Organizational Psychology : A Scientist-Practitioner Approach

Beginning with a foundation of research methodology, author Steve Jex examines the behavior of individuals in organizational settings. Drawing on his experiences as a consultant and educator, he uses actual cases to illustrate workplace issues, offering balanced coverage of such key topics as occupational stress, motivation, and corporate culture. Also presented is unique information on research methods and the use of statistics in understanding organizations. With an emphasis on applying theory and research in practice, Jex explores the mechanisms that organizations use to influence employees' behavior, addressing the major motivation theories in organizational psychology. Readers will discover how psychological models can be used to improve employee morale, productivity, and quality of service. The focus then shifts from the individual to the group level-an important distinction given the increased reliance on teams in many organizations. Jex identifies the factors that have the greatest impact on group effectiveness and examines the dynamics underlying intergroup behavior. Finally, he moves to the organization ("macro") level, revealing a variety of ways in which organizations engage in planned change with the assistance of behavioral science knowledge.Following a scientist-practitioner model, this book explores the practical implications of the current research in organizational psychology. Drawing on his experiences as an educator and consultant to corporations and the U.S. Army, Steve Jex uses actual cases to illustrate the common workplace issues and environments, examining how psychological models can be used to improve employee morale, productivity, group work, and other issues.This Second Edition reflects the latest developments and research in the field using a scientist-practitioner model that expertly integrates multicultural and international issues as it addresses the most current knowledge and topics in the practice of organizational psychology. Beginning with a foundation of research methodology, this text examines the behavior of individuals in organizational settings and shows readers how psychological models can be used to improve employee morale, productivity, and quality of service.