Appendix Review: Psychology at Work

Test yourself by taking a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within the appendix). Then turn to Appendix D, Complete Chapter Reviews, to check your answers. Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term memory of the concepts (McDaniel et al., 2009).

Work and Life Satisfaction

Question 17.3

What is flow?

  • Flow is a completely involved, focused state of consciousness with diminished awareness of self and time. It results from fully engaging one’s skills.
  • Work may be just a job, a somewhat fulfilling career, or a calling, which produces the highest levels of satisfaction.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Question 17.4

What are the three main subfields of industrial-organizational psychology?

  • Industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology’s three subfields are human factors, personnel, and organizational psychology:
    • Human factors psychologists explore how people and machines interact for optimal safety and effectiveness.
    • Personnel psychologists use psychology’s principles to select, place, train, and evaluate workers.
    • Organizational psychologists consider an organization’s goals, environments, and management styles in an effort to improve worker motivation, satisfaction, and productivity.

Motivating Achievement

Question 17.5

Why is it important to motivate achievement?

  • Achievement motivation is a desire for significant accomplishment; for mastery of skills or ideas; for control; and for attaining a high standard. High achievement motivation leads to greater success, especially when combined with determined, persistent grit.
  • The most satisfied and engaged employees tend to be the most productive and successful.
  • Managers motivate most effectively when they make clear what is expected, provide needed materials, allow employees to do what they do best, affirm employees, and ensure opportunities to learn and develop.

Leadership

Question 17.6

How can leaders be most effective?

  • Leaders can harness strengths, by matching tasks to talents and reinforcing positive behaviors.
  • They can set specific, challenging goals that stretch employees, but not beyond what they can do.
  • They can choose an appropriate leadership style for the situation, such as task leadership when a more directive style is needed, or social leadership when a more democratic style fi ts best.
  • The most effective leaders often combine task and social leadership styles.

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