Vol. 2 No. 1 (2011)
Scientific Professional Researcher and Educational Publications

A Review of Psychological, Social-Psychological and Organizational Psychological Conditions that Affect the Quality of Work

Henriette Fábián
Kodolányi János University; Human Exchange Foundation

Published 01-05-2011

Keywords

  • quality of work,
  • motivation,
  • motivation for achievement,
  • need,
  • conformity,
  • social norms,
  • organizational culture,
  • organizational commitment,
  • stress

Abstract

In this review paper we summarize several (interrelated) conditions that affect the quality of work, arranged in four major categories. The objective conditions that influence the quality of work include factors independent of the individual, inherent in the physical circumstances and nature of the work. We discuss in detail the subjective (psychological) conditions like motivation, achievement motivation, need and the process of motivation, highlighting Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs and its aspects related to possible achievement motivation at the workplace.
Among the social psychological conditions describing the relationship between the individual and his or her social environment, we consider conformity and the social norms variously manifested in the workplace environment. Conditions in the area of organizational psychology describe the relationship between the individual and the organization. For this particular complex relationship we discuss in particular the role of organizational culture and organizational commitment. At the end of the study we examine the effects of stress negatively affecting the quality of the work and discuss the several levels of stress factors and the general characteristics of various stress situations.