| Industrial And Organizational Psychology |
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Industrial and organizational psychology (also known as ''I/O psychology'', ''work psychology'', ''work and organizational psychology'', ''W-O psychology'', ''occupational psychology'', ''personnel psychology'' or ''talent assessment'') concerns the application of Psychological theories, research methods, and intervention strategies to workplace issues. I/O psychologists are interested in making organizations more productive while ensuring workers are able to lead physically and psychologically healthy lives. Relevant topics include personnel psychology, motivation and leadership, employee selection, training and development, organization development and guided change, Organizational Behavior , and work and family issues. I/O psychologists who work for an organization are most likely to work in the HR ( Human Resources ) department. However, many I/O psychologists pursue careers as independent Consultants or applied academic researchers. OVERVIEW Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology (Division 14 of the American Psychological Association ) as a specialty area has a more restricted definition than Psychology as a whole. Guion (1965) defines Industrial and Organizational Psychology as "the scientific study of the relationship between man and the world of work:... in the process of making a living" (p. 817). Blum and Naylor (1968) define it as "simply the application or extension of psychological facts and principles to the problems concerning human beings operating within the context of business and industry" (p 4). Broadly speaking, I/O Psychologists are concerned with human behavior in work contexts. According to Muchinsky, the applied side of I/O Psychology is concerned with utilizing knowledge gathered from scientific inquiry "to solve real problems in the world of work". Example problems include hiring better employees, reducing absenteeism, improving communication, and increasing job satisfaction. One of the tools I/O psychologists commonly utilize in the field is called a Job Analysis . Job analyses identify essential characteristics associated with any particular position through interviews of job incumbents, subject matter experts, Supervisor s and/or past job descriptions. Job analyses measure both worker facets necessary to perform the job adequately (aka KSAOs - knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics as well as unique facets of the job itself. Once a job analysis is complete, I/O psychologists will typically utilize this information to design and Validate systems to select new applicants, restructure employee Performance Appraisal s, uncover training needs, and analyze fairness in employee compensation. Though a thorough job analysis takes time, resources and money, its benefits tend to outweigh the costs. I/O psychologists also may employ Psychometric Tests to measure the abilities and personality traits of prospective and current employees. These tests are commonly used for employee selection and other employment decisions. Employee attitudes such as Morale , job satisfaction, or feelings towards management or customers are other commonly measured work-related person variables. Increasingly, people factors are recognized as a major determinant of organizational performance and a key competitive differential. Psychologists therefore may also advise senior managers on the management of organizational climate or culture, on dealing with organizational change, or on group dynamics within an organization. It is probably partly for this reason that management coaching is an increasingly popular part of the Psychologist 's work. Industrial and organizational psychology is a diverse field incorporating aspects of disciplines such as Social Psychology , Personality Psychology and Quantitative Psychology (which includes Psychometrics ) as well as less closely linked social studies such as Law . As a diverse, applied field, influences from any branch of psychology, even Clinical Psychology , are not uncommon. At one point in time, industrial and organizational psychology was not distinguished from vocational (counseling) Psychology or the study of Human Factors . Although the foregoing disciplines still overlap with industrial and organizational psychology, today they are formally taught in separate classes and housed in separate graduate-level psychology programs within a psychology department. Many industrial and organizational psychologists specialize in one of the following aspects: psychometrics; quality; employment law; personnel selection; training; leadership selection, coaching and development; organizational design and change. Many of these activities are referred to as ''talent management.'' Some I/O psychologists are academic (working in both business and psychology departments) or non-academic researchers, while many others are engaged in practice, holding positions such as the following:
There are also a number of methodologies specifically dedicated to Organizational Psychology such as enhancement”. In an attempt to correct for statistical artifacts (i.e., sampling error, unreliability and range restriction) that compromise the ability of I/O psychologists to draw general conclusions from a single study, I/O researchers have increasingly employed a technique known as Meta-analysis . Meta-analysis is a methodology for averaging results across studies. It has been used to address research questions involving various levels of analysis (i.e., individual, group, organizational, and/or vocational). Although the use of meta-analytic methods is not without controversy, its more frequent appearance in the I/O research literature has profoundly impacted the field. The most well-known meta-analytic approaches are those of Hunter & Schmidt (1990, 2004), Rosenthal (1991), and Hedges & Olkin (1985). Financial compensation of industrial and organizational psychologists generally is among the highest in the whole field of psychology. While salary and benefits tend to be significantly greater in the private sector, academics who specialize in industrial and organizational psychology may command greater compensation than their faculty peers. Teaching (and sometimes research) opportunities exist in business schools as well as in psychology programs. Business schools typically offer more generous salaries and benefits than do psychology programs. Some academics choose to gain practical experience and access to data, as well as to supplement their incomes, by engaging in consulting work on the side. HISTORY In the United States, its origins are those of applied psychology in the early 20th Century, when the nation was experiencing tremendous industrialization, corporatization, unionization, immigration, urbanization and physical expansion. Arguably, the field's greatest pioneers were Hugo Münsterberg (1863-1916), Walter Dill Scott (1869-1955), Walter Van Dyke Bingham (1880-1952) and Dr. T. (1979- ). As in other countries, wartime necessity (e.g., World War I and World War II) led to the discipline's substantial growth. Business demand for scientific management, selection and training also has promoted and sustained the field's development. For a detailed history of industrial and organizational psychology, particularly in the United States (but with some discussion of developments in other countries), one can consult Koppes, L. L. (Ed.). (2007). ''Historical perspectives in industrial and organizational psychology''. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum. For a concise history of Industrial/Organizational Psychology please visit History MILESTONES IN INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
KEY WORKS IN INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
KEY JOURNALS IN INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
ORGANIZATIONS
GRADUATE PROGRAMS In many countries it is possible to obtain a bachelor's degree, master's degree, Psy.D., and/or a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology. The types of degrees offered vary by educational institution. There are both advantages and disadvantages to obtaining a specific type of degree (e.g., master's degree) in lieu of another type of degree (e.g., Ph.D.). Some helpful ways to learn more about graduate programs and their fit to one's needs and goals include taking or sitting in on an industrial and organizational psychology course or class; speaking to industrial and organizational psychology faculty, students, and practitioners; consulting with a career counselor; taking a reputable vocational interest survey; and visiting program websites. Regardless of one's needs or goals, admission into industrial and organizational psychology programs can be highly competitive, especially given that many programs accept only a small number of students each year. In the United States, specific resources that can help to clarify the fit of particular programs to an individual's needs, goals, and abilities are Graduate Training Programs (Including Program Rankings) - SIOP , Top U.S. Graduate School Programs - U.S. News & World Report , and Professional I/O Psychologist Network . In the UK, you must take an accredited psychology degree before you can gain Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society and then follow an approved Masters and three years supervision to gain Chartered Occupational Psychologist status. SEE ALSO
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