It is the desire of managers in any organization to provide an enabling environment for workers to operate at their full potential. This is driven by the realization that there are aspects transcending qualifications and skills that determine an individual’s output. Organizational psychology functions to foster this effectiveness in the work place.
It is essentially the study of workers and the workplace environment with the aim of improving performance through efficient utilization of human capital. It involves the application of principles and theories in psychology to explore interactions between people who fall through the structure of an organization. Organizational psychology is practiced in the processes of recruitment, on-the-job training, personnel competency assessment and organizational communication systems (Doyle, 2004).
Studies and applications of organizational psychology evidently precede its recognition as a fully grown discipline. Brief examples include the concept of specialization of labor which has its foundations in the works of Aristotle and Machiavelli’s books that explored ways of instituting structures of authority in an organization.
The turn of the twentieth century saw the idea become formally conceived by scholars of the time such as Walter Dill Scott who encouraged business leaders in Chicago to employ elements of psychology in advertising and marketing.
Hugo Munsterberg added the scientific taste to it by applying psychological discoveries derived from experiments in laboratories to the industrial environment. From that early period to the present day, theory, practice and research in organizational psychology have experienced tremendous growth (Doyle, 2004).
Research and statistics have definitive roles in organizational psychology. Research is used to lay credence to any practice through scientific evidence accumulated and analyzed using statistical tools. In the process of collecting potential data used by organizational psychologists to formulate policies, researchers need to be fully aware of statistical concerns that determine the validity of their findings.
For example, using generalized information from models developed by similar organizations may lead to mistakes and rigidities in application (Aamodt, 2009). Popular research methods used in the workplace include survey methods and observational techniques.
Statistics gives a reflective picture of an organization in its ‘nakedness’. It goes beyond face value to expose the true state of affairs in the organization. This is important when formulating organizational policies that, in this case, peg on the workforce potential. It is from accumulated statistics that psychologists derive the variables they use to analyze data and make credible conclusions (Doyle, 2004).
Techniques in psychology need to be based on real-life examples in order to have meaning that can subsequently be applied to real-life situations; these examples are collected through statistical processes. Psychological theories derived from analyzed evidence are more effective in the workplace (Aamodt, 2009).
Indicators of job performance and stress levels among employees are based on the accuracy and reliability of statistics collected in an organization; facilitating the need for proper and accurate statistical methods for the efficacy of organizational psychology to be realized.
Research and statistics are essential for psychologists to make valid assumptions and determine how groups work and respond to different situations and therefore give indications on how these groups would approach emerging circumstances.
It is difficult to make conclusions from the behavioral practices of individuals and groups without extensive observations and studies that are backed by research methods which improve validity of findings. Here, techniques such as participant observation, in-depth interviews and case studies are used to collect data. Qualitative research methods are also used to construct behaviorally-anchored rating scales (BARS) for workers (Doyle, 2004).
There are several ways through which organizational psychology can be used for the ultimate goal of enhancing productivity in an organization. Derived from and based on collected and analyzed data, it can be used to formulate policies, create procedures and institute structures that foster growth.
It helps employees realize and achieve their full potential as well as identify and further their career interests. Organizational psychology is essential in ‘succession-planning’ where future leaders are identified and prepared for leadership responsibilities. It can also be used to help individual workers harness new technology that improves work optimization (Aamodt, 2009).
Problem-solving also benefits from the practice of organizational psychology in several ways: It is used to study why some employees do not work well when grouped together and are conversely more effective when placed in a different group. It can also explore workers’ displeasure at the workplace and how this affects output and turnover. It may help organizations respond to periods of transition and change. Human resource managers use it to tackle sensitive issues such as gender and sexuality in the workplace (Doyle, 2004).
The basic tenets of organizational psychology can be used by the top management in an organization to motivate and inspire workers. Through letting them in on the importance of their work, workers get a sense of value for their contribution to the growth of the organization which stimulates hard work.
Demonstrating confidence in the capability of employees to perform specified duties can just be the drive needed for them to accomplish tasks satisfactorily. Individual talks with workers to evaluate their experiences in the workplace may also turn the negatives of challenges into resounding positives. On the overall, organizational psychology is important for any organization that needs to grow beyond the conventional reach of traditional growth strategies.
References
Aamodt, M. G. (2009). Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach. Stamford: Cengage Learning.
Doyle, C. (2004). Work and Organizational Psychology: An Introduction with Attitude. London: Routledge.