I/O Psychology Exam 1 Review

Industrial Psychology

Focuses on job-related processes such as recruitment, selection, training, and performance appraisal. Example: choosing which applicant to hire.

Organizational Psychology

Focuses on behavior in organizations, including motivation, stress, leadership, and teams. Example: studying why employees become stressed.

Industrial vs. Organizational Psychology

Industrial focuses more on employees and job processes; Organizational focuses more on people, groups, and behavior within organizations.

Reasons Employees Quit

Three reasons emphasized: job dissatisfaction, lack of commitment to the employer, and job market conditions.

Job Dissatisfaction

When an employee is unhappy with their job, which can contribute to quitting. Example: an employee dislikes their work and leaves.

Organizational Commitment

The degree to which an employee feels committed or attached to their employer. Low commitment can contribute to quitting.

Salary and Retention

Linking pay to performance can increase employees' likelihood of staying with an organization.

Organizational and Group Forces

Forces at the group and organizational levels can influence individual behavior. Example: team norms can influence how hard an employee works.

Dejobbing

The movement away from traditional, stable jobs toward more flexible forms of work, including gig work. Example: working independently for multiple companies.

Communication Technology

Technology such as email and remote work can increase flexibility and productivity but can also increase stress and make it harder to detach from work.

Detachment

The ability to mentally separate from work after work ends. Communication technology can make detachment more difficult.

Recovery

The process of restoring energy after work. Technology that keeps employees connected can interfere with recovery.

Reactivity

When being observed or studied changes a person's behavior. Example: employees work harder because they know a researcher is watching.

Observational Method

A research method in which researchers observe behavior. Example: watching employees interact during their normal workday.

Participant Observation

An observational method in which the researcher participates in the setting while observing behavior.

Archival Data

Previously collected information used for research. Example: using employee attendance records to study absenteeism.

Simple Random Sampling

A sampling method in which every person in the population has an equal and nonzero probability of being selected.

Survey

A research method that collects information directly from participants, usually by asking questions. Surveys are the most common data collection method in organizations.

Correlation

A relationship in which two variables are associated or change together. Correlation does not prove causation.

Causation

When one variable produces or causes a change in another variable.

Correlation vs. Causation

Correlation means variables are related; causation means one variable produces a change in another. Correlation alone does not prove causation.

Meta-Analysis

A quantitative summary of findings from multiple existing research studies. Example: combining results from several studies about employee well-being.

Micro-Break

A very short break from work intended to help with energy, well-being, recovery, or fatigue.

Careless Responding

Responding to a survey without sufficient attention or effort. Example: randomly clicking answers and finishing a long survey in seconds.

History

A threat to internal validity caused by events outside the study affecting participants. Example: layoffs occur during a study of employee stress.

Maturation

A threat to internal validity caused by participants naturally changing over time. Example: participants improve because they gain experience over time.

Selection

A threat to internal validity caused by who participates in the study. Example: only highly motivated employees volunteer for a study.

Attrition

A threat to internal validity caused by participants dropping out, especially when those who leave differ from those who remain.

History vs. Maturation

History = an outside event changes results. Maturation = participants naturally change over time.

Selection vs. Attrition

Selection = who enters the study matters. Attrition = who leaves the study matters.

Self-Report Method

A method in which participants provide information about themselves. Example: employees rate their own job satisfaction.

Self-Report Assumptions

Self-report methods assume participants know the requested information and provide truthful answers.

Informed Consent

Participants are given enough information about a study to make an informed decision about participating.

Confidentiality

Protecting participants' private information and identities.

Voluntary Participation

People freely choose whether to participate in research and can choose not to participate.

Back Translation

Translating material into another language and then translating it back into the original language to check whether the meaning was preserved.

Purpose of Back Translation

To help ensure that research materials have the same meaning after being translated into another language.

Type I Error

A false positive: concluding that an effect exists when it actually does not.

Type II Error

A false negative: failing to detect an effect that actually exists.

Type I vs. Type II

Type I = false positive/false alarm. Type II = false negative/missed effect.

Research Experiment

A controlled research method involving manipulation of an independent variable, measurement of a dependent variable, and random assignment.

Lab Experiment

An experiment conducted in a controlled laboratory setting. Example: randomly assigning participants to different conditions in a lab.

Field Experiment

An experiment conducted in a real-world setting. Example: randomly assigning employees to different workplace training conditions.

Quasi-Experiment

A study that examines an intervention or condition but lacks one or more features of a true experiment, often random assignment.

Computer Simulation

A research method that uses a computer model to simulate organizational processes or decision-making.

Observational vs. Archival

Observational research watches behavior; archival research uses data that already exists.

Survey vs. Observational

Survey research asks participants questions; observational research watches their behavior.

Experiment vs. Quasi-Experiment

A true experiment includes random assignment; a quasi-experiment lacks one or more features of a true experiment.

RASR

Recruitment, Attraction, Socialization, and Retention.

Recruitment

Generating a pool of qualified applicants.

Attraction

Motivating applicants to pursue employment with an organization.

Socialization

Helping new employees learn the organization's culture, norms, expectations, and ways of working.

Retention

Keeping valued employees in the organization over time.

Skills Inventory

A record of employees' skills and abilities used in succession planning to identify internal talent.

Succession Planning

Planning for future organizational staffing and leadership needs, including preparing employees for future positions.

Internal Recruiting

Filling a job with someone who already works for the organization.

Advantages of Internal Recruiting

Lower cost, positive incentive for employees, reduced training needs, and employees hired internally are more likely to stay.

Executive Search Firm

A recruiting firm used to find candidates for high-level positions such as executives.

Employee Referral

A recruiting method in which current employees recommend potential job candidates.

Advantages of Employee Referrals

They can be relatively low-cost and may produce better-fit candidates.

Yield Ratio

A measure used to determine which recruiting methods are successful at attracting qualified candidates. Formula: Candidates Generated : Candidates Hired. Example: 100 candidates generated and 10 hired equals a 100 : 10 yield ratio. Goal: identify which recruiting methods are producing useful candidates.

Sign-On Bonus

A bonus given to a new employee for accepting a job.

Sign-On Bonus Drawbacks

May attract people for the wrong reasons, contribute to turnover, or create resentment among current employees.

ASA Framework

Attraction, Selection, and Attrition.

ASA Example

People who fit an organization's culture may be attracted to it and selected, while people who do not fit may eventually leave.

Organizational Culture

The organization's values, norms, expectations, and ways of behaving; it can be thought of as the organization's personality.

Culture as Personality

Culture is like an organization's personality because it reflects how the organization typically thinks, behaves, and operates.

Person-Job Fit

The degree to which a person's characteristics and abilities match the requirements of a job.

Low Person-Job Fit

When a person does not fit the job well, it can contribute to dissatisfaction and turnover.

Optimism Bias

Applicants fail to recognize potential mismatches between themselves and a job or organization.

Optimism Bias Example

A person accepts a job expecting it to be relaxed but later discovers it requires long hours and becomes dissatisfied.

Realistic Job Preview (RJP)

Giving applicants accurate and realistic information about what a job is actually like.

Benefits of Realistic Job Previews

Can lower unrealistic expectations, reduce turnover, and help newcomers adjust to the organization.

Organizational Socialization

The process of integrating new employees into an organization's culture, norms, and expectations.

Socialization: History

Teaching newcomers the organization's customs, traditions, and history.

Socialization: Language

Teaching newcomers organizational terminology, jargon, and language.

Socialization: Politics

Helping newcomers understand unwritten rules, power relationships, and influence within the organization.

Socialization: People

Helping newcomers develop relationships with coworkers, mentors, and others.

Socialization: Goals and Values

Teaching newcomers the organization's mission, goals, and values.

Socialization: Performance Proficiency

Helping newcomers learn how to perform their jobs competently.

Quiet Quitting

Working just hard enough not to get fired; doing the minimum required rather than going beyond job requirements.

Information-Seeking Tactics

Methods newcomers use to learn about their jobs and organizations.

Overt Questioning

Directly asking someone for information. Example: "Where is the copy room?"

Indirect Questioning

Asking a question through a hypothetical or indirect situation. Example: "Does this company usually transfer employees between departments?"

Testing Limits

Doing something and observing how others react to determine what is acceptable. Example: missing a meeting to see whether attendance was actually required.

Disguised Conversations

Having a general conversation to obtain specific information. Example: "What did you do over the weekend?" You're actually trying to figure out whether the person brought work home.

Observation

Watching coworkers to understand expected behavior/performance. Example: Watching how coworkers dress to determine the expected dress code.

Surveillance

Focused observation of specific situations or behaviors. Example: Watching whether employees leave exactly at the end of the workday.

Third-Party Information

Asking someone else for information about a topic. Example: "Do you think our boss thinks I'm doing a good job?" You're asking another person to find out what the boss thinks.

Yield Ratios Example

Recruiting Method A generates 100 candidates and hires 10, resulting in a yield ratio of 100 : 10.

Approaches to Increasing Survey Response Rates

Both egotistic approaches and reward approaches can increase response rates.

Reward Approach for Surveys

Offering employees a reward for completing a survey to increase response rates.

Coin Flip and Satisfaction

Average satisfaction can stay the same because some employees become more satisfied while others become less satisfied. Standard deviation shows how spread out individual satisfaction scores are around the average.

Recession Regulations

Regulations increased after recessions in response to issues like lax banking regulations.

Recession Regulations: Pros and Cons

Pros: can increase equity and well-being. Cons: require additional time and resources.

Recession Regulations: Effects

Positive: protect from harmful practices. Negative: increased costs and compliance demands.