A Definition of Industrial Organizational (IO) Psychology
Industrial organizational psychology is the study of behavior in work settings. I/O psychology came about with the intent of helping create productive worker attitudes and behaviors and for selecting and promoting candidates in the most effective fashion. Clearly this is an applied form of psychology, studying behavior patterns and then proposing changes to optimize circumstances for both individuals and the group.
The Elements of an Industrial Organizational Psychology Practice
Originally, industrial organizational psychologists have focused on understanding individual behavior and experience in organizational settings. Within that context, the worker has received the most attention. Today the individual worker is still the primary focus. However the industrial organizational practice has expanded to include study of organizational structure or the “work system,” as it is termed in the profession.
I/O psychologists have come to explicitly acknowledge the importance of considering the whole work system. For example, they will conduct research at the group and organizational levels as well as at the individual level, and provide analyses from both perspectives. They have incorporated the practice of addressing the impact in the workplace of environmental factors such as labor markets, economic conditions, and governmental regulations.
In fact, operating with a systems approach to understanding people at work has allowed I/O psychologists to contribute innovative solutions in the design of work operational structures. I/O psychologists have suggested structures for the development of team-based organizations and have developed strategies for maintaining the sense of teamwork that enables employees to better weather difficult or uncertain times in the workplace.
The Industrial Organizational Psychologist on the Job
Activities in the profession could include:
Developing, using and validating tests, interviews and other similar tools to hire and successfully place employees in jobs
Training people how to work in teams and function well in a team-based organization
Facilitating the development, implementation and orientation of an organizational structure that is more responsive to a global economy
Developing, using and validating performance appraisal systems that effectively inform employees about the quantity and quality of work they are producing
Developing and implementing job designs that impact favorably upon employee’s physical and psychological wellbeing
Conducting consumer satisfaction surveys and developing effective strategies for feeding back gathered information to employees
Improving a machine’s design so that fewer operating errors occur, by considering the ways that employees attend to operative information
Broadly put, I/O psychologists are scientists, consultants, teachers, and often, a combination of all three. I/O psychologists don various titles depending upon their places of employment, specializations, and interests. I/O psychologists also often work in more than one organizational setting. For example, many professors do consulting work for organizations outside of their employing institution. A number of I/O psychologists employed in research organizations or private industry choose to teach in colleges and universities on an adjunct basis. Industrial organizational psychologists can be found throughout the industrial world, working for the federal government, consulting with banking and finance organizations, working as labor consultants either with management or with unions.
