a stimulus is presented prior to or simultaneously with a response. In instrumental conditioning a response occurs in anticipation of some consequence. In recent years some of the most important implications of learning theory for management have been in the area of motivation.

The cognitive process of human problem solving has been examined. Its noted that few real-world situations, present individuals with one, and only one, course of action. Usually, one must make a choice among alternatives and engage in problem solving. Applications of problem solving were shown to be evident in the managerial activity of decision making. Two approaches to decision making have been analyzed. Normative decision theory tells us how decisions ought to be made if maximizing behavior is to be achieved. Behavioral decision theory tells us how decisions are actually made and does not attempt to prescribe normative guidelines. The objective of core cognitive processes has set the stage for discussion of modern motivation theory and practice, which is the next topic.