HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L

CHIS APP07014







BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT


Business Psychology














HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

CONTENTS




1) Understand the different perspectives in occupational psychology

2) Understand the role of psychology in the assessment of individual differences in the
workplace
3) Be able to acknowledge of impact of change in business
4) Understand the impact of culture and climate on performance
5) References

















HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014



Task 1: Understand the different perspectives in occupational psychology


a) Major theoretical approaches

Behaviourist Theory

Behaviourism is primarily concerned with observable behaviour, as opposed to internal
events like thinking and emotion. Observable (i.e. external) behaviour can be objectively and
scientifically measured. Internal events, such as thinking should be explained through
behavioural terms (or eliminated altogether).

(http://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html)

In order for Swan-Cooper to be successful in the changes occurring, the company should take
into consideration the behaviourism approach which is focusing on the behaviour of the
employees in order to choose the best for the companys business. For example, the manager of
the company, if using the behaviourism approach, may assist the companies employees in a
certain department, where the employees can be more effective workers even when there will
be changes among their colleagues.

Cognitive approach

Cognitive approach it deals with various mental processes such as problem solving and
memory and contradicts the behaviourist model, which doesnt take into consideration the
mental processes.
For Swan-Cooper to evaluate employees productivity and try to develop workable strategies
to improve worker and company performance, psychological tools must be implemented, such
as cognitive strategies. The company owners as well as managers are adapting the cognitive
HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

educational strategy to learn about new jobs and to provide help to workers in order to achieve
the objectives.




Humanistic Approach

The humanistic approach explicitly states that people have free will, which sets it apart from
other approaches (with the possible exception of some cognitivists). It could be suggested,
however, that their position on free will is incoherent, since at the same time as insisting on
peoples ability to choose their actions, they explain how our behaviour is determined by our
treatment at the hands of others and an innate set of needs.
Swan Cooper, after the changes, created a good working environment in which all the
employees collaborated and got involved in the company objective. The company managers
took a good working approach to their workers, many of which were women.

b) Scientific approach

The scientific process is now based on the hypothetico-deductive model that was proposed
by Karl Popper (1935). Popper suggested that theories/laws about the world should come first
and these should be used to generate expectations/hypotheses that can be falsified by
observations and experiment. Psychology took so long to emerge as a scientific discipline
because it needed time to reconcile. Understanding behaviour, thoughts and feelings is not
straight forward, which may explain why it was ignored between ancient Greek times and the
16th century.
Scientific approaches followed by Swan Cooper convey an importance of people, and
therefore the creation of a system of relationships between the employees. According to this
approach, employees can be motivated with something else than just financial gains. They must
get recognition from the managers, because they are human beings and they must be treated
like humans not like machines. Leaders must try to understand them and their feelings because
the company works not only through the formal relationship but also through informal relations.
HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

Therefore, leaders work to encourage the formal and informal relations. They give their
employees the security of the job and a high degree of satisfaction.


c) Strenghts and weaknessess of qualitative and quantitative approaches

Quantitative approaches

Strengths
Provides precise, quantitative, numerical data
Data analysis is relatively less time consuming (using statistical software)
The research results are relatively independent of the researcher (e.g., statistical
significance)
It may have higher credibility with many people in power (e.g., administrators, politicians,
people who fund programs).
Weaknesses
The researchers theories that are used might not reflect local constituencies
understandings
Knowledge produced might be too far removed and general for direct application to
specific local situations, contexts, and individuals

Quantitative approaches such as questionnaires and surveys may help the company to
improve their work. It helps the company to ask people about their opinion and help the
company to find more about what customers want.


Qualitative Research

Strengths
The researcher can use the primarily qualitative method of grounded theory to
inductively generate a tentative but explanatory theory about a phenomenon
Data is usually collected in naturalistic settings in qualitative research
HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

Qualitative approaches are especially responsive to local situations, conditions, and
stakeholders needs
Weaknesses
It is difficult to make quantitative predictions.
It is more difficult to test hypotheses and theories with large participant pools.
It might have lower credibility with some administrators and commissioners of programs.
It generally takes more time to collect the data when compared to quantitative research.
In contrast with the quantitative approach, the qualitative methods are to measure various
issues such as beliefs, perception and values. Also this method can help the company to
understand the behaviour and the relationship between different variables.

Task 2: Understand the role of psychology in the assessment of individual
differences in the workplace

a) Individual Difference

Individual differences represent the facts, which make people different humans having
different needs to each other. All people are different in many aspects such as psychical, desires,
values and interests.

Myers Briggs (MBTI)

The Myers Briggs has the main purpose to explain the theory of psychological types in order
to understand them better and why people use them in their life.
The theory essence is that much behaviour variations are consistent and ordinary, which is
due to many differences in the way people prefer to use their judgement and perception.

Myers Briggs and its applications in general and in Swan Cooper

The MBTI represent an instrument used for the professional development and improvement
of the companys employees. The result of this instrument helps people by giving them
HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

feedback about their personality and how they differ from other people. In Swan Cooper
company MBTI it is used in improving the performance of employees and develop their skills.

Belbins Team Roles

Belbin Team Role represents a report given by certain language in helping people; employees
are forming good, productive work relations in order to develop and select a performing team
and therefore showing an increase in personal effectiveness.
To achieve the best balance, employees roles in the Swan Cooper team are:
A Co-ordinator a respected leader because its helping all the company employees to perform
in its tasks.
A Plant represent the person which is using its ideas to solve the working problems and which
has creative ideas.
A Monitor/evaluator is the person which maintain a good working atmosphere and who
always is thinking about the business problems.
Implementer- put in practice the most important ideas but it also a slowly person.
Team worker- good listener which is trying to solve all the company problems and which
develop an individual career.
Resource investigator optimistic character and gook networking ability, he explore the ideas
and find the possibility to collaborate with others.
Completer/finisher doesnt have much trust in others and is trying to complete itself all the
work.
Swan Cooper looks at individual differences that affect performance. The company examine
various aspects of the workplace which may affect their environment after the company explore
the values, attitudes and peoples behaviour.

b) Psychometric instruments

Personality questionnaire represent a questionnaire used to self-report and where the
employees are responding to various questions with no choosing answers. The completions of
these questionnaires are providing the people personality.
HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

For example, a questionnaire may help people who want to employ in Swan Cooper to describe
themselves in relation with other people, discover how they think and plan their action but also to
find out more about their fillings.

Verbal reasoning test Is a test which is made verbally and measures the employees ability to
understand the logic answer of a question and how they react.They are reading the question
and after respond it.It is a custom at the finish to present in the right term the performance of
the candidate in relation to a database provided by the test publisher.

c) Type of measures of individual differences

Individual differences are represented as a broad term and cover all the variables, which
make the difference between people, from the style of decision, to the cognitive ability, to
personality.

Motivation measures

The motivation measured can be classified in four groups and it can vary significantly when it
comes to employees targets. Swan Cooper conducted a survey about their employees in order
to find out how much they know about the changes in business and according to this an
employee who is concerned about the company success is more motivated in his work.

Decision making measures

It can be divided into measures of approach, style and competence and it refers to people
ability and skills to make good decisions.
Employees surveys are the best method of assessing the company performance since nobody
knows the company better than the people who work inside, and who are involved in the
system of the company. Ask them to give a score on a scale to 1 to 5 of the business abilities on
speed, quality and effort, which will show Swan Cooper the data needed to make a comparison
to the database, indicating high and low performance.
HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

Task 3 Be able to knowledge of impact of change in business

a) Kubler-Ross's Stages

Dr. Kubler-Ross has writing about certain stages which dying individuals tend to go through
as they are coming to terms with the fact that they will pass away soon.
Denial is the fist stage of Kubler-Ross- in grief, people do not wish, or cannot accept that
the loss has taken place or will take place. They feel that they are experiencing a bad dream that
is unreal, one that they are waiting to wake up from where things will take the normal course.
After individuals have passed the denial stage and have accepted that the loss that has
occurred, they will begin to feel anger at the loss and the unfairness of it. They may begin to feel
abandoned and angry with the person.
Next to come is bargaining. In this stage individuals are begging for higher power to undo
their loss. Once it becomes clear that Anger and Bargaining are not going to reverse the loss,
people may then sink into a Depression a stage where individuals are confronted with the
reality of the loss and how they can help themselves to make changes. Individuals will blame
themselves for the cause or contribution to the loss whether it is justified or not.
In the final stage individuals are entering in a stage of acceptance where they will have
processed their initial grief emotions and are able to accept the change. At this point they
become able to plan their future.

b) John Kotter's 8 step process

1. Increase urgency - the company must examine the realities and the market place, discuss
about the company crisis and the most important opportunities, get evident from the company
outside.
2. Build the Guiding Team - Swan Cooper in implementing changes should give employees
enough power to overcome the changes, show enthusiasm so that may attract the company
manager and encourage the company employees to collaborate.


HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

3. Get the Vision Right develop a good strategy to achieve the company objective and direct
the people effort within changes.
4. Communicate for Buy-in built engagement, communicate through various methods, apply a
new vision, and keep a simple communication.
5. Empowering Action removes all the obstacles and makes changes in the company structure
6. Create short-term wins plan and improve the performance.
7. Do Not Let Up reward and recognize the employees involved in the company improvement.
8. Make Change Stick - Articulate the connections between the new behaviours and corporate
success.

c) Important stakeholders

In order to achieve attitude change in each of its groups, the company may use certain
methodologies:
Brainstorming is a method of generating ideas and issues within the group of stakeholders.
Takes the form of a meeting in which the most important points are being prioritised and after
the focus group will be able to discuss the particular topics.
Semi-structured interviews, which are being guided by the stakeholder, group which would
have an informal checklist of various issues, and which allow other issues to be pursued or
identified.
Digging up existing data represents a record, which may shed light on the circumstances,
characteristics and interests for the stakeholders.
Time lines it is prepared within the stakeholders and impacts the policies and processes having
discussion about cause and effect.
Diagrams help people to understand quickly what idea is being talked about and what the plans
are. Stimulate the discussion of people and focus their attention while discussing a problem,
represent complex issues which stimulate ideas.




HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

Task 4 Understand the impact of culture and climate on performance

a) Type of culture

The original Swan-Cooper has an autocratic culture which is one with rigid and tight
procedures, policies and constraints. The employees are formal and very organized in the way
they operate so that leads them to accomplish better their objectives. They understand all the
changes through their organisational charts and so they know what is their responsibility are all
the times.
In contrast the new owners follow a democratic culture which promotes the sharing of
responsibility, the exercise of delegation and continual consultation, leaders effectively delegate
tasks to subordinates and give them full control and responsibility for those tasks.
Swan Cooper autocratic culture had created an impersonal place to work which has a high
power culture. Employees was being valued according to their performance and there was
allowed little creativity, every employee is behaving according to the company policy and
leaders though that strict discipline is important for the company effectiveness.
But also Swan Cooper has a good working environment which means that workers are being
encouraged to assume the working responsibility and challenging activities.There was a good
work because there was a positive atmosphere and all the employees are participating to the
decision making process.
On the other hand the new owners democratic leadership created an environment with high
morale, employees are motivated to offer creative solutions to all problems and they create an
good atmosphere.

b) The climate

Before the changes, people in workplace were talking about teamwork but not all
understood what that meant and how they could build a strong relationship to become
effective. In the organisation the team is an entity specialised in the area that its assigned to.
The responsibility of the team is guide the organisation to success according to their knowledge
in the defined area. The train of team is defined as the teachers within the organization.
HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014

After the changes in Swan Cooper democratic organisation the team works to create the
defined company culture necessary for the success of the organisation, the employees work as a
team, there is communication between them and cooperation because they all share the same
objectives, but in hierarchical organisation created by Williams, people who do not work in a
team display self interest.

c) Recommendation for improving performance:

The company must make sure that its employees understand the business system. In
order for that to happen the system should be described in an explicit manner related to
the companys objectives.
The company must carry out appraisal skill training for its managers. This is to create an
effective appraisal. Its concluded that for the company, it is essential to have the ability
to appraise the sub-ordinates skills.
Increase the willingness of managers in order to conduct efficient appraisal - Primary
causes of appraisal ineffectiveness fall directly on the managers shoulders. Offer
refresher training, or training on the skills mentioned in the previous bullet.













REFERENCES
HND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Business Psychology MISS MADALINA L
CHIS APP07014



Dematteo, J.S.; Eby, L.T. & Sundstrom, E. (1998). Team-based rewards: Current empirical
evidence and directions for future research. Research in Organizational Behavior, 20,83-141
Guzzo, R.A. & Shea, G.P. (1992). Group Performance and intergroup relations in
organizations. Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 3, pp. 269313)
https://www.google.co.uk/search?newwindow=1&q=recommandation+for+improving+the+per
formance&oq=recommandation+for+improving+the+performance
http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/f/behaviorism.htm
http://www.simplypsychology.org/humanistic.html
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/
http://www.belbin.com/rte.asp?id=8