INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONAL

Psychology

a branch of psychology that applies the principles of

psychology in the workplace

I/O PSYCHOLOGY

WHY?

What will make you a HAPPY employee?

What makes a SUCCESSFUL organization?

“to enhance the dignity and performance of human beings and the organizations they work in, by advancing the science and knowledge of human behavior.”

Rucci, 2008

People make the organiza-

tion

Work 8 hours Commute 1 hour Watch TV 3 hours Sleep 8 hours Prepare/ Eat Meals 2 hours Others 2 hours

Adulthood - longest stage for

most people - Generativity (production of work, creation

of news things & ideas)

What do you do?

MAJOR FIELDS OF I/O PSYCHOLOGY

INDUSTRIAL/PERS NNEL PSYCHOLOGY

• Analyzing jobs • Recruiting applicants • Selecting employees • Determining salary levels • Training employees • Evaluating employee performance

ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Concerned with issues of: • leadership • job satisfaction • employee motivation • organizational

communication • conflict management • organizational change • group processes

HUMAN FACTORS/ERGONOMICS • People’s efficiency in relation to work environment (Ergonomics) • Workplace design • Human-machine interaction • Physical fatigue & stress

HISTORY OF I/O PSYCHOLOGY

- Each job should be carefully analyzed - Employees should be selected in relation to job performance - Employees should be trained to their tasks - Employees should be rewarded for their productivity to encourage high levels of performance

1911: Principles of Scientific Management by Frederick Taylor

1910: Psychology and Industrial Efficiency by Hugo Munsterberg, selection of employees & use of Psychological Tests

1903: The Theory of Advertising by Walter Dill Scott

Early 1900’s

I/O Psychologists, esp Henry Gantt, were responsible for increasing the efficiency with which cargo ships were built, repaired and loaded

John B. Watson developed perceptual & motor tests for potential pilots

Alpha: for those who could read Beta: for those who could not

Psychologists were employed to test recruits and then place them in appropriate positions

World War I

Among the first scientists to to improve productivity and reduce fatigue by studying the motions used by workers

Frank Gilbreth & Lillian Moller Gilbreth

Gilbreths

Designed to investigate issues such as the effects of lighting levels, work schedules, wages, temperature and rest breaks on employee performance

Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company

Hawthorne Studies

Employees changed their behavior and became more productive because they were being studied and received attention from their managers

Focus on human relations in the workplace and to explore the effects of employee attitudes

1970’s

1960’s passage of several major pieces of civil rights legislation, focused the attention of HR professionals on developing fair selection techniques

Use of sensitivity training and T-groups (laboratory training) for managers

Understanding of many organizational psychology issues involving employee satisfaction & motivation

Development of many theories about employee behavior in the organizations

1980’s – 1990’s increase use of fairly sophisticated statistical techniques and methods of analysis

application of Cognitive Psychology in the industry

increased interest in the effects of work on family life and leisure activities

Renewed interest in developing methods to test employees: cognitive ability tests, personality tests, biodata and structured interviews

Organizational downsizing, diversity and gender issues, increased interest on the effects of stress, organizational development interventions such as TQM, reengineering, employee empowerment

Advances in

Technology

Demographic Changes & Increase in Diversity

Work-Life Balance? Work-Life

Merge?