Psy 428 – Organizational PsychologyEssay Preview: Psy 428 – Organizational PsychologyReport this essayOrganizational PsychologyPSY/428September 24, 2012Stephanie JohnsonOrganizational PsychologyOrganizational psychology is relevant in organizations because it helps employers understand employee behavior as well as develop resolutions to problems in the workplace. This paper will cover a definition of organizational psychology along with an explanation of how research and statistics their part in the psychology field. In addition, a discussion will take place describing how organizations can use organizational psychology. Organizations benefit from understanding why employees make certain decisions, and the behavior behind them. This specific field of psychology uses research and statistical methods to provide organizations with the information they need to know.
Organizational PsychologyAccording to Jex and Britt (2008), organizational psychology consists of using scientific methods to understand people working in formal organizations and helps organization to become more effective (p. 1). A formal organization is one that states in writing the purpose it wants to accomplish and survives longer than its founders do. Because organizational psychology can help an organization become more effective, this effectiveness results in cost savings and higher productivity in an organization leading to the longer survival rate. Organizational psychologists help employers better understand the behavior of employees and what the organization can do to make them happier, more productive, and motivate them.
Role of Research and StatisticsResearch is the steps one needs to take to solve a problem that consists of finding the information that will help to do so. The purpose of research is to allow one to operate in an effective manner. The Internet has changed everything providing an abundance of information when performing research. Concerning research, statistics play an important role. Statistics focuses on group members within an organization as well as its analysis and interpretation of its memebers. Statistics involves observing a situation, wondering what causes it, making an intuitive guess, making changes to test the intuition, and figuring out confirmation of the initial thought. Statistics can let one know the possibility of whether or not that intuition is true.
Organizational psychologists use statistical methods to assist them in understanding the numbers they collect when conducting research, and to provide organizations with information regarding employees attitudes (Jex & Britt, 2008). Statistics includes collecting data, analyzing the data, and performing statistical tests on this data. Data collection methods consist of experiments, surveys, and observation. Analyzing the data requires calculating the measures of central tendency, which include the mean, median, and mode (Sellers, Yingping, & Campbell, (2008). Other statistical tests include correlation, regression analysis, and meta-analysis (Jex & Britt, 2008).
Organizational UseAccording to Hall (2007), systematic flaws can exist that challenge the foundations of good decision-making processes (para. 4). When managers are over-confident or under pressure, this may escalate the frequency of bad decision making. Organizational psychologists can clarify the reasons organizational problems exist or why organizational processes may not be working. The purpose of organizational psychology is to assist organizations in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the human aspect of decision making. Organizational psychologists can assess employees practical thinking, social intelligence, and tacit knowledge (Salter & Highhouse, 2009). Organizations can use this information to determine whether
it is likely they are better informed but how can they help.
Evaluating a Good Business Plan For a successful company, organizational psychologists can assess that the goals of effective business-planning may be achievable by the effective decision-making processes of the organization. However, a decision-making process that allows individuals, firms, individuals with high intelligence, and teams of individuals to achieve goals that align with their organizational environment needs review.
An organizational psychologist is an evaluator of a business plan as designed in-house by an organization manager, such as an internal conflict resolution organization (i.e., HR). A human decision-maker can have any level of intelligence, and some may have high levels. An evaluation of a company’s decision-making process could change the outcome of the company’s conflict resolution and internal conflict resolution programs and change the outcome of a conflict resolution within the organization. As a result, decisions that make the management of the company more likely to act (e.g., in compliance with the company’s agreements) would not be appropriate for a decision-maker with a natural disposition, such as high intelligence. It would also become unfair to a decision-maker who is less capable of being more efficient. For instance, a decision-maker who perceives a plan with limited effectiveness might not have enough knowledge of the details of the company to implement the plans that are effective. Similarly, management of the company might be less qualified than a decision-maker who does not take into account issues of organization diversity, including gender, economic stability or human resources. It would also become unfair to have organizational psychologists who do not think clearly, and those who do get caught up in the problem.
An evaluation of a plan that will create real differences in overall performance between a decision-maker and a decision-maker whose individual intelligence is much higher could improve the overall business plan and the overall effectiveness of the plan.
Management and Employees’ Assessment of a Plan
An employee has good information about the plan and their relationship with it, which can aid in evaluating plans. A plan or proposal that has too much information about a company can make a decision that would be less effective if a company were more organized. The person’s good decision planning may be able to help a person or other entity plan well in practice because of this information. Organizations may use an employee’s good decision planning information to help in creating and evaluating effective management plans. An employee can also use these information to help in evaluating efforts by the organization by determining the organization’s best practices regarding how they will handle the employee’s best practices.
An employee can also use this information to judge their own performance. A plan or initiative that works to achieve a business goals is important because a person’s good decision making may encourage other persons or other organizations to move into an organization to accomplish their own goals or projects. The employee can also determine the organization’s future plans through this information. Many employees have good knowledge about the plan and its issues and how it will affect their job duties and career. Employees can also