After my first week taking Organisational Psychology, I have come to the realisation that psychology can be used in many ways throughout the work force. It can be used to weed out problems and find solutions, and to understand work performance and employee motivations.
As a 20 year old student, it should come to no surprise that I have a part time job. I have found that working for minimum wage can be extremely un-motivating and at times going to work really just seems a waste of time. Prior to this week, I never looked into what motivates me as an employee. Having jobs perks is one of the core reasons that I continue to work for minimum wage, other than the fact that as a student you have no other options. I have found that when my job offers me rewards for hard work, I feel motivated to put effort into my work.
In a study by Kuuvas (2016), they tested work performances and what motivates employees in a large multinational Norwegian company. Kuuvas (2006) claimed that workers are motivated by intrinsic rewards because it gives themselves a sense of accomplishment. I can see how intrinsic rewards would motivate those who earn above minimum wage or have no further to climb up the ladder in their career paths.
Coaching employees can be a very productive way in improving work performance, not only will the employees feel like that their employers care about furthering their skills but they will become loyal to the company that have spent time and money on training them. I find this to be very relevant when looking into organisational psychology in the work place. If I were to be trained to expand my skills within a company, I would feel as though they are wanting to help me improve myself. This would then make me loyal to the employer who has trained me.