Within psychology there are a wide variety of branches and specialties. Each and every one of them is vitally important to understanding the world as we know it. However, through one or the other we can learn about certain concepts.
At Psychology-Online we do not want to give more importance to some disciplines than others, and that is why we want to present and teach you how each one of them works. In this article we aim to help you learn a little more about a very deep-rooted and important approach to psychology in our daily lives. It is neither more nor less than the organizational psychology.
What is organizational psychology
According to Pérez (2013), organizational psychology is about the discipline or branch of psychology oriented to the study of the behavior of people within an organization. In other words, this type of psychology aims to analyze the behaviors of the individuals who are part of an organization.
What does an organizational psychologist do?
The main functions of a professional in this field are:
- Study human behavior within an organization.
- .
- Evaluate the performance of both individuals and the organization itself.
- Design training and organizational development programs.
- Perform planning, organization, direction and control activities.
- Carry out studies on the psycho-labor variables that influence organizations.
Types of organizational psychology and their characteristics
Within the psychology of organizations there are different specialties and functions:
Industrial organizational psychology
Industrial organizational psychology is based on the following objectives:
- Determine the characteristics of the most suitable individuals for each job.
- Determine the conditions that guarantee the best and most satisfactory result.
- Determine what influences contribute to maximizing work well-being.
This was born as a result of an increase in interest in the human factor and replaced the mechanical model of behavior with another that took into account the feelings and motivations of the workers.
Positive organizational psychology
It is basically an approach focused on the study of optimal functioning by people in terms of the work context. Its objective is to enhance work environments in order to develop each of the workers’ virtues to the maximum and thus support business success.
Organizational and work psychology
The basis of its study is based on the search for all the relationships between people and work in each of its manifestations, with the final objective of achieving adequate efficiency at the highest level, both on the part of the organization and the workers. as well as the personal development of the latter.
Organizational psychology and human resources
For a proper job to be completed, a suitable worker is needed to perform it. That is why human resources are completely necessary within organizational psychology. Its function is to identify the training and development needs of a company; design and optimize the quality of work life; evaluate the effectiveness of training programs, develop batteries to evaluate the performance of both individuals and the organizations themselves.
Why study organizational psychology
Our society is based on capitalist foundations where, to survive, you have to work. However, this does not mean that you have to do it in inadequate conditions or that companies have to be affected by the inefficiency of workers.
That is why more and more companies are turning to specialists in organizational psychology to improve. Thus, currently this It is one of the specialties in psychology with the most job opportunitiessince more and more psychologists are required from organizations.
The organizational psychology career
Currently there is no organizational psychology career as such. However, this knowledge can be accessed from different careers.
On the one hand, organizational learning can begin by studying the psychology degree. Many universities have subjects oriented to this area of psychology in their curricula. For example, the Jaume I University of Castellón, in the third year of the degree, takes the subject of introduction to work psychology and as an elective in the fourth year it also offers psychology of human resources.
In turn, this type of psychology can be studied from the degree of labor relations and occupation, which is more aimed at training professionals to master the organization of work from a multidisciplinary perspective. The degree in labor relations and human resources aims to provide students with complete training in everything related to work organization, personal management and the legal organization of work and social security.
Once you have completed any of the previously mentioned careers/degrees, you can now take a master’s degree specialized in organizational psychology as we have detailed previously. Furthermore, there are also other courses and training both in person and online that will allow us to further develop our skills in terms of the psychology of organizations. These trainings will allow you to acquire the necessary knowledge to professionally organize human resources areas and thus improve the quality of work and work behavior.
Organizational psychology books
If you want to increase your knowledge through reading, I leave at your disposal the titles of a series of books that can help you calm your concern about this topic. Or to increase it, who knows.
- Introduction to Organizational Psychology. Francisco Gil Rodríguez; Carlos María Alcover de la Hera. ISBN 10: 8420635642 / ISBN 13: 9788420635644. Ed. Alianza, 2003. The objective of this manual is to present an overview of the Psychology of Organizations that is, at the same time, rigorous, current and accessible, in a field characterized for great activity and expansion both in the field of research and in application in all types of companies, organizations and institutions
- Organizational Psychology. Martínez Tur, Vicente (coord.) ; Ramos López, José (coord.) ; Moliner Cantos, Carolina (coord.) ISBN 13: 9788490770832. Editorial Síntesis, SA, 2015
- Executive coaching. Alonso García, Miguel Aurelio; Doñate Streets, Ana María; Gioya Rivero, Pedro. ISBN 10: 8497567161 / ISBN 13: 9788497567169. Editorial Síntesis, SA, 2010. Executive coaching helps and facilitates a process of change, it seeks to achieve positive changes in people and for these changes to have an impact on the organizations in which they work.
- Qualitative techniques in Human Resources. Vera María Lorente; Laura Martinez Isabel. ISBN 10: 8497568168 / ISBN 13: 9788497568166. Editorial Síntesis, SA, 2012. This book collects the main contributions of qualitative techniques to the organizational context.
- Theory of the labour relations. Challenges. Juan Carlos Rodríguez Serrano; María Pilar Curòs Vila; Victor Oltra Comorera. ISBN 10: 8484293114 / ISBN 13: 9788484293118. Ed. Uoc, 2003
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
Bibliography
- Álvarez, R. (2013). Positive organizational psychology and organizational improvement. Business Success Magazine, 227(1), 1-3.
- Bresó, E. (2017). Introduction to Work Psychology. Jaume I University.