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Industrial psychology
Industrial psychology is concerned with people at work. It
is also called personnel psychology. A closely related field is known
as organizational psychology. Traditionally, industrial psychologists have
assessed differences among individual workers and have evaluated individual
jobs. Organizational psychologists generally seek to understand how workers
function in an organization, and how the organization functions in society.
The distinctions between industrial psychology and organizational psychology
are not always clear. Thus, the two areas are often referred to jointly as
industrial/organizational psychology, or I/O psychology. I/O psychologists
work for businesses, consulting firms, government departments, and colleges
and universities.
Both industrial and organizational psychologists help determine fair pay
scales, generally based on the levels of skill and education a job requires
and any hazards it poses. I/O psychologists also research causes of and ways
of reducing industrial accidents.
Industrial psychologists typically help employers find the best person for a
job, evaluate job performance, and train employees. In developing a system for
matching an individual to a job, an industrial psychologist must first
determine what special knowledge, skills, and abilities the job demands. The
psychologist then designs a selection system to judge an applicant's
qualifications for the job. The objective of such a system is to predict a
person's performance in the workplace. Commonly used selection tools include
interviews, letters of reference, work samples, and tests of aptitudes,
abilities, knowledge, interests, and personality.
Developing methods of evaluating job performance is a major function of an
industrial psychologist. Psychologists often create a numerical scale to use
in rating an employee's performance. To have value, a system should maximize
the accuracy with which people rate performance, and minimize bias.
Industrial psychologists commonly develop training programmes. This function
involves identifying performance or technical needs of employees that can be
met by training. It also deals with evaluating the effectiveness of the
training programme. Training needs may include ways to (1) help new employees
get used to the organization, (2) update technical skills of current
employees, and (3) prepare employees for new responsibilities. Techniques used
in training include classroom lectures, work simulators, computer-assisted
instruction, and role playing.
Organizational psychologists devote much time to job satisfaction. They
investigate factors that have been found to relate to satisfaction, including
employee turnover, absenteeism, age, pay, and attitudes toward unions.
Organizational psychologists also study motivation because evidence suggests
that both motivation and ability are necessary for employees to succeed in
their jobs. Thus, psychologists develop systems for rewarding good
performance, and they redesign jobs for greater interest and challenge.
Another important concern of organizational psychologists is what makes an
effective leader. The psychologists help identify the personality traits of a
good leader and the types of leaders who should be selected for a particular
position.
Organizational psychologists also help maximize efficiency by redesigning the
lines of authority or communication in an organization. Organizational
psychologists may also work to improve an organization's efficiency by
addressing such physical factors as its work schedules, layout, design of its
tools and equipment, and levels of heat, light, and noise.
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