Attribution theory:

Attribution theory:

• Our perception of people differs from our perception of inanimate (non-living) objects like desk, objects, machines, buildings.
• Non-living objects are subject to the law of nature, they have no belief, motives, or intensions, (people do).
• We attempt to develop explanations of why they behave in certain ways
• Our perception and judgment of a person’s action, therefore, will be significantly influenced by the assumptions we make about that person’s internal state.
• Attribution theory has been proposed to develop explanations of the way in which we judge people differently, depending on what meaning we attribute to a given behavior.
• When we observe an individual’s behavior we attempt to determine whether it was internally or externally caused.
• The determination largely depends on three factors:
• Distinctiveness
• Consensus
• Consistency
• Internally caused behavior: those are believed to be under the personal control of the individual. (e.g. lateness due to night party)
• Externally caused behavior: resulting from outside causes; the person is seen as having been forced into the behavior by the situation. (e.g. lateness due to accident or traffic on the road)
• Distinctiveness: refer to whether an individual displays different behavior in different situation. E.g. : Arriving late--àcomplaints by coworkers, blunders, mistakes.
• If yes (behavior of late employee is unusual), observer is likely to give the behavior external attribution.
• If no ( behavior of late employee is usual: behavior is judged as internal attribution)
• Consensus: everyone in same situation response in the same way, consensus in behavior
• All employees from same route , also late, high consensus, mean external attribution
• All other employee from same route reached at time: internal attribution.
• Consistency: person respond the same way over time
• 10 minutes late consistently (regularly): behavior is internally caused.
• Not late for several month, any day late: externally cause

Findings from attribution theory: there are errors or biases that distort attribution.

• Fundamental Attribution Error: the tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of others.
• Poor sales performance by agents, because of lazy agents, Internal factors
• Innovation product line by competitors, External factors.
• Self-serving bias: the tendency for individuals to attribute their own success to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on external factors.
• Success: own ability or efforts
• Failure: bad luck, coworkers.

 (Ref: Organization Behavior by SPRobbins)