WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
, WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
Table of Contents
QUESTION 1.1 Applying HR and Organisational Functions to Address Challenges at
Thrive Retail Group .................................................................................................... 3
QUESTION 2: Critical Analysis of Applicants' Registration Categories ...................... 6
QUESTION 3.1: Analysis of Freud's Levels of Consciousness .................................. 8
Question 3.2: Analysis of Freud's Psychic Structures (Id, Ego, Superego) .............. 10
Question 4: Analysis of Brain Lobe Damage and Workplace Functioning ................ 12
Question 5: Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory Analysis of Ayanda's
Situation ................................................................................................................... 14
Question 6: The Influence of Developmental Domains on Workplace Competencies
................................................................................................................................. 17
References ............................................................................................................... 19
, WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
QUESTION 1.1 Applying HR and Organisational Functions to Address
Challenges at Thrive Retail Group
1. Job Analysis and Job Design/Ergonomics
Job analysis and design can be directly applied to tackle the high staff turnover in
store management and the inconsistent customer service standards according
to Sharma (2023). Firstly, a thorough job analysis should be conducted for the store
manager and regional supervisor roles. This involves systematically gathering
information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work
environment of each position. This process would clarify the distinct expectations for
each role, which is the first step in resolving the frequent conflicts arising from
ambiguous responsibilities (Armstrong & Taylor, 2023). If the analysis reveals that
store managers are overwhelmed by administrative tasks, leaving little time for
coaching staff on customer service, this is a critical finding.
Based on this analysis, job design principles can be applied to redesign these roles.
For store managers, the job could be redesigned to focus more on core leadership
functions like team development and customer experience management, potentially
by redistributing administrative tasks to a dedicated store administrator or centralising
them. This addresses burnout, a key driver of turnover. For the customer service issue,
ergonomics and job design can improve the customer-facing roles. This could involve
redesigning the checkout process to be more efficient or creating "customer
engagement zones" on the sales floor where staff are specifically tasked with proactive
assistance, rather than just stocking shelves. By making the jobs more engaging and
clearly defined, the functions directly target role clarity, job satisfaction, and operational
consistency.
2. HR Planning, Recruitment, Selection and Placement of Employees
This function is central to solving the high turnover and the difficulty attracting
qualified candidates for specialist positions (Sharma, 2023). Strategic HR
planning would begin by forecasting the organisation's talent needs. The 55% turnover
rate in management indicates a need for a robust talent pipeline, not just reactive
hiring. HR can use this data to plan for succession, identifying high-potential
employees within the company who can be developed for future management roles.
, WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
Table of Contents
QUESTION 1.1 Applying HR and Organisational Functions to Address Challenges at
Thrive Retail Group .................................................................................................... 3
QUESTION 2: Critical Analysis of Applicants' Registration Categories ...................... 6
QUESTION 3.1: Analysis of Freud's Levels of Consciousness .................................. 8
Question 3.2: Analysis of Freud's Psychic Structures (Id, Ego, Superego) .............. 10
Question 4: Analysis of Brain Lobe Damage and Workplace Functioning ................ 12
Question 5: Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory Analysis of Ayanda's
Situation ................................................................................................................... 14
Question 6: The Influence of Developmental Domains on Workplace Competencies
................................................................................................................................. 17
References ............................................................................................................... 19
, WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
QUESTION 1.1 Applying HR and Organisational Functions to Address
Challenges at Thrive Retail Group
1. Job Analysis and Job Design/Ergonomics
Job analysis and design can be directly applied to tackle the high staff turnover in
store management and the inconsistent customer service standards according
to Sharma (2023). Firstly, a thorough job analysis should be conducted for the store
manager and regional supervisor roles. This involves systematically gathering
information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work
environment of each position. This process would clarify the distinct expectations for
each role, which is the first step in resolving the frequent conflicts arising from
ambiguous responsibilities (Armstrong & Taylor, 2023). If the analysis reveals that
store managers are overwhelmed by administrative tasks, leaving little time for
coaching staff on customer service, this is a critical finding.
Based on this analysis, job design principles can be applied to redesign these roles.
For store managers, the job could be redesigned to focus more on core leadership
functions like team development and customer experience management, potentially
by redistributing administrative tasks to a dedicated store administrator or centralising
them. This addresses burnout, a key driver of turnover. For the customer service issue,
ergonomics and job design can improve the customer-facing roles. This could involve
redesigning the checkout process to be more efficient or creating "customer
engagement zones" on the sales floor where staff are specifically tasked with proactive
assistance, rather than just stocking shelves. By making the jobs more engaging and
clearly defined, the functions directly target role clarity, job satisfaction, and operational
consistency.
2. HR Planning, Recruitment, Selection and Placement of Employees
This function is central to solving the high turnover and the difficulty attracting
qualified candidates for specialist positions (Sharma, 2023). Strategic HR
planning would begin by forecasting the organisation's talent needs. The 55% turnover
rate in management indicates a need for a robust talent pipeline, not just reactive
hiring. HR can use this data to plan for succession, identifying high-potential
employees within the company who can be developed for future management roles.