Psychological Perspectives on Work and Organisations (Byte Size Skills Course)

Psychological Perspectives on Work and Organisations Course Psychology as a body of knowledge is used by a large proportion of industrial, business and commercial organisations in the private sector and also many areas of the public sector. The application of psychology in organisations can range from situations where large overall programmes are in place to smaller departmental initiatives where psychological techniques, such as aids to selection and promotion procedures, are used. Within the discipline of psychology, personality is a field of study rather than a particular aspect of the individual. No other area of psychology covers as much ground as the field of personality, which overlaps extensively with neighbouring areas. Many theories support our current understanding of personality. In this session, you examine five broad theoretical areas. Theorists conceptualise personality in a variety of different ways and it is important for you to appreciate these in order that you can find ways that you think about yourself and others. Theories provide an orientation and perspective that stimulate different types of research. They also lead to different approaches for assessing personality, testing and to thinking about people in organisations. Trait and biological theories have provided the basis for many modern psychometric tests for personality in organisations. Perception is another field of study within psychology. This overlaps with personality. We examine the processes involved in perception and the importance of social perception in organisations. Characteristics of individuals explained by personality theories can be used in selection procedures and in post-selection situations (promotion and appraisal) Ensuring the right people are selected for organisations is vital to their success, therefore you will examine approaches to selection processes and...