Business Psychology: characteristics and applications

In the business world it is important to know in detail the work environment and the factors that intervene in it. Therefore, it is essential Be aware of both the possibilities of the work teams and the possible problems that may arise. Business psychology, a branch of psychology focused on studying human behavior in the workplace, is responsible for these and other issues.

Furthermore, this discipline is specialized in all those factors that can intervene in the development of work tasks, whether individually or in groups. Its objective is to correctly define all possible behaviors in order to improve the performance of workers. Let’s dig deeper.

Origins of business psychology

The first definition of business psychology appeared under the name of industrial psychology. Its applications were limited to scientific work in Europe at the end of the 16th century; in fact, The beginnings of this current of study are reflected in the book The examination of devices for science published by Juan Huarte San Juan in 1575. This is considered the first treatise that deals properly with psychology.

Several centuries later, the conflicts of The Second World War and the great crisis that spread throughout the world gave rise to a new interest in business psychology. The main reason was the need for many companies to recover from what happened, due to the consequences experienced both at an economic and organizational level.

For example, in the military area, a great need for recruits who were capable of developing advanced tasks at a technological level arose in the training fields: all these people were assigned specific positions in which they could be useful.

However, when the war ended, all these ancient soldiers had to return to other types of jobs; his rehabilitation problems gave rise to increasing psychological distress and a high unemployment rate.

In order to solve this situation of labor crisis, the studies carried out in those years gave rise to the evolution of the concept of industrial psychology to that of business psychology as we know it today. This was because Its studies and applications extended to all fields of the work environment and not only the industrial one..

Differences between business psychology and human resources

The field of business psychology should not be confused with HR management in an organization. The first is a branch of Psychology and to dedicate yourself to it, adequate training in this area is necessary. And although business psychology may include jobs related to HR, the reality is that it also necessarily delves into fields such as motivation, stress or culture.

However, It is not strictly necessary to have training in psychology to work in a human resources department. The functions of these positions, for the most part, are related to the preparation and analysis of budgets, personnel expenses, contracts or legislative issues. Therefore, the knowledge necessary for these functions is closer to economics and law than to psychology itself.

Functions of business psychology

On the other hand, business psychology can fulfill many functions within the company organization.. Thus, to illustrate in greater detail his tasks, below we describe some of the fields he studies:

Personnel orientation: It may be the most important area within this branch of knowledge. Its main objectives are: to plan the tasks of the work teams and clearly define their goals.Personal Development: Another of the tasks of business psychology is based on knowing the needs of workers regarding their training. In addition, it must implement the best solutions so that the company’s staff acquires all the necessary knowledge to properly carry out their work.Marketing: It consists of carrying out surveys and group dynamics work, as well as studies on the image of the product and the level of acceptance by potential consumers.Address and management: Finally, business psychology deals with the tasks of direction and management of company policies, which include personnel management and the definition of the responsibilities of each position. In addition, and very particularly, it must help to properly manage work teams.You might be interested…