Organizational Psychology

Yury M. Zhukov, Doctor of Psychological Science, Professor of social psychology at Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) celebrates the anniversary. For the editors and readers of the «Organizational psychology» journal he is a “man of legend”. We can say that his professional life thelast 40 years is the years of work for the development of organizational psychology; he has made a lot of efforts for development of this field of knowledge and practice in Russia. Yury M. Zhukov has made agreat contribution to the development of teaching professionals and consulting practice. It should be mentioned that Yury M. Zhukov is the author of advanced programs in the area of Organizational Development and Training. The main topics of his programs are “Public Performance”, “Basic and Special Communication Skills”, “Team Building”, “Self-presentation and Presentation of Organization, Services and Goods in Media”, and workshop for business trainers: «Develop and conduct the training: Exercise, Module, Program”. Under his scientific guidance a large number of professionals have been grown, they are excellent organizational practitioners now in the Organizational Development, Human Resource Management and Management Consulting in Russia. The “Organizational psychology” editorial board, colleagues and students congratulates Yury M. Zhukov on the jubilee! We wish him every success in his future research and organizational practice, new book editions, prosperity, and happiness!

The year 2015 is the 100th anniversary of the first edition of Walter Bradford Cannon’s 1915 book that set the cornerstone for the field of stress. We briefly review his homeostatic approach to stress along with four other approaches, especially as relevant to the industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologist. Next, we explore the contemporary global context in which national cultures vary. We chose the theory of Preventive Stress Management as the basis for examining the five elements ofthe stress process in organizations. We come back to the two approaches to stress spotlighted early in the manuscript, offering comparisons and contrasts based on the five elements of the stress process. The discussion focuses on how stress can be both the kiss of death and the spice of life, after which we offer a personal cultural commentary on stress in various national contexts.

Interest to the isomorphism, as a phenomenon, establishes “the analogy between the life sciences and the sciences of inanimate nature” has increased in connection with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2014. Scientists made the discovery that resonate with old work of domestic neuropsychologists show structural similarity “mapping systems” of the human brain and animal reflect phenomena (or) spatial landscapes. Map and terrain, notes and sounding music — known for isomorphism analogy. Based approach allows isomorphism seek similarities and parallelsin neurophysiological functioning, sociobiological (in humans, animals, insects) and environmentalstructures. In turn, it becomes important to identify creative resources in many areas of the brainand, above all, in the organization of activities. Complex human activity with the presence of not one,but several subjects to be complicated configuration regulatory systems. The use of the categories of “isomorphism” and “emergence” in organizational psychology helps to better understand the emergingand existing connections between phenomena activities, personality, collective (group) management and their parameters. Objective — means and methods — the result and its evaluation — new, modified objective — that the general dialectical algorithm implementation and effective control activities, which with its isomorphic parameters involved identity and collective. In personality, motives (orientation), abilities, actions and operations, self-esteem and self-control isomorphic associated with this structure.For the collective, respectively significant: the values and norms; formal and informal structures,evaluative nature of public opinion. Management process in its content again includes isomorphic functions: anticipation and goal setting, organization and coordination, monitoring and evaluation. In the article shows that a close analysis of the structure can be extended to such phenomena as the division of power in society (legislative, executive, judicial); the correlation between phenomena such as past, present and future.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the history and methodology of the so-called “industrial” period of implementation of the Action Research Method (ARM). Employment of this method allows the researcher to solve a significant practical task and to make a contribution to science at the same time. Industrial period originated from the “field experiments” (Harwood studies), carried out in the K. Lewin’s group in US in the 1940s. The core idea of these research projects was “put the knowledge from the laboratory into real life”. Five projects were aimed at the analysis of group processes, the effects of group decision-making, the building of self-management systems, the training of line managers. The continuation of the industrial period was research projects carried out by TavistockInstitute of Human relations (UK). One of these projects (Glasier Project) was aimed at the analysis of group relations at all hierarchical levels in the private engineering company. Second, Haighmoor Project was aimed at the exploration of implementation process of innovative mining technology, allowing to reach significant growth of productivity in the coal industry without additional investments. Another notable research project of this period was the Ahmedabad (India), during which has been successfully carried out the transition from the conveyor to the production through self-managed work teams. For a long time, the center of the Action Research method was the Tavistock Institute in London. During the implementation of projects in the coal, metal and textile industry has been created and tested the concept and methodology of the ARM. The end of the twentieth century was marked by the expansion of geography and areas of the ARM application. Number of studies and projects applying the ARM methodology grew both in the UK and continental Europe as well as in the US, Canada and Australia.There was significant growth of research in different industries in those countries where has launcheda powerful movement for improving the quality of working life (Germany, Austria and the Benelux countries). However, in the beginning of the XXI century there has been an increase of ARM projects in education and medicine, and a decrease of traditional industrial ARM projects.

Purpose. The paper seeks to identify the “universal” HRM practices employed in Russian subdivisions of multinational corporations, before or in the beginning of the “cooling economic climate” in 2014-2015 years. Also the paper aims to identify the type and factors of HRM variability within local divisions. Methodology. The paper uses a sample of 52 leaders (85% men and 15% of women aged 32 to 67 years, with managerial experience more than three years), from the various type of multinational business (food industry, chemical industry, engineering, building & construction materials). ANOVA were conducted to test hypotheses. Results. The variability of HRM practices is quite low within observed local divisions. There are some general (universal) characteristics of HRM: the predominance of open-ended employment contracts; annually payable “thirteenth salary”; paid (fully or partially) voluntary health insurance; freeor subsidized food during workday. However, there are significant differences in the amount of annual reward and the prevalence of the certain type of social benefits. Moreover, there are significant differences found in the respondent perception of organizational climate. Conclusions. The data suggest that a possible worsening of business conditions for foreign corporations will lead to a drastic change in the existing systemof HRM in their Russian departments than gradual. Originality. The study represents the first descriptionof the features of HRM practices in the Russian divisions of foreign corporations according to the survey of executives.

In this review questions such as “What is a good use of time?”, “How can one achieve satisfaction with their time?” and “How can one’s relationship with time contribute to their well-being?” are raised and discussed with regard to empirical research on various aspects of positive psychology of time. This paper differs from traditional approach to thinking about time in organisations in three substantial ways. Firstly, it reviews the existing empirical research on time use, focusing on the implications of this research for organizations and individuals. Secondly, it highlights the limitations of believing that time is infinitely stretchable and defined good time use as one that results in increased well-being, rather than productivity at the expense of well-being. Thirdly, although the workplace is in the centre of the paper, we view time use from a broader perspective of life and work-leisure balance. A range of evidence is considered, based on both objective and subjective time use studies, suggesting specific measures to increase well-being through time use, first of all, at workplace, but also touching on other domains, such as media, leisure, etc. Based on Self-Determination Theory, we argue that good time use results from choosing activities that help people to satisfy their basic needs and are directed at intrinsic goals (helping other people, establishing relationships, developing and growing as a person, maintaining health and balance in one’s life). A pathway to increase basic need satisfaction and, as a result, happiness associated with good time use, is by supporting autonomy: giving people more opportunities for choosing and working towards goals that are self-congruent and intrinsic, benefitting both themselves and societies.

Report on the 9th International Conference “Psychology and Ergonomics: The Unity of Theory and Practice” (Russia, Tver, September 17–19, 2015).