Intro To I/O Psych Flashcards
job analysis
a process in which an I/O psychologist investigates what activities are performed of a given job and what qualities - commonly referred to as KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics) - an employee needs to be able to do the job well; the process of studying a job to determine which activities and responsibilities it includes, its relative importance to other jobs, the qualifications necessary for performance of the job and the conditions under which the work is performed
recruitment
a set of organizational activities and practices that are intended to attract new hires to an organization; the goal is to generate applicants who are qualified for employment, who will accept employment offers, and who will ultimately succeed on the job (and who will fit in with the company’s needs and values); this is the first step in the hiring process
employee selection
the process of interviewing and evaluating the candidates for a specific job and selecting an individual for employment based on certain criteria (qualifications, skills, and experience); exact steps vary by company, but the basics include - job announcement, reviewing applications, screening candidates, interviewing, final selection, testing, and making an offer; a candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities are the foundational elements of selection criteria; selection criteria represent the key qualifications, training, abilities, knowledge, personal attributes, skills, and experience a person must have in order to do a job effectively
harassment
defined as aggressive pressure or intimidation; covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature; it is commonly understood as behavior that demeans, humiliates or embarrasses a person, and it is characteristically identified by its unlikelihood in terms of social and moral reasonableness; the two most common forms are quid pro quo and hostile work environment harassment; other types include religion based, discriminatory, personal, physical, power, psychological, sexual, or third-party harassment; more examples include race, sexual or gender orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, political beliefs (although Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits harassment on the basis of race, religion, sex, and national origin)
pay equity studies (internal and external)
compare employees who previously worked in areas with different costs of living or in different countries; to implement pay equity, you must evaluate the 4 key factors of a job class - required qualifications, required effort, responsibilities, and working conditions under which the job is performed (by using a job evaluation system); external equity refers to the comparison of pay between an employee and those outside of the company; internal equity refers to the comparison of pay between people in the same company
leadership
an informal process that involves many people; in the process, one person attempts to influence the others and to produce a change in the behavior of their followers; leadership occurs anytime one person influences another, and it can occur with or without a formal organization; some of the most in-demand leadership skills required in the workplace include - active listening, empathy, ability to share clear messages and make complex ideas easy to understand for everyone, strategic thinking skills, creativity, ability to inspire and convince others, and flexibility; styles include authoritarian (or autocratic), participative (or democratic), delegative (or laissez-faire), transformational, transactional, situational, and coaching
employee evaluation
the assessment and review of a worker’s job performance (most companies have a system in which employees are evaluated on a regular basis - often once a year - and these assessments are done at the end of the year or on the employee’s work anniversary); many evaluations provide quantitative measurements essential for a production-oriented work environment, others provide employers with metrics regarding the quality of employees’ work; how to effectively evaluate employees - set performance standards, set specific goals, take notes throughout the year, be prepared, be honest and specific with criticism, don’t compare employees, evaluate the performance (not the personality), and have a conversation
feedback
constructive feedback in the workplace is extremely important b/c workplaces need effective communication to succeed and thrive; as well as increasing staff morale, feedback helps us learn more about ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, our behaviors, and how our actions affect others; how to give effective employee feedback - avoid giving unsolicited advice, be specific, come with a deep level of empathy, do not wait for a quarterly review, keep it private, make the conversation a two-way street, and focus on performance rather than personality (keeps it more objective, and emotions out of it)
motivation
drives and excites employees, which results in their maximum contribution; setting and achieving goals, clear expectations, recognition, feedback, as well as encouraging management all contribute to an increase in workplace motivation; increase communication, offering challenging work, recognizing achievement, boosting team spirit, and increasing independence are all top motivators at work; motivation is important in the workplace b/c it allows management to meet the company’s goals, having motivated employees can lead to increased productivity and allow an organization to achieve higher levels of output; in addition to being more highly engaged, motivated employees handle uncertainty more easily, are better problem solvers, have higher levels of innovation, creativity and customer-centricity, are more profitable, create higher levels of customer satisfaction, and increase employee retention rates; employee motivation is key to an organization’s success, it’s the level of commitment, drive, and energy that a company’s workers bring to the role every day, without it, companies experience reduced productivity, lower levels of output and it’s likely that the company will fall short of reaching important goals too
organizational commitment
can be thought of as an extension of job satisfaction, as it deals with the positive attitude that an employee has, not toward their own job, but toward the organization as a whole; it is likely to be higher among employees who perceive they have input into decision making b/c it allows them to help shape the organization and shows that they are valued by the organization (people tend to have satisfaction and commitment for things they help shape); role ambiguity, job control and insecurity, career advancement, performance appraisal, and positive team experience have been claimed to significantly affect organizational commitment; 3 types - affective, continuance, and normative
employee training
the process for providing required skills to the employee for doing the job effectively, skillfully, and qualitatively; training of employees is not continuous, but it is periodical and given in specified times; it helps in bringing about positive change in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of employees; some tips for creating a training program include - create a plan (what do you want employees to learn?), host regular training sessions, use employees as trainers, cross train workers, and set training goals; some benefits of employee training include - better productivity, positive work attitude, risk acceptance, better communication, interpersonal growth, and skills grooming for professional growth; some examples of types include - technical or technology training, quality training, skills training, soft skills training, professional and legal training, team training, managerial training, and safety training
wellbeing
(in general) the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy; workplace wellbeing relates to all aspects of working life from the quality and safety of the physical work environment, to how workers feel about their work, their working environment, the climate at work and work organization; workers wellbeing is a key factor in determining an organization’s long-term effectiveness; steps to take that can improve health and wellbeing in the workplace include - practice good all-around self-care (prevention is better than cure when it comes to maintaining wellbeing), take a break, maintain a positive work/life balance, communicate, utilize employee support, and practice mindfulness
satisfaction
job satisfaction is any combination of psychological, physiological, and environmental circumstances that cause a person to truthfully say that they are satisfied with a job; five components of job satisfaction - 1. pay 2. opportunities for advancement 3. recognition 4. autonomy 5. meaning; employees who report high job satisfaction tend to achieve higher productivity, keeping employees safe and satisfied can also lead to higher sales, lower costs and a stronger bottom line; factors affecting job satisfaction level include - working environment, fair policies and practice, a caring organization, appreciation, pay, age, promotion, and a feeling of belonging; 3 dimensions of overall job satisfaction - general satisfaction, internal work motivation, and growth satisfaction (which are combined into a single measure); benefits of higher job satisfaction - lowers voluntary turnover, reduces employee absenteeism, reduces long-term HR costs, contributes positive results towards Employee Referral Programs, boosts employee productivity, and increases employee retention
realistic job preview
a recruiting tool used to communicate both the good and bad aspects of a job; essentially, it is used to provide a prospective employee with a realistic view of what the job entails
organizational communication
a broad field that encompasses all forms of communication that allow organizations such as companies, government agencies, and nonprofits to function, grow, connect with stakeholders, and contribute to society; refers to the forms and channels of communication among members of organizations such as corporations, nonprofits or small businesses, studies have found a strong relationship between the levels of communication in an organization and job performance and satisfaction; 4 types - formal and informal communication, directional communication, internal and external communication, oral and written communication; broadly speaking, consistent and open communication across an organization ensures all employees, from senior management to entry-level staff, understand the company’s goals and culture, as well as how it presents itself to its customers and clients
business communication
the process of sharing info between employees within and outside a company; effective business communication is how employees and management interact among each other to reach organizational goals and be more aligned with the core company values; 2 main types - internal (upward, downward, and lateral) and external; effective communication within a business is important b/c it can help to foster a good working relationship between you and your staff, which can in turn improve morale and efficiency
group dynamics
a system of behaviors and psychological processes occurring within a social group (intragroup dynamics), or between social groups (intergroup dynamics); are relevant in both formal and informal groups of all types; the purpose of group dynamics is to deal with the attitudes and behavioral patterns of a group - it can be used as a means for problem-solving, teamwork, and to become more innovative and productive as an organization; characteristics of team dynamics that make for a winning team include - shared purpose (a team has a shared goal whereas a group may/does not), trust and openness, willingness to correct mistakes, diversity and inclusion, interdependence and a sense of belonging, consensus decision making, and participative leadership; factors affecting group behavior include - group member resources, structure (group size, group roles, group norms, and group cohesiveness), group processes (the communication, group decision making processes, power dynamics, conflicting interactions, etc.) and group tasks (complexity and interdependence)
groupthink
the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility; some causes include - group cohesiveness, overall group isolation, group leadership, and decision-making stress; a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives; it is based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people
conflict (management) styles
accommodating - one party yields the win to the other party, high importance of relationship, low importance of achieving goal; avoiding - one or both parties seek to suppress the conflict, low importance of relationship, and low importance of achieving goal; compromising - both parties win and give up something, medium importance of relationship, and medium importance of achieving goal; collaborating - both parties win, high importance of relationship, and high importance of achieving goal; competing - one party seeks to satisfy interest regardless of impact to other party, low importance of relationship, but high importance of achieving goal
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid, needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up; 1. physiological needs - air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction (basic needs 2. safety needs - personal security, employment, resources, health, property (basic needs) 3. belongingness and love needs - friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection (psychological needs) 4. esteem needs - prestige, feeling of accomplishment, respect, self-esteem, recognition, strength, freedom (psychological needs) 5. self-actualization - achieving one’s full potential, including creative activities, or desire to become the most that one can be (self-fulfillment needs)
organizational fit
when an employee’s (personal and professional) values and beliefs align with and complement those of the company they work for, we speak of organizational (or culture) fit; this is important b/c it is the key to employee engagement, performance and productivity; employees who identify more with their company are happier, experience greater job satisfaction, are more committed, perform better and are more likely to stay with their organization
stages of team development
- forming - involves a period of orientation and getting acquainted, uncertainty is high during this stage, and people are looking for leadership and authority; 2. storming - conflict and competition are at its greatest b/c group members feel confident and begin to address some of the more important issues surrounding the group, during this stage, all members have an increased need for clarification before they are able to move on to the next stage, their focus may shift from the tasks at hand to feelings of frustration or anger with the team’s progress or process, members may express concerns about being unable to meet the team’s goals, during this stage, members are trying to see how the team will respond to differences and how it will handle conflict; 3. norming - consensus develops around who the leader(s) is, and individual member’s roles, interpersonal differences begin to be resolved, and a sense of cohesion and unity emerges, team performance increases during this stage as members learn to cooperate and begin to focus on team goals, people start to resolve their differences, appreciate one another’s strengths, and respect your authority as a leader, now that they know one another better, your team members will feel more comfortable asking for help and offering constructive feedback; 4. performing - consensus and cooperation have been well-established and the team is mature, organized, and well-functioning, there is a clear and stable structure, and members are committed to the team’s mission, problems and conflicts still emerge, but they are dealt with constructively
KSAOs
knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics are the attributes required to perform a job; knowledge refers to the body of factual or procedural info that can be applied, such as knowledge of foreign languages or computer programming languages; a primary purpose for KSAOs is to measure those qualities that will set one candidate apart from the others
scientist practitioner model
a training model for graduate programs that provide applied psychologists with a foundation in research and scientific practice; this model creates a basis for understanding on which science and practice are built together; I/O psychology is based on this model
