As it sounds, it is the scientific study of psychology in business. Business Psychologists use their psychological grounding to better understand what goes on in and around organizations and places of work. Business Psychology can be applied to any kind of work: blue and white collar work, along with manual work, voluntary work, outdoor work and teaching, for example.
The overall aim of Business Psychologists is to improve the workplace, in a variety of areas: employee effectiveness, employee motivation/engagement, recruitment processes, training and development processes, employee well being (emotional and physical), ergonomic environments, organizational cultures and branding, amongst other things. It works on the premise that in the current age, work is more of a place than just work and people want more from their time at work.
Business Psychology can be applied to anyone in an organization, from the CEO to the most junior staff, or from whole organizations, one department, or just one individual.
There are 8 key areas of Business Psychology. Below are examples of what the day to day work of a Business Psychologist might typically involve.
1. Assessment and Selection
Design, delivery and evaluation of assessment services, either for recruitment and selection purposes or for development. Assessment Centres are the typical end product, and these can vary in size, from just an interview, or a 2 day event comprising role plays, presentations, group exercises, psychometric tests and interviews, for example.
2. Training
Training needs analysis, training design and training delivery.
3. Employee Relations and Performance Management
Running focus groups, surveys, interviews, for example, to evaluate and/or improve motivation, team building, disciplinary actions, and general employee relations.
4. Career Development and Performance Appraisal
Writing personal development plans, designing and delivering performance appraisal systems, career development planning, HR planning, design and delivery of assessment centres, outplacement counselling.
5. Counselling and Personal Development
Counselling, Coaching, Developmental feedback, Mentoring, Career Counseling using career and interest inventories.
6. Design of Environments and Work: Health and Safety
Environment measurement (e.g. light and heat ventilation), risk assessment and Occupational Stress Inventories to improve working conditions and productivity.
7. Human Machine Interaction
Analysis and improvement of workplace design (layout), physiological stress, risk assessment and prevention, interface analysis.
8. Organisational Change and Development
Aligning organisation's goals and business plans, aligning strategy, values and branding, change needs analysis, change management.
An undergraduate degree in Psychology precedes the necessary Masters qualification in Business Psychology. To then be a Chartered Psychologist, a portfolio of learning experiences needs to be submitted, which typically takes 2-4 years to gain, through a variety of real life working experiences.
What is the difference
between Business Psychology, and Occupational/Organisational/Work/Industrial Psychology?
There is no difference. Business Psychology, can be otherwise known as any of these definitions. There is no difference between them, but due to recent legislative changes, a number of Occupational Psychologists, such as Katrina, have had to change their titles to Business Psychologists. Most Business Psychologists are members of the British Psychological Society (BPS), who regulate the industry and those servicing it.
