Introduction
According to Adrian, (2005), psychology is the study of the science of mind and behavior of animals and humans. The word psychology is an adaptation of two Greek words; ‘psyche’ which means breath, spirit and soul; and ‘logia’ which means to study something. Psychology therefore is both an academic and applied discipline which involves both scientific and systematic study of human/animal mental functions and behavior.
Moreover, Bruce & Pepitone, (1998) says psychology as a discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience right from functions of the brain to the surroundings in which they develop from childhood to aging. When psychologists study psychology, they look into two critical issues; the relationship between brain function and behavior, and how environment relates with behavior. There are many branches of psychology such as clinical psychology, social psychology, occupational psychology among others. The human mind can not be observed directly, it is an intricate, abstract and sophisticated thing. Thoughts, cognition, perceptions, dreams, dreams, etc cannot be seen physically therefore, human behavior is used as an indicator of how the mind functions.
Impact of human behavior on the work environment
Human behavior is a collection of behaviors shown by a person which are affected by attitude, social norms, perceived behavior control and genetics. Work environment can be described as that place where one works which can be in an office building in a cube, a construction site or even in a kitchen in a large hotel (Adrian, 2005). There are two components of the right work environment; the physical part and the human element.
The way employees and employers or managers carry themselves affects the general atmosphere of the workplace. Adrian, (2005) continues to say that, in the workplace, people behave differently whether subordinates or bosses. Some people are commanders who are rude, bossy and tactless and generally make everyone uncomfortable and stressed. Others are free-spirited easy-going, disorganized and impulsive, although they are warm and friendly, they do not work well and leave most of work burden to the others.
There are others who are angry, hostile and disrespected and are prone to verbal abuse, these leave people demoralized and drained. Pleasing is another kind of behavior in the workplace. These are pleasant and helpful and easy to work with but, they do not provide the necessary critical feedback needed for growth and development and can not deal with conflicts in the office. There is also the kind of people who are flamboyant and loud, jovial and entertaining who charm everybody in the office but this is just to promote themselves because they do not accept responsibilities or accountability, these leave most of the work burden to others.
The avoiders in the office are quiet, reserved and fear taking responsibilities and initiative, they do what they are told and not more and would sacrifice anything to see nothing changes; this can make the boss angry. Finally there is the analytical kind of co-worker, this one is cautious, diligent and precise, obsessed with detail and keeps distance. They make others uncomfortable and feel inadequate as they put you under the microscope.
Role of motivation in the workplace
Motivation is reasons why people want to work (Bruce & Pepitone, 1998). Research shows that well motivated employees are more productive, creative, and happy and committed this improves performance. The manager is responsible for the motivation of employees as he is the one who directs them. Motivation makes employees feel appreciated and worthwhile while working and therefore they work harder to achieve the objectives of the business or organization. Motivation also promotes harmony and a sense of belonging in the company. Everybody is treated with respect and encouraged to work as a team instead of competitors in order to achieve a common goal. This will result in staff retention and company loyalty.
Workplace conflicts and how psychological theories can be used to improve the issue
In a workplace an employee may have feelings of unfairness in the relationship between his inputs (work) and outputs (salary) compared to another person(s). Such an employee feels underpaid for the work done. The equity theory of motivation can be used to deal with him/her. According to Adrian, (2005), the theory proposes that employees be motivated to maintain fair relationships among themselves by changing the negative thoughts of guilt and anger resulting from feelings of unfairness. The person feeling angry for being treated unfairly can shift referent person to someone else, such as, his next door neighbor or brother who earns more but not doing quite as well. This makes the employee more satisfied.
Conclusion
Psychology as an applied discipline helps to understand the human mind and its indicators of human behavior. This is important especially in the workplace where a group of people spends many hours in a day together working for a common goal. The behavior of every person in the workplace will determine the workplace environment, whether it is healthy or not. This is the reason why they should be motivated by their managers in order to work in harmony and for a common objective of optimum production of the business (Bruce & Pepitone, 1998).
References
Adrian F. (2005). The psychology of behavior at work: the individual in the organization. Psychology Press.
Bruce, A & Pepitone, J.S (1998). Motivating employees. McGraw-Hill Professional.