Psychology
as a body of knowledge is used by a large proportion of industrial,
business and commercial organisations in the private sector and also many
areas of the public sector. The application of psychology in organisations
can range from situations where large overall programmes are in place to
smaller departmental initiatives where psychological techniques, such as
aids to selection and promotion procedures, are used.
Within
the discipline of psychology, personality is a field of study rather than
a particular aspect of the individual. No other area of psychology covers
as much ground as the field of personality, which overlaps extensively
with neighbouring areas.
Many
theories support our current understanding of personality. In this session,
you examine five broad theoretical areas. Theorists conceptualise
personality in a variety of different ways and it is important for you to
appreciate these in order that you can find ways that you think about
yourself and others.
Theories
provide an orientation and perspective that stimulate different types of
research. They also lead to different approaches for assessing
personality, testing and to thinking about people in organisations. Trait
and biological theories have provided the basis for many modern
psychometric tests for personality in organisations.
Perception
is another field of study within psychology. This overlaps with
personality. We examine the processes involved in perception and the
importance of social perception in organisations.
Characteristics
of individuals explained by personality theories can be used in selection
procedures and in post-selection situations (promotion and appraisal)
Ensuring the right people are selected for organisations is vital to their
success, therefore you will examine approaches to selection processes and
associated methods that can be used to aid rational selection of
candidates for jobs in organisations.
The
approaches to selection are linked to general and psychometric testing,
and we pay particular attention to the rationale for tests in areas of
personality and intelligence.
At
the end of this course, you should be able to:
-
explain and
describe five theoretical approaches to personality.
-
give examples
of a range of different types of personality traits which may be exhibited by individuals.
-
outline the
processes involved in perception.
-
explain the
importance of social perception in organisations.
-
describe why
it is important to assess certain personality traits for the work place.
-
explain the
organisational processes involved in selecting an interview candidate for employment.
-
use and
describe methods for the rational selection of interview candidates for employment.
-
demonstrate
familiarity with certain dimensions of personality and how they may be quantified.
-
explain and
describe a range of tests and testing procedures employed in organisations and the selection of suitable
candidates for employment and clinical evaluations.
Section 1
Individual Differences and Personality
Theory
Psychodynamic approaches
Trait approaches
Humanistic approaches
Behavioural approaches
Cognitive approaches
Section 2
Perception
Elements of the perception process
Selection
Organisation
Interpretation
Social perception
Causal attribution
Section 3
Development of
Selection Procedures
Job analysis
Shortlisting
The interview
Assessment of applicant
Assessing personality
Personality and job suitability
Management and candidate fit
Section 4 Psychometrics:
Traits, Aptitudes and Function
Psychometrics
Testing for traits
Other tests
Factor analysis
Information technology
Tutor-marked Question Paper
