This course will introduce you to the major concepts of and debates surrounding industrial and organizational psychology. Industrial and organizational psychology is the application of psychological research and theory to human interaction (both with other humans and with human factors, or machines and computers) in the workplace.
This course will introduce you to the major concepts of and debates surrounding industrial and organizational psychology. Industrial and organizational psychology is the application of psychological research and theory to human interaction (both with other humans and with human factors, or machines and computers) in the workplace. The phrase “industrial and organizational psychology” (sometimes referred to as “I/O”) may be somewhat misleading, as the field deals less with actual organizations and/or industries and more with the people in these areas. As mentioned above, “I/O” is an applied psychological science, which means that it takes research findings and theories that may have originally been used to explain a general phenomenon of human behavior and applies them to human behavior in a specific setting (here, the workplace). Consider, for example, the fact that many jobs require applicants to take a personality test. Psychologists originally developed this test to detect and diagnose abnormal personalities; they are now frequently used to determine whether a given applicant will be a good “fit” for a position or the dynamic of a company’s staff. In this case, we are applying traditional psychology research to the workplace. Or consider the traditional job interview. Everything from the interaction between interviewer and interviewee to the nature of the Q&A can be examined from a psychological standpoint. While these quick examples pertain to only one area of human workplace interaction (the employee selection area), there are a number of additional areas that we will learn about in this course. We will begin by taking a look at how we evaluate jobs and candidates for jobs (employees) before exploring how we evaluate and motivate employees, noting what encourages versus discourages employee job commitment. We will then study leadership and group influences in the workplace and conclude with units on working conditions and humans factors. In addition, performance management and work teams will be discussed. Leadership interaction and the leadership theories are also covered. Note: Because this is an applied psychological science, you should have a strong background in theory and have taken an Introduction to Psychology course prior to taking this course.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
perform a thorough and systematic competency model (job analysis);
develop and validate a job specific selection design;
design, develop, and evaluate a job specific training program;
define a performance appraisal process and form;
identify research methods for conducting experiments;
explain organizational recruitment, selection, and retainment;
evaluate the work performance of employees;
describe the motivating factors of employees;
identify teamwork problems and issues;
compare and contrast models of motivation and leadership;
explain organizational issues including: teams, attitudes, and occupational health; and
define work-life balance and its impact on organizations and employees.
