Organizational Psychology

Organizational psychology is rooted in the basic study of the multiple factors that influence human behavior to the positive or negative degree. These studies are rooted in the observation of issues such as boredom, complacency and fatigue and their effect on the individual and group in the work setting. This requires an understanding of the three disciplines; psychology, social psychology and sociology and how the effects of human behavior, combined with the influence people have on others as well as how people behave in certain cultural and social environments to determine how the cause and effect processes of these interactions combine to create organizational behavior.

The science of organizational psychology places it's focus on the practical application of scientific data in a manner that best enhances the productivity and effectiveness of the organization. This data is also used to construct solutions to what can be labeled "common sense" problems in organizations. In order to develop solutions, organizational psychologists must conduct studies and investigations that provide answers to questions which are posed in research about certain organizational behaviors. The research phase will involve statistical analyses which may present data on the job satisfaction and organizational loyalty of employees or an analysis of operational procedures implemented to increase productivity. Another area which may be analyzed is the organization's concept of change or the incentives used to motivate employees and how effective the current incentive program has been in achieving organizational goals.

There are a number of different methods for collecting data on a wide variety of topics which influence the behavior of individuals and groups within an organization. Simple observation methods involve observing and documenting behavior. This type of data collection could reveal that junior employees provide greater feedback on operational efficiency issues than mid-level managers, for example. Observational methods are beneficial because the approach allows data to be collected as it naturally occurs. This method can be conducted by passive observation or by creating an open dialog by making participants comfortable enough to engage naturally. The downside of this approach is that it is laborious and may be influenced by the observer's personal perspective or bias. Another approach is that of using archived data, or research findings that have been compiled for independent research purposes. This method is prominent in organizational psychology due to the vast amount of available data available both within the organization and from outside sources. Information on employee's performance within the organization can be compared to the statistical data archived by other organizations with similar operational models by accessing a number of public data bases maintained by entities such as the Department of Labor. There is also the benefit of being able to utilize organizational data from formal organizations such as sports teams to compare and contrast leadership and equity theories and apply the knowledge gained to the formation of project teams. This approach carried the added benefit of being able to access non-reactive data, or data which has not been collected for the sole purpose of it's use by the researcher, minimalizing the potential for "distorted" responses which could adversely affect the reliability