Organisational psychology
Preventing harm from known hazards
Through our partnership with Adaptive Psychology, we can provide subject matter expertise in organisational psychology to assist with the proactive mitigation and/or management of a range of common psychosocial hazards.
Adaptive Psychology specialises in developing systemic solutions to improve and sustain wellbeing in the workplace and prevent psychological injury. Together, we will collaborate with your organisation to determine high-risk factors impacting the wellbeing of your people and provide advice and recommendations to minimise these risks.
Known hazards that we can help your organisation address
Job and person fit
Individuals are more likely to achieve their maximum potential if there is a good match between their skills and personality, and the requirements of the role. Alternatively, individuals can be at risk of psychological distress if there is a significant mismatch between them and their role.
We can assist with a number of solutions to ensure the most appropriate candidate is placed into any given role, and/or assist managers to adjust the environment or role itself to fit the employee, where appropriate.
Role clarity
Role clarity is the understanding an individual has of the tasks, responsibilities and expectations required of them in their job, as well as how their role contributes to the broader goals of the organisation.
Strong role clarity enables a person to better direct their energy to achieve the required results of the job. This leads to a greater sense of achievement and job satisfaction, which in turn increases productivity. However, psychological distress can result if an individual has uncertainty around what is expected of them.
High job demand
High job demand is where the levels of physical, mental or emotional effort required by an individual or team are
unreasonable or exceed their skills and abilities.
An individual can be much more productive when there is a good balance between work allocation and their capacity. However, individuals can become overwhelmed and at risk of psychological distress where the workload allocated is greater than their capacity. This risk increases when there is continued workload issues.
Change management
Change can span from small and seemingly insignificant to confronting and life-changing (e.g., changing desks, to large scale organisational change). How individuals respond to change may depend on their history, personality, span of control, perceived impacts, involvement and more.
Individuals can thrive and positively influence others through change when it is managed and communicated well. Conversely, individuals may be at risk of psychological distress during change if there is uncertainty or fear of an undesirable outcome.
Emotionally challenging work
Exposure to traumatic situations or information, or having to deal with difficult customers, can make work emotionally challenging.
This type of work can be rewarding if the appropriate support is made available. However, an individual may be at risk of psychological distress when exposed to emotionally challenging situations, if the exposure is prolonged and/or the support they receive is insufficient.
Recognition and reward
Inadequate recognition and reward occurs when there is an imbalance between a worker’s effort and the recognition or rewards they receive, both formal and informal.
When people feel acknowledged and rewarded for their work, they are likely to feel more empowered, have
higher job satisfaction and be more engaged, which leads to increased job retention. Alternatively, when a person does not receive the recognition they believe they deserve, it can result in dis-engagement, cynicism, feeling devalued and burnt out.
Interpersonal relationships
Having positive working relationships can contribute to a person’s resilience, engagement, job satisfaction and general wellbeing. However, psychological distress can occur if there is a lack of, or damage to, interpersonal relationships within the workplace.
Personal relationships outside of the workplace may also manifest as wellbeing and performance issues.
Growth and development
When employees have the opportunity to grow and develop it can improve performance outcomes, job satisfaction and employee-manager relationships.
On the other hand, if an individual is unable, or struggles, to fulfill the requirements of their role due to a lack of skills, knowledge or experience, psychological distress can occur.
Detachment and animosity can arise if a person feels they do not receive the appropriate opportunities to develop.
Ineffective leadership
Supportive leadership is a significant contributor to employee wellbeing and retention. An individual with a supportive leader is more likely to feel empowered, comfortable raising issues, have positive working relationships, and go over and above to achieve results.
If poor management practices are in place, it can increase the risk of psychological distress, and result in employees feeling unsupported, overwhelmed, unvalued, isolated, incompetent and burnt out.
