The Significance of Psychology Knowledge to the Managers - Term Paper Example

Managing Organizations Introduction Management roles take place in every al set up. Managers have a duty to overseeall the activities within the organization in order to move towards achieving the goals of the organization. This implies that the managers’ roles demand that they should have efficient knowledge, not only on management but also on other fields such as psychology. Psychology helps managers in various aspects concerning human behaviour and thoughts, therefore, playing a crucial role in organisational operation. Psychology explains the dynamics in human behaviour: therefore, providing room for motivation strategies. Human capital requires motivation in order to produce the best. Happiness and employee satisfaction promotes high productivity in any organization. Additionally, psychology theories offer alternative management ways that are relevant in the organizational strategy of any institution. This article will analyse the significance of psychology knowledge to the managers as well as the challenges faced by the managers in their efforts to apply psychology knowledge in their management roles. Importance of the knowledge of psychology to the managers Understanding the importance of the knowledge of psychology to the manager’s demands that we analyse the various psychology theories put forward by prominent psychology writers. The significance of these theories offers insight on the need to study them as a manager. These theories include: Humanistic Theory of Motivation This theory was developed by Maslow and is commonly known as Maslow’s theory of needs. It is founded on the idea that individuals possess powerful cognitive reasons that influence them into working towards particular goals. Sources of motivations among individuals change as they proceed from basic needs to self-actualisation in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. A well-paying job can be a great source of motivation for individuals at the initial stage of the hierarchy of needs. As the individual progresses the motivators change and finding meaning in the work, creativity and independence can be the new powerful motivators. Maslow called this compensation when a person is motivated and gives more importance to competencies rather than meta-pay. Organisation of the work environment is very crucial given the changing needs of workers. The managers need to understand this aspect and utilise psychology to implement the necessary strategies to address this issue (Cherry, 2013). Psychology is important as it helps create self-awareness in the managers. They learn about their strengths and weaknesses, therefore, having total control of all situations in the firm. They also became aware of their surroundings. They are able to understand the behaviour of their subordinates, workers, customers and their clients, thus having the ability to provide better services and serene work environment. Having knowledge in psychology helps the managers understand different kinds of employees, therefore, finding them positions or departments where they can work well and foster good relationships with others (Harwell, 2009). Taylor’s theory Frederick Taylor (1856-1917) came up with scientific management theory that proposed the ways in which the employees could be motivated. His theory argued that, naturally, workers do not enjoy their work and, therefore, require close control and supervision. He suggests that managers should reduce production into small units that are manageable. He also adds that works need to be offered training and tools that will enable them to work efficiently on a given task. Lastly, he proposes that payment of workers should be in proportion to the tasks they perform. By using these payment criteria, Taylor argues that workers get more motivated by the desire to get more pay, therefore, enhancing their maximum productivity. Taylor’s theory has many benefits for the management. A manager with information on Taylor’s theory is in a position to apply the rational approach in his or her business strategy. This manager will learn to apply the tasks and use them measure them with a high degree of accuracy. Improving the workers’ productivity takes a new dimension with the knowledge of this theory. One would learn to motivate workers by offering them incentives and promoting a positive dimension in a leadership position as well as providing a good working environment for the employees. It is important, therefore, important for every manager to study this theory and master its concepts. Human relations theories This theory focuses on the relationships within the company. It deals with ways in which the employer should relate with the employee, group relationship as well as ways of motivating such relationships. It states that peoples’ needs determine the organization’s effectiveness. The founders of this theory were descriptive and attempted to predict the behaviours existing in various organizations by analysing the common motives of the employees. Mayo, the founder of the theory believed that workers were motivated by being given their social needs while at work rather than money. He argued for a better communication between managers and the employees, greater participation of managers in the daily lives and activities of workers. He also proposed team working to enable the workers realize their abilities through interaction with others. The knowledge of this theory helps the managers improve the interactions within and outside the organization. The manager can apply knowledge the knowledge of Psychology to improve the relationships between the workers. This can be done by putting those who have complimentary personalities together and dividing tasks into a way that they will interact in a peaceful way without any conflicts arising among them (Conrad, 2009). Other theorists such as McGregor gave good leadership dimensions to the managers. He develops a list of assumptions and truths about the employees and how to handle them. He identifies types of individuals in an organization that the manager needs to pay attention to in order to attain a good relationship required for the success of the organization. Hertzberg’s theory on motivation improvement designs clear strategies for managers to keep their employees at the track. He argues for motivators and hygiene required to keep the worker’s motivated. Knowledge of the theories equips managers with important ways of motivating their workers. Other benefits Recruitment Managers find Psychology to come in handy when they are recruiting for a new job positions in their firms. Managers bearing acute knowledge in psychology are able to tell the different personalities that are needed in the various workplaces, and they are able to match different teams with the appropriate team members. This helps the organisation avoid serious recruiting mistakes, thus growing stronger in its workforce. Organisational culture This involves the behaviour of people working in the organisation, how they relate to one another and the meaning that they attach to their roles. Managers need to have knowledge in Psychology to enable them devise plans and strategies that will help in overcoming the challenges within their workforce. They are also able to retain the workforce by understanding their needs and rewards thus retaining them. They are also able to make better and informed decisions when they need to cut costs within the firm. They are able to appease their employees even when the firm is going through some rough times. Challenges encountered by managers in their application of psychology knowledge Every human activity consists of two dimensions, which include the positive and negative factors. Psychology knowledge is relevant for every manager. However, in the application of psychology knowledge, managers meet a number of challenges. These challenges arise as a result of an inability to apply the principles of psychology, as well as the rejection of new techniques from the employees. Theories pose the following challenges to the manager. Maslow’s theory Maslow’s theory on the hierarchy of needs is attractive. However, its applicability is difficult basing on the fact that human behaviours and reactions are difficult to split. Not all people reach the highest ladder of self-actualisation. This implies that the manager’s effort to push individuals towards attaining their individual best may fail. The theory categorizes needs that demand satisfaction before moving into the next ladder. Maslow, however, makes the needs appear distinct and even ends up categorizing what may not be a need in the category physiological needs. Besides, the manager cannot offer all the needs because some goes beyond his ability. Additionally, the theory is rigid making its application in a changing work environment difficult. This is because not all the needs can be achieved at the same time yet the theory demands full satisfaction of one stage before moving to the next (Cherry, 2013). Taylor’s theory Tailor’s theory based on scientific methods and is important in handling major decisions in the management process. The theory, however, has its disadvantages. The method is likely to promote decision making on behalf of the employees. This poses the danger by forcing workers to follow the rigid procedures that they have little or no knowledge of them. It also encourages fragmentation of labour as well as making the manager the sole decision maker, planner and controller of the organization. Additionally, this theory seems to encourage boredom because the workers are forced to follow repetitive procedures. The managers applying this theory face the challenge of having to find an alternative to keep their employees geared towards attaining their goals at the same time gaining pleasure on their jobs (Brindle, 2010, January 23). Other theories such as those proposed by Mayo and Hertzberg pose their own unique challenges to managers seeking to apply them. They tend to be rigid, therefore, failing to embrace the changes in an individual’s lifetime. They fail to acknowledge perceptions of work from different ages. A young employee’s perception on work differs from the older employee’s yet these theories fails to acknowledge these differences (Braddy, Meade & Kroustalis, 2006). Other challenges Wrong interpretation of situations The managers may interpret a certain situation wrongly, which will mislead them into making wrong decisions. Managers may walk into a situation at the workplace or with clients and due to limited interaction with them; they may make the wrong interpretation. This stems from making unfounded assumptions that may lead to the wrong application of Psychology knowledge, which may produce undesired results. The manager should, therefore, seek insight and adequate information concerning a specific situation to avoid such mistakes. Take the example where a company’s marketing manager realizes the need for an introduction of a new product in the market based on observing some clients’ needs. In the event that the customers’ preferences may change, the manager may already have made the wrong interpretation thus introducing a product that the customers no longer need. Inadequate psychology knowledge In order to make suitable decisions in reference to human behaviour at the workplace, the managers need to have adequate knowledge in the field of psychology. This will help them contribute to the development of the company as they properly manage their workers to ensure that they bring out the best in them. However, in some cases the managers may have inadequate information about dealing with some situations, which can result to crisis. Complicated situations may arise thus prompting the need for a professional to intervene especially when the manager wants to retain the employees. This may require the company to hire an extra team of professions who will rearrange the working environment or save the situation using other methods. Conclusion For every manager to succeed in his management role, they need to gain knowledge on other disciplines. Psychology as a discipline offer a wide range of information on issues that deals with management responsibilities. Psychology deals with human behaviour, which is the area of interest of every individual occupying the leadership position. Learning psychology should, therefore, occupy a great position for every individual aspiring to become a manager. Bibliography Braddy, P.W., Meade, A.W. & Kroustalis, C.M. 2006 ‘Organisational Recruitment Perceptions of Organisational Culture.’ Journal of Business and Psychology, 20(4), 525-543. Brindle, D. 2010, January 23. Public v private sector: Is the grass greener?. The Guardian. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www.theguardian.com/money/2010/jan/23/public-private-sector-grass-greener Cherry, K. 2013. Theories of Motivation. About.com Psychology. Retrieved December 2, 2013, from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologytopics/tp/theories-of-motivation.htm Conrad, C. 2009. What Role Does Psychology Play in Business? Thompson Dunn, BusinessPsychology.RetrievedDecember4,2013fromhttp://www.thompsondunn.com/index.php/2009/03/14/what-role-does-psychology-play-in-business/ Harwell, T. 2009. The 7 Biggest Challenges of a Manager. MakingITclear®. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://blog.makingitclear.com/2009/11/11/managerchallenges/ Read More