Organisational Psychology

A scientific foundation

Organisational psychology is the disciplinary foundation of CSA. It applies psychological science to the behaviour and effectiveness of people at work, while recognising that individual behaviour is embedded within teams, organisations and wider systems. Used in the context of helping  organisations develop in the context of broader societal challenges, it can be a powerful force for  social and environmental impact (Olson-Buchanan et al., 2013). Doug’s background combines a Doctor of Psychology focused on strength-based leadership coaching, a Master’s degree in Organisational Psychology and earlier postgraduate training and practice in Clinical Psychology.

From individual capability to organisational context

CSA does not treat leadership effectiveness as a property of the individual alone. Leadership is shaped by the interaction between personal capability and the executive team, organisational culture, governance, strategy and wider environment. This is reflected in CSA’s micro – meso – macro perspective: individual leaders operate through teams, teams operate within organisations, and organisations operate within wider social, economic and ecological systems.

This contextual perspective also reflects contemporary thinking about expertise. Capability acquires meaning through its application to particular tasks, constituencies and environments rather than existing independently of them (Grenier & Kehrhahn, 2008).

Assessment that informs consequential decisions

Doug’s career has included senior leadership assessment and development across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia. CSA draws on validated psychometrics, structured interviews, multi-rater feedback, behavioural evidence and professional judgement to inform decisions concerning CEO and executive effectiveness, succession readiness, executive team capability, culture and Board effectiveness.

Evidence over opinion

The contribution of organisational psychology is not simply the use of assessment instruments. Its deeper value lies in disciplined formulation, measurement and evaluation. This provides a basis for challenging intuition, bias and management fashion while integrating empirical evidence with professional judgement and organisational context.

A career spanning psychology, business and leadership

Before establishing CSA in 2004, Doug worked as a Consultant Business Psychologist with YSC in London, specialising in the assessment and development of senior leaders internationally. Earlier roles included leadership of psychology services in the UK National Health Service and Greenslopes Private Hospital. Since 2005 he has also held a longstanding Associate Program Director role with Melbourne Business School. These different professional contexts have repeatedly tested and extended the application of psychological knowledge to leadership and organisations.

Selected References

Grenier, R. S., & Kehrhahn, M. (2008). Toward an integrated model of expertise redevelopment and its implications for HRD. Human Resource Development Review, 7(2), 198-217.

Johns, G. (2024). The essential impact of context on organizational behavior. Academy of Management Review, 31(2), 386-408.

Olson-Buchanan et al (2013) Using Industrial-Organisational Psychology for the Greater Good.  Routledge