Industrial–Organizational Psychology: Science and Practice

Abstract

The objective of this article is to describe the breadth of topics studied by industrial-organizational (I–O) psychologists, with an emphasis on what I-O psychologists do to improve organizational effectiveness. I–O psychology is an applied branch of psychology involving the collecting, analyzing, and using of data to help organizations make better decisions about the selection, utilization, and management of workers. The article traces the development history of I–O psychology, with recognition of scientific management, human relations, and modern behaviorism as significant influences on the field. Industrial and organizational psychology subdisciplines are distinguished with job analysis, test development, and performance appraisal as examples of applications in the former, and leadership, motivation, and group performance as examples of applications in the latter. The field of industrial psychology is characterized as moving towards unification, with generalized principles of human behavior emerging, while the field of organizational psychology is characterized as one of increasing diversity, as researchers and practitioners respond to expanding definitions of organizations, work, and work/life boundaries.