Organizational psychology is an area of psychology that is dedicated to understand the phenomena of human behavior that take place within the work environment.
The area, also called work psychology, strives to solve problems related to human resources management or people management within a company. For this, it seeks to understand how employees act in collective environments and analyzing the consequences of a certain attitude within the work environment.
Organizational psychology is developed through the application of the principles of psychology, seeking understand the individual and collective behavior of employees, in addition to the organizational behavior of the company.
The work of organizational psychology is increase collective well-being and quality of life. on the desktop.
Areas of activity of organizational psychology
The main areas of activity of organizational psychology are:
- Recruitment and selection of personnel: area responsible for attracting and organizing employees in the vacancies available in the company, through identifying people who have the most appropriate profile to occupy each of the work.
- Employee training and development: it consists of a set of actions and strategies that aim to train employees to ensure more efficiency in the performance of their functions, according to the company's work needs.
- Monitoring employee satisfaction: the organizational psychologist is also responsible for monitoring the motivation levels of people who provide services in a company, always aiming to ensure that they feel valued and integrated into the environment of work.
- Organizational diagnosis: work that makes a kind of situational assessment of all areas of business management to identify possible problems or difficulties that exist within the company. When identifying the problematic points, the psychologist must create and execute strategies to solve these problems.
- Conflict management: these are actions implemented to ensure a healthier work environment, based on the identification and resolution of conflicts that may exist between employees of the company or institution.
- Career and salary plan management: takes care of the correct assignment of functions to each position in the company, in addition to helping to establish the most appropriate salary for each function performed. It can also help in the development of a career plan that allows for growth opportunities and benefits for employees.
Organizational psychology can be used in any type of work environment: in private companies, public institutions, non-governmental organizations and government agencies.
What does an organizational psychologist do?
The professional who works in this area is called an organizational psychologist. He is responsible for identifying difficulties and proposing actions that improve life and working conditions within companies and institutions. Among the activities he performs, the following stand out:
- Identification of the main profiles of employees within the company.
- Evaluation of organizational behavior of human resources.
- Diagnosis of psychosomatic illnesses and work-related disorders within the company.
- Identification of the causes of absenteeism (absence from work) and high employee turnover.
- Show the main motivational factors for work.
- Propose changes that improve the structure and functioning of the company.
- Analysis of the practices and rules adopted by the company.
Importance of organizational psychology
The existence of an organizational psychology work is important to ensure better health, quality of life and productivity within the work environment.
Thus, psychological support in the work environment is favorable both for the well-being of employees and for the success of the company.
Through organizational psychology, companies and institutions can become more capable of avoid possible actions and behaviors that harm the organizational culture of the work. From this, they can create and adopt strategies that promote the satisfactory integration of the team.
See more about the meaning of organizational culture and organizational behavior.