This chapter has examined thecore cognitive processes and has illustrated their importance to organizationalbehavior. To begin with, it looks at perception and specifies threecharacteristics of the perceptual process. Perception was first characterizedas a selective activity. People cannot perceive all the stimuli confrontingthem from the surrounding environment. Thus, it is safe to say that managerialaction usually takes place on the basis of imperfect or incomplete information.The stimuli that are selected are usually those that reinforce the attitudes ofthe perceiver.
Perception is furthercharacterized by closure. Even though people selectively screen environmentalstimuli, they fill in gaps and complete the perceptual picture as if they hadcomplete information. Finally, perception takes place within a context. Thecontext helps people to orient themselves to reality. In practical terms, theperceptual process is important is important to management because this processdetermines the quantity and quality of information upon which decisions aremade.
Learning is discussed as acognitive process. a distinction is made between classical and instrumentalconditioning, in classical conditioning a stimulus is presented prior to orsimultaneously with a response. In instrumental conditioning a response occursin anticipation of some consequence. In recent years some of the most importantimplications of learning theory for management have been in the area of motivation.
The cognitive process of humanproblem solving has been examined. Its noted that few real-world situations,present individuals with one, and only one, course of action. Usually, one mustmake a choice among alternatives and engage in problem solving. Applications ofproblem solving were shown to be evident in the managerial activity of decisionmaking. Two approaches to decision making have been analyzed. Normativedecision theory tells us how decisions ought to be made if maximizing behavioris to be achieved. Behavioral decision theory tells us how decisions areactually made and does not attempt to prescribe normative guidelines. Theobjective of core cognitive processes has set the stage for discussion of modernmotivation theory and practice, which is the next topic.
