Work Psychology 2: Electric Boogaloo

Management fads like neurolinguistic programming and total quality management are:

• pseudoscientific

• backed by empirical research

• partially backed by empirical research

• based on scientific consensus

Answer explanation

Note: Management fads could be partly the result of the failure of researchers to communicate findings properly, that some theories aren’t easy to apply.

Application of theory and research is rarely straightforward. Factors involved here include the prevailing economic climate, politics and emotions.

Work psychologists may observe people’s behaviour by stationing themselves as unobtrusively as possible, and record the frequency, source and timing of behaviour. This research method is called:

• Structured observation

• Naturalistic observation

• Participant observation

• Semi-observation

Employees keeping an account of key events, behaviour, thoughts and feelings is typical of which research method?

• Diaries

• Action Research

• Ethnography

• Archival sources

Answer explanation

An advantage is that one can track detailed and fast moving developments in each persons life, but the disadvantage is that people can easily forget or not bother to fill in the diary.

A research method which makes use of information that exists in an organised form before, during or after the work psychologist's investigation is called

• Diaries

• Action Research

• Ethnography

• Archival sources

Answer explanation

Potentially rich but sometimes neglected form of data. Include employee absence data, minutes of meetings, HR policy docs, etc

Which form of qualitative research consists of observing what’s going on in real life settings?

• Naturalism

• Ethnomethodology

• Emotionalism

• Postmodernism

Answer explanation

Produces rich descriptions of behaviour and events, but little insight into how these things are understood by people involved.

Which form of qualitative research consists of a close analysis of interactions between people and how these contain and reflect the social order?

• Naturalism

• Ethnomethodology

• Emotionalism

• Postmodernism

Which form of qualitative research is mainly interested in establishing a close rapport with the people being researched, investigating their experiences and feelings?

• Naturalism

• Ethnomethodology

• Emotionalism

• Postmodernism

Answer explanation

Unlike the naturalism and ethnomethodology, here, priority is given to participant personal opinions rather than researcher frame of reference, but this can overemphasise emotion.

Which qualitative research method rejects the notion of an objective truth, and focuses instead on how people portray themselves and their contexts in order to achieve personal goals and/or affirm identity?

• Naturalism

• Ethnomethodology

• Emotionalism

• Postmodernism

Answer explanation

Which form of qualitative research involves collecting data from several teams, organisations or individuals in order to better understand how the research context influences the research findings?

• Naturalism

• Case studies

• Emotionalism

• Postmodernism

Which form of qualitative research involves the researcher participating in the research setting in order to collect data that reflects the meaning of events, behaviours or activities in the research setting?

• Naturalism

• Ethnomethodology

• Ethnography

• Postmodernism