Blog 05- The Role of Psychology in the Workplace

 The Role of Psychology in the Workplace

                                                Figure 01 : (LSCI, 2017)

Unemployment, underemployment, and insecure labor are all on the rise as a result of recent and ongoing worldwide changes. Individual and social well-being are harmed by the loss of decent labor, which fails to meet human requirements for economic survival, social connection, and self-determination. This is especially true for underserved communities and individuals with limited marketable skills. As a result, businesses are becoming more interested in the concept of workplace psychology.

Psychology is defined as "the scientific study of man's relationship with the world of labor... in the process of creating a living" by Guion (1965). The application or extension of psychological facts and principles to circumstances involving human beings operating in the commercial and industrial sectors is known as organizational psychology (Blum & Naylor, 1968).

 

There are three major fields of psychology in the workplace.

1. Employee selection and evaluation in industrial psychology

Job requirement definition, staff ability to meet these specifications, job performance evaluation, training, and examination of legal concerns surrounding discrimination in recruiting are all covered by this branch of I/O psychology.

2. Organizational psychology is concerned with the social aspects of work.

The impact of employee connections on business performance is the focus of this branch. Everything from employee happiness to leadership and organizational structure is evaluated. Because of this interest in employee relationships and employee well-being, sensitive topics like sexual harassment and workplace violence are also discussed.

3. Workplace design and human factors psychology

Ergonomics is another name for this term. This can simply be defined as the study of people in their work environment, as well as how employees react to tools at work and how the design of those products might help boost employee productivity. The goal is to eliminate workplace discomfort; therefore, an ergonomist adjusts the task to fit the worker rather than the other way around.

The importance of Industrial and organizational psychology

I/O psychology plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy and motivating work environment. It's also an important component of human and organizational optimization. Higher levels of employee happiness enhanced overall productivity, and improved communication and cooperation between different departments in the office are all outcomes of successful use of psychology in the workplace. This makes all cross-departmental actions as well as day-to-day corporate operations much easier.

References

Blum, R. M. & Naylor, J. C., 1968. Industrial Psychology: Its Theoretical and Social Foundations. New York: Harper and Row.

Gradschool, 2020. The Role of Psychology in the Workplace. [Online]
Available at: https://www.gradschools.com/get-informed/careers/workplace-psychology
[Accessed 30 03 2022].

Guion, R. M., 1965. Industrial Psychology as an Academic Discipline. American Psychologist, 20(10), pp. 815-821.

LSCI, 2017. The Role of Psychology in Workplace Safety. [Online]
Available at: https://www.lancastersafety.com/the-role-of-psychology-in-workplace-safety/
[Accessed 31 03 2022].