Organizational psychology: a look backward, outward, and forward

Abstract

AbstractThis paper provides a commentary on selected issues and topics in the four papers included in this special issue of the journal (those by Lefkowitz, Cascio, Edwards, and Gelfand et al.). To put the contents of the four papers in context, the past development of the field of organizational psychology is first briefly reviewed, followed by a discussion of its relationship to adjacent “cousin” fields. Comments are then presented on each of the four papers. The paper concludes with an examination of several questions: Has the field of organizational psychology made progress over the past 50+ years? Has the field been sufficiently introspective about itself and its scholarly efforts and values? How does the field of organizational psychology compare—in terms of the issues raised in the four papers—to other fields? And, finally, what will be being said about the field of organizational psychology 20 years from now? Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.