Final answer:
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides support for employees' personal problems affecting work performance and is a key aspect of organizational culture, promoting work-life balance and job satisfaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
A Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers counseling for and assistance with employees' personal problems that might impact job performance. This type of program is crucial in helping maintain employee well-being and, in turn, can lead to improved job satisfaction and productivity. By addressing personal issues that might affect work, EAPs contribute to a healthy organizational culture and promote work-life balance.
Industrial psychology and organizational psychology are two branches of psychology that are especially relevant to the understanding of EAPs. Industrial psychologists might study job characteristics and employee needs to recommend supportive programs such as EAPs, while organizational psychologists could focus on how such programs influence the interactions and culture within the company.
Performance appraisal systems, also often designed by industrial and organizational psychologists, can sometimes identify employees who might benefit from EAP services. In practice, EAPs are an example of procedural justice, ensuring that employees have access to support systems necessary for both their personal and professional development.