The Influence of Humanistic Psychology on Business Management Practices in South Africa
An important component of business management in South Africa is developing a set of practices that respond to the needs and wants of its employees. Humanistic psychology provides key insights into how people react to their working environment, and how managers must fine-tune their practices to account for this. This article takes a look at the influence of humanistic psychology on business management practices in South Africa and how companies can benefit from implementing these practices.
What is Humanistic Psychology?
At its core, humanistic psychology is a progressive approach to understanding humans, focusing on a person's inherent goodness in their psychological and social development. It pays special attention to a person's feelings, memories, thoughts and desires, extending beyond the standard behaviorism and psychoanalytic theories. It is important to note that humanistic psychology is not a theory or a set of principles but rather an approach to understanding our behavior and interactions among humans. This is significant in business, as it means that managers must be conscious of their employees’ mental health and consider the impact of their decisions and strategies on each individual worker.
The Impact of Humanistic Psychology on Business Management
Applying humanistic psychology in business management practices provides the benefits of increased productivity and employee satisfaction. Within South Africa, this can take many forms and be adapted to meet the needs of specific businesses. Some of the specific ways in which humanistic psychology can affect business management practices include:
- Flexible Terms: Offering workers flexible terms, such as working from home, more flexible hours and shorter lunch breaks can drastically boost morale and feelings of fulfillment at work.
- Empowerment: Empowering employees to make decisions on their own, or to collaborate with each other, can help to foster a sense of belonging and increased responsibility.
- Development: Providing employees with the opportunity to develop their skills, such as leadership, communication, problem solving and technical skills, offers them a sense of progress and success. This can be through workplace training or through external courses.
- Reward: Rewarding employees financially or through recognition (e.g. awards) can be an effective way to motivate and promote a positive work environment.
The overall goal of humanistic psychology in business management practices is to create a work environment that promotes and embraces the idea of employee empowerment and development. Through these practices, employees are given the resources and the freedom to maximize their potential and feel like valued members of their organization. This, in turn, results in increased employee satisfaction and productivity — two essential factors for any successful business.
QikTruck: Leveraging Humanistic Psychology for Success
As a South African on-demand truck and driver hire service, QikTruck has recognized the importance of humanistic psychology in business management practices and has begun to implement these insights for its own success. Specifically, QikTruck has shifted away from goal-oriented management practices, and instead has embraced a more flexible approach. This includes offering flexible working hours, allowing employees to work from home, providing financial rewards and flexibility in terms of job design.
QikTruck has also implemented a number of training and development practices, such as providing external courses and a collaborative work environment, in which employees can work together to reach their goals. These practices have been put in place to ensure that employees are not only satisfied in their roles, but also to ensure that they are empowered and motivated to reach their full potential. In turn, this has resulted in increased employee satisfaction and productivity, which has been essential for QikTruck’s success.
Conclusion
Overall, humanistic psychology is an important approach to consider when managing a business in South Africa. Through its implementation, businesses are able to maximize their potential, promote employee satisfaction and empower individuals to reach their goals. In doing so, businesses can be sure of increased levels of productivity, which leads to the success of the business overall.
For QikTruck specifically, the implementation of humanistic psychology in its management practices has been essential for its success. Through flexible working hours, financial rewards, and collaborative and training efforts, QikTruck has been able to ensure that its employees are motivated and supported to reach their respective tasks. Without these practices, QikTruck would not have been able to reach the success it has achieved today.
How Do South African Companies Leverage QikTruck?
South African companies can leverage QikTruck’s humanistic approach to business management to ensure that their own employees are satisfied and productive. Understanding the influence of humanistic psychology on business management is key, and through QikTruck companies can gain insight into how to best fortify their own practices. By understanding the specific needs of their employees, companies can develop policies and practices that account for individual feelings, making sure that their employees feel supported, motivated, and productive.
For those companies that have already leveraged QikTruck’s services, they have widely benefitted from their competitive rates and renowned service delivery. QikTruck ensures that their clients receive reliable and efficient goods transportation services and experience minimal downtime — all within a fraction of the price. Furthermore, QikTruck also follows a humanistic approach with their customers, helping them every step of the way and going the extra mile to ensure complete satisfaction. Through this partnership, South African business are able to benefit from the increased productivity and efficiency that QikTruck’s humanistic approach provides.