ERIC Number: ED282109
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1987-Apr
Pages: 10
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
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Organizational Psychology and the Peace Movement.
McCormick, Donald W.
In spite of the large amount of work done by other psychologists on peace issues, organizational psychologists have not been using the knowledge and methods of their field to help peace organizations. Organizational psychologists could contribute to peace organizations by studying research questions of concern to peace groups and by examining career patterns of peace activists, activist burnout and burnout prevention, and peace group effectiveness. Organizational psychologists could help peace groups through organization development training or career counseling. At the same time, organizational psychology has much to learn from working with peace groups. The field of organizational psychology can learn about decision making in large democratic organizations from innovative peace groups such as "Beyond War," which makes decisions in large groups spread out over the country which simultaneously communicate via video. Organizational psychology can learn about motivation through common vision from peace groups where many workers are extremely motivated by the organization's mission, even in the absence of pay. Also, studies of organizations (such as peace groups) that are anomalous in terms of existing theory have led to innovative and broader theories of organizational effectiveness. There is a need for organizational psychologists to become involved in the peace movement. (NB)
Descriptors: Burnout, Decision Making, Industrial Psychology, Organizations (Groups), Peace, Psychologists, Research Needs
Publication Type: Opinion Papers; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
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Language: English
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