Psyc002 Ch13 Industrial Organizational Psychology

Industrial Organizational Psychology

Branch of psychology is concerned with the study of behavior in work settings and the application of psychology principles to change work behavior

I/O psychologists are scientist-practitioners with a dual focus: efficiency/productivity or organizations and health/well-being of employees

Origins of I/O psychology (1)

Scientific Management (Frank Taylor): Studied efficient work methods using time and motion studies; influenced assembly lines and military recruitment.

Origins of I/O psychology (2)

Ergonomics/Human Factors: Combines engineering and psychology to improve safety and efficiency in human-machine interactions; applies principles from perception, cognition, and social psychology.

Origins of I/O psychology (3)

Hawthorne Studies: Work conditions affect productivity

Human Relations Approach

The Hawthorne Effect

Individual productivity increases when workers are singled out and made to feel important, Performance is subject to social pressures and group norms

Industrial Psychology

Emphasis on how to use human resources to increase efficiency and productivity
Ex: Job analysis and evaluation, Employee selection, Training, Performance appraisal

Job Analysis (Industrial Psychology)

Systematic process of creating a detailed job description by breaking tasks into units, developing manuals, and identifying job-oriented and person-oriented details, including KSAOs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics).

Job Evaluation

Determines job worth using compensable factors

Personnel Selection (Industrial Psychology)

The process of hiring employees through recruitment, testing (e.g., integrity tests, biographical inventories), interviews (structured to avoid interviewer illusion), and work samples or exercises.

Training (Industrial Psychology)

Preparing employees through orientation (familiarizing them with the organization and colleagues), formal training (including overlearning and development), and mentoring (natural guidance relationships).

Performance Appraisal

Assessing an employee’s job success, considering potential biases (halo effect, leniency, severity, central tendency) and incorporating tools like 360-degree feedback.

360 Degree Feedback

Clients/Customers, You, Subordinates, Supervisor, Peers/Co-workers evaluate your performance which then leads to your performance evaluation.

Organizational Psychology

Focuses on human relations at work, emphasizing morale, attitudes, values, and humane treatment. Covers management approaches, job satisfaction, employee commitment, meaning of work, and leadership styles.

Management Approaches (Organizational Psychology)

Include the Japanese management style, Theory X (control and punishment) vs. Theory Y (participation and problem-solving), and strengths-based management.

Job Satisfaction (Organizational Psychology)

The degree of positive work attitudes, influenced by compensation fairness, individual personality, and cultural factors.

Critical Controversy – Happy Workers (Organizational Psychology)

Long-term happiness links to financial independence, career success, and positive evaluations; affects job withdrawal and organizational spontaneity.

Employee Commitment (Organizational Psychology)

Includes affective (emotional attachment), continuance (costs of leaving), and normative (sense of obligation) commitment to the organization.

Meaning of Work (Organizational Psychology)

Differentiates jobs (basic work), careers (advancement opportunities), and callings (work with intrinsic value); relates to well-being and can involve job crafting—modifying tasks physically or cognitively.

Leadership Styles (Organizational Psychology)

Transformational leadership focuses on organizational vision, with four elements: idealized influence, inspiring achievement, intellectual stimulation, and concern for employee well-being, promoting organizational identity.

Intersection: Who’s in Charge? (Organizational Psychology):

Leadership influenced by genetics (personality traits, twin studies, extraversion, achievement motivation) and Big 5 traits—high extraversion, high conscientiousness, and low neuroticism.

Leaders’ Implicit Followership Theories (LIFT)

Leaders hold beliefs about ideal followers. Six key factors:
Prototype: Industry, Enthusiasm, Good Citizen
Antiprototype: Insubordination, Incompetence, Conformity