A Social Construction

• By Elizabeth Chell

Is there such a thing as an 'entrepreneurial personality'? What makes someone an entrepreneur is a question that has intrigued the lay person and the scholar for many years, but can such a personality be identified or is it simply a socially constructed phenomenon? Elizabeth Chell pursues an alternative line of argument: to show that the entrepreneurial personality is, on the one hand, socially constructed, but on the other hand, presents consistency in behaviours, skills and competencies.

This second edition of the highly acclaimed The Entrepreneurial Personality revisits the topic and updates the evidence from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The book carefully weaves together the arguments and views from economists, sociologists and psychologists in order to develop a strong conceptual foundation. It discusses the inferences that these experts have made about the nature of entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial process, and explores whether such evidence has enabled psychometricians to develop robust instruments for assessing the characteristics of entrepreneurs. The evidence for a range of purported traits is reviewed and the models and research designs of interested social scientists are explained and evaluated. Throughout, Chell laces her argument richly with a set of cases derived from primary and secondary sources.

This book presents a timely set of views on the entrepreneurial personality, and will be of great interest to academics in the fields of entrepreneurship, economics, management, applied psychology and sociology. This accessible text will also appeal to the interested general reader, as well as practitioners and consultants dealing with entrepreneurs in the field.

ISBN: 9780415328098

Published May 09 2008 by Routledge.

Exploring and Explaining Individual Differences at Work

• By Adrian Furnham

Personality and Intelligence at Work examines the increasingly controversial role of individual differences in predicting and determining behaviour at work. It combines approaches from organizational psychology and personality theory to critically examine the physical, psychological and psychoanalytic aspects of individual differences, and how they impact on the world of work.

Topics covered include the role of IQ at work as the best predictor of success, but also the importance of increasingly recognized social intelligences such as emotional intelligence (EQ). The significance of personality traits and the impact of temperaments on work performance are also examined, and the methods used to assess work behaviour and potential are reviewed. Psychological tests, which measure personality traits, are questioned as accurate predictors of behaviour at work, alongside other factors such as job satisfaction, productivity, absenteeism and turnover.

This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Personality at Work provides a comprehensive review of the relevant literature from psychology, sociology and management science. It will be of interest to students of organizational psychology and business and management studies, as well as HR professionals.

ISBN: 9781841695853

Published March 19 2008 by Routledge.

The Case of Barings Bank

• By Helga Drummond

The collapse of Barings’ Bank was a commercial catastrophe that resonated worldwide, showing what kind of secrets can lie behind an apparently successful organization. Following Nick Leeson’s arrest and subsequent conviction for fraud, investment banks anxiously reviewed their risk management controls to make sure that it could never happen again.

Helga Drummond’s exploration is conducted against a backdrop of social and psychological theories of decision error that seeks to go beyond media style accusations of greed and incompetence. She challenges the myth that Barings ‘must have known’ that mischief was afoot. The book offers lessons for all organizations as it shows how easily managers can end up living in a world of fantasy believing that everything is under control when the precise opposite may be true. It is not risk and uncertainty that should worry organizations, concludes Drummond, but what they are most sure of.

The collapse of Barings Bank had international ramifications, and this scholarly analysis will have an international audience as a result. The book will be of great interest to all those interested in social psychology, the application of psychology in management theory, sociology, and organizational behaviour. It is also suitable as recommended reading for a management or organization behaviour course.

ISBN: 9780415399616

Published January 10 2008 by Routledge.

A Guide for Practitioners

• Edited by Stephen Palmer, Alison Whybrow

The Handbook of Coaching Psychology provides a clear perspective on this emerging area of professional practice. The book begins with a mixture of personal and factual narratives on the historical and current context of coaching and coaching psychology. Stephen Palmer, Alison Whybrow and leading coaching psychologists and coaches outline recent developments in the profession, providing the reader with straightforward insights into the application of eleven different psychological approaches to coaching practice, including:

• solution focused coaching
• psychodynamic and systems-psychodynamic coaching
• narrative coaching
• cognitive behavioural coaching.

Part three of the book considers the coach-client relationship, coach development and professional boundaries, together with issues of diversity and sustainability. The final part covers coaching initiatives in organisations and supervision followed by an introduction to professional bodies and available resources.

The Handbook of Coaching Psychology is an essential resource for practising coaching psychologists, coaches, human resource and management professionals, and those interested in the psychology underpinning their coaching practice.

ISBN: 9781583917060

Published December 06 2007 by Routledge.

Critical Concepts in Psychology (4 vols)

• Edited by Jo Silvester

This new four-volume collection from Routledge is a Major Work which brings together both canonical and the very best cutting-edge thinking in organizational psychology.

Organizational psychology is a broad field which has natural overlaps with other research areas such as organizational studies, organizational sociology, human resource management, individual differences, and management science. For this reason, the primary focus of the collection is on defining the unique contribution of psychology to work and organizations, and taking a critical perspective in reviewing theoretical developments, research evidence, and contributions to practice. It is an essential reference work and will be welcomed as a vital research resource by all scholars and students of the subject.

ISBN: 9780415400084

Published November 29 2007 by Routledge.

• By Eugene Sadler-Smith

What is ‘gut feeling’ and how can it be harnessed? To what extent should business decisions be informed by ‘instincts’ which may seem irrational or impossible to quantify?

Inside Intuition examines how the latest developments in social psychology and cognitive psychology, as well as exciting new insights from evolutionary psychology and cognitive neuroscience, can be used to explain the phenomenon of ‘gut feeling’ which has for decades been shrouded in magic and mysticism.

This book provides a highly readable scientific explanation of ‘gut feeling’, and the sometimes profound effects it can have in decision-making in business, management and other professional contexts. Using examples ranging from Boeing to Buddhism, it explains how managers and other decision makers can make better use of this pervasive, involuntary and ubiquitous phenomenon in their personal and professional lives to support creativity, innovation and interpersonal functioning.

Inside Intuition is essential reading for all advanced students of business and management, and for managers and professionals at all levels.

ISBN: 9780415414524

Published October 25 2007 by Routledge.

How to Increase Personal Effectiveness on the Job and Anywhere Else for that Matter

• By Sam Klarreich

Do you feel uneasy when you try to relax? Are you overwhelmed by the deadlines you have to meet? Do you get rattled when things don’t go your way? Are you inpatient with people who work more slowly than you? Do you often get angry? Do you feel things are hopeless? Do you feel like not getting out of bed, instead pulling the covers over your head?

More and more people have these reactions, in spite of the fact that we know more about pressure, anxiety, anger, and depression, and in spite of the fact that computers are supposed to make our lives and jobs easier. For the individual, these unhealthy reactions can lead to deteriorating health and a variety of social problems. For an organization, it often means low employee moral and declining productivity.

In Pressure Proofing, Dr. Klarreich tackles the many people problems in the workplace and anywhere else for that matter. He shows how to identify the thoughts that bring on unhealthy reactions, and how to turn those thoughts around by debunking.

Drawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Klarreich then shows us, using quizzes, case histories, and practical programs, how these reactions can be conquered so that we can regain our health, productivity, and personal effectiveness. Pressure Proofing provides an inspiring, empowering, and engaging approach to addressing these issues.

ISBN: 9780415957540

Published July 23 2007 by Routledge.

A Practitioner's Guide

• Edited by Joseph Ciarrochi, John D. Mayer

The explosion of research on emotional intelligence (EI) in the past decade has provided increasing evidence that EI can be measured reliably and can be useful in predicting important outcomes, such as managerial effectiveness and relationship quality.

Naturally, people are now asking, "So, how does one improve EI?". Applying Emotional Intelligence collects the most important programs focused on that idea, and enquires of their originators, "What do you do?", "Why do you do it?", and, "What is the evidence for your approach?".

The emphasis of the book is applied, in that it provides and contrasts concrete examples of what we do in our interventions in a wide variety of situations. The chapters present descriptions of programs, including specific activities and exercises that influence emotional knowledge and social effectiveness more generally. While practical in its focus, this book also discusses the theoretical bases for these approaches.

These are new programs with outcomes that are now beginning to be studied. The book presents the most important and recent research findings that examine the efficacy of these programs. Applying Emotional Intelligence is a "must-read" for anyone interested in EI and its application. This book will be of interest to researchers conducting EI intervention research, as well as a wide variety of practitioners, including those interested in developing EI in organizations, health areas, clinical populations, and school-age settings. Finally, the book is designed to be relevant to the reader's own life, encouraging the reader to consider how the programs and the exercises might impact his or her personality and outlook, as well as contribute to the development of those who have themselves participated in the programs.

ISBN: 9781841694610

Published January 16 2007 by Psychology Press.

Introducing a Schema-Focused Approach

• By Martin R. Bamber

The costs of occupational stress in terms of sickness absence, ill-health-related retirement, litigation and lost productivity are increasing, putting strain on economies across the world. The fact that health care work is inherently more stressful than many other occupations makes it vital that the problem of occupational stress among health professionals is addressed.

CBT for Occupational Stress in Health Professionals goes beyond simply defining the problem and fills a gap in the current literature by providing clear and concise individual treatment interventions. In three parts, the book covers:

• an overview of stress in the occupational context
• the standard CBT approach to assessment, formulation and treatment
• a new schema-focused approach to treating occupational stress.

The schema-focused approach presented here provides powerful tools for treating a range of work-related problems for which standard CBT approaches are ineffective. Case studies are presented throughout the book to illustrate the therapeutic approaches described.

This book will be of huge benefit to clinical and organizational psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health workers, counsellors and anyone else involved in treating occupational stress. It will also have much to offer those who manage people suffering from stress, human resource workers and those who are experiencing work-related stress.

ISBN: 9781583918517

Published May 11 2006 by Routledge.

• Edited by Owen Hargie

The Handbook of Communication Skills is recognised as one of the core texts in the field of communication. This thoroughly revised and updated third edition arrives at a time of considerable growing interest in this area, with recent research showing the importance of communication skills for success in many walks of life. The book's core principle, that interpersonal communication can be conceptualized as a form of skilled activity, is examined in detail and a comprehensive transactional model of skilled communication is presented, which takes into account current conceptual and research perspectives.

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of research, theory and practice in the key skill areas of communication, such as non-verbal communication, persuasion, leadership, assertiveness, self-disclosure, listening and negotiation. Each chapter is written by a recognised authority in that particular specialism, among them world leaders in their particular fields. In the ten years since the last edition, a large volume of research has been published and the text has been comprehensively updated by reviewing this wealth of data. In addition a new chapter on persuasion has been added - one of the areas of most rapid growth in social psychology and communication.

The Handbook of Communication Skills represents the most significant single contribution to the literature in this domain. It will be of continued interest to researchers and students in psychology and communication, as well as in a variety of other contexts, from vocational courses in health, business and education, to many others such as nursing and social work whose day-to-day work is dependent on effective interpersonal skills.

ISBN: 9780415359108

Published May 04 2006 by Routledge.