Industrial-Organizational Psychology

• 82-2 What are three key areas of study related to industrial-organizational psychology?

In developed nations work has expanded, from farming to manufacturing to knowledge work. More and more work is outsourced to temporary employees and consultants, or to workers telecommuting from off-site workplaces (Allen et al., 2015). (This book and its teaching package are developed and produced by a team of people in a dozen cities, from Alberta to Florida.) As work has changed, have our attitudes toward our work also changed? Has our satisfaction with work increased or decreased? Has the psychological contract—the sense of mutual obligations between workers and employers—become more or less trusting and secure? These are among the questions that fascinate industrial-organizational (I/O) psychologists as they apply psychology’s principles to the workplace (Table 82.1).

industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

TABLE 82.1 I/O Psychology and Human Factors Psychology at Work

As scientists, consultants, and management professionals, industrial-organizational (I/O) psychologists may be found helping organizations to resolve work-family conflicts, build employee retention, address organizational climate, or promote team work. Human factors psychologists contribute to safety and improved designs.

Personnel Psychology: Maximizing Human Potential	Organizational Psychology: Building Better Organizations
Developing training programs to increase job seekers’ success Selecting and placing employees Developing and testing assessment tools for selecting, placing, and promoting workers Analyzing job content Optimizing worker placement Training and developing employees Identifying needs Designing training programs Evaluating training programs Appraising performance Developing guidelines Measuring individual performance Measuring organizational performance	Developing organizations Analyzing organizational structures Maximizing worker satisfaction and productivity Facilitating organizational change Enhancing quality of work life Expanding individual productivity Identifying elements of satisfaction Redesigning jobs Balancing work and nonwork life in an era of social media, smart phones, and other technologies
	Human Factors Psychology
	Designing optimum work environments Optimizing person-machine interactions Developing systems technologies

Information from the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. For more information about I/O psychology and related job opportunities, visit siop.org.

The I/O psychology subfield of personnel psychology applies psychology’s methods and principles to selecting, placing, training, and evaluating workers. Personnel psychologists match people with jobs, by identifying and placing well-suited candidates. The I/O psychology subfield of organizational psychology considers how work environments and management styles influence worker motivation, satisfaction, and productivity. It focuses on modifying jobs and supervision in ways that boost morale and productivity.

personnel psychology

an I/O psychology subfield that helps with job seeking, and with employee recruitment, selection, placement, training, appraisal, and development.

organizational psychology

an I/O psychology subfield that examines organizational influences on worker satisfaction and productivity and facilitates organizational change.

Human factors psychology, now a distinct field allied with I/O psychology, explores how machines and environments can be optimally designed to fit human abilities. Human factors psychologists study people’s natural perceptions and inclinations to create user-friendly machines and work settings.

human factors psychology

a field of psychology allied with I/O psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use.

The modern workforce The editorial team that supports the creation of this text and its resources works both in-house and from far-flung places. In column 1: Nancy Fleming in Massachusetts, Kathryn Brownson in Michigan, Katie Pachnos in New York, and Heidi Bamatter in New York. In column 2: Lorie Hailey in Kentucky, Trish Morgan in Alberta, Carlise Stembridge in Minnesota, and Laura Burden in New York. In column 3: Danielle Slevens in Massachusetts, Betty Probert in Florida, and Christine Brune in Washington, DC.