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In its simplest form, Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology is defined as the application of principles, theory, and research to both traditional and non-traditional workplace settings (Landy & Conte, 2013, pg. 7). In a broad sense I/O Psychologists are responsible for applying psychology to work environments. The base their actions on research and seek out opportunities to solve problems for employers and employees within organizations. While I/O psychology has continued to advance in recent decades, the earliest origins go back over one-hundred years. Farr (1997) notes that applications of industrial first appeared in the early 1900s with the published works of Walter Dill Scott and Hugo Munsterberg. These early works focused on aptitude and personnel selection and Scott eventually went on to start the first industrial psychology consulting firm in the early 1920s (Farr, 1997). The government and other organizations began to embrace the importance of applying psychology to work settings and as a result I/O psychology developed as a science.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology is comprised of two unique segments. The “industrial” area includes topics related to the recruitment, selection, evaluation, succession, performance, training, and classification of employees (Capella University, 2016). The industrial side of the equation could be considered the nuts and bolts or operational aspect of I/O Psychology. Then, the “organizational” side involves more of the touchy-feely aspects with socialization, motivation, leadership, coaching, behavior, health and success factors, and organizational development (Capella University, 2016). In order to solve the problems of today’s workers, both components are extremely vital as they give a full picture of the overall health of a work setting.
As organizations have continued to evolve in recent years, so has their need for I/O Psychologists. The Internet, for example, has dramatically changed the way businesses recruit, interview, and hire employees. Rather than posting an ad in a paper, organizations can now target specific populations by using specific sourcing techniques to find the right employee for their opening. How do they know what competencies to look for? What types of screening procedures can they perform to select the best applicant? These are just some of the types of questions I/O Psychologists can help employers with. However, employee selection is just one area, psychologists can also help develop employees through coaching or modifying current appraisal processes making them vital to work either internally or on a contract basis for organizations. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor estimated a significant increase in the growth of I/O Psychologists with 26% growth through 2018 (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2016). Based on this information, I/O Psychologists will likely continue to be in high demand especially for more specific contract areas over the next several decades. Since the recent recession, more employers are looking for ways to increase efficiency, productivity, and ultimately do more with less. The I/O field and ongoing research fills this gap while keeping the focus individuals.
References
Capella University. (2016). Industrial versus organizational aspects of I/O Psychology. Retrieved from http://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/PSY8711/Comparison/wrapper.asp
Farr, J.L. (1997). Organized I/O psychology: Past, present future. Retrieved from http://www.siop.org/tip/backissues/tipjul97/farr.aspx
Landy, F. J., & Conte, J. M. (2013). Work in the 21st century: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. (2016). I-O a “Hot Job,” shows job increases through 2018, according to labor department. Retrieved from http://www.siop.org/Media/News/hotjob.aspx
