W7: Org psych Flashcards
Org Psych vs other psych
Org psych is an applied psychology, meaning organisational psychologists are specilists, and are often employed in consulting firms in businesses, goverment universities.
Social psych is more general and cog psych has generalities.
Org psych focus on a context
Why is there a need for org psychologist?
We spend about a third of out life working.
Work environment can potentially ignite psychological health problems, leading to indirect costs such as time off work, decreased staff turnover, reduced productivity
The significant of org psych
Org psychologists aim to develop strategies and create envrionment that will prevent deterioration in psychological ehalth
How do org psychologists prevent the deteriroration of mental health?
By addressing a range of work related topics:
- Job demands
- Violence and aggression at work
- Bullying
- Harassment
- Conflict
- Traumatic events
Areas that org psych can control
- Coaching and wellness
- Psychosocial health
- Rehab
- Counselling
- Recuitment and selection
- Learning and development
- User experience
- Talent management
- Accent investigation
- Risk assessment
What was the main idea of James Cattell’s scientific practitioner model??
There were little scientific rules that allow predictions, thus the more we can measure, the more we predict causality
A data driven systems, lack of theory was a caveat
Contradictory to the current world where data drives theory
What are the key people and their associated discoveries during Industrialisation in 1910?
- Hugo Munsterberg
- Focus on industrial efficiency and safety
- Finding the right people for the job
- Developed a stimulation system –> like a job trial - James Cattell
- Quantitative and objective assessment of indivdual differences
- The scientific practitioner model, which relied heavily on data and was critisised for lack of theory - Frederick Taylor
- The Principles of Scientifc Management; systematic study and analysis of work process, aiming to increase efficiencies
* Time and motion study: Breaking larger tasks to more simpler tasks and combine them to achieve effciencies; Established standardised work procedures through this
- Critised in the Person-Organisation fit
What was the common interst of Walter Bingham and Walte Dill Scott?
During WWI (1914 - 1918), Walter Dill Scott worked together with Walter Bingham to find replacements for the USA troops. They were both intersted in the psychology of why people do things they do, rather than James Cattell’s quantitative approach.
They were intersted in developing theoretical perspectives that led to the understanding of motivation
The Great Depression 1930s
What is the Hawthorne Effect?
A psychological phenomenon which individuals modify the behaviour and performance, typically for the better, in response to the awareness of being observed
The Great Depression 1930s
What is the Placebo Effect?
A phenomenon which a person experiences a real improvement in their condition or symptoms, not because of the treatment itself, but rather the person’s belief or expectation that the treatment will work
The Great Depression 1930s
How is The Placebo Effect an example of the Hawthorne Effect?
Potentially, individuals may change their behaviour or report imporved symptoms when they know they are being closely monitored
The heightened attention and awareness of being observed may lead to an enhanced placebo effect
WWII 1938-1945
Leadership as a trait
- Nature
- Has a predisposition towards a syle of leadership
- Leadership can be evaluated
- Leadership style is relatively stable across the dimensions of:
- Intelliegence
- Agressivessness
- Decisiveness
- Dominance
WWII 1938-1945
Leadership as a state
- Nurture
- Style of leadership is governed by the demands of the sutation
- Leadershp should be evaluted in terms of particular situation
- Leadership style is relatively unstable
Economic expansion 1960s
What was the approach to reduction in motivation to work?
- Ensuring approapriate competencies (Ability)
- Providing a support, encourging and managable work environment
- Using motivators such as:
- Appreaciation for work done
- Intersting work
- Good wages and job security
The Goal Setting Theory
* Goals and target enable motivation
* The need to consider:
* Feedback
* Setting specific goals
* Setting difficutl goals
Economic Consolidation 1970s
The P-O Fit
Person Organisation Fit
- Compatibility or alignment between an individual and the organisation they work for
- Takes into consideration of:
* Personlity
* Cognitive ability
* Knowledge
* Skills
* Attitudes
Contemporary Org Psych 1980s
What is the signifiant of job analysis?
The focus on job analysis emerge as jobs are evolving –> leading to a reconceptualise of the nature of jobs
Jobs change lead to selection criteria changes. To understand what is required for the new job, job analysis need to be conduct.
From the job analysis, org psych identifies job description and specification - instruments that could be used for selection
Contemporary org psych 1980s
What is included in job anlysis?
Job description:
- Position, title
- Duties, reproting lines
- Workplace
Job specification
- Education, work expeirence
- Skills required
- Roles and responsibilites
- Personal qualities
- Emotional capabilities
Contemporary org psych 1980s
Why is the notion of Transformational Leadership an ideal?
Because it is something that we strive to have, rather than a state or a trait.
Transformational leaders are able to influence their followers on aspirations, desires and beliefs.
Transformational leadership may lead to:
- High job statisfaction
- High job performance
- High organisational committment
- Low intention of resigning
Identify at least 3 Occupational hazards
- Heat
- Vibration
- Cold
- Noise
- Workload
- Fatigue
- Morale
Absetosis, black lung disease, lead poisoning
Pathogenic Occupational dieases
Absetosis
- Causes: inhaling asbetos
- Symptoms: lung irritation/cancer
- Occupational victims: miners, builders
Black lung disease:
- Causes: inhaling coal dust
- Symptoms: lung irritation/cancer/emphysema
- Occupational victim: coal miners
Lead poisoning:
- Causes: exposure to lead
- Symptoms: kidney disease, anemia, birth defects
- Occupational victim: metal workers
carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis
Ergonomical occupational hazards
Carpal tunnel syndrome:
- Causes: inflammation of tissues covering the nerves
- Symptoms: muslce and nerve pain
- Occupational victim: office workers
Tendinitis:
- Causes: inflammation of a tendon
- Pain in movement of the arm or shoulder
- Occupational victim: assembly workers
psychological occpational hazard
- Chronic stress
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Post traumatic distress
- Depression
- Anxiety
What is occupational health psychology?
The part of orgsanisational psycholpogy that focus on identifying psychological factors that contribute to occupational health and wellbeing
Such as:
- Workload
- Lack of control
- role ambiguity
- role conflict
- organistional demands
These can lead to occupational disease (e.g. chronic stress) or occupational accidents
As of 2019, which industry had the most occupation accidents?
Transport, postal and warehousing
The intermediatte consequences of occupational accidents
- Casualty management
- Casualty transportation
- Injuries during recovery
- Loss of infrastructure
Short term conseuquences of occupational accidents
- Recovery from injuries
- Management of fatalities
- Psychological debriefing
- Social costs
Long term consequences of occupational accidents
- Loss of confidence
- Workplace labour losses
- Quality of life costs
- Compensation costs
- Insurance premiums
The difficulty in managing occupational safety in developing nations
- Working conditions in developing nations are unknown, limited information
- Most of the workers are casuals → no benefit of annual or sick leave
- Public health registries are limited or non-existent
- Extrapolations from developed nations is problematic
- Employer cost data are incomplete and poorly maintained
- Care is often unpaid (family) and therefore un-costed
What is human error and its three component?
Human error: an action that ails to meet some implicit or expicit criterion
Three components:
1. Perception –> Lapse
2. Decision –> Mistake
3. Repsonse –> Slip
What are the pattern of human errors?
Sporadic:
- individual differences
- difficult to predict
- can be affected by various factors, i.e. fatigue, reptitive work
Systematic:
- system and procedure related
- individual is not at fault
Random:
- Hardest to predict
- too many personalisations, raises concerns for quality control and safety
- highlight the need for standardisation of procuderes –> one right way
Approahces to individual differences
Accident proneness:
* Identify predisposing factors
* Screen for those factors
* Select workers with low disposition
* However, lack of empirical support
Attitudes:
* Differences in attitudes → differences in behaviour
* Attitudes are subjective perceptions that can be influence by:
* Training
* Procedures
* Safety promotion
* Attitude can be measure through safety climate → the way things feels, subjectively
Risk perception:
* The extent to which individual is capable of recognising a hazard and willing to tolerate the risk
* Selection of individuals with low risk tolerance
* Training to assess risk accurately
Approaches to managing human error
Selection:
* Successful performance involves:
* Risk taking
* Assertiveness
* Skill acquisition
* Error identification
Training:
* Knowledge
* Attitude
* Skills
→ Finding the behavioural and cognitive competencies
Design:
* Guards
* Warnings
* Protection devices
* Alarms
* Procedures
What does the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 enable?
- Search for documents
- Seizure of documents
- Imposition of fines
