Past and future of industrial/organizational psychology.

Some of the early contributors to the development of industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology are reviewed, and their conceptions of the field are compared with contemporary ideas. Although research methods have become far more sophisticated, the broad divisions of the discipline remain unchanged: They involve selection, training, job performance, satisfaction, mental health, and social influences on work. Strictly organizational issues developed relatively late in the century. Two major trends in I/O psychology are identified and contrasted: quantitative and humanist perspectives. It is suggested that current practice overemphasizes the quantitative and at times ignores the humanistic consequences of I/O interventions. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early influences on the development of industrial and organizational psychology.

Industrial and organizational psychology began as applied psychology. Hugo Münsterberg was well-known for his applications of psychology to forensics, psychotherapy, and industrial efficiency. James McKeen Cattell pioneered mental testing and argued for an applicable, if not applied, psychology. Walter Dill Scott and Walter VanDyke Bingham were devoted to the application of psychological principles to the problems of government and industry. The lives and accomplishments of these 4 figures are detailed as a way of examining the development of the subdiscipline between the years 1880 and 1920. The focus of the discussion is on how their efforts peculiarly changed the science and practice of industrial and organizational psychology. Each made a unique contribution in a unique time period. The field continues to benefit from their individual and collective influence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Institutional research productivity in industrial/organizational psychology.

Updated the report of W. M. Cox and V. Catt (see record 1978-21651-001) by determining the 40 top contributing institutions to the Journal of Applied Psychology, 1976–1982, and assessed the generalizability of productivity rankings based solely on contributions to this journal. A number of industrial and organizational psychologists were asked to indicate all the journals in which psychologists in the field were likely to publish. Five journals suggested by these nominators were used for comparison in the review. A list of the 40 most productive graduate programs based on these 5 journals is included. Results show the inadequacy of Cox and Catt's decision to base productivity ratings solely on contributions to 1 journal. Using 5 journals, 4 programs were catapulted into the top 10 rankings, while 7 programs dropped from top rankings in the Cox study (1970–1975) to below the 65th rank in the present study. Using only the Journal of Applied Psychology contributions, 2 of these programs ranked in the top 10, 1976–1982. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theoretical and philosophical issues in industrial/organizational psychology.

In preparing to address the question posed to the various divisions regarding the extent and character of theoretical and philosophical concerns in the various areas of psychology, I informally solicited input from about 20 Division 14 members. Almost without exception I received the same response: the observation that philosophical issues are not central to the daily activities of most I/O psychologists. After a bit more thought, most were able to identify areas or issues within I/O psychology to which philosophical issues are relevant. In the comments which follow, I will make no attempt to be systematic or complete in presenting the philosophical/theoretical issues facing I/O psychology. I will present examples of different types of issues facing the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concern for the environment: Implications for industrial and organizational psychology.

Maintains that the direct and indirect influences of the geographic environment in which an individual lives on how and where he/she works, can be studied with considerable utility. Two issues regarding ecology and personnel psychology are examined in detail: (a) new jobs, tasks, and careers appearing as a consequence of man's effect on the environment and (b) the physical environment possibly affecting aptitude and interest development. Possible areas of research in the area of ecology and personnel psychology are discussed (e.g., the effects of climates, weather, and variability in land surface on the performance of individuals). (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward an organizational psychology for organizational psychology.

Pursuit of the goal for organizational psychology postulated by M. D. Dunnette (1976) is viewed as being analogous to the task accomplishments by formal organizations. This perspective suggests that organizational psychologists might improve their collective effectiveness by applying the substance of organizational psychology to themselves. Six elements are considered: (a) domain and task requirements, (b) required diversity, (c) stimulus variability and search processes, (d) problem definition, (e) resource allocation, and (f) requirements for a self-designing system. Analysis of these dimensions suggests that many aspects of the structure of contemporary organizational psychology are in conflict with the achievement of Dunnette's goals. It is concluded that the way many current processes (e.g., searching for solutions and processes and defining problems) are managed by organizational psychologists stimulates closed-systems approaches for tasks that require creative, open-systems approaches. Potential benefits of an organizational psychology of organizational psychology are suggested. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training and organizational psychology.

Discusses the relevance and significance of training programs in organizations. It is argued that emphasis on design of new instructional techniques is misplaced; the concern should be on the development of appropriate need assessment procedures that consider task, person, and organizational characteristics. The design should include the determination of tasks to be performed, behaviors essential to the performance of those tasks, type of learning necessary to acquire those behaviors, and the type of instructional content best suited to accomplish that type of learning. Evaluation designs must recognize that the training program and the evaluation are an intervention within the structure of the organization. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Health issues at work: Opportunities for industrial/organizational psychology.

The workplace provides an excellent setting for addressing issues of health, and industrial/organizational psychologists have a great deal to contribute to this effort. Five models for addressing health at work are presented along with the recommendation to use the broader systems approach. A set of criteria for health research and practice is introduced, and the potential contributions of industrial-organizational psychology for addressing these criteria are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of path analysis in industrial/organizational psychology: Criticisms and suggestions.

Path analysis or structural equation modeling is a technique for testing the consequences of proposed causal relationships among a set of variables. The technique rests on specific procedures and important assumptions (uncorrelated residuals, 1-way causality, linearity, additivity, interval measures). These assumptions, along with the problem of multicollinearity, are discussed, and specific techniques are offered to deal with them. Path analysis studies from the industrial/organizational psychology literature are reviewed to illustrate the specific consequences of disregarding these assumptions and procedures. The relationship between cross-lagged correlation and path analysis is explored, particularly with regard to the differing but complementary purposes of each. Finally, the problems due to both shared and random measurement error and the application of path analysis to experiments are discussed. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Continuity and change in industrial/organizational psychology: Learning from previous mistakes.

Previous predictions of changes in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology have failed to materialize due to omissions in mainstream I/O psychology. Three of these deficiencies (ahistorical habits, failure to appreciate continuity, and implicit acceptance of a particular political–economic framework) are explored to examine I/O psychology's past and present and to better predict its future. These 3 characteristics are seen as pathologies in I/O psychology, and their consequences for predictions are regarded as symptoms of the pathology. The analysis suggests that the future will be more like the present than is currently assumed and that I/O psychologists need to better understand the position of their field in history, the historical context of organizational evolution, and the ongoing political economy. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A historical examination of author sex and research funding in industrial/organizational psychology.

Analyzed 9,042 research articles in 5 journals during the period 1917–1984 for trends in author sex and funding in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology. Results show that the greatest percentage of articles authored by women appeared in the 1920's. This figure declined through the 1960's and rose during the 1970's and 1980's. More male than female authors received funding up through the 1950's, but this was reversed in the 1960's and 1970's. It is suggested that more credit should be given to the effect female professionals had on the growth of I/O psychology and that women are now publishing in proportion to their professional membership. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Whither industrial and organizational psychology in a changing world of work?

Dramatic changes are affecting the world of work. Examples include increased global competition, the impact of information technology, the re-engineering of business processes, smaller companies that employ fewer people, the shift from making a product to providing a service, and the growing disappearance of "the job" as a fixed bundle of tasks. These trends are producing a redefinition of work itself. They provide great opportunities for industrial and organizational psychologists to contribute to the betterment of human welfare. This article identifies 6 key areas in which to start: job analysis, employee selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation (including incentives), and organizational development. Relevant research in these areas can provide substantial payoffs for individuals, organizations, and society as psychology moves into the 21st century. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future for industrial and organizational psychology: Oblivion or millennium?

Deplores the decline of industrial psychology programs in graduate schools in the face of a growing need for help in solving intensifying human problems in industry. Although there has been an explosive growth in related graduate training programs in business schools in the last decade, graduates of such programs have not had much exposure to fundamental areas of psychology. It is suggested that masters degree programs in psychology be revived to train practitioners, and programs be initiated to train psychologists at the doctoral level for applied roles in industry. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

American psychology.

Contends that American psychology is the result of American history and ideology. As a consequence it represents doing, trial and error, prediction, and control rather than reflection, reasoning, and understanding or, in Piagetian terms, concrete rather than formal operations. It aims at laws and order and cannot tolerate uncertainty and relativity. The contradictions of the American way of life are reflected in the insistence of psychology on consistency and parsimony and its lack of both. This lack appears most clearly in the failure of American psychology to be applicable to psychologists and in its consequent dichotomy between principles applicable to the functioning of Es and of their Ss. The American feeling of superiority is mirrored in psychology's disregard of non-English language research publications. By being to such an extent an American product American psychology fails, in Piagetian terms, to be relative and thereby objective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Industrial and organizational psychology in Iran.

Presents a preliminary attempt to provide a framework for further studies, from an Iranian view, of events in the area of industrial and organizational psychology. Psychology as a subject was introduced in Iran following World War I. However, it was only after World War II that industrial psychology germinated into an independent discipline and a new profession. Still, industrial psychology was forced to remain largely outside academia, thus limiting the opportunity to educate sufficient numbers of industrial and organizational psychologists, who are now badly needed due to rapid economic development. The better developed parts of this new discipline are personnel evaluation techniques and management training programs. Academic programs in industrial psychology have greatly increased in the 1970s. As the result of research and studies in this field, some substantive problems have been identified that are basic and vital and that have to be treated scientifically in order to rally industrial psychology services in support of national development programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Master's programs in industrial/organizational psychology: Current status and a call for action.

Reviews published and unpublished sources to describe characteristics of terminal master's programs in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology and argues that systematic attention should be paid to issues of education, employment, and professional identity for these master's graduates. The 55 or more programs represent a 3-fold increase in listings in less than a decade. In psycholoy departments, programs enrolled 59% of new I/O graduate students and awarded 67% of terminal graduate degrees during a 1-yr period. Important characteristics include length (about 2.5 yrs), many part-time and employed students, applied focus, emphasis on both industrial and organizational topics, but emphasis on either "psychology core" or technical I/O training. Most graduates find private sector employment, apparently moving away from organized I/O psychology. Implications for the profession are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Income of industrial and organizational psychologists.

Presents results from a continuing, systematic survey of 543 industrial and organizational psychologists of the American Psychological Association to provide a broad overview of remuneration patterns and income trends. Income distributions of industrial and organizational psychologists vary over a wide range and are influenced by certain factors, e.g., type of employment, age, sex, experience, and work activity. Percentile distributions are provided to serve as income norms relevant for various groups of industrial and organizational psychologists. Trends for 1960-1970 are illustrated and adjusted for inflationary effects. Industrial and organizational psychologists experienced substantial growth in real income, especially in their starting salaries. Also investigated were effects of supplementary income and job changes on income. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

American and European psychology.

Over the last 75 yr. American psychology has achieved such a predominance that its relationship to psychology in other countries approaches the "colonial-science" relationship described by Basalla. Features of this predominance are discussed, and factors that have contributed to it are reviewed. There are, however, signs of a more even distribution of effort and influence in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internships in industrial psychology.

"The Executive Committee of the Division of Business and Industrial Psychology (Division 14) formed a committee to investigate… " the nature of training needs which may exist in the transition of psychologists from the academic situation to the situation of practical application. Results of a questionnaire survey relating to the problem are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)