PSY SAT Flashcards
- Define Organisational Psychology. Provide examples of each of the three levels of application as part of your answer.
Organisational Psychology can be defined as the scientific study of human behaviour in organisations and workplaces, with the purpose to review/improve job satisfaction and work performance. It can be broken into three domains: individual, group, and organisational. The individual explores the attributes, attitudes, and motivations of its employees, while the group explores the composition of the working members—examining group behaviours and additionally viewing leadership and any forms of conflict. The organisational level delves into the cultural structure of a workplace, including its capacity for change and development.
- There are two key factors that organisational psychologists measure to improve an organisation of either an individual, team or organisation level. Explain what these two factors are, providing an example of each being applied.
Job satisfaction, referring to a person’s overall satisfaction with their job; this can be influenced by various factors, including working conditions, performance management, and motivation levels.
Work/organisation performance: This is associated with the overall performance or success of the organisation. Would depend on whether the organisation is not-for-profit/government/commercial as each have competing needs. For example, organisational psychologists could measure the amount of product sold / sales call and whether this is meeting company targets. Further professional development could be implemented to support staff to increase how much money they make per phone call.
a. Describe the validity of the survey.
- In a marketing firm, an organisational psychologist implemented a job performance assessment that involved measuring client satisfaction through post-project surveys. This measure directly gauged the satisfaction levels of the clients, however the response rates and survey administrations varied greatly.
The validity of the survey was appropriate, as conducting a client satisfaction survey to assess job performance is relevant. However it would be subjective data collection and not completely indicative of its employee’s performance. This is revealed in the results, which varied greatly, proving that it wasn’t precise, and the data wouldn’t be applicable outside of the survey.
b. Describe the reliability of the survey.
- In a marketing firm, an organisational psychologist implemented a job performance assessment that involved measuring client satisfaction through post-project surveys. This measure directly gauged the satisfaction levels of the clients, however the response rates and survey administrations varied greatly.
The response rates of the survey as a singular study were not consistent and therefore indicated a lower reliability. If not every client was surveyed/not every client replied it may not be an accurate representation of the marketing company’s performance regarding client satisfaction. This is therefore unreliable data.
- A software engineer named Alex has undergone a 360-degree review. Alex’s supervisors, peers and direct reports have provided feedback on their performance and behaviours.
a. Discuss the potential benefits of utilizing a 360-degree review for assessing Alex’s performance compared to a traditional manager review conducted solely by the supervisor.
Through using the 360-degree review, Alex’s performance was able to be viewed wholistically, from various standpoints—maximising the validity and reliability in the assessment of their performance and mitigating any potential bias or errors that could have come from one source of review (positive or negative).
- A software engineer named Alex has undergone a 360-degree review. Alex’s supervisors, peers and direct reports have provided feedback on their performance and behaviours.
b. Identify two advantages for incorporating feedback from peers and direct reports in the 360-degree review process.
This allows the organisation to view the performance of an employee both as an individual, and in a group—gathering observations from various parties to reflect on the employee’s personality, motivation, ability to communicate/work well with other employees, and to assess direct reports with higher accuracy- to review productivity. This review performance has the benefit of maximising the fairness of an assessment of the individual, while also protecting others through anonymity and giving them the opportunity to present honest and constructive feedback about a colleague or supervisor’s performance and disposition in the workplace without any backlash.
- A software engineer named Alex has undergone a 360-degree review. Alex’s supervisors, peers and direct reports have provided feedback on their performance and behaviours.
c. Explain how the feedback from a 360-degree review can help Alex identify areas for improvement and enhance their professional growth.
Alex will be able to reflect on various elements of their performance wholistically, without feeling pressure from one specific party. This allows them to set goals and identify specific areas for improving skills and behaviours, enhance their own self-awareness by understanding how their actions impact others and improve their professional effectiveness and readiness for career advancement.
- A software engineer named Alex has undergone a 360-degree review. Alex’s supervisors, peers and direct reports have provided feedback on their performance and behaviours.
d. Outline two potential challenges or limitations that may arise when implementing a 360-degree review process and propose strategies to address them effectively.
Implementing this process does hold the challenges of ensuring unbiased feedback and managing discrepancies in assessments. To address these, reviewers should be provided with training, and clear feedback guidelines should be established to promote honest and constructive feedback. Feedback discrepancies should be handled by facilitating discussions and focusing on reoccurring themes rather than isolated feedback. Anonymity should be ensured to not disrupt interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, employees could be involved in developing improvement plans based on collective insights.
- State and describe how the following sources could be used and implemented for feedback/review within a 360-degree review. State the type of data that will be obtained (objective/subjective and qualitative or quantitative).
a. Measure individual skills and competencies –
b. Customer Service Ratings –
c. Peer Feedback Surveys –
d. Manager Reports –
Objective/qualitative – quantitative in a sales context. Subjective/quantitative
Subjective/qualitative
Subjective/qualitative
- Define motivation and how this can impact job performance in the context of organisational psychology.
Motivation can be defined as the intensity in the reason behind one’s actions or behaviours. In the context of organisational psychology, an individual/employee’s motivation can drive the quality of their work and boost their performance.
- Define and describe Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943) in the context of organisational psychology.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory that consists of levels that need to be met to ensure that an individual is motivated to come to work. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be applied to the individual in an organisation, with their psychological needs being met and safety ensured at work, they should be able to safely communicate with colleagues and supervisors. Then a sense of belonging should be formed socially, with each individual feeling a sense of connection in the group, with members of a team lifting one another collectively. And then esteem can be raised, with the opportunity to get rewards and recognition and to establish oneself and have their job manageable until they can gain a sense of fulfilment and self-actualise in their workplace, representing their desire for personal growth.
- John is a newly hired employee in the production department. He has just graduated from college and is starting his career. John has received competitive salary and benefits as compensation for his work. John was required to complete a 3 day induction course which covered important information regarding emergency procedures and manual handling training so that he could safely complete his job. John has told his family that he enjoys working in a team to complete a common goal. He has also joined the social club and frequently contributes to organising events for the production staff. As part of his job, John is required to complete performance reviews. He regularly received recognition for his efforts and work, being rewarded with further professional development and implementation of his new ideas to improve the efficiency of the production processes.
a. Describe how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs could be applied to the scenario above.
Jon’s psychological needs were met in the competitive salary and benefits he was provided as compensation for his work. His safety needs were met in the three-day introductory course which covered important information regarding emergency procedures and manual handling training so that he could safely complete his job. Through the opportunity to join a social club and work as a valuable member of the organisation’s team, his social needs were fulfilled. The recognition of his efforts and hard work and the implementation his ideas and opportunities for growth alongside the professional development he gains proves his potential for self-actualisation in this role.
- Define and describe Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (1964) in the context of organisational psychology.
Vroom’s Theory of Expectancy concludes that employees are rational decision makers and will put effort into the activities that lead to the reward’s they are seeking. This means that the amount of effort (expectancy) they put in will lead to a good performance (Instrumentality), which in turn would be incentivised with rewards (Valance), and if those rewards are optimal and conclusive to the effort placed in then that will optimise motivation and create positive outcomes.
- Emily works as a project manager in a multinational company. She is responsible for leading a team of diverse individuals who are working on a high stakes project. The success of the project is crucial for the company’s growth and reputation. Emily’s team members have varying levels of expertise and experience, and their performance directly impacts the project’s outcome.
Apply Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and briefly explain its key components.
a. Identify three factors from Vroom’s Expectancy Theory that can impact the motivation and performance of Emily’s team members in the given scenario.
According to Vroom’s theory, the rewards that are offered by an organisation are generative of the effort and subsequent performance of its employees. Given that the company relies on the success of this high-stake project, Emily’s team should have a high opportunities to gain rewards.
- Emily works as a project manager in a multinational company. She is responsible for leading a team of diverse individuals who are working on a high stakes project. The success of the project is crucial for the company’s growth and reputation. Emily’s team members have varying levels of expertise and experience, and their performance directly impacts the project’s outcome.
b. Discuss how Emily can enhance the Expectancy component to increase her team members’ motivation. Provide two specific strategies she could employ.
Given that the efforts of an individual are generative of a higher performance, strategies to increase it for higher motivation should be employed. Overtime (and the appropriate pay to incentivise that effort) could be offered, and communication on how to meet the employee’s physiological needs should be undergone. Ensure that all staff are working on tasks that they are capable of completing (due to the varying expertise and experience of the team).
