Psychologists in industry, also known as industrial-organizational (I-O)
psychologists, play a variety of roles to improve the effectiveness and well-
being of employees and organizations:
Training and development: I-O psychologists identify training needs and
develop programs to help employees improve their skills and
competencies.
Recruitment and selection: I-O psychologists help organizations design
strategies to attract and hire the best talent.
Performance management: I-O psychologists help organizations ensure
that employees are performing well.
Organizational development: I-O psychologists help organizations
improve through effective change.
Leadership development: I-O psychologists help organizations develop
their leaders.
Work-life balance: I-O psychologists help organizations improve work-
life balance for employees.
Team building: I-O psychologists help organizations build strong teams.
Conflict resolution: I-O psychologists help organizations resolve
conflicts.
Workplace diversity: I-O psychologists help organizations improve
workplace diversity and inclusion.
Safety and occupational health: I-O psychologists help organizations
improve workplace safety and occupational health.
Management consulting: I-O psychologists help organizations adapt to major
industry changes by providing strategy development and change management
consulting. Industrial psychology, also known as industrial-organizational
(I/O) psychology, is the scientific study of human behavior in the
workplace. I/O psychologists use research and evidence-based practices to
help organizations and their employees improve performance, well-being,
and satisfaction.
I/O psychologists apply psychological concepts and practices to help with:
Recruitment and hiring: Finding the right people for the job
Training and development: Creating programs to improve employee
performance
Motivation and rewards: Developing systems to keep employees engaged
and productive
Work-life balance: Helping employees maintain a balance between work and
life
Organizational development: Improving the effectiveness of the
organization as a whole
I/O psychologists also consider issues such as: Job satisfaction, Quality of
work life, Structure of work, Human factors, and Consumer behaviour.
The definition of industry is being productive upon receiving an evaluation of one's work.
In some literature, industry may also be referred to as competence. The definition of
inferiority is an individual becoming discouraged, feeling inferior, or incompetent upon
receiving an evaluation of one's work.
Industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologists focus on the behavior of employees
in the workplace. They apply psychological principles and research methods to
improve the overall work environment, including performance, communication,
professional satisfaction and safety. What is the main objective of industrial
psychology?
Industrial psychology focuses on areas of employment and organizational processes
that create an environment for success, including (Rogelberg, 2007): Team and
organizational effectiveness. Employee recruitment and promotion. Individual
differences, measurement, and testing.
Who is the father of I-O psychology?
Hugo Munsterberg
In 1913, Hugo Munsterberg released the hugely influential Psychology and Industrial Efficiency,
which laid the groundwork for what we now refer to as I/O psychology. His goal was to help
organizations shape workers as needed to improve general workplace productivity
Principles of IP Industrial organizational psychology applies psychological principles and
theories to how individuals and groups behave in the workplace and inside organizations.
Psychologists in this field want to increase individual performance, well-being, and
satisfaction.
Executive coaching: I-O psychologists can act as executive coaches to help
improve workplace performance.
What do occupational psychologists do?
Occupational psychologists aim to increase the effectiveness of the
organization and improve the job satisfaction of individuals. The
specialty is broader in scope and less formalized than many areas of
psychology and it touches on diverse fields, including ergonomics,
personnel management and time management
Some fields of occupational psychology include:
Training and development
An important area of I/O psychology that focuses on improving the
skills of a company's workforce.
Human-machine interaction
A field of occupational psychology that focuses on how humans
interact with machines.
Design of environments and work
A field of occupational psychology that focuses on health and safety
in the workplace.
Personnel selection and assessment
A field of occupational psychology that focuses on designing tests
and exercises for selecting and assessing personnel.
Performance appraisal and career development
A field of occupational psychology that focuses on performance
appraisal and career development.
Counselling and personal development
A field of occupational psychology that focuses on counseling and
personal development.
Employee relations and motivation
A field of occupational psychology that focuses on employee
relations and motivation.
Organizational development and change
A field of occupational psychology that focuses on organizational
development and change.
The study of human behaviour in the workplace is known as organizational
behaviour (OB) or industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology:
Organizational behaviour (OB)
The study of how people interact in an organization, and how this affects the
workplace culture. OB helps leaders understand how teams work and how
individuals perform. It also helps employees understand what to expect from
their workplace culture.
Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology
The scientific study of human behaviour in the workplace, and the
application of psychology to improve the well-being and performance
of employees and the organization.
Some topics that researchers and consultants study in the context of OB
include: Leadership, Work performance, Employee motivation, and Job
satisfaction.
Understanding human behaviour can help organizations set better goals
and improve productivity and profitability. For example, a satisfied
employee is usually more productive.
Psychological principles can be applied in many areas, including:
Employee selection
Psychological assessments can help companies find applicants whose values,
personality, and character best fit the company. Industrial psychology studies
the attributes of jobs and applicants, and how to assess a fit.
Education
Educational psychology can help teachers understand what students need
to learn and how to teach them. Psychological principles can also be used to
develop assessments that measure student knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Human resource management
Recruitment and selection can help create a positive psychological contract
with employees, which can lead to organizational commitment and
motivation.
Psychological testing in the selection process can help selection
committees by giving them a broader picture of the applicants. They
can help companies determine whose character, personality, and
value system best fits the company
Here are some applications of psychological principles:
Industrial psychology
Studies the attributes of jobs and applicants, and how to assess a person's fit for
a job. This includes job analysis, applicant testing, interviews, and procedures
for onboarding and training new employees
Human resource management
Principles of placement include offering a job to a selected candidate based
on their qualifications, and placing them on a job that matches their
qualifications and the job's requirements.
Aesthetic-usability effect
This psychological principle states that users tend to perceive more
attractive products or services as easier to use, more effective, and more
satisfying.
Personality and autonomy
Personality traits are characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and
behaviours that are fairly stable across time.
Psychological testing
Psychological testing includes tests of ability and tests of achievement. Both
types of tests involve learning, and what the test-taker has learned and can
do.
Applied psychology
The study and ability to solve problems within human behavior such as
health issues, workplace issues, or education.
What is counselling in training?
Counselling Skills in Training
Communication, Personal Effectiveness, Team Building, and Presentation are all
areas that touch on people's Self-Esteem, Value and Confidence. In unskilled hands,
participants can finish their training feeling undermined and unsupported.
What is counselling for?
Counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you
and helping you find ways to deal with emotional issues. Sometimes the term
"counselling" is used to refer to talking therapies in general, but counselling is also a
type of therapy in its own right.
What is counselling and its steps?
The basic stages of counseling are: 1) Developing the client/clinician relationship; 2)
Clarifying and assessing the presenting problem or situation; 3) Identifying and
setting counseling or treatment goals; 4) Designing and implementing interventions;
and 5) Planning, termination, and follow-up.