Introduction
The concepts of organizational psychology and human resources management (HRM) have become popular in the modern world. Personnel psychology means implementing the psychological principles and knowledge in employee management because the influence of personality on work behavior cannot be overestimated (Landy & Conte, 2018). Furthermore, monitoring the environment and events resulting in an abnormal response from workers is essential. If a company’s leaders support staff’s initiatives and encourage pro-active behavior, employees will perform well, contributing to a firm’s prosperity; however, the reverse is also true (Landy & Conte, 2018). Although salary is a strong incentive for people to be employed, it is not the only motivator for staff to be diligent. Indeed, when several surveys asked the participants whether they would continue working if they had enough money, the majority responded positively (Landy & Conte, 2018). This knowledge about people’s work attitudes and relations at the workplace is available due to research in the sphere of personnel psychology and HRM, which are similar fields but possess specific distinctions. The former is needed to develop strategies to increase staff effectiveness, while the latter deals with broader workplace-related issues and tasks.
The Role of Personnel Psychology in the Workplace
Personnel psychology is an essential instrument that initiates individual changes in the workplace and creates a productive environment. When a candidate undergoes selection for a position, interviewers apply psychological principles to understand a person’s work ethic, moral values, concerns, and motives (Roulin et al., 2021). Furthermore, the leadership of many companies strives to grasp the psyche of their employees; hence, specific tests and surveys are utilized to learn about their personalities that can predict work attitudes (Roulin et al., 2021). These practices are needed to boost people’s strengths and discourage counterproductive or toxic activities (Roulin et al., 2021). For example, a fast-food restaurant manager should establish communication with subordinates when there are few clients instead of making them “wipe tables that are already clean” (Landy & Conte, 2018, p. 14). The quality of organizational culture depends on the attitudes and behaviors of CEOs and employees. Thus, learning about characteristics that facilitate prosperity and productivity is critical to build a team with these traits. It can be executed by hiring people with a specific mindset and cultivating these values through education and training.
Occupational psychology varies across cultures, demanding an individualized approach in a multicultural organization. Since many American firms aim for diversity, this aspect of personnel psychology should be considered. For instance, incentives, which appear compelling for a person raised in a traditional Western family, may not incentivize an individual from Japanese culture (Landy & Conte, 2018). Understanding that some people praise individualism and short-term orientation while others prefer collectivism and long-term goals is crucial because it allows creating of a company where these differences can coexist (Landy & Conte, 2018). Inclusion, diversity, and support strategies help preserve a company’s essential workforce. Still, the purpose of personnel psychology is not to explore various customs but to observe cultural influence on performance at work.
The Role of HRM in an Organization
HRM’s functions range from establishing wages and hiring to selecting health insurance and working contract termination. In addition to managing workplace-related issues, HRM promotes proactive behavior among employees who should learn to be self-efficacious (Lee et al., 2019). HR managers can select individuals who propose innovative ideas and solutions to demonstrate that initiative is supported in an organization by rewarding and promoting those who are proactive (Lee et al., 2019). Indeed, workers who can make a direct societal or environmental impact were found to feel more satisfied with being a part of a specific firm (Amrutha & Geetha, 2020). Overall, HRM practices that maintain proactive behavior can show employees that working hard and making suggestions for workplace improvement are acknowledged, resulting in better communication between staff and the HR office.
Personnel Psychology vs. HRM
Personnel psychology and HRM have common features and distinguishing characteristics, but both fields are equally important for organizations. Personnel psychology is crucial for selecting personnel and revealing individuals’ strengths that may be useful for a company and weaknesses that can hinder productivity. This function is also attributed to HRM since it is involved in “recruitment, selection, training, appraisal, pay, compensation, rewards, and employee relations” (Amrutha & Geetha, 2020, p. 11). HR managers should have a clear vision of the qualifications and credentials that future candidates need to possess to bring benefit to a firm at a particular position (Landy & Conte, 2018). Therefore, they create a list of criteria that describe the knowledge and skills necessary for a specific job. Organizational psychology utilizes such tools as psychometrics, questionnaires, and mental and intelligence tests to identify employees’ tendencies to interact with colleagues and methods of performing tasks (Landy & Conte, 2018). Personnel psychology’s goal appears to empathize with workers and make them feel seen and understood. In contrast, HRM’s role is to make practical decisions by raising salaries, hiring a person, or asking one to leave the firm.
How Are HRM and Personnel Psychology Connected?
Despite these distinctions, HR managers and occupational psychologists should collaborate to ensure a company’s prosperity by generating dynamic and efficient culture. Although the HR department does not employ psychological tests, it uses data from these tests to recruit a candidate or terminate someone’s employment. HRM needs to understand the job market and specifics of different positions to establish appropriate payment and compensations (Landy & Conte, 2018). Organizational psychology’s role is to conduct exploratory work about employees’ personalities for HR managers to develop strategies to maintain a high commitment to work. The HR department should know team fears that prevent them from being productive to eliminate the triggers of unease (Lee et al., 2019). In this case, personnel psychologists’ primary function is to identify these concerns and convey this information to HRM. Since their work is intertwined, personnel psychologists and HR managers should establish constant communication to enable an exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Conclusion
In summary, organizational psychology plays an essential role in creating a positive and productive culture in a workplace. It implements various surveys and tests that help reveal growth opportunities and causes of a firm’s stagnation. The human resources management team constantly uses this information to make evidence-based decisions about salaries, employment, rewards, and punishment. However, HRM’s role is not only to make unemotional judgments but also to encourage proactive behavior among staff to ensure that innovative ideas are introduced in a company to facilitate its success in the market. Overall, although HRM and personnel psychology differ in terms of methods utilized and duties fulfilled, their work is closely connected.
References
Amrutha, V. N., & Geetha, S. N. (2020). A systematic review on green human resource management: Implications for social sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 247, 1-61.
Landy, F. J., & Conte, J. M. (2018). Work in the 21st century: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Lee, H. W., Pak, J., Kim, S., & Li, L. Z. (2019). Effects of human resource management systems on employee proactivity and group innovation. Journal of Management, 45(2), 819-846.
Roulin, N., Bourdage, J. S., Hamilton, L. K., O’Neill, T. A., & Shen, W. (2021). Emerging research in industrial-organizational psychology in Canada. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 53(2), 91-97.