OB 520 Discussion 1

Part 1: Post a Response

Organizational behavior is really the combination of four areas of study – psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology. While each of these areas involves an examination of people and their interactions, the focuses are quite different:

Psychology – studies the mind and how people make decisions.
Social Psychology – examines how people work in groups.
Sociology – explores how systems work within the organization.
Anthropology – examines how culture works within the organization.

Now, assume that you are an organizational consultant and have been asked by a new CEO to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the organization.

Of the four areas of study listed above, which would you focus on first?

Make sure to explain why you chose this area, and why it would take precedence over the other areas.

View this short video for guidance.

Discussion #!

f I where an organizational consultant tasked to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a company, I would primarily focus on psychology as the area of study to understand the employee’s way of thinking. It is very important for a CEO of a company to understand the thought processes of his or her employees. Psychology is the art in determining employee’s qualified match to fill a specific role mentally. If they are not a good match, then they could be delegated or shifted throughout the corporation and a more qualified candidate can fill the position. Moreover, by understanding your employees and what drives them emotionally, as the CEO, I could improve my organizations performance, motivate my personnel, and make my employees feel like their daily routine are significant.

Because psychology is the art of understanding the (heart) which is the mind of man, I understand that each employee’s strengths and weakness are the mainstay of what ultimately helps a business to achieve long term goals and success. This art takes precedence over other areas of studies. In spending 3 years as a recruiter, made me curious into why different candidates think and rationalize their hard and soft skills. Though I am no duty expert in this subject, certain aspects of psychology helped me to understand ideas and roles that can accommodate to their personalities and outlook. Understanding my applicant’s needs at the time, hopefully, allowed them to achieve long term success with less risk of failure.