Assignment Topic: Issues of Selective Attention

  

Assignment Topic: Issues of Selective Attention

 Baral Abita                                                                                   

Total word: 2534

Table of Content                                

Topic                                                                                                                                      page no

1.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................3

1.2 What is Selective attention? ...............................................................................................4

2. Issues of Selective attention..................................................................................................4

2.1 Non verbal communication....................................................................................4

            2.2 Barriers to communication.....................................................................................4

             2.2.1 Semantic barriers...................................................................................................4

            2.2.2 Organization barriers.............................................................................................5

            2.2.3 Psychological or perception barriers..................................................................5

            2.2.4  Physical Barriers.....................................................................................................5

 2.3 Bounded Rationality...............................................................................................................6

 2.4 Stereotyping..............................................................................................................................6

            2.4.1 Gender issue...............................................................................................................6

            2.4.2 Racial issues................................................................................................................6

3. How does issue of selective attention affect workplace...?.................................................7

            3.1 Real world example of selective attention issues..................................................7

4. How can a manager prevent issues of selective attention from arising?...................... ..8

5. Conclusion....................................................................................................................................10

6. Recommendation.........................................................................................................................10

Bibliography

Abstract

Perceived reality is not the actual reality, and is key issue for misunderstanding behaviour. How an individual perceive others and self is the root of the action and intentions of individual. The issue of selective attention arise from individual perceived and believe about other. Selective attention is one of the key issues in organization behaviour, which often lead workplace to negative path. The issues such as gender stereotyping, racial stereotyping, bounded rationality, barriers to communication, etc are issues of selective attention.

Understanding verbal and non verbal communication, avoiding stereotyping and effective communication help to avoid the issues from arising in an organization.

Key word: Selective attention, communication, workplace, stereotyping, etc..

1. Introduction:

1.1What is communication?

Communication is the process of establishing connection (or link) between two points for information exchange. It is through communication that people add value in innovation, quality, delivery and cost. (David Boddy, 2008) According to John E. Barbuto,(2000) understanding communication processes is a most important path for future leaders and managers to travel. Communication requires at least two people- a sender and receiver. Berlow conceptualized, communication process involved some different phase: message generation, encoding of message, selecting a medium for encoded message, and then decoding of the message (on the part of the receiver). After that feedback may occur in occasionally where the communication runs effectively both ways as the process continues. 

“Encoding is the process of organizing ideas into a series of symbols which is designed to communicate with the receiver.” (Andrew .J. Dubrin (2008)                                   

“Decoding is the stage of communication in which the receiver interpect the message and translate it into meaningful information.”  Andrew .J. Dubrin (2008)

“Feedback is stage of communication in which the receiver responds to the sender’s message.” Andrew .J. Dubrin (2008)

“Noise is anything which confuses, diminishes or interferes with communication.” (David Boddy, 2008)

Communication is the most important factor in business environment. Not only communication is important in the form of marketing communication mix (advertisement, personal selling, public relation, sales promotion and direct marketing) but also communication in between employee and employer in an organization is important. Because of the workplace diversity people from different country, ethnic background, and culture, manager may have problem in communicating with them. At the same time people from same country, ethnic background, culture and language may also have communication problem because of their differences in education level, family background, personality, etc. To increase productivity and enhance the relationship between the employers and employee, customer, suppliers and other stakeholder; manager should try to reduce the communication barriers. For this reason manager should have knowledge relating to the issues of selective attention in the work place.

1.2 What is selective attention?

 “Selective attention is defined as a process by which perception of certain stimuli in the environment is enhanced relative to other concurrent stimuli of less immediately priority.” (Robert A. Wilson, Frank C. Keil, 2001) The issue of selective attention arise from individual apparent and believe. Selective attention is one of matter in organization behaviour, which often direct workplace to unhelpful path.

2. Issues of selective attention:

2.1 Non Verbal communication: Nonverbal communication, consist of our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and even the tone of our voice. Non verbal communication occupy from 70 to 80% of the impact. The distant of comfort, touching, eye contact, personal space are the dimension of non verbal communication in a workplace.  Non verbal communication may cause the issues of selective attention.

For example: In Spain, Greece, Arab some other countries speaker maintain close eye contact all the time, at the same time Japanese avoid eye contact 90% of time.

Italians and South American tend show their feelings through intense body language, while Japanese tends to hide their feeling through interpersonal communication, which may create issue for selective attention in workplace.

Furthermore, barriers to communication may also cause the issues relating to selective attention on communication.   

K.D.  Koirala,(2006) assumed that different form of barrier might exist in between sender and receiver to breakdown the effectiveness of communication. Barriers could be physical barriers, semantic barriers and psychological barriers.

2.2.1 Semantic barriers: Semantic is the study of word or its meaning. The barriers which are related to language are semantic barriers. The receiver may be from different educational, social and cultural backgrounds. It is also arising due to the language differences of source and the sender, (Koirala, K.D (2005)). Sri Jinkushal, (2009) conceptualized, wrongly expressed word, faulty translation, confuse assumption, use of technical language are the difficulty connected to semantic.  For example:  In Finland, term ‘glass’ room is used for ‘class room’; we are sitting in Glass room ( class) and ‘trucks’ or trucks; he took two trucks every night.

2.2.2 Organization barriers:  Organization structure significantly has effects on potential of the employees so far communication is concerned.  According to Sri Jinkushal, (2009), “some foremost organization barriers in path of communication are organizational policies, organizational rules, status relation and complexity in an organization structure, organizational facilities and organizational level in hierarchy.”(Tulsian, (2009).

2.2.3 Psychological or perception barriers: Communication might be filtered or blocked by attitudes, viewpoint and value. Attitudes are picky views of individuals, circumstances and events that are base on beliefs.  Most common causes of psychological barriers are problems within communication.  Since, it is predictable, everyone has their own viewpoint and options of some sort of selections and interpretation within the process of communication is also expected. According to Sri Jinkushal, (2009), premature evaluation, emotional attitudes, poor retention of information are barriers to communication.

Graeme Burton (1988) convey, factor such as religion or culture are different types of barriers. For example:  Sikh tolerates for wearing a turban or an Australian is the ram of joke about kangaroos and beer then it is unfair blaming the turban or kangaroo. The barriers to open and welcoming communication is in brain of people. (Richard Dimbleby and Graeme Burton (1988))

2.2.4 Physical Barriers: Communication may be blocked or filtered by physical factor in the communication process. Kreitner (1988) recommended that communication breakdowns can be found in one of these four stages of communication:  distance, idea generation, encoding, selecting a medium, and decoding. Noise and clutter around taking and create a filter within the context of communication. (Richard Dimbleby and Graeme Burton (1988))

2.3 Bounded Rationality: Human beings are imperfect in their capability naturally; and for making rational decision. Each individual lack time and cognitive ability that is required to make a rational choice. Culture, tradition, habit and personality have huge impact on rational decision. Bounded rationality is an issue for selective attention. (Dr. Matt, Grawitch)

2.4 Stereotyping

“Stereotyping is the idea about the characteristics, attributes and behaviours of member of certain groups.” (Hilton and Von Hippel, 1998) Stereotyping may occur on the basis of gender, race and ethnicity as well as many other dimension of diversity.

2.4.1 Gender stereotyping (Issue):

Gender issue is bias in separation of gender in an approach which have preferences for one sex over another.  Gender role stereotyping is a very common on in society, which operate disadvantage to women in work place. In the prior studies by (Powell and Butterfield, 1979, 1989) women and men explained that superior manager should have predominantly ‘masculine’ characters which are traditionally associated with males. Thus, women who seek to management position will be victim of common stereotype of being unfit for position. These types of stereotypes are disadvantage to every level of staff.  (Margaret, Foregen, Karsten, 2000)

2.4.2 Racial Issue:

Race, the colour a person’s skin, generates a number of grave questions in the work environment. Respect, equal opportunity and fair dealing are the major concerns. A variety of terms such as Asian, white, Anglo American, black are often used to describe like group of people. (Margaret Foegen Karsten, 2000)

 According to the University of Notre Dame Counselling “Racial stereotypes are often negative.”   Tan, Fujioka, and Lucht, 1997 posit result of a national wide survey showed that Blacks, Asians and Hispanics were considered as junior, lazier, more violent level, fewer eager to be self supporting than whites.

For example: “People consider that Indian are lazy and depend on welfare”, (Tan, Fujioka, and Lucht, 1997)which  may not be true because the percentage of Indian who own the business is increasing day by day and this would not  happen if they were lazy or depend on welfare. And at the same time, African Americans are stereotypes; they are lazy, stupid and they live off welfare. (How do Americans view one another? The persistence of racial/ Ethnic Stereotypes”, 1998) Barack Obama is a great example to proved it as a false.

Tan, Fujioka, and Lucht, 1997 posit that, due to lack of opportunities to get in touch with other race in thoughtful setting is reason behind the racial stereotype. And at the same time, generalising all people with one concept and word of mouth may be other reasons.   

3. How does the issue of selective attention affect the organization?

Human beings are limited with knowledge, skill, educational and they are bounded by cultural, religion, ethical factors and etc, because of these reasons, personality of individual is different which may create problem for communication. This may affect the relation between the employer and employees; for example relation between manager and staff, supervisor and staff, etc, which may affect the productivity of an organization.  An organization with well experience and educated staff, enough financial resources and updated technology may not get success in their business career if communication system of the organization is not systematic and properly designed. 

3.1 Real world example of selective attention issues:

 Disney Company and problem associated with Selective attention

Disney land is one of the famous and big organizations in the world.  The issue of selective attention which is written in the paper are notice in Disney cooperation.  In Disney land, jobs are given according to the age, appearance, race, etc. For example: The most smart or white people get most admired front line job, old women sell merchandise, old men work in security, Haitian women are given job of housekeeper, African American work as a cook. Ellwood, (1998) And at the same time, the rate of staff turnover is between 200 and 300 percent per year. The prevailing culture of the organization is not employee friendly and have numerous issues, as a result, employee are forced to leave the organization.  Human Resource Department in Disney is spending huge sum of money for recruitment and selection, which is costly and time consuming. And at the same, training and development is given to new staff to train them well, but staffs are not happy and they leave the job within a year. Disney land is losing its time, money, and staff which consequences the productivity of the organization.  (Human resource practices at Disney, www.chrmglobal.com/.../Human-resource-practices-at-Disney.htm

Issues relating to Selective attention may also affect the relationship between the organization and its stakeholders, for an instant, the relationship between organization and customers, suppliers, government and shareholders. Effective and two ways   communication is only the factors which help to maintain superior relation between them and minimize the problem arise.

4. How can manager prevent issues of selective attention from arising?

4.1 Training and development: Training and development reside in its function in transforming the performance potential of employee and manager (Hyman, 1992) and in the way in which it serves to constitute employees as strategic resources as oppose to disposal commodities. (Keep, 1989). The proper training and development aim to build the skill, knowledge, effective communication and good relation between the employer and employee. In addition to this, manger should give training about how to maintain good relationship with co-worker so that issues of selective attention can be minimized or eliminated. Further, manager can classify training and development into different sector; for example:

Training related to dealing with Stakeholder, manager, co-worker, etc

Training related to effective communication, verbal and non verbal communication.

Training related to work place diversity and managing across culture, etc..

4.2 Organization culture: Every organization has its own culture, values, beliefs, vision, mission, goal and objective to obtain. Manger should try to make the employees familiar with the prevailing culture of an organization.  To fulfil this purpose, manager should arrange regular meeting, general assembly, organized weekly meeting with employees and other important parties who plays significance role for the development of organization. 

  

4.3 Effective communication: Manager should try to avoid the barriers to communication. Laurie J. Mullins (2007) posits non verbal communication play 70% for effective communication.  So manager should avoid the communication breakdown, to stop selective issues from arising. For example:

Telecom in Ireland is chosen as best working place in Ireland 2010, which was published by the Irish independent. The manager of Telecom believes that respect to employees, and honest communications are key reason for their success. For this reason manger should focus on honest communication to avoid selective attention. 

4.4 Right choice of medium and place for communication: John E. Barbuto 2000, conceptualized, that medium and place should be suitable for communication, which help the manger to deliver correct message to staff and can get feedback back from staff, which reduced the issues of selective attention.

4.5 Feedback from Employee: Manager should ask the feedback from staffs and other stakeholders like customers, supplies time to time. It may be monthly, every three month, or twice a year. It helps to build the trust between the employer and employee and to minimize issues of selective attention.  Joe Duffy CEO, BHY Mellon said to Irish time when his Financial Company was chosen as a best working place in Ireland, “we openly place that trust in our employees. And what we get in return is their trust.” This would probably be the good example employee trust and good communication are key issues for success in an organization.

4.6 Perception: Edward De Bono a psychologist proposed that reversal thinking, attention to particular problem and random thinking help in problem solving and decision making for a manager.

 Reversal Thinking: Manager should imagine the opposite attitude of particular issues at hand and using that image to inspire solution and put them in that condition and make decision.

Focus on particular problem: Manager should focus on particular part of the problem, and possibility another may be overlooked.

Random input: Manager can solve the problem of selective attending by viewing the problem completely from another side.  (Andrezej Huazynski, David. A. Buchana (2007).

4.7 Used decentralised communication system:  Manger should try to avoid using centralized communication, used decentralized communication. In decentralized communication the flow the message is smooth and short. And at the same time it will help to maintain good relation between employer and employee, which avoid the issue of selective attention. Google, Macdonald, etc all the successful organization are using decentralizes communication system; which probably are best working place in the world, where employee are considered as a main resources and assets of organization.

5. Conclusion:

The best workplaces deliver the best business performance even in the most difficult and changeling times. The relationship between the employees and employer, organization and its stakeholder should be smooth, blunder free, and ongoing. The relation can be superior by effective and two way communication. For effective communication manager should try to minimize or eliminate the issues and barriers related to communication. One of the major issues related to communication in an organization is selective attention.  Issues of selective attention often have negative impact in workplace. For this reason, mangers have to give special focus to reduce issues in a workplace. The issues related to selective attention are stereotyping, bounded rationality, psychological, physical, organization barriers for communication, etc. Manager can prevent these issues by implementing tool and techniques; such as training and development, effective communication, Right choice of medium and place for communication, decentralized communication system, etc.  

6. Recommendation:

Selective attention is the globe issue in workplace. Manager can divide workplace into two small teams for the feedback session or focus group so that variety of perspective and many ongoing issues in an organization can be identified. Manager should schedule regular feedback program from employee for stopping these issues from arising. The manager can schedule meeting and feedback program once a month, in every month three and more. Furthermore, manager should develop the skill of managing across culture in an organization and should be well aware of workplace diversity.

Bibliography

Books:

1.       Brian Webb, Frank Schlemmer, Information technology and competitive advantage in small firms. London, Prentice Hall.

2.      Boddy David, (2008), Management an introduction, London, Prentice Hall

3.      Chitode. J. S., (2008), Communication Theory, Pune Technical publication.

4.      DuBrin. Andrew J., (2008) Essentials of Management, Nelson Education Ltd, Canada.

5.       Dimbleby Richard, Burton Graeme (1988), more than words: an introduction to communication, New York, London.

6.      Ellwood, (1998), Inside the Disney Dream Machine, New York, New International,.

7.       Griffin Ricky W., Moorhead Gregory, Organizational Behaviour: Managing People and Organizations.

8.      Hilton and Von Hippel, (1996), Stereotypes, Annual Review of psychology.

9.      Huczynski Andrzej, Buchana David A, (2007), Organizational behaviour: an introductory text, Pearson education, London

10.  Hyman, (1992), The hand book of Human Resources Management, Oxford, Blackwell.

11.   Jablin Fredric M., Putnam Linda, The new handbook of organizational communication: advances in theory, Sage Publication, London

12.   Keep, (1989), New perspective on Human Resource Management, Routeledge  London,

13.   Koirala, K.D (2005), Marketing communication, Buddha publisher, Kathmandu

14.   Kreitner, R.  (1995), Management, (6^th Ed.).  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.

15.   Marley Christopher, Skinner Denise, Timothy Clark, (1998), Experiencing Human Resource Management, London, California, Sage publication,

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17.  M. Lurie. J., (2007), Organization Behaviour, (8^th edition), Prentice Hall, London

18.  Moseley James Lee, Designer Joan Conway, (2007), Training older workers and learners: maximizing the workplace performance, New York, Praeger Publicer

19.  Powell and Butterfied D.A., (1999), Handbook of Gender and Work, Sage Publication, London

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Websites:

1.      Article #2-3   (20^thFeb, 10)

             John.E Barbuto, (2000) 

             www.ibam.com/pubs/jbam/articles/vol2/article_12.htm

2.       filter theory of selective attention (psychology) -- Britannica ...(21^th Feb, 10)
www.britannica.com/.../filter-theory-of-selective-attention - Cached - Similar

3.       Nonverbal Communication Skills: The Power of Body Language( 20^th Feb, 10)

              www.helpguide.org/.../eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm

4.       The Politics of Emotion: A Feminist Reading of Bounded Rationality(25^th feb,10)

              DK Mumby - 1992 
              www.jstor.org/stable/258719

5.      How do American view one another? The Persistence of racial/ethnic stereotypes. (2002) (20^th, Feb)

http://racerelations.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diversityweb.org%2FDigest%2FW98%2Fresearch2.html

6.      Human resource practices at Disney

       7 May 2006 (20^th, Feb)

    www.chrmglobal.com/.../Human-resource-practices-at-Disney.htm

                                                                           

Journals:

1.      Szu-Hsien Chang and Brian H. Kleiner, (2003), Common Racial Stereotypes,( volume 22)

2.      Dimitrios Mihail, (2006), Gender-based stereotypes in the workplace: the case of Greece.

Online Newspaper articles:

1.      (No author), 2010, Best workplaces in Ireland 2010, Irish Independence, online,  (internet) 1^st march, 2010   

www.greatplacetowork.ie  and www.independent.ie