MGT3002 WEEK 2 DISCUSSIONS AND PROJECT

Perception, Individual Decision Making, Motivation

The statement "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder," illustrates both the subjective nature of beauty and the relevance of the individual in making subjective

decisions.

Perception is based on how people understand the different behavior and situations that they encounter. The attribution theory tries to explain how we attribute

meaning to a particular behavior. The focus of the theory is determining whether the behavior was the direct responsibility of the individual (an internal cause) or the result of outside forces (an external cause). Thus, we attribute employees' high productivity to their skills and hard work (internal), or to the supervision and

direction of management (external).

Perceptions signi�cantly in�uence our decision-making. In fact, our choice about whether or not a decision needs to be made may depend upon our perceptions of

the situation. Thus, one person may see a problem as not important while another may see it as something that requires immediate action. The rational model of

decision-making deals with these problems. In this model, we de�ne the problem, identify the decision criteria, give weight to the criteria in order to prioritize

them, develop possible alternatives, rate these alternatives on each criterion, and arrive at the best decision. 

If everyone in an organization were highly motivated, there might not be a need for an Organizational Behavior course. However, most people are not highly

motivated, and so it is important to understand the nature and complexities of human motivation. Motivation relates to an individual's desire to achieve a goal. 

Two types of theories, need-based and goal setting, are proposed to explain motivation. Need-based theories assume that drive or motivation develops from the

urge to satisfy a certain need. Goal setting theories assume that motivation is based upon meeting the challenges of speci�c goals or targets, as well as on feedback.

The importance of motivation and goal setting in business cannot be overstated. The setting of goals is important to guide the company and employees toward

de�ned objectives. Motivation is important because it is the psychological catalyst employees and owners require to reach the goal. Without goal setting and the

necessary motivation for goal attainment, businesses are without purpose or direction.

Additional Materials

Perception, Individual Decision Making, Motivation, Theories of Motivation (media/week2/SUO_MGT3002%20W2%20L1.pdf?

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