Ans:
The process through which a person chooses, arranges, and interprets stimuli to create a meaningful image of the environment in which he lives is known as Perception. It is a complex process and differs from one individual to another depending on the needs, values and expectations of the individual. The perception of two individuals may differ even if they are expressed to the same stimuli, under the same conditions. If a manager, in an organization, comes to each employee’s desk and interacts with him, one employee may perceive the manager as friendly in nature while another may perceive the visit as an attempt by the manager, to keep an eye on them.
Sometimes, an individual perception may be far removed from reality. Suppose, after a meeting with managers, a union leader decides to withdraw some of the demands of the union and asks his employees to cooperate with the management. Some employees may perceive this as a result of the union leader having been purchased by the administration to act in their favour. But the reality may be that the union leader was convinced by the management about the inability of the organization to fulfil the demands of the union owing to the poor financial health of the organization.
People respond to situations on the basis of their perception of reality rather than the reality itself. Hence, it is essential to recognize the differences in the perceptions of individuals to understand their behaviour at the workplace.
For instance, most managers believe that all employees want the freedom to make decisions, when in fact, some subordinates may not want this freedom because it would mean taking on more responsibility and being held accountable for poor decisions. Here, the perception of the manager differs from that of the subordinates.