Write a to page paper in which you:
1.Discuss why Joe's employees need to understand the importance of how people form perceptions and make attributions.
2.Evaluate which learning theory (either operant conditioning, social learning theory, or the learning theory you researched in Week would be most appropriate for Joe to apply in this situation and explain why.
3.Discuss ways that Joe could apply the learning theory you selected to improve employees' performance.
4.Determine how Joe could leverage an understanding of the value of self-efficacy to ensure he hires the most successful salespeople.
5.Use at least three quality academic resources in this assignment.
•Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
•Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
- Identify the key factors that contribute to individual perceptions.
- Review learning theories and their relationship to organizational performance.
- Use technology and information resources to research issues in organizational behavior.
- Write clearly and concisely about organizational behavior using proper writing mechanics.
leaned market perception from these interviews is the only way to verify a company's technology, services, products, sales cycle and competitive positioning enabling real alignment with buyer decision processes. Managers and employees perception and attribution mean the difference between making and losing a sale. The basis of attribution theory is that people want to know the reasons for the actions that they and others take; they want to attribute causes to behaviors they see rather than assuming that these behaviors are random. This allows people to assume some feeling of control over their own behaviors and over situations.
Psychologist Fritz Heider first developed attribution theory in his 1958 book The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. When sales professional gain the knowledge that is needed to form their perceptions and make attributions. They can capitalize and control the customer's opinion of the salesman and the merchandise. A Customer's opinion is very vital to a successful business. Forming a perception with the customer that the sales professional is competent and trustworthy will heighten the possibility of making a sale to that customer. This is considered impression management.
Guiding customer's in thinking that the deal being offered is a great buy and that the product would make their lives much easier is an important sales pitch in the retail industry; a form of impression management. Perception is said to be the "process by which the individual selects, organizes, interprets, and responds to information" . Attribution is how individuals understand and explain causes of behavior and events including the behavior of themselves and of others . To be successful in sales it takes a tremendous amount of persistence, creativity, and determination. A sales person needs to create perception that they are an authority in their line of work and can be trusted to provide their customers with accurate information on the product. Furthermore, sales professional need to always try to regain and keep the customer's confidence in the company and in the products that they sell.
2. Evaluate which learning theory would be most appropriate for Joe to apply in this situation and explain why.
Operant Conditioning is explained as a "process by which individuals learn voluntary behavior" or behaviors voluntarily learned based on the consequences of such behaviors . Social learning is the "knowledge acquisition through the mental processing of information by observation and imitating others". Constructivism is a learning process, which allows an individual to learn first-hand by actual doing that in which they are learning . In the case presented, by blending operant conditioning, social learning, and constructivism, Joe Salatino would develop the most optimal results. By following these steps would allow sale professionals see what makes them successful in their career. Failing or succeeding allows them to see what works and what don't.
3. Discuss ways that Joe could apply the learning theory you selected to improve employees' performance.
Upon entering the organization as a new hire, the training portion of the onboarding process should include the blended learning theories as noted above. This can be achieved
by first having the new hires sit through a training course that shows them different techniques and behaviors and the consequences of those items shown. The second portion of the training process should have the employee sitting with a successful member of the sales staff for a full day in order to learning from watching the techniques and behaviors utilized by that individual and allowing for them to ask probing questions. This will also allow them to see the results or consequences of said behaviors and techniques utilized, reinforcing them in the minds of the trainee. In the third portion of the training process, the employee should be allowed to begin making the sales calls for themselves with that member of the sales staff present to aid them for the first day. In this manner for training, one allows the employee to have the blend of all three learning theories and all the reinforcements that go with them. As to current employees and ongoing training, having all sales staff sitting in a main area with visibility of each other and the ability to hear others will continue the operant conditioning and the social learning needed to allow for continuous improvement of employees.
4. Determine how Joe could leverage an understanding of the value of self-efficacy to ensure he hires the most successful salespeople.
Self-efficacy is described as "a person's belief in his or her ability to succeed in aparticular situation" . The article "The Critical Factor in Consistent Sales Success" states that research conducted by research by Dr. Kevin Celuch showed the real indicator of selling success was a sales professional's perceived self-efficacy.In addition, it's critical that the organization that hires sales professionals should utilize pre-employment testing and Human Resources Managers are generally skilled at behavioral interviewing techniques. Joe is the best candidate to teach and guide new employees with his knowledge and implement knowledge based test and directing his human resources staff to determine that the applicants will be self-sufficient in this type of position.