PSY 203 Flashcards
What is I/O psychology?
I/O psychology is the scientific study of human behavior in workplaces and organizations. It applies psychological theories and principles to improve productivity, work-life quality, and overall organizational effectiveness.
Differentiate between Industrial psychology and Organisational psychology
Industrial Psychology focuses on the individual aspects of the workplace, including hiring processes, job analysis, employee training, performance appraisals, and developing fair compensation systems while Organizational Psychology concentrates on broader organizational issues such as leadership, motivation, employee satisfaction, team dynamics, organizational culture, and change management.
What is the difference between efficiency and effectiveness?
Efficiency is the ability to achieve an intended result with the least waste of time, effort, or resources, while effectiveness is the ability to achieve a better or desired result, delivering more value or meeting the objective more successfully.
What is personnel psychology?
Personnel psychology is a subfield of industrial and organizational psychology that focuses on the study and application of psychological principles to human resource management in organizations.
What is the job of I/O psychologists (in personnel psychology)
- Analyzing jobs/job analysis
- Recruiting applicants
- Selecting employees
- Determining salary levels
- Training employees
- Evaluating employee performance
What is the performance equation?
Performance equation is P = A × M × O
A is for ability i.e skills, knowledge, experience, education, disposition
M is for motivation or mindset
O is for opportunity
Define performance
Performance is the extent to which an individual, team, or organization meets or exceeds predetermined goals, standards, or objectives. It reflects how well tasks are completed and often considers both the quality and timeliness of outcomes.
Define productivity
Productivity measures how efficiently resources, such as time, effort, and materials, are converted into outputs or results. It often refers to the amount of output produced relative to the input, highlighting the effectiveness of work processes and the ability to maximize results with minimal waste.
Define motivation
Motivation is the set of internal and external factors that energize, direct, and sustain an individual’s efforts toward achieving specific goals. It drives behavior and influences the intensity, focus, and persistence of effort in work and other activities.
Symptoms of a sick organisation
- High labour turnover
- Low employee engagement
- Low productivity
- Poor performance
- Job dissatisfaction
- Low morale
- Absenteeism
Define ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of designing workspaces, tools, and tasks to fit the physical and cognitive capabilities of workers. It focuses on optimizing human well-being and overall system performance by adjusting the environment to prevent discomfort and injuries while enhancing efficiency and productivity.
Theories of motivation
- Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory
- Vroom’s expectancy theory
- Locke’s goal setting theory
- X and Y theory
- John Stacey’s equity theory
- Herzberg’s two factor theory
- McClelland’s achievement motivation theory
- Self determination theory
- Skinner’s reinforcement theory
Define job analysis
Job analysis is the process of gathering, documenting, and analyzing information about a job’s duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment. It serves as the foundation for various HR functions like recruitment, selection, training, and performance evaluation.
Benefits of ergonomics
- It reduces cost
- Improves productivity
- Improves quality
- Improves employee engagement
- It creates a better safety culture
- Boosts job satisfaction
