Workplace psychology
Workplace psychology is the study of personal and collective human behavior in an organization to understand how to influence, improve, and change one’s behavior to benefits both the employee and the company (Volti, 2011). Other scholars refer to workplace psychology as an organization or industrial psychology concerned with understanding, influencing, explaining, and improving employees’ attitudes and behavior in an organization to solve work problems. Scholars argue that workplace psychology helps to solve workplace problems such as managing stress at work, productivity, high level of competition, and psychological trauma in the working environment (Volti, 2011). Workplace psychology has proved to be of great benefit to both employees and the company. Typically, the main aim of organizational psychology in the workplace is to improve workers’ mental well-being to feel valued and safe, thereby working effectively. The paper discusses using psychology in the workplace and highlights organizational psychology’s benefits in the working environment.
Social psychology in the organization refers to how a person’s personality, behavior, attitude, and motivation influence the social group they are associated with; in this context, an organization is considered a social group consisting of diverse employees (Wilde, 2016). Hence, it’s essential to help its employees establish social psychology that fits every person at the work place. There are various ways an organization can promote psychology at its workplace and include creating a healthy psychological contract, establishing psychological harassment, promoting safe psychology, or promoting a psychologically healthy environment.
A psychologically healthy environment is working conditions that facilitate an ideal working situation that makes employees feel safe and valued. Employers often implement comprehensive policies and well-being programs that enhance psychological safety and promote positive psychology in the organization (Wilde, 2016). On the other hand, healthy psychological contracts refer to informal agreements between employers and employees, including arrangements, mutual beliefs, and common ground. A beneficial psychological contract between employees and employers aims at providing the expectations and objectives that both parties should meet from a psychological standpoint. Moreover, an organization can use EMOTIV to unlock the mind’s powers using brain-sensing neurotechnology (Wilde, 2016). Scientist argues that organization psychologists can use EMOTIV equipment to advance workplace psychology and help employees increase their performance and job satisfaction (Wilde, 2016). The psychologist can use EMOTIV performance metrics to measure the brain’s cognitive and emotional states and provide feedback.
Positive psychology in the working environment tends to concentrate more on the workplace’s positive side to promote workplace positivity. Positive psychology works to improve the organization’s productivity by implementing policies and creating a culture that nurtures an ideal working environment that is safe, inclusive, fun, and fulfilling to all workplaces (Luthans, & Frey, 2017). However, there might be cases where a company creates psychological harassment that is hostile and harmful to their employees. This conduct usually may occur in verbal comments, gestures that may affect the intended person’s dignity and mental well-being; they include constant criticism, sexual harassment, and blockage of promotions. This psychological harassment reduces a person’s performance and the company (Luthans & Frey, 2017). According To professor Army Edmondson of Harvard University, advocates for psychological safety at the workplace, He believes that ideal environment fosters innovation since employees feel safe and enjoy working in a conducive environment.
Moreover, workplace psychology helps to reduce stress in the organization. In this context, stress is defined as the physical and psychological health impact on mental, emotional, and physical strains. Job stress can be harmful to individuals’ health as it can result in psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, dissatisfaction, fatigue, and tension (Luthans, & Frey, 2017). Stress at the workplace is unavoidable; it can result from working with difficult bosses, poor working environment, excessive work, tight schedules, or insufficient salary. Problems related to stress has become a significant concern on employees and employer. Hence, a combination of organizational psychology and stress management is the best approach to reducing and preventing stress at work (Gilder & Ellemers, 2017).). Stress management refers to a wide variety of techniques and therapies used to control person’s level of stress to improve their functions.
On the other hand, industrial organization psychologists have played a vital role in reducing and controlling stress in the work place. For instance, the psychologist in many companies has addressed and identified causes of workplace stress, including the system of organization management, and has helped reduce sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace. Along with improving an organization’s social dynamic, psychologists have also encouraged and acts as mediator in solving disputes since the working place’s unsolved conflict is among the primary source of stress (Luthans, & Frey, 2017). Additionally, psychologists have identified effective communication channels in an organization, thereby providing meaningful and constructive dialogue. Also, organizational psychologists play an essential role in designing, implementing, and improving policies and programs that benefit both employers and employees.
Second, psychologists have addressed the employee’s productivity for a long time; the emergence of positive psychologists has addressed factors that influence a person’s behavior and motivate individuals’ positive traits that increase their performance, thereby increasing productivity (Gilder, & Ellemers, 2017). For instance, psychologists argue that employers who focus more on accomplishment rather than task increase their employees’ production. A psychologist claims that employees value their achievement more than their daily job; hence, they require employees to recognize their accomplishments rather than focusing on the task assigned to them. In 2013 research shows that 83% of employees recognized for their contribution to the company were more fulfilling rewards more than incentive gifts they receive (Turner, 2017). Gallup reveals that employees who receive praise and recognition boost their morale, productivity, and cooperation among their colleagues and are less likely to quit their jobs.
Moreover, psychologists advocate that companies should make work to be more meaningful. Psychologists argue that workers place higher consideration on creativity, flexibility, and purpose of the work. Hence, for a company to grow and become successful, it should go beyond just perks and engage employees to focus more on the meaning, purpose, and passion of their jobs. Research shows that an organization that includes their employees on decision-making and implementing policies outperform other companies by 202 percent (Turner, 2017). Besides, the organization psychologist encourages every company to create breaks and allocate time for its employees to interact, rest, and attend to personal matters. When employees feel valued, they strive in their work and produce the best outcomes.
According to Chadwick Martin, psychology improves an individual’s identity, strengthening the employee’s engagement in all activities at the workplace and the desire to stay for long. In his research, Chadwick identifies three types of identity benefits: personal identity, social, and cultural identity. Personal identity is benefits that are associated with how the company fuels self-esteem, sense of belonging, self-expression, and positive self –perception of individuals (Turner, 2017). Companies can accomplish these identities through recognition programs, giving incentives to the best employees, sponsorships, and job promotions. When people feel included, they are motivated and contribute more to innovation in the workplace.
On the other hand, social identity creates stronger connections or relationships between employees and employers. Hence, they create a culture that makes the company feel like a family that everyone wants to be part of. Moreover, cultural identity improves employees’ alignment and agreement with their missions, norms, and values.
In general, the paper finds a psychology workplace useful as it increases employees and the company’s productivity. Workplace psychology involves using psychological principles and practices in the organization to increase employee satisfaction, solve the companies’ problems, and improve organization dynamics. Social psychology in the workplace refers to how individuals’ personalities, behavior, and attitudes influence the social group. Since an organization is a social institute, the management needs to create conducive working psychology inclusive to all diverse employees in the region. Organization psychologists advocate for healthy, positive, and safe psychology because it increases the company’s productivity. Psychologists argue that promoting an ideal working environment in the organization makes employees feel safe, valued and motivates them to be more innovative, thereby increasing their productivity.
References
Luthans, F., & Frey, R. (2017). POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE. Positive Psychology: Established and Emerging Issues.
Wilde, J. (2016). The social psychology of organizations: Diagnosing Toxicity and intervening in the workplace. Routledge.
De Gilder, D., & Ellemers, N. A. O. M. I. (2017). The social psychology of organizations.
Turner, R. (Ed.). (, 2017). Social psychology: Sociological perspectives. Routledge.
Volti, R. (2011). An introduction to the sociology of work and occupations. Sage Publications.