Michael comes across as a friendly personality. His bold and confident voice impresses Timothy, the marketing manager of Goldwyn Inc., during an interview. Owing to these attributes, Timothy hires him assuming that he will be a hard-working and smart employee. Timothy's assumption is a result of the ___.

A) mood contagion error
B) Machiavellian effect
C) halo effect
D) fundamental attribution error
E) projection effect

Learning Objectives

• Understand the range of perceptual mistakes and biases relevant to organizational behavior.
• Highlight and clarify how cognitive biases such as the halo effect, fundamental attribution error, stereotyping, and selective perception play a part in influencing interpersonal relations and decisions in the workplace.
• Explain the role of projection in attributing personal characteristics to others within a professional context.