Lesson 13: Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Attention

 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Describe the scope and sample applications of I/O Psychology.
  • Apply key concepts from the field of I/O Psychology to an analysis of personal work history.

Teaching

Work and Occupation

When we meet someone for the first time the first question we might get asked is what are name is. Can you guess what the next question is?

"What do you do?"

In Western society what you "do" (or your work) is a key component of our Identity. It is very important to us and we spend a lot of time getting prepared for it (school and training) and doing it (40 hours a week or more!)

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

I/O Psychology is the study of how human behavior and psychology impact the workplace and how the workplace impacts human behavior and psychology.

The types of questions that are explored by I/O Psychologists include:

  • How much and how frequently should someone be paid in order to assure they are staying productive?
  • How does lighting impact the accident rates in a factory?
  • How does body posture while at work impact sick time?
  • Should you provide training to learn how to use a new machine or just instructions?
  • How can I be sure to hire people who are good at leading teams?

I/O Psychology is a very useful and pragmatic body of knowledge that impacts us every day of our lives!

Great Concepts from I/O Psychology that we Know and Love

  • Hawthorn Effect - the phenomena whereas we see improved performance because workers know they are being watched.
  • Scientific Management - the practice of using scientific principles to guide management practices.
  • Efficiency - maximizing output or productivity per unit of work.
  • Job Analysis - highly specific job descriptions that accurately outline the expectations of a job.
  • Candidate Analysis - gathering information from a job candidate to assist in the selection process.
  • Training - structured experiences to impart knowledge and/or skills on a student.
  • Performance Appraisals - objective measures of work behavior.
  • Job Satisfaction - an evaluation of the degree to which a job meets a person's needs.

Organizational Culture

Sociology defines "culture" as the "norms, values, and expectations of a specific group."

Each workplace has a culture...sometimes there are two different, interoperable cultures...

  • Formal Culture - how the organization works based on written policies and bureaucracy.
  • Informal Culture - the hidden methods and behaviors that occur a the workplace and are sustained by the members.

Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model

Click HERE to visit a website on Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model and learn about concepts such as:

  • Worthy Performance
  • Potential for Improving Performance
  • BEM

Assessment

In this section you will find a list of the required Assessments that accompany this Lesson. The Lesson Discussions are designed for the ONLINE and HYBRID versions of this course. If you are not in an ONLINE or HYBRID version of this course you can ignore these instructions unless otherwise guided by your instructor.

Lesson 13 Discussion A

Describe at least one workplace experience that you have had that exemplifies a concept covered in this lesson (I/O Psychology). Be sure you are clear about the connection between the story and the concept (do not use the BEM in this discussion, that is for Lesson 13 Discussion B.)

Lesson 13 Discussion B

Using Gilbert's Behavioral Engineering Model, describe a work-related situation where performance was below standard. How would you have used the BEM to analyze the problem?

Lesson 13 Quiz

  1. What is the scope of the field of I/O Psychology?
  2. Describe two distinct applications of the field.