Business Psychology: Understanding the Science of Human Behavior for Effective Performance

This article explores the study and practice of business psychology, focusing on understanding human behavior and improving performance. It discusses different approaches such as cognitive, behavioral, and humanist, and their relevance in today's workforce. The article also highlights the importance of time management, team-working skills, and public speaking for personal and professional development.

Business Psychology

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................4
Journal entries.........................................................................................................................4
Reflective Journal 1................................................................................................................4
Reflective Journal 2................................................................................................................6
Reflective Journal 3................................................................................................................7
SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................9
Action Plan.............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Business psychology is a study and practice of balancing and improving work life. It is a
mixture or combination of understanding the science of human behaviour along with the past
experiences of work for achieving best effective performance of oneself, individuals and
organisation. In simpler words it is a formula for making people and company more and most
effective. It involves huge range of research tools for evaluating and identifying best practices
for the firm in order to work appropriately and in best manner (Benjamin Jr, 2018). There are
number of business psychology approaches which can be adopted for understanding oneself and
other people working in the workplace. These approaches are mentioned below and explained as
follows:
(Source: Psychological Perspectives in the Workplace, 2020) Cognitive approach- This approach is based on the assumption that the human being or
men is a very cleaver creature and act in order to make the world around them sensible
(Strike, Michel and Kammerlander, 2018). The world has vast information and data
available, but human beings will make use of active and passive strategies for reducing
the amount of information and process only those which are needed by them at that
particular time or for a specific moment. This approach is relevant to today's workforce
as widely characterised and determined by the data analysis and processing (Lind, 2019).
They make use of additional tools such as computer and information systems for to
evaluate, determinate and store a particular data for reducing the burden of brain. Behavioural approach- This approach assert that the people are rational animals, who in
most part opt pleasure and happiness, avoiding pain. For doing so they always consider
time as short term pleasures are always forsaken and ignored. It is the behaviour of
Illustration 1: Psychological
Perspectives in the Workplace, 2020

individuals that are working in an organisation that they always seek for long term
benefits and work for attaining long term objectives for having long term pleasure (Ryan,
Soenens and Vansteenkiste, 2019). This behavioural approach of human psychology
affects the business in both positive and negative manner, as individuals stay highly
motivated for working in most effective manner but keep self agendas and motive ahead
of company's aims (Cartwright and Cooper, 2018). It is the job of management or
directors to maintain a balance and make people work for attaining goals of both entity
and personal in potential manner.
 Humanist approach- This theory or approach resembles with cognitive approach, and if
only focused on subjective experience it is an arch enemy of behavioural approach
(Fiske, 2018). This theory concentrates on resolution of conflicts or achievement of the
main aim. In order to apply this theory, the information is gathered to understand how a
person or employee see themselves in a working situation. This is were conflicts arise
which basically depends upon values and self-actualisation and the meaning (Palmer and
Whybrow, 2018).
MAIN BODY
Journal entries
Reflective Journal 1
What is the core skill to develop?
The core skill for this reflective pro-forma which I have selected is Time Management. It is
skill which enable me to plan and organise my work in an effective manner by allocating
appropriate time for each task or duty I am responsible for completing the requirements of my
job role. Time management is defined as the time duration an individual is spending on a
particular task or job role (Vaughn, 2019). An effective time management skill which is help
by persons enable them to work effectively and smartly rather than working hard. If an
individual lacks time management skill, falls in managing their work damages their
effectiveness, over burdening them and change their job in a stress.
Why did I select this skill to reflect on? Why is this core skill important for your
development (personal and professional)?

I have selected time management skill to reflect upon as it is one of the most important skill an
individual should hold in order keep their personal and professional life balanced. Time
management skill is an essential skill for the development of myself as it teaches me how to be
effective and complete all my work in the allotted time frame. In my professional life time
management techniques will help me to work in better manner and increase my personal
efficiency to work (Haugtvedt, Herr and Kardes, 2018). This will enable me to attain higher
position in workplace and be most effective. As my professional life balances with work my
personal life will automatically be effected positively and make it balanced.
Reflect on your current competence regarding this skill. How did you assess your
competence?
My time management skills are average, this is due to my procrastinating nature which causes
delays in many of my tasks. It is my tendency to procrastinate, make delays in all actions and
do not completing them until the end moment (Goldstein, 2019). I am rating my time
management skills as average because sometimes if I am motivated enough I complete my job
in time and even before time. But once is procrastinate it becomes a huge problem for me. This
is my judgement form myself about my time management skills and abilities.
Can you identify any contradictions from your analysis above? For example, is there a
match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?
No I do not see any contradictions from my analysis about my time management skills as my
parents, friends and my tutors also thinks the same (Bailey and et. al., 2018). My tutor is the
first person who made me realise my habit of procrastinating and made me understand its
negative outcomes. My tutor is helping me to improve my time management skills and remove
the habit of procrastination. Time management skill are helpful and useful for me in order to
work with my full potential and complete all work in given time frame and even attain better
results.
How might this skill help me in the future?
Time management skill is a tool which enable a person to work in appropriate manner in their
personal and professional life. In other words time management has impacts upon personal and

professional life of an individual (Lee and et. al., 2019). This factors identifies that time
management skill is essential for me for excel in my professional skills and performing all my
tasks on time while working in an organisation. This skill enable me and help me in building
my future as good time management increases efficiency of a person and make him work in
better manner with every passing time for attaining higher objectives and goals.
Reflective Journal 2
What is the core skill to develop?
Team-working skill is the core skill which is reflected in this pro-forma. Team work is defined
as working with group of individuals where everyone tasks are dependent on one another and
their efficiencies (Short, McKenny and Reid, 2018). Team-working skill is an essential skill
which needs to be developed by a person to work in a corporate body with other employees
holding higher or lower level of skills. In technical terms team-working skills are the
interpersonal abilt9ies which an employee hold to work effectively in an organised group or
team. It takes place when people of a team cooperate and coordinate with one another and
change their team into an effective team.
Why did I select this skill to reflect on? Why is this core skill important for your
development (personal and professional)?
This skill is chosen by me to reflect upon because of its importance and need for an individual
to hold for working with their full potential with a corporate group (David and James, 2019) .
Team-working skill is one of the core ability which a person should hold while working in
order to seek their personal and professional development. Personally team-working skill help
my to adjust in all different environment, meet new people, set up communication with them
and build good relations. In professional field team-working skill enable me to work in
dynamic environment with unique individual and learn new things from them. Team-working
skills assist me in learning new things from my team mates, explore new opportunities and be
most effective while working.
Reflect on your current competence regarding this skill. How did you assess your

competence?
According to myself, team-working skills which I have are average. I am good with people
who are unique from me, have good communication with them but it is very difficult for me to
work in a team (Stout-Rostron, 2018). This is due to my rigid nature and inflexibility, I need
things or work to be done according to myself I can not work according to other until my
viewpoints match with them or we comes a equilibrium point. Therefore, according to me in
need to develop better team-working skills and need to have some flexibility in my nature for
working in a team with group of individuals with different mindset.
Can you identify any contradictions from your analysis above? For example, is there a
match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?
According to me I lack appropriate and required team-working skill which an individual
should have to work with a business entity (Pierce, Jussila and Li, 2018). But few of my
friends and my peer groups gave me feedbacks which are positive about my team-working
skills. According to their feedbacks I hold goods skills and work effectively in a team. I
maintain good relations with my team mates, other team members and my subordinates. They
disagree with me that is lack any good team-working skills or capabilities.
How might this skill help me in the future?
As discussed that team-working is one of the core and most essential ability one should have to
excel in their personal and professional life while performing their tasks. Therefore, it is
implied that this skill will be having huge impacts on my future (Hu and et. al., 2018). Good
team-working skill will help me in developing good interpersonal relations with the people
around me. Team-working skill also help me in making my team most effective bring best of
their talents out, making them work in most efficient manner and rendering best results to the
respective organisation. Helping me in attaining huge objectives, reaching to higher levels and
work in mos suitable manner for completing my tasks.

Reflective Journal 3
What is the core skill to develop?
The core skill which is reflected in this pro-forma is Public Speaking, which is the ability of
conducting communication with crowd and addressing them on a particular topic or agenda
(Albrecht, Breidahl and Marty, 2018). Public speaking skill reflects the confidence and
communication power of an individual, the power of changing a persons perspective, changing
their opinion and converting them in their favour. This skill is also related with motivating
individuals, informing them about a specific tool and representing my person views on it. In
other simpler words, it is a act or a process of performing a speech by addressing and
informing a live audience or crowd.
Why did I select this skill to reflect on? Why is this core skill important for your
development (personal and professional)?
This skill is chosen by me to reflect upon is due to its effectiveness. Public speaking and
representing a whole business on the behalf of company is not an easy task. It takes a lot of
courage, confidence, good speaking skills, fast mind for giving spontaneous replies and good
manipulative skill of positive sense (Moshontz and et. al., 2018). This skill helps me in my
profession when I am pitching my ideas to my seniors for convincing them and making them
understand what I am thinking and actually want to implement. In my personal life this skill
enhance my level of conversations, motivates me to start a conversations and be an effective
and important part of it. Enabling me to mingle up with everyone and develop good and
healthy relations by communicating my point view to other in an appropriate manner and
making them understand my logics.
Reflect on your current competence regarding this skill. How did you assess your
competence?
I believe that I lack in this segment, my communication skills are excellent but when it comes
to give a speech and address a huge crowds with number of people I lack confidence. There is
one fear which is known as stage fear, I have it and which affects my public speaking. I am
unable to speak or put my point of view before others in an effective manner (Mäkelä and
Kinnunen, 2018). I have assessed this through my performances while presenting any topic in

front of my superiors. I lack confidence and always prefers that someone else give presentation
rather than me.
Can you identify any contradictions from your analysis above? For example, is there a
match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?
From my personal analysis of my Public speaking skills I lack at it and this is my weak area.
On the other hand, my seniors has exact opposite views, according to their feedbacks I am very
goods at it. During my presentations they have noticed a lot of factors which makes me a good
public speaker. They believe that just confidence is not enough for becoming a good public
speaker, there are other factors too which affects it (Gardner, Ryan and Snoeyink, 2018). Such
as my communication skills are excellent, my command over my topic is always strong, the
people whom I am addressing are always indulged with me and stays with me on every level
of presentation.
How might this skill help me in the future?
Public speaking is a great tool or source for building personal development at various different
levels. As improved communication skills is beneficial in all sort of different areas, public
speaking develop a unique kind of confidence in me which help me in attaining my goals in
better manner, move out of my comfort zone and take part in better opportunities which can be
a huge career booster (Hearnshaw 2020). It enable me think critically by taking into
consideration all sort of different opinions people have and accordingly make my
conversations or speech which help in having broader view and gain more knowledge
advancing my abilities.
SUMMARY
Action Plan
A personal development plan is created in this section in which I am assessing and
highlighting the actions which is needed to undertake for improvement of my skills and attain
better results. A personal development plan is known as PDP which is document prepared by the
individual themselves which is used to reflect upon their learning performance and
achievements. It is a plan for their personal development, education, growth and career

development. It is basically a road map which is developed by respective individual for attaining
their goals and make improvements in themselves.
Development area Specific Measurable Attainable Timely
Time management To plan manage
and complete
all my work in
given time or
even before
time for
becoming more
efficient and
effective (Gray
and Graham,
2019).
Feedback from
my family
member and
people spending
more time with
me. Also, from
my superiors by
as they
supervise me.
I am joining a
training program
or session for
learning better
time
management
skills. This
session
specifically
concentrates on
individuals
development and
their time
management
skills.
I will be needing
at least 2 months
to gain better time
management
skills.
Team-working To be more
flexible and
develop better
relations with
individuals
working with
me on same
level. To be
comfortable
with my group
and work with
full potential.
By taking
feedback from
my colleagues
and team mates
with whom I
am working.
Also, I can self
assess it as I
known my
lacking areas.
In order to learn
better team
working skills, I
will initiate and
participate in
more team
associated tasks
and job roles
(Acevedo, 2018)
(Bal and Dóci,
2018).
As I just need to
make few
improvements I
need 20 to 30
days for having
improved team-
working skills.

Public Speaking For attaining
better
confidence and
addressing the
audience in
more
appropriate
manner.
Through self-
assessment, I
can take
feedbacks from
my superiors
but they already
think that I am
a good public
speaker and
therefore, their
judgement
won't be very
valuable in this
case (Finkel
and Baumeister,
2019).
For gaining more
confidence while
rendering a
speech in public I
will be keen and
take part in more
stage speeches
and presentations
and grab more
opportunities to
work and address
people.
This is the most
lacking area and
skill according to
me and therefore,
I need 70 to 80
days for
developing
effective public
speaking skills
and confidence
(Grand and et. al.,
2018).

REFERENCES
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of skill development. American Psychologist. 73(1). p.81.
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