Psychological Adjustment at Work: The Moderating Role of Self-Awareness

Mohammed Ahmed Ademola

‘Adjustment is all about attitude

The first step to change in attitude is self-awareness’

Self-awareness is a function of an individual’s emotional well-being, self-esteem, self-

concept and self-actualization. Adjustment at work is more psychological than physical due to
the various interactions that occur in our emotions, feelings and actions with others .
Psychological adjustment of an individual is achieved through sound emotional well-being
which forms the foundation of our attitude (how we respond or react to people, processes and
behaviours in the workplace).
In dealing with the forms of stress and overall life changes created by workplace activity,
individuals must have a strong understanding of their own emotional well-being. One’s ability
to relate to other people, feel comfortable with self, cope with disappointments and stress,
solve problems, celebrate accomplishments, and make judgments is based on one’s emotional
state. Emotional well-being is built upon the foundation of a positive and healthy self-esteem.
In the workplace context, it is the degree to which an employee sees himself or herself as
competent, belonging, and worthwhile to the organization.
Positive self-esteem is a fundamental requirement for having a fulfilled life. Of all of the
judgments we pass, none is as significant as the one we pass on ourselves. Our sense of
competency, worthiness, and belonging is formed by a combination of how we see ourselves,
how we want to be and how we perceive that others see us. The foundations of self-esteem are
created early in childhood. For instance, if an individual’s interactions with parents and others
were for the most part positive (mutually caring, happy, and sound relationships); the
individual’s self-esteem would likely be high. However, if parental and other primary
interactions were mainly negative, an individual’s self-esteem could be lacking.
Self-esteem comes from both external and internal influences. The external aspects of
self-esteem are largely based on personal achievement from such things as appearance, group
acceptance, awards, and social recognition which creates conditional self-esteem. Individuals
who base their feelings of self-worth on external factors are more likely to have a conditional
and unhealthy self-esteem. However, internal feelings of self-esteem come from being a unique
individual, with inner character or personality qualities such as resourcefulness, sense of
humor, or sense of integrity. These are considered forms of unconditional self-esteem because
they are based on the individual’s internal factors (i.e., resourcefulness, responsibility, loyalty,
sense of humor, or integrity) who are more likely to have a healthier self-esteem.
Moreover, self-concept is the notions of self that are often linked to an individual’s
beliefs about how others perceive them. Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist, took the
position that a person’s competence is directly affected by the view he takes of himself/herself.
Maslow felt that humans are moved along a hierarchy of needs which are grouped into two:
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the basic needs and the meta-needs. The basic needs include physiological (food and drink),
safety (both physical and mental security), belongingness and love (affiliation, acceptance, and
affection), and esteem (competence, approval, and recognition). On the other hand, the meta-
needs or growth needs are the higher-level needs on Maslow’s hierarchy which include such
human desires as knowledge, understanding, justice, truth, beauty, and order.
Furthermore, self-actualization is the process or act of becoming oneself, developing
one’s potential, achieving an awareness of one’s identity, and fulfilling oneself. It is important
to note that true self-actualization derives from within an individual rather than from external
factors such as personal achievements. Self-actualized behavior can be illustrated by an
employee who reaches out toward his/her work environment with confidence and assurance.
The self-actualized person interrelates with the world, grasps opportunities for personal growth
and fulfillment, and contributes to the lives of others. It is attention-grabbing to note that in
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs the step before self-actualization is esteem.
In the workplace, low and middle level employees may have fluctuating patterns in their
levels of self-esteem due to their understanding of work processes which is influenced by
experiential learning and explicit knowledge. Top level employees and managers that are
mentors and role models to their subordinates express traits of self-actualization and often
times, the leave a resounding legacy behind as they move up the career ladder. Top level
employees are also saddled with the responsibilities of mentoring and coaching their
subordinates to ease their path in adjusting to the organizational culture, processes and
behaviours of their workplace.
In summary, for an individual to be properly adjusted at work, there is the need for self-
awareness which is determined by the individual’s emotional well-being, self-esteem, self-
concept and self-actualization. All this core psychological components influence and predict our
behaviours and thought processes in our everyday lives. We must examine ourselves using
personal reflection and meta-cognition on a regular basis to fit properly into any team,
organization or society. Other tips towards increasing our feeling of self-worth include:
 Replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
 Recognizing Accomplishments no matter how small or minor they may seem to you.
 Been Assertive and practicing clear communication.
 Been Tolerant of others and especially of yourself and reducing destructive criticisms
 Building a Support System and valuing friendship, and
 Accepting responsibilities for our actions, decisions and inactions
While understanding that performance at work is rudimentarily a function of an employee’s
ability, motivation and opportunity created by the work environment, adjustment at work is a
sine qua non for higher levels of participation and productivity in any organization.