Field Of Organizational Psychology Research Articles

Advancing theory in organizational psychology

Organizational psychology is an applied science. It is driven by a desire to address issues that are important to people at work. Perhaps as a consequence of this applied focus that sometimes appears to prioritize data over theory and applicability over fundamental insight, the field of organizational psychology seems undertheorized. Of course, good scientific research in organizational psychology is guided by well-developed conceptual analyses, but by the realities of research in academia these analyses are limited to what can actually be tested in the particular study at hand. As a result, there is much ‘‘micro-theory’’ limited to the set of relationships that can be covered empirically in one study, but far less conceptual work that is integrative and overarching—work that offers broader ranging theoretical perspectives that speak more comprehensively to the issues under consideration. Probably exacerbating this problem is that academic journals often prioritize novelty in empirical contributions to such an extent that programmatic development of a theoretical analysis across studies increasingly seems to be penalized by the observation that the contribution is ‘‘too incremental’’ in building on prior work to warrant publication (belying the very fact that scientific progress is largely incremental and providing an incentive to downplay conceptual connections with prior work). Yet, as Kurt Lewin, one of the founders of organizational psychology as a scientific discipline, famously noted, the practical significance and value of good theory is enormous. Theory explains and thus allows practice to move beyond an ill-understood ‘‘bag of tricks’’ to better informed actions, and theory guides the further development of knowledge to develop more sophisticated practice. Perhaps part of the problem here is that many academic outlets in the field seem less than welcoming to conceptual work. Despite the substantive number of journals for empirical research, there is a striking lack of dedicated outlets for conceptual work in organizational psychology. While a number of empirical journals in principle are open to conceptual

Associations between dopamine and serotonin genes and job satisfaction: Preliminary evidence from the Add Health Study.

Previous behavioral genetic studies have found that job satisfaction is partially heritable. We went a step further to examine particular genetic markers that may be associated with job satisfaction. Using an oversample from the National Adolescent Longitudinal Study (Add Health Study), we found 2 genetic markers, dopamine receptor gene DRD4 VNTR and serotonin transporter gene 5-HTTLPR, to be weakly but significantly associated with job satisfaction. Furthermore, we found study participants' level of pay to mediate the DRD4 and job satisfaction relationship. However, we found no evidence that self-esteem mediated the relationships between these 2 genes and job satisfaction. The study represents an initial effort to introduce a molecular genetics approach to the fields of organizational psychology and organizational behavior.

Producción científica española sobre salud laboral indizada en el Índice Médico Español (IME)

The aims of this paper are: 1) to evaluate Spanish scientific publications on Occupational Health between 1971 and 2007, based on data collected from the IME database; 2) to present the features related to authorship, and the connections and potential cooperation among researchers; and 3) to determine emerging topics and main areas of interest. Through a derived search methodology, we have carried out an exhaustive scanning of IME records on Occupational Health, selected according to relevance. The results of this search were exported and analysed with the ProCite reference manager. This procedure allowed us to perform a survey of authorship and connections, and an analysis of temporal sets by descriptors and categories. The results are 1,530 references of public documents from 180 scientific journals, conferences and book chapters. The average figure of authors per article is 2.6. One third of the authors published only one article on the topic. The subject most frequently studied belongs to the field of Organizational Psychology. The conclusions we have arrived at are: 1) there is a high level of cooperation among authors, a low level of specialisation, as it refers both to authorship and to journals where scientific papers are published; 2) a rising trend in the field of Organizational Psychology, with a clear increase in this area during the last four years

Organizational psychology: a look backward, outward, and forward

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.

Introduction to the special issue: to prosper, organizational psychology should…

AbstractThis special issue showcases papers by four sets of authors who share opinions about specific things that should be done for the field of organizational psychology to prosper. To begin, Lefkowitz argues that practitioners should embrace a more humanistic set of values. Second, Cascio suggests that the field's success requires integrating the contributions of scientists and practitioners. Third, Edwards identifies 10 key methodological limitations that must be overcome in organizational psychology research. Finally, Gelfand and her associates opine that to prosper, the field's theories and research must embrace a more global perspective. Concluding, Porter comments on what these papers suggest about the present status of the field and offers opinions on where the field appears to be—and should be—going. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

To prosper, organizational psychology should… adopt a global perspective

AbstractWe argue that for the field of organizational psychology to prosper, it must adopt a global perspective. In this article, we discuss three specific ideals for a more global organizational psychology, our progress toward these ideals (or lack thereof), and potential solutions to move toward a truly global science. First, we argue that a truly global organizational psychology must incorporate global voices. Yet cross‐cultural research in organizational psychology still remains largely a U.S. export business wherein the very questions we ask are colored by Western assumptions and values which are then explored to other cultures. To be a global science, we must acknowledge that the questions we ask are value‐laden, and we must ensure that the questions we ask to have global relevance. Second, a truly global organizational psychology must articulate with precision the level at which culture operates. Yet the level at which culture is defined varies widely across studies and levels of analysis confusion abounds in the literature. We discuss a number of conceptualizations and measures of culture and suggest the conditions under which each may be warranted. Third, a truly global organizational psychology must advance an understanding of when culture matters. Despite abundant evidence that behavior in organizations is influenced by multiple contextual factors (e.g., the work team, organization, industry), we have little understanding of how national culture and non‐cultural factors jointly influence behavior in organizations. We discuss several promising models to guide such efforts. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Reliability and agreement of student ratings of the classroom environment: A reanalysis of TIMSS data

In educational research, characteristics of the learning environment are generally assessed by asking students to evaluate features of their lessons. The student ratings produced by this simple and efficient research strategy can be analysed from two different perspectives. At the individual level, they represent the individual student’s perception of the learning environment. Scores aggregated to the classroom level reflect perceptions of the shared learning environment, corrected for individual idiosyncrasies. This second approach is often pursued in studies on teaching quality and effectiveness, where student-level ratings are aggregated to the class level to obtain general information about the learning environment. Although this strategy is widely applied in educational research, neither the reliability of aggregated student ratings nor the within-group agreement between the students in a class has been subject to much investigation. The present study introduces and discusses different procedures that have been proposed in the field of organisational psychology to assess the reliability and agreement of students’ ratings of their instruction. The application of the proposed indexes is demonstrated by a reanalysis of student ratings of mathematics instruction obtained in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (N = 2,064 students in 100 classes).

Assessing the efficacy of a cognitive behavioural executive coaching programme

Objectives:Cognitive behavioural techniques have been the mainstay of psychological treatment for many psychologists in clinical practice. However, there is little known in relation to the efficacy of cognitive behavioural techniques for performance enhancement within a non-clinical setting, such as those found in organisational environments. The present study examined the effects of a cognitive behavioural based executive coaching intervention for a finance sales executive.Design:A within subject, ABAB single case design was utilised in this study.Methods:The participant was a 30-year-old Australian male, employed as a full-time finance sales executive. Each phase of the single case design had a duration of three weeks. Follow-up measures were taken at six months (week 36) and at 18 months (week 88) after the conclusion of the intervention.Results:It was shown that a cognitive behavioural executive coaching programme enhanced a 30-year-old Australian male finance executive’s sales performance, core self-evaluation, and global self-ratings of performance following his participation in an executive coaching intervention.Conclusions:The present study suggests that executive coaches should consider incorporating cognitive behavioural techniques into their coaching programmes. Further research into executive coaching models, approaches and outcomes, is needed, particularly by academics within the field of organisational psychology.

De gedroomde verbondenheid van wetenschap en praktijk in de organisatiepsychologie

Dreaming of linking theory and practice in organizational psychology Dreaming of linking theory and practice in organizational psychology Ben J.M. Emans, Gedrag & Organisatie, Volume 17, October 2004, nr. 5, pp. 310-326 The relationship between the worlds of scholars and practitioners in the field of organizational psychology is affected by the different objectives that both worlds state for theory construction. This paper argues that these differences – which involve issues addressed, concepts used, statements and underlying assumptions – may be large, but at the same time in no sense fundamental. Two research approaches for bridging the resulting gap between research theory and practice are discussed. The first approach is based on the postmodern/constructionist formula, the second on the formula of elicitation of the practitioners' tacit knowledge. The first approach is assessed as being helpful only to a limited extent as it tends to impede generalizing, whereas the second is found to constitute a fruitful approach as an addition to more traditional research approaches.

Organisationspsykologi i et netværksperspektiv—hvorfor psykologiske forklaringer ofte kommer til kort

Buhl, L. (2003). Organizational psychology in a network perspective. Nordisk Psykologi, 55, 3–22. The central question addressed by this article is that of how to understand organizations. Following modernism and postmodernism it is argued that we find ourselves caught up in an irresolvable theoretical as well as practical dilemma due to a common ontological distinction. By introducing Actor Network Theory as a methodology, it is suggested that a wider concept of agency should be introduced to the field of organizational psychology. Through the use of a case, this article discusses how the concepts of networks and human and nonhuman actors bring about a more comprehensive understanding of organizational problems and new possibilities for bringing about change. Finally the consequences for our understanding of what organizational psychology is about are considered.

Evaluating Effects of Culture and Language on Safety

During the fourth quarter of 1997, Phillips China Inc. (PCI) conducted a safety perception survey on three offshore facilities it operates in the South China Sea. The survey evaluated the work force and its perceived environment, health, and safety (EHS) performance, with emphasis on the influence of the different cultures and languages. Opportunities for improvement were identified, and an action plan was developed and implemented.

Improving organisational effectiveness through organisational analysis

Organisational analysis is an overlooked area within the field of organisational psychology. While the roots of organisational analysis date back at least to the Hawthorne studies, and even to the early management theorists such as Taylor, Weber, and Fayol, the first conceptual framework for conducting such an analysis was only provided by Wilfred Brown in 1965. For some reason which is probably now lost in the sands of time, no organisational analyses along the lines advocated by Brown were ever reported in the literature. This is a pity, since the method adds immeasurably to the understanding of organisations and the way they function. Thus, the aims of the present study are twofold. The first is to revise the original conceptual framework in the light of subsequent insights into organisational behaviour. The second is to conduct a case study of a particular company in which this methodology is employed to describe and analyse how the company functions at different levels of analysis. The importance of this study is that it provides a way of making recommendations for change which are a natural outcome of this specific method of analysis. Further research may examine the relevance of this method not only diagnostically for improving organisational functioning, as has been done in this example, but also for increasing the effectiveness of organisational planning and strategic management.

The Feminine in the Foundations of Organizational Psychology

This article examines how early work in the field of organizational psychology manifested the archetypal feminine, despite the lack of a feminist consciousness among notable theorists. It begins with an explanation of Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and the role of archetypes in the human psyche and then presents a hypothesis about how individual, social, and archetypal forces might have contributed to the expression of the feminine in the works of Eric Trist and William F. Whyte, who are chosen as exemplars of this phenomenon. The article concludes with a discussion of the legacy of their work-in particular, the field's amnesia about its roots and the use of the archetypal feminine in understanding gender roles.

Context-orienterad ansats i organisationspsykologisk forskning

Westlander, G.: Context-oriented approaches in the field of organisational psychology: A methodological discussion. Nordisk Psykologi, 1987, 39 (2), 104–114. Research in the field of work and organisational psychology has traditionally used rather strict «variable-based» approaches. However, the need for a more contextually sensitive methodology is becoming increasingly clear. The article presents some important problems relating to studies projected from a context-oriented perspective. One main problem is the assessment of the context itself. Two contrasting methods must be faced, the formal and the empatic, and are discussed in the first part of the article. Criteria of qualitative and quantitative analyses also play an important role in the choice between formal and empatic methods. Particular attention is given to evaluating the case study approach, its unique problems of design and its contribution to the knowledge of human conditions in society.

Politics in Organisations: Re‐examining OD

Analysing organisations in terms of political behaviour is nothing new in the field of organisational psychology. Such well known behavioural scientists as French, Burns and March indicated more than 20 years ago that the political aspects of life in organisations require substantial exploration. It is only recently that the challenge has been accepted but, as shown in this monograph, it has had little impact in the areas of management and organisation development.

Four Faces of Organization

Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 1964, Vol 9(9), 362-363. Reviews the book, The Social Science of Organizations: Four Perspectives by Henry A. Latane, David Mechanic, George Strauss, George B. Strother, and Harold J. Leavitt (Ed.) (1963). In this book, the papers are drawn from a conference held at Carnegie Tech, the purpose of which was to stimulate interdisciplinary approaches to the study of organizations. One of the papers deals with the problem of how to define central concepts, how to classify organizations, and what kinds of techniques to use in their study. Another paper discusses the problems and costs of power equalization, and attempts to analyze all the variables such as participation, delegation, locus of decision making, etc. He attempts to point out the problems and costs of power equalization, and attempts to analyze all the variables such as participation, delegation, locus of decision making, etc. This volume raises important issues and defines some of the key problems in studying organizations. The book could have been strengthened if the editor had exercised his editorial prerogatives to write a chapter on other current perspectives that are not well covered. This lack of completeness hardly detracts, however, from a very useful and, incidentally, short and inexpensive volume on the growing field of organizational psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)