Psychology in the Workplace
Life in the workplace can sometimes be a stressful and complex environment. From entry-level employees to C-suite executives, the interpersonal relationships in the workplace can have a significant effect on the dynamics of work culture and overall employee interaction within a company.
Psychologists who study the inner workings of the workplace categorize two areas of psychology where most businesses aim to operate – industrial and organizational. Often called ‘I/O psychology’ or ‘work psychology’, industrial and organizational psychology is the study of both a workplace’s environment and the employees who work there.
The goal behind workplace psychology is to identify and solve problems, increase employee satisfaction, and improve workplace dynamics. Whether the target area is industrial or organizational, each area holds components that affect the other, and they both focus heavily on the individual needs and behaviors in the workplace. This article will explore the differences and layers behind workplace psychology that occur for any business.
Industrial psychology
This area is primarily about individual employees and their relationship to a given work environment, and focuses on elements such as job satisfaction, performance, and evaluation methods to be measured. Industrial psychologists aim to help organizations by improving the hiring process for companies, by aligning which types of employees work best in certain areas of a business. Industrial psychology also ties into training processes that keep businesses running smoothly, and ensures that employees have the awareness of skill levels needed to do their jobs more efficiently.
Organizational Psychology
The organizational side of workplace psychology focuses on the business as a whole. Organizational psychologists look at what can be done to increase overall productivity and efficiency among all employees. Organizations themselves are split into numerous departments and teams, each carrying different specialties that help the business grow. According to the TESI (Team Emotional and Social Intelligence) Model, there are 7 skills that will contribute to an effective team:
- Team Identity
- Motivation
- Emotional Awareness
- Communication
- Stress Tolerance
- Conflict Resolution
- Positive Mood
Organizational psychology addresses issues on improving the team skills from the TESI Model. Businesses that seek to improve its employees at the department level can turn to organizational psychologists in order to uncover the methods and policies in areas such as employee satisfaction, work-life balance, and stress management.
Implementing Workplace Psychology For Your Business
If you’re a small business, it might be worth the investment to hire a professional workplace psychologist to analyze areas in your current employee roster to increase productivity and efficiency. For midsize to large scale business, these types of professionals can be a valuable asset to maintain higher satisfaction levels for employees.
In-house psychologists can develop ongoing training programs or generate long-lasting studies of workplace culture through a variety of means for your business. Interviews, employee counsel, workplace observations done by specialists in workplace psychology can all lead to company policies and procedures that can benefit both the employees and the companies they work for.
