Psychology Of Work: Definition And Applications

In the workplace it is important to know in detail the work environment and the different components that characterize it. Be aware of the possibilities of working groups and the problems that may arise. Occupational psychology, a branch of psychology focused on the study of human behavior in the workplace, deals with these and other topics.

The psychology of work deals with the study of all the factors that influence the development of work activities, both individual and group. Its goal is to specifically define all behaviors and actions that can improve worker performance. Let’s explore the topic together.

The origins of the discipline

Before being called work psychology, the name industrial psychology was used. In 16th century Europe, its applications were limited to the scientific field. Indeed, the origin of this discipline can be found in  Juan Huarte de San Juan’s book Examination of the Wits of 1575. This is considered to be the first treatise dealing with psychology.

Several centuries later, due to the conflicts of the Second World War and the great crisis that spread throughout the world, an interest in the psychology of work was born again. The main reason was the need to restructure many companies from an economic and organizational point of view.

For example, in the military it was essential to train new recruits capable of specialized jobs at the technological level: all these people were assigned specific tasks in which they could be useful.

However, when the war ended, all of these former soldiers had to find other types of jobs. The difficult relocation caused psychological problems and a high unemployment rate.

To deal with the labor crisis, studies were conducted that gave rise to the concept of industrial psychology and what we know today as the psychology of work. Those studies and their applications were extended to all fields of work and not just to the industrial one.

The differences between work psychology and human resources

In a company, the field of action of work psychology should not be confused with that of human resources management. The first is a branch of psychology that needs specific studies. Although work psychology may have to do with human resource management, it mainly deals with areas such as motivation, stressful situations and culture.

It is also true that to work in the human resource management sector, it is not necessary to have a background in psychology. Work in this area is mainly concerned with budget preparation and analysis, personnel costs, contracts or legislative matters. The required training is closer to studies in economics and law than in psychology.

The tasks of work psychology

Within the organization of a company, the psychology of work can deal with various areas. The main fields of study are:

• Staff orientation: this is perhaps the area in which this discipline is most applied. The main objectives are: to plan the tasks of the working groups and clearly define their objectives.

• Personnel development: Another of the tasks of work psychology is based on knowing the needs of workers in relation to their training. It is necessary to find the best solutions so that the company personnel can acquire all the necessary knowledge to perform their job correctly.

• Marketing : deals with the creation of surveys and the organization of group work. It is also used for studies on the image and on the level of satisfaction of the product by potential consumers.

• Direction and management: finally, occupational psychology deals with the direction and management of company policies. Personnel management and the definition of responsibilities for each job position are also included. In addition, in particular, it has the task of helping to correctly manage the work teams.