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Home » Psychology in the Workplace: NEPA Business Journal Articles

Psychology in the Workplace: NEPA Business Journal Articles

Between February 2002 and March of 2010, I wrote a regular column “Manager’s Notebook” for the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal published by the Times-Shamrock Publishing Division in Scranton, PA.  Dr. Lee Smedley was my coauthor for the first seven columns, and I was sole author for the following 42 columns. In 2005, my column won an award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.

The columns deal with various issues managers face day-to-day and how applying concepts and principles from the fields of social and organizational psychology and group dynamics could help managers, workers, and businesses/organizations perform more effectively and find greater satisfaction in the workplace.

The complete set of those columns are printed in the following pages with the permission of the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal.  The articles are organized by the following topics (some articles are listed under more than one topic):

  • Aptitude/Intelligence

  • Assertiveness

  • Attribution Theory

  • Boundary Issues

  • Brainstorming

  • Burnout

  • Change Management

  • Communication

  • Conflict Management

  • Delegation/Empowerment

  • Groups (Work)/Teams

  • Hiring/Selection

  • Leadership

  • Management Issues

    • Arrogant Boss

    • Bully/Over Controlling Boss

    • Flexible Management

    • Management vs Leadership

    • Middle Management

    • Too Nice boss

  • Memory

  • Morale

  • Motivation

  • Organizational Culture

  • Organizational Justice

  • Overjustification Effect

  • Performance Feedback

  • Power

  • Problem Solving

  • Psychological Contract

  • Rewards

  • Role Conflict

  • Social/Emotional Intelligence

  • Stress & Coping

  • Telecommuters

  • Training

  • Values

 

  • Aptitude/Intelligence

# 3 - Feb 03 - Why do some smart leaderss do stupid things?

  • Assertiveness

# 34 - June 08 - Aim for assertiveness

  • Attribution Theory

# 3 - Feb 03 - Why do some smart leaderss do stupid things?

# 19 - Nov 05 - The very public mistake

  • Boundary Issues

# 8 - Dec 03 - Party rules for managers

# 10 - May 04 - Develop organizational policy on office romances

# 22 - May 06 - When co-worker turns boss

  • Brainstorming

# 21 - Mar 06 - The right way to brainstorm

  • Burnout

Recognition, offering choices can help prevent employee burnout

  • Change Management

# 1 - Oct 02 - Lead change by giving employees control of process

# 15 - Mar 05 - Listen first, then change

  • Communication

# 5 - June 03 - 'Grapevine' grows when information flow is stunted

# 6 - Aug 03 - Clear expectations make sick leave policies work

# 9 - Mar 04 - For management inspiration, try preachers, Abe Lincoln

# 13 - Nov 04 - Know how, when to spill

# 18 - Sept 05 - Stop corporate dodgeball

# 26 - Jan 07 - How political must you be?

# 31 - Dec 07 - Fair and objective fares best

# 32 - Feb 08 - Social intelligence valuable

# 33 - April 08 - How to disagree--and win

# 35 - Aug 08 - Think twice, write once

# 37 - Jan 09 - Communicating the good and the bad with frank honesty

  • Conflict Management

# 18 - Sept 05 - Stop corporate dodgeball

# 19 - Nov 05 - The very public mistake

# 33 - April 08 - How to disagree--and win

# 34 - June 08 - Aim for assertiveness

  • Delegation/Empowerment

# 7A - Aug 02 - How savvy managers can move mountains (of work)

# 1 - Oct 02 - Lead change by giving employees control of process

# 2 - Dec 02 - Non-monetary rewards can be powerful motivators

# 13 - Nov 04 - Know how, when to spill

  • Groups (Work)/Teams

# 4A - May 02 - Cohesion, not harmony, drives highly effective work teams

# 5 - June 03 - 'Grapevine' grows when information flow is stunted

# 7 - Oct 03 - Terminations without explanations a recipe for dismal morale

# 16 - May 05 - Sustaing the training

# 25 - Nov 06 - It's chic to manage the manager

# 26 - Jan 07 - How political must you be?

# 37 - Jan 09 - Communicating the good and the bad with frank honesty

  • Hiring/Selection

# 6A - July 02 - What to do when the supervisor is the problem

# 12 - Sept 04 - Learn to be a talent scout

# 36 - Oct 08 - Keep passion alive

  • Leadership

# 3A - April 02 - Good leaders made, not born--five steps help the process

# 23 - July 06 - KSOA spells 'great leader'

# 24 - Sept 06 - Identify your leading style

# 41 - Nov 09 - Accountability breeds virtue

Management Issues

  • Arrogant Boss

# 3 - Feb 03 - Why do some smart leaderss do stupid things?

# 7 - Oct 03 - Terminations without explanations a recipe for dismal morale

  • Bully/Over Controlling Boss

# 6A - July 02 - What to do when the supervisor is the problem

# 17 - July 05 - The insecure 'bully boss'

# 27 - Mar 07 - 'You don't understand me'

# 29 - July 07 - Are you the 'boss from Hell?'

  • Flexible Management

# 1-L&H-Feb 2002-Workers demand flexibility

  • Management vs Leadership

# 41 - Nov 09 - Accountability breeds virtue

  • Middle Management

The Forgotten Middle Manager (# 39 – May 2009)

  • Too Nice Boss

# 34 - June 08 - Aim for assertiveness

  • Memory

# 18 - Sept 05 - Stop corporate dodgeball

  • Morale

# 5A - June 02 - How to reward 'super stars' without lowering morale

# 7 - Oct 03 - Terminations without explanations a recipe for dismal morale

# 36 - Oct 08 - Keep passion alive

# 40 - Aug 09 - The three 'C's of hardiness

  • Motivation

# 6A - July 02 - What to do when the supervisor is the problem

# 2 - Dec 02 - Non-monetary rewards can be powerful motivators

# 11 - July 04 - When you can't give money: ways to reward good workers

# 27 - Mar 07 - 'You don't understand me'

# 28 - May 07 - CEOs lavish salaries rankle

# 30 - Sept 07 - The psychology of motivation

# 36 - Oct 08 - Keep passion alive

# 38 - Mar 09 - On executive salaries

# 42 - Mar 10 - Never get what you pay for

  • Organizational Culture

# 14 - Jan 05 - Culture stems from values

# 15 - Mar 05 - Listen first, then change

  • Organizational Justice

# 28 - May 07 - CEOs lavish salaries rankle

# 38 - Mar 09 - On executive salaries

  • Overjustification Effect

# 42 - Mar 10 - Never get what you pay for

  • Performance Feedback

# 4A - May 02 - Cohesion, not harmony, drives highly effective work teams

# 31 - Dec 07 - Fair and objective fares best

  • Power

# 17 - July 05 - The insecure 'bully boss'

# 22 - May 06 - When co-worker turns boss

# 25 - Nov 06 - It's chic to manage the manager

# 26 - Jan 07 - How political must you be?

  • Problem Solving

# 21 - Mar 06 - The right way to brainstorm

  • Psychological Contract

# 6 - Aug 03 - Clear expectations make sick leave policies work

# 37 - Jan 09 - Communicating the good and the bad with frank honesty

  • Rewards

Recognition, offering choices can help prevent employee burnout

# 5A - June 02 - How to reward 'super stars' without lowering morale

# 2 - Dec 02 - Non-monetary rewards can be powerful motivators

# 11 - July 04 - When you can't give money: ways to reward good workers

# 27 - Mar 07 - 'You don't understand me'

# 28 - May 07 - CEOs lavish salaries rankle

# 30 - Sept 07 - The psychology of motivation

# 36 - Oct 08 - Keep passion alive

# 38 - Mar 09 - On executive salaries

# 42 - Mar 10 - Never get what you pay for

  • Role Conflict

# 22 - May 06 - When co-worker turns boss

  • Social/Emotional Intelligence

# 23 - July 06 - KSOA spells 'great leader'

# 32 - Feb 08 - Social intelligence valuable

  • Stress & Coping

Recognition, offering choices can help prevent employee burnout

# 4 - April 03 - Failure is never fatal, here's how to recover with grace

# 19 - Nov 05 - The very public mistake

# 20 - Jan 06 - In need of office detox?

# 22 - May 06 - When co-worker turns boss

# 40 - Aug 09 - The three 'C's of hardiness

  • Telecommuters

# 35 - Aug 08 - Think twice, write once

  • Training

# 16 - May 05 - Sustaing the training

  • Values

# 9 - Mar 04 - For management inspiration, try preachers, Abe Lincoln

# 14 - Jan 05 - Culture stems from values

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