Perception Management

Perception is the mean of observing, assessing, understanding or interpreting the things. Ability of management of Perception makes people stand out of crowd. Effective observance and assessment are one’s perception which becomes reality for which it intends to. If perceptions are not managed they become awful and take the face of rumors, gossips and finally become the cause of demolition. Unmanaged perceptions also turn in to reality but for which it is not meant to be.

Perception management was also known as dialogues formation for the communication and influences the foreign public. However, perception management is now an accepted process to influence international or foreign public. A research revealed on account of students with hidden impairments and their experience with the conduct of their peers when their disability is disclosed. These students manage the perception of others in a very active manner because they were aware of their disability and which help them to deal with the perception of others and hence changed the behavior of others towards them.

Organizations use perception management in their everyday interactions either it is internal or external. Perception management is also used before the introduction of product or strategy. Development and survival of an organization depends on how effectively business leaders sail in crisis through the life cycle of an organization. Organizational perception management engages those action and activities that are designed and carried out by organizational representative to influence the perceptions of the stakeholder for the organization. The components of organizational perception management are perception of the organization, actions or tactics, organizational representative and organizational audiences. The organizational perceptions are relegated to three categories that are organizational images, organizational reputation, and organizational identities.

Events in which an organization uses perception management are perception-threatening events like scandals, product failures, controversial identity changes, accidents, upcoming performance reviews, and introduction of new identity. And perception-enhancing events like positive or negative ranking by industry groups or critique, overcoming adversity, and achievement of desired goals and objective.

Perceptions describe the way stakeholders make their understanding on an enterprise, based on its actions and the behavior of its people.  Perceptions may give out positive impact or negative impression, depends on the experience of the stakeholder when having contract with the organization. The gap between the stakeholder’s perception and company‘s perception about itself is called as perception gap and company should realize this gap and should work over it. Therefore, perception management is necessary to for the assurance of good reputation of the organization.