Business Psychology: Understanding Self and Others Report

This report delves into the realm of business psychology, focusing on the application of psychological principles to improve workplace dynamics and employee performance. It begins with an introduction to business psychology, emphasizing its role in enhancing working life through effective practices and advanced technologies. The report then evaluates various psychological approaches, including cognitive, behavioral, and humanist paradigms, to understand self and others in the workplace. Furthermore, it presents reflective journals that explore the development of three core skills: communication, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. Each skill is analyzed through self-assessment, feedback, and theoretical perspectives. The report concludes with a summary action plan, outlining strategies to enhance working skills and improve overall workplace effectiveness. The assignment underscores the importance of psychological approaches in fostering a productive and positive work environment.

Business Psychology

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Brief evaluation of psychological approaches to understanding self and others in the
workplace...............................................................................................................................1
Reflective journals comprising 3 core skills....................................................................................2
Summary Action Plan......................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................9

Introduction
Business psychology refers to practices and procedures through which working life can be
improved and enhanced. It includes the use of effective activities and processes for increasing
effectiveness of working style. Meanwhile, it is observed that adoption of advanced techniques
and methods are helpful to facilitate smooth working along with attaining better outcomes. It
involves the implementation of advanced technology and training procedures for increasing
working practices effectively (Xiao, 2019). In context of this project, it has based on business
psychology which consist the way of increasing the working procedures in order to enhance the
performance of staff members. It includes the criterion of improving the working styles and tasks
to perform in more effective as well as efficient manner. This assignment will focus on
psychological approaches to understand self and others in workplace and reflective journals
comprising several core skills. It will also include summary of action in terms of improving
working skills of people at work place.
Brief evaluation of psychological approaches to understanding self and others in the workplace
Psychological approaches can be defined as ways through which employees can be motivated to
enhance their working skills in order to increase productivity. It includes several ways which are
favourable to improve the performance. Basically, it is necessary to make an individual
encouraged for improving their skills and abilities for boosting up their performance in effective
manner. It is required for managers and supervisors to focus on appropriate psychological
approaches to understand self and other at work place. There are several types of psychological
approaches that can be used at work place in which some of them given here.
Cognitive approach – This can be described as clinically dominant perspective for a good reason
and it is known as logical rational to be applied at work place. It is based on the perspective that
man is very clever creature as they have ability to develop various useful things for them from
factors available in their surroundings (Graßmann and Schermuly, 2016). However, it is
favourable to work on ideas of improving working practices more effective which is beneficial to
enhance the performance. It includes the criterion of focussing on available resources to improve
them which facilitate to increase the organisational ability to boost up regular productivity.
Behavioural approach – The behaviours is very important to understand other and self to adjust
with regular work pressure and complete tasks on time. It includes the criterion for managers to
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adopt several effective practices to encourage people to remain motivated towards work and
perform cooperatively with colleagues. However, behavioural approaches can be categorised
reward, punishment, time out and other reinforcer that should be considered for improving
working style. It includes the reward process which has an application in regards to positive
stimulus for increasing response rates. Meanwhile, it involves the factors of punishment which is
use for negative stimulus for reducing the response negative operational aspects. It consist the
factor of time out which has criterion of removing the positive stimulus for decreasing response
rates whereas other reinforcer includes the way of removing negative stimulus for enhancing the
response rates in an organisation.
Humanist paradigm – This refers to an effective approach which includes the humanism accepts
individual differences along with resembling cognitive theory to focus on subjective experiences.
It includes to use the working experiences of senior managers in order to make desired
modifications at work place which is suitable for employees to perform in appropriate manner
(Strike, Michel and Kammerlander, 2018). However, it has been analysed that humanist
paradigm is favourable to improve the operational techniques and methods along with adopting
encouraging practices for maintaining motivation level which facilitate to increase productivity
of an organisation. It is observed that motivated employees are favourable to increase quality of
products and services delivered to the client.
Reflective journals comprising 3 core skills
Skill 1: Communication skill
What is the core skill to develop?
The core skill is communication which is required to be developed because it is very
important to share accurate information and work together effectively. It includes the criterion
of learning several relevant communication abilities including active listening, straight
talking, non-verbal communication, stress management and emotion control (Ryan, Soenens
and Vansteenkiste, 2019). However, it is necessary to acquire effective communication skill
which is helpful to establish appropriate cooperation as well as coordination in order to
improve the project outcomes. It is required work on communication skills which make easy
to work effectively in flexible working settings or atmosphere.
Why did I select this skill to reflect on? Why is this core skill important for your
development (personal and professional)? (use relevant theories and concepts from
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psychology and business to support your answer)
I have selected the communication skills to be reflected on because it is very important ability
for every person whoever working in business organisation. It is favourable to make people
working with better quality and on time along with making healthy relations with customers.
However, it is important to develop communication skills because it is beneficial to
understand others and self for improving workplace which facilitate to increase regular
productivity (Wolniak and Grebski, 2018).
Reflect on your current competence regarding this skill. How did you assess your
competence? (use your self-assessment findings, feedback from peers and your tutor,
plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to answer this
question)
I have the normal communication skills to covey anything about operations and tasks but
there is a competence of communication skills including questioning skills and listening
skills. It is necessary for me to develop my abilities which are helpful to develop cooperation
with other people and make others understand about specific working concepts in appropriate
manner. Meanwhile, it is required for me to use peers feedbacks and opinion of superiors to
assess the competence in terms of improving communication skills in effective manner.
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?
In context of my communication skill, it has been analysed that there are some of
contradictions are evaluated as few of identified facts were method with analysis. It includes
that I think that my listening skills are weak which is also felt by my peers as well. I believe
that my listening skills should be improved which are favourable for enhancing
communication skills to develop my overall capability to perform business operations
effectively. However, it is observed that some of peers said that I should work on my non-
verbal communication to understand quickly about the information by the gestures, postures
and signs.
How might this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)
Considering the communication skill, it has been identified that it is favourable to develop
various career opportunities with the help of effective communication skills in future. It will
facilitate to have bright future of my career and helps to gain success and profitability.
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However, it has been analysed that effective communications skills are favourable to gain
better career and bright future.
Skill 2: Problem solving
What is the core skill to develop?
The problem skill can be defined as an effective ability to deal with issues to work place
easily and solve them in comfortable manner. It includes the ability of an individual to
develop instant ideas for solving working related problems (Keith and et. al., 2016). However,
it is required for me to learn about specific steps for problem solving to develop relevant skill
for making performance better. It is necessary for me to develop problem solving skill to
make my working perfect and complete tasks on time.
Why did I select this skill to reflect on? Why is this core skill important for your
development (personal and professional)? (use relevant theories and concepts from
psychology and business to support your answer)
Considering the problem solving skill, it has been identified that it is important to work on
this skills because many times minor issues develop major crisis at work place due to cot
completion of projects on time. It is beneficial for to me to tackle minor and major problem
by my own so that respective operational tasks can be completed on time. However, it is
observed that problem solving skills is helpful to deal with various issues at work place in
effective manner. It is favourable to easily solve issues of professionals as well as personal
lives easily.
Reflect on your current competence regarding this skill. How did you assess your
competence? (use your self-assessment findings, feedback from peers and your tutor,
plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to answer this
question)
The problem solving skill has current competency that I become confused among alternative
ideas to select best one for solving specific problematic situation. I used to consider use of
feedbacks from tutor and self-assessment findings which are suitable to identify actual issues
to be deal with for enhancing my ability of problem solving at work place.
Can you identify any contradictions from your analysis above? For example, is there a
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match between how you see yourself and how others see you, or not?
The feedbacks of tutors matched with my own feelings regarding problem solving skills
which is same about the confusion due to which problem remain unsolved. It is necessary for
me to work on criterion of selecting an appropriate idea or technique to sort out specific issues
in accurate manner.
How might this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)
The problem solving skills is considered as much effective as well as efficient which suitable
for me for life long. It is beneficial for me to solve problems of personal and professional’s
life in future due to which I must work on the same. However, it is very essential skills to
perform appropriately for improving productivity on regular basis.
Skill 3: Strategic thinking
What is the core skill to develop?
The strategic thinking is known as an important skill because a business organisation requires
different strategies in order to make product attractive and satisfactory (Benjamin, 2018). It is
required to fulfil the changed desires and needs of clients which are necessary to maintain
good will in market. However, it is very important skill on which I have to work for providing
effective strategies among high authorities for improving quality of product along with
reducing price that is beneficial to increase profitability.
Why did I select this skill to reflect on? Why is this core skill important for your
development (personal and professional)? (use relevant theories and concepts from
psychology and business to support your answer)
In context of strategic thinking skill, it has been analysed that it requires work because I can
able to formulate strategies with innovation to enhance my performance. It is very importance
skill to enhance performance by making creative strategies ad practices which is necessary to
gain professionals rewards and incentives at workplace. However, it is helpful for personal
and professional career by making strategies to make life easy and gain success as well as
growth.
Reflect on your current competence regarding this skill. How did you assess your
competence? (use your self-assessment findings, feedback from peers and your tutor,
plus your own reflections on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to answer this
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question)
The strategies thinking skills has competencies that I am not capable to make strategies with
develop ideas that is required to be improved. For this skill, I used to consider the method of
peers and tutor’s feedback, self- assessment findings and own reflections of thoughts, feelings
or behaviours. Meanwhile, it has been analysed that peers and tutors feedbacks are similar to
my own feelings about my weakness regarding strategic thinking skills which should be
improved effectively. It is necessary to work effectively on the selected skills for enhancing
the ability to work at work place with colleagues more efficiently.
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?
In context of my strategic thinking skills, there is no contradiction between own assessment or
feelings and feedbacks gathered from tutor & peers. It reflected that I should work on the
criterion of working on ability to formulate appropriate strategies from developed ideas
according to specific requirements to attain success. However, it is necessary to utilise
effective methods or procedures to make my strategic thinking ability perfect which helps to
develop career opportunities to achieve growth.
How might this skill help me in the future? (use references to support your argument)
Considering the strategic thinking skill, it has been analysed that it is favourable to develop
changes of gaining better incentives and rewards at work place. It is also beneficial to create
future carer opportunities in order to achieve growth as well as success (Schermuly, 2018).
Moreover, it is necessary for me to work on this skill to improve future opportunities to gain
bright and successful future ahead.
Summary Action Plan
The action pan can be defined as a schedule of with specific learning objective including
methods of learning with other relevant information to improve required skills and abilities in
effective manner. It is beneficial for an individual to focus on number of skills one by one to
improve them and become more efficient to perform appropriately. However, it is observed that
such plan of improving skills and abilities of working is generally known as personal and
professional development plan. It is necessary to formulate an effective as well as efficient plan
of action to develop respective selected skills which are given below.
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Skills Objectives Methods Duration Expected
outcomes
Communication
skill
To analyse the
effective
methods for
improving the
communication
skill in 3 months.
I will utilise
some of effective
methods peer
feedbacks,
classes for
communications,
group
discussions and
regular reading
books for
enhancing my
communication
skills
3 months It is expected that
my
communication
ability become
perfect which is
helpful for me to
cooperative with
others effectively
at work place.
Problem solving
skill
To evaluate the
effective
techniques in
order to boost up
problem solving
ability for
enhancing
regular
productivity
within 6 months
I will go to
consider several
efficient methods
such as
guidelines of
superiors,
training sessions
and learning to
use best options
for solving
specific problem
to work place in
proper manner.
6 months It has been
expected that
problem solving
skill will be
improved and I
become able to
select best
alternative idea
to solve
particular
problem at work
place.
Strategic
thinking skill
To identify the
strategic thinking
for improving
I will utilise
some of
appropriate
8 months It is expected to
gain perfect
strategic thinking
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formulation of
business
strategies to
increase
profitability in 8
months.
methods of
learning
including
training sessions
and learning
programs to
develop effective
strategies
according to
requirements of
specific
situations.
skill to work with
effective
strategies to
improve
productivity and
quality of
individual
performance.
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References
Books and journals
Xiao, L.Y., 2019. A primer on the legal regulation of loot boxes: history, business, psychology,
law and regulation.
Graßmann, C. and Schermuly, C.C., 2016. Side effects of business coaching and their predictors
from the coachees’ perspective. Journal of Personnel Psychology.
Strike, V.M., Michel, A. and Kammerlander, N., 2018. Unpacking the black box of family
business advising: Insights from psychology. Family Business Review, 31(1), pp.80-124.
Ryan, R.M., Soenens, B. and Vansteenkiste, M., 2019. Reflections on self‐determination theory
as an organizing framework for personality psychology: Interfaces, integrations, issues, and
unfinished business. Journal of personality, 87(1), pp.115-145.
Wolniak, R. and Grebski, M.E., 2018. Innovativeness and creativity as factors in workforce
development–perspective of psychology. Zeszyty Naukowe. Organizacja i
Zarządzanie/Politechnika Śląska.
Keith, N. and et. al., 2016. Informal learning and entrepreneurial success: A longitudinal study of
deliberate practice among small business owners. Applied Psychology, 65(3), pp.515-540.
Benjamin Jr, L.T., 2018. A brief history of modern psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
Schermuly, C.C., 2018. Client dropout from business coaching. Consulting Psychology Journal:
Practice and Research, 70(3), p.250.
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