Leadership How Can Perceptions Affect

Leadership

How can perceptions affect a leader's interpretation of, and actions in response to, a particular situation? Using the role of teacher as a specific instance of leadership, discuss how a teacher's perceptual set may affect student motivation and performance. Do you think some teachers could become more effective by becoming more aware of these processes?

Perceptions are crucial to the interpretation of a given event or situation, as each person uses a different framework to assign meaning to and interpret the specifics of each situation. Arguably the more rigid and inflexible a given person's self-serving biases are, the more difficult it is for them to overcome these biases and accept concepts, thoughts, persons or situations that do not align with their specific self-serving bias framework. There is often in these situations a tendency to rely on assumptions regarding a person's intentions and competency using Attribution Error as well. In essence Attribution Error states that a person's judgments of another is based on their effort or innate abilities or lack of them rather than the broader environmental constraints that impact a person's abilities to accomplish their objectives or complete projects. In terms of the value of teachers having this training to be aware of their own perceptual biases and tendency to rely on Attribution Error, this could significantly increase their ability to assist students to learn more instead of judging then as either exceptionally bright or exceptionally challenged. Teachers being made aware of their own biases in terms of self-serving bias and Attribution Error would significantly increase their own effectiveness in being more efficient in helping students to learn; the impediment of judgment would be removed and teachers would be more effective as well.

4. How would you define motivation, satisfaction, and performance? What is your own view of what motivates people to work hard and perform well? What theory of job satisfaction best explains your actions either in school or at work?

The concepts of motivation, satisfaction and performance are interrelated as they collectively define the level of effort a person is willing to expend in order to get to their goals. Motivation is defined as the need for achievement a person has, including their intrinsic motivation to get to their goals. Satisfaction is based on fulfillment of cognitive theories of satisfaction that center on goal setting and expectancy theory.

Performance is defined by a person's level of achievement orientation, intrinsic motivation and goal setting cognitive processes all combined that leads to action being taken towards to the goal they are attempting to achieve. The theory that best describes my performance orientation at work and school is expectancy theory, as this theory concentrates on how the level of effort combined with ability equals results. This theory also suits me well as I believe that the greater the effort and intensity, the higher the probabili8ty of attaining ones' objectives. There is also the element of continual learning, both at work and school to interpret and when applicable, use the lessons learned. Expectancy theory also is well-suited for accounting for environmental factors that can at times be uncontrollable yet capitalized on, leading to the attainment of objectives in the future. Finally, expectancy theory also concentrates on how the concepts of valence, or strength of a person's preference for a given outcome, when combined with instrumentality and expectancy, can accurately predict the attainment of objectives over time. The concept of linking effort and results is appealing.

6. What are the common characteristics of charismatic and transformational leadership? Compare Colin Powell and Osama bin Laden as charismatic or transformational leaders. Would your answer differ if you were sympathetic to their cause?