Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Defining I/O Psychology Great Depression and World War II

• Study of behavior in the work settings and • Less opportunity because of economic slum
application of psychology principles to change during the 1930s
work behavior. • Elton Mayo
• Study of: • Hawthorne Effect
✓ personnel functions within the organization • Human relations movement
✓ psychological processes underlying work • Complexity of machinery called for the
behavior need to train soldiers
✓ group processes in the workplace • Improve selection and placement of
✓ structure of work organizations military personnel
Scientist-practitioner model Postwar Years
• Conduct research to increase knowledge • I/O psychology started to blossom
and understanding (scientific) • Ergonomics
• Application of acquired knowledge (applied) • Research and practice flourished in 1960s
• Multidisciplinary in nature through the early 1990s
• Looks beyond efficiency to examine the • Civil Rights Legislation
impact of work procedures and conditions • I/O psychologist have played important role
on working person in helping to establish and implement fair
Industrial (or personnel) employment standards
• Management perspective of organizational Trends/Issues in I/O Psychology
efficiency through the appropriate use of • Changing nature of work
human resources or people • Expanding focus on human resources
• Issues relating to personnel • Increasing diversity and globalization of the
Organizational workforce
• Developed from human relations • Increasing relevance of I/O psychology in
movement in organizations policy & practice
• Understanding of behavior and enhancing Research Methods in I/O Psychology
the well-being of employees in the • Describe, explain, & predict work behavior
workplace • Use results to alter/improve work behavior
The Rise of I/O Psychology • Major research designs:
Hugo Munsterberg o Experimental method
• Design of work and personnel selection for o Quasi-experiments
jobs such as streetcar operator o Correlational method
Walter Dill Scott o Multiple regression design
• Interested in studying salespersons and the o Meta-analysis
psychology of advertising o Case study method
• First professor in this new field o Self-report techniques
• Started a consulting company to practice Five Functions of Great Management
what was being learned from research 1. Planning
Frederick Taylor -When you think of planning in a management
• Believed that scientific principles could be role, think about it as the process of choosing
applied to the study of work behavior to
appropriate goals and actions to pursue and
help increase worker efficiency and
productivity then determining what strategies to use, what
• Time-and-motion studies actions to take, and deciding what resources are
• Scientific management needed to achieve the goals.
World War I and the 1920s 2. Organizing
• First mass testing efforts and set the stage -This process of establishing worker
for future testing efforts relationships allows workers to work together
• Industrial growth
to achieve their organizational goals.
• First doctoral degree in industrial
psychology was awarded 3. Leading
 Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology
-This function involves articulating a vision,
energizing employees, inspiring and motivating
people using vision, influence, persuasion, and
effective communication skills.
4. Staffing
-Recruiting and selecting employees for
positions within the company (within teams and
departments).
5. Controlling
-Evaluate how well you are achieving your
goals, improving performance, taking actions.
Put processes in place to help you establish
standards, so you can measure, compare, and
make decisions.