Businesses focus on making money. Smart leaders learned long ago that making a profit goes hand-in-hand with happy, motivated employees. That’s where organizational psychology in the workplace becomes critical for success.

It’s a cliché but true: Everyone is their own worst enemy. This is often true both for individuals and businesses. In the case of the latter, endless hours and countless dollars are spent on making an operation as efficient as possible to compete in a global market. But the same investment has not always been made in understanding the people involved with a business.

Organizational psychology provides the key to unlocking the potential for both managers and employees who bring a wealth of knowledge about what makes employees productive and increases morale.

A Doctor of Psychology in Human and Organizational Psychology places graduates in position to handle the most complex jobs in the profession.

What Is Organizational Psychology?

Organizational psychologists apply psychology in the workplace. This can take many forms. For example, they may study workplace productivity and find ways to remove barriers that inhibit employees’ maximizing potential. They may study management performance for the same reason. They may investigate the underlying issues lowering employee morale.

Leadership looks to organizational psychologists for input on employee training and policy planning. They also can help guide growth in an organization.

Employing this level of psychology is increasingly important. Workplaces are more diverse than ever. The current job market has increased competition between businesses for quality employees. Organizational psychologists provide another way to evaluate workplaces and find ways of making them more effective and efficient.

This is important to leadership. As noted by Forbes, “Employee satisfaction and retention are common key performance indicators for business success.”

Demand for Organizational Psychologists?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track the organizational psychologist field specifically. However, it does project that the overall number of psychologists will increase 14% by 2026.

Mean salaries for organizational psychologists nationwide reached $102,530 in May 2017, the BLS reports. Scientific research and development services employ the most organizational psychologists. Those services also pay well, with a mean salary of $119,690 in May 2017.

Why Earn a Doctorate in Organizational Psychology?

Expertise is the key to organizational psychology. As the BLS numbers indicate, many professionals in the field work for research and development companies. Those who earn a doctorate have perfected their research skills. That makes them attractive as both company employees and research consultants.

There is a great deal of responsibility for those who work in organizational psychology. Their opinions carry significant weight with leaders who respect the opinion of those who have earned a doctorate.

In addition to working as consultants, organizational psychologists can be hired to work directly for private businesses, government departments, and nonprofit agencies.

Because of their research skills, those with a doctorate in organizational psychology may develop strategies that become widespread in use. They may work directly with human resource managers in developing the best approaches to hiring new workers or retraining current staff.

Recognizing the benefit of professional psychologists in the workplace, many employers will offer to help pay tuition costs for those who wish to earn a doctorate. Psychologists wishing to earn their doctorate have many avenues open to them, both in where they work and how they apply their skills.