Industrial Psychology Research Articles

Systematic literature review on the theory of Social Embeddedness of Thriving at Work

Orientation: Industrial and organisational psychology has increasingly focussed on Thriving at Work (TAW), particularly shaped by the Social Embeddedness of Thriving at Work (SEMTW) model, which examines how employees’ social interactions within the workplace enhance their growth and performance.Research purpose: This study explores the latest literature on the SEMTW model, highlighting its significance in enhancing employee well-being and organisational performance, while identifying research trends and proposing future directions.Motivation for the study: The findings guide future research to refine the SEMTW model and address emerging challenges in the modern work environment.Research approach/design and method: A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using the PRISMA model to ensure a rigorous process. Data were sourced from Harzing’s Publish or Perish via Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Out of 338 articles, 14 met the inclusion criteria after screening.Main findings: Leadership styles, individual traits, and organisational practices have advanced SEMTW understanding. The study highlights the growing complexity of thriving in workplaces influenced by digital transformation and globalisation.Practical/managerial implications: Findings contribute to industrial and organisational research on TAW, offering actionable recommendations for fostering thriving workforces through the SEMTW model.Contribution/value-add: This research uniquely advances the SEMTW model by integrating modern workplace dynamics, such as digitalisation and hybrid work environments, offering insights for theoretical and organisational applications.

Through restful waters and deep commotion: A study on burnout and health impairment of Italian seafarers from the JD-R model perspective.

The work experience of seafarers differs significantly from other land-based occupations due to several factors, particularly remoteness and the restricted work environment. This study seeks to examine the impact of burnout and health impairment in the maritime industry, using the Job Demand-Resources theory as a framework. To investigate these phenomena, an online questionnaire was sent to 239 Italian seafarers (94.6% men, Mage = 39.44, SD = 12.8). We tested a mediated Structural Equation Model (SEM) aimed at predicting negative health outcomes. The results show that burnout plays a mediating role between job demands (such as workload and cognitive strain) and resources (such as social support and transformational leadership), influencing variables related to health impairment (such as sleep quality and physical well-being). Furthermore, the findings highlight the direct influence of occupational resources on seafarers' health. The discussion highlights the urgent need for more research in the field of organisational psychology in the maritime industry and the discrepancies between these findings, which are consistent with the existing maritime literature, and other studies that do not include seafarers in their sample groups.

An Aberrant Abundance of Cronbach’s Alpha Values at .70

Cronbach’s α is the most widely reported metric of the reliability of psychological measures. Decisions about an observed α’s adequacy are often made using rule-of-thumb thresholds, such as α of at least .70. Such thresholds can put pressure on researchers to make their measures meet these criteria, similar to the pressure to meet the significance threshold with p values. We examined whether α values reported in the psychology literature are inflated at the rule-of-thumb thresholds (αs = .70, .80, .90) because of, for example, overfitting to in-sample data (α-hacking) or publication bias. We extracted reported α values from three very large data sets covering the general psychology literature (> 30,000 α values taken from > 74,000 published articles in American Psychological Association [APA] journals), the industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology literature (> 89,000 α values taken from > 14,000 published articles in I/O journals), and the APA’s PsycTests database, which aims to cover all psychological measures published since 1894 (> 67,000 α values taken from > 60,000 measures). The distributions of these values show robust evidence of excesses at the α = .70 rule-of-thumb threshold that cannot be explained by justifiable measurement practices. We discuss the scope, causes, and consequences of α-hacking and how increased transparency, preregistration of measurement strategy, and standardized protocols could mitigate this problem.

The Impact of Pay and Job Security on Employee Performance: Examining the Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction for Millennials and Generation Z Employees

This study aims to investigate the relationship between key factors influencing employee satisfaction and employee performance for Millennials and Generation Z Employees. The independent variables considered are pay and job security, with job satisfaction regarded as the mediating variable affecting employee performance as the dependent variable. Through careful analysis of empirical data from Millennials and Generation Z Employees, this research explores patterns of relationships among these variables and provides a deeper understanding of their interaction dynamics. The findings of this study are expected to provide valuable insights for human resource management in developing effective strategies to enhance employee satisfaction and overall company performance. Practical implications of the research findings include the development of fair compensation policies, more effective employee development programs, and the creation of a supportive work environment that promotes individual well-being and growth. This research can contribute to the academic literature on human resource management and industrial psychology by enriching our understanding of organizational internal dynamics and providing useful guidance for practitioners to improve their human resource management practices and achieve organizational strategic goals.

Employability within South African businesses in the 4IR era: The impacts of abilities, self-efficacy, and work-integrated learning effectiveness

The South African education sector and businesses are concerned about whether higher education institutions could meet the demands and expectations of the labor market in the context of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Hence, it becomes essential to examine the perceived employability of work-integrated learning graduates within businesses in the context of the 4IR. This study seeks to examine employees’ perceptions of the influence of graduates’ abilities, self-efficacy, and effectiveness of work-integrated learning on their employability in the context of 4IR. The sample was obtained from employees from four South African firms (Syntech Ltd, Centrevo Ltd, Outsurance Ltd, and First National Bank Plc) in the information technology, sales, insurance, and banking industries. This study used a cross-sectional questionnaire. Of the 200 surveys randomly floated, 196 were fitting for scrutiny, cleaning, and analysis. Consequently, this study found that South African employees perceive graduates’ employability as being significantly and positively influenced by their abilities (β = .802, p < .001), self-efficacy (β = .815, p < .001), and work-integrated learning (β = .864, p < .001). In the third-step model, these three factors substantially impacted graduates’ employability more than other likely combination matrices. Therefore, 97% of South African graduates are perceived employable in the fourth industrial revolution era due to their abilities, self-efficacy, and participation in work-integrated learning. This investigation concludes that in the 4IR, the employability of South African graduates is mainly impacted by their self-efficacy, abilities, and the effectiveness of work-integrated learning. AcknowledgmentsWe thank the Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management at the University of Johannesburg’s College of Business and Economics for funding this study and its publication.

“A retreat to safety”: Why COVID-19 make firms more risk-averse?

While existing research has explored the impact of COVID-19 on corporate financial performance and managerial behavior, its specific effect on corporate risk-taking (CRT) remains largely unexplored. This study investigates how the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 affected CRT in Chinese listed firms. Employing a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model with 52,792 firm-quarter observations from 3702 Chinese A-listed shares between 2018Q1 and 2021Q4, we find that firms exhibit a retreat to safety, increasing cash holdings by an average of 2.74 % in response to the pandemic. This heightened risk aversion is mediated by a decline in managerial overconfidence, suggesting that the uncertainty of COVID-19 dampened managers' expectations of future returns. This relationship is particularly pronounced in state-owned firms, larger firms, and those operating in highly competitive markets. These findings offer valuable insights into the interplay of external shocks, managerial psychology, and corporate strategic responses, highlighting the importance of incorporating behavioral factors into crisis management strategies.

More than words: the role of personality in shaping the timeliness of online reviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential influence of the big five personality traits − extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, openness and conscientiousness − on the time taken by travelers to submit online reviews after their hotel stay. Design/methodology/approach The study analyzed 83,235 TripAdvisor reviews from 415 hotels in six major US tourism cities using random forest algorithms and Poisson regression. The research investigated the influence of the big five personality traits on the time taken by travelers to submit online reviews post-hotel stay, merging personality psychology with consumer behavior research through a combination of machine learning and statistical analysis. Findings The findings reveal significant correlations between certain personality traits and the time taken to post online hotel reviews. Extraversion, neuroticism and agreeableness were found to be negatively correlated with response time, suggesting that individuals scoring higher in these traits tend to submit their reviews more quickly. Conversely, openness exhibited a positive correlation, indicating that those with higher levels of openness tend to delay their feedback. Conscientiousness showed no significant correlation with response time. Originality/value This study represents a novel approach to understanding the relationship between personality traits and online review behavior in the hospitality industry. By leveraging advanced machine learning techniques, such as random forest algorithms, alongside traditional statistical methods like Poisson regression, this research offers a unique perspective on the influence of personality on consumer behavior. The innovative application of these technologies to a large data set of TripAdvisor reviews provides fresh insights that can inform the development of personalized customer engagement strategies. The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on the intersection of personality psychology, consumer behavior and hospitality management in the digital age.

Artificial intelligence in the workplace – challenges, opportunities and HRM framework: a critical review and research agenda for change

PurposeThis paper specifically aims to examine how (via which activities, methods and capabilities) organizations’ management deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to address underperformance. Five mitigation strategies/recommendations are introduced to manage the challenges and facilitate greater efficacies in changing organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper conceptually synthesizes 47 articles, thematically reports and critically analyzes the AI–HRM–managerial decision-making relationship in changing organizations and discusses the impacts.FindingsThe results highlight three significant challenges and opportunities for changing organizations: (1) job performance challenges, (2) organizational performance challenges and HR and (3) collaborative intelligence opportunities.Originality/valueThe paper’s originality lies in addressing the current lack of a theoretical framework guiding HRM and AI experts on the managerial and strategic capabilities needed to address underperformance and their impacts in facilitating collective efficacies in human–AI collaboration in changing organizations. By further capturing an innovative HR Framework’s (1) human, (2) AI, (3) employees’ well-being, (4) jobs and (5) organizational performance, and its five key managerial recommendations/strategies, this paper develops two concepts: “technological servitization” and “re-ontological in-securitization” to advance theory in Managerial Psychology regarding the unintended/paradoxical consequences of managements’ AI-driven organizational performance interventions, including meaninglessness in organizations.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Pattern Identification and Treatment

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a societal norm that generates discomfort, especially among women. This study aims to detect and address patterns of sexual harassment in the workplace from an industrial and organizational psychology perspective. They are analyzing data using a literature review research strategy. The identification results revealed that five identifiable aspects of sexual harassment occurred. The specified process begins with the leader’s roles and then progresses to constructing other cultures, the victim’s emotional labor, and decreasing their performance. Based on this, we argue that sexual harassment can be avoided by enhancing the organization’s and its leaders’ tasks, as well as establishing a neutral institute to take care of workplace sexual harassment accusations. Keywords: pattern of sexual harassment, sexual harassment at work, sexual harassment treatment, gender equality

Mapping scientific research on employee motivation

This article provides a detailed analysis of publications on employee motivation over the last ten years based on data provided by Scopus. The study examines the distribution of publications by author, identifying prominent researchers and significant international collaborations. It also explores the main areas of research in employee motivation, analyzing dominant fields such as organizational psychology and human resource management. At the same time, the article assesses the contribution of different countries and highlights the most prolific regions. Particular attention is paid to funding sources, highlighting significant sponsors such as government institutions and international research agencies. The results show a trend towards increased institutional funding and greater collaboration between researchers. This analysis provides an overview of developments and trends in employee motivation research, offering valuable insights for future work.

Impact of first impressions on female consumer behavior and adapting sales psychology in the automotive industry in semi-urban Vijayawada, India

Owing to the immense population of India (approximately 1,428,627,663) and the high drive towards advancing transportation, India has become a hot spot for the automobile industry to prove itself and witness extreme growth. This growth is fueled by the high profitability of customers, distributors, and consumers in their target market, attracting globally successful brands like Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota (Das, 2021). In the United States, women buy 62% of all new cars sold and influence more than 85% of all car purchases. Interestingly, in India, a report by Spinny indicates that 80% of passenger-car buying decisions are taken by women in the family. Additionally, 46% of second-hand car buyers are women (Mukherjee, 2016). As the sales industry and psychology collaborate to boost profitability, this paper is a study highlighting the current female consumer behavior in India and the techniques used to adapt sales psychology to increase profitability in the female consumer market.

Exploring worker subjectivity: shaping industrial and organizational psychology in post-apartheid South Africa

This article critically evaluates the role of industrial–organizational psychology in post-apartheid South Africa, advocating for a transformative framework that addresses the socio-political and historical inequalities in the workplace. The article highlights how industrial–organizational psychology has traditionally focused on organizational efficiency, often aligned with capitalist interests, while overlooking the socio-historical forces shaping worker experiences, particularly related to race, gender, and class. By introducing the concept of worker subjectivity, the article calls for a reimagined industrial–organizational psychology that integrates critical perspectives from psychology and management studies to better understand how workers navigate their identities and agency within broader socio-political structures. The author emphasizes the need to address the emotional and psychological dimensions of worker experiences, especially in the South African context marked by the legacies of colonialism and apartheid. By focusing on worker subjectivity, industrial–organizational psychology can move beyond traditional quantitative methods and engage with the complexities of workplace inequality. This approach aligns industrial–organizational psychology with the broader mission of the Psychological Society of South Africa to promote socially just and inclusive practices. The article also calls for interdisciplinary collaboration and the reformation of industrial–organizational psychology education to better equip practitioners with the tools needed to address the realities of post-apartheid workplaces.

The relative effects of diversity on collective learning in local collaborative networks in Belgium

Collaborative networks are horizontal settings of public governance that enhance interactions between a diversity of actors (for example, civil servants, companies or citizens). They can help cross-cutting public policies (for example, climate policies) to gain coherence and become more innovative. To do so, collective learning, defined as the broadened and mutual understanding of public issues arising out of repeated social interactions, is critical but not spontaneous. In particular, the diversity of participants creates learning opportunities that do not necessarily transform into concrete learning. So, how does diversity lead to collective learning in collaborative networks? To address this research question, this article researched two collaborative networks within the city administration of Schaerbeek (Belgium). Based on semistructured interviews, mental models were used to assess collective learning, and social network analysis was performed to understand the structure of interactions between diverse members. The findings show that the influence of diversity on collective learning was contingent on the collaborative network, but fostered by social interactions, with noticeable links between formal and informal interactions. From these findings, the article makes three scholarly contributions. First, it deepens our understanding of collective learning, with a focus on the development of shared understandings as a condition of consensus formation. Second, it builds on psychology and resource management research to assess collective learning through mental models, and provides a new approach to the measurement of policy learning. Third, it contributes to the debate on the implications of different inclusion levels and conditions for the results of collaborative governance and their transformation in policy innovations.

Trauma Exposure across the News Cycle and the Case for Biotypes of PTSD in War Journalists

This study examines the pervasive nature of trauma exposure in journalism and its impact across all stages of the news reporting cycle. Drawing from a comprehensive literature review, we highlight the significant gap in research on the neuroscience of journalism and journalist PTSD, despite the high prevalence of PTSD among war correspondents and photojournalists. We present a conceptual framework illustrating how primary and secondary trauma exposures occur during news gathering, reporting, and consumption phases. The study also reviews empirical findings on PTSD's effects on brain structure and function, identifying symptom subclusters and their associated brain regions. This knowledge informs the development of biotypes for more personalized and effective treatment strategies for journalists with PTSD while also emphasizing an urgent need for comprehensive support systems for journalists. This interdisciplinary approach uniting research in journalism, neuroscience, psychology, and organizational management, also advances the understanding of trauma in journalism and its broader implications for news consumption and societal trust in media institutions. Interventions that can support journalists’ mental well-being can also enhance the quality of news reporting and contribute to a more resilient and informed society.

Productivity, the humanization of work, and the future of labor: insights from industrial psychology in late socialist Yugoslavia and Romania

ABSTRACT Industrial psychology in socialist Yugoslavia and Romania is a relevant source for both labor history and the history of science/intellectual history. In this paper, we lay down the intellectual and institutional foundations of the discipline in the two contexts, including the envisaged roles for industrial psychologists working in factories and plans for expanding the profession. We argue that industrial psychologists defined the pursuit of labor productivity on the shopfloor as not just a matter of economic calculation, but also as a matter of workers’ self-realization. Their perspective on workers went beyond the measurement of their abilities and skills, taking into consideration personality features as well as inter-personal relations. In research conducted to support creativity and battle monotony at work, industrial psychologists also broadened the understanding of labor efficiency to encompass the pursuit of workers’ satisfaction. We show that research in industrial psychology was part of a broader drive to theorize work and the future of labor under socialism. Discussions of issues such as the scientific-technological revolution, the second industrial revolution, AI, cybernetization, automation, and narcomania, which we analyze in the final part of the paper, represent a rich source of Marxist intellectual reflection on the topic of labor in late socialist Eastern Europe.

Motivation Theories Affecting Organizational Commitment in the Workplace

In today's working life, as competition is increasing, ensuring the loyalty of employees to the organization is important for organizations to survive. In the literature, it is considered important to determine employees' attitudes toward work through motivation theories in order to ensure commitment to the organization. The sustainability of business organizations is shaped by the level of commitment of the organization's employees, and the goal of organizations is to ensure that their employees do not leave the organization, which draws attention to the importance of motivation theories for organizations. The subject of the study was to explain the evaluation of organizational commitment of organizational employees by providing support from motivation theories. The purpose of the study is to compile the attitudes of employees toward their work environment, motivation theories that affect the organizational commitment of individuals, and studies in the literature in the field of industrial and organizational psychology. The method of the research is based on the studies on organizational commitment and motivation theories in Turkey and the world between 1948 and 2023 in YÖK National Thesis Center, Google Scholar, ProQuest, ResearchGate databases such as "organization", "organizational commitment", "motivation", "motivation theories", "industrial and organizational psychology". It was reached by searching with the keywords. As a result of the search, the universe consisted of 75 articles, books, and master's and doctoral theses. 68 articles, books and dissertation materials were selected as the sample of the research. The importance of the study was explained by including the concept of organizational commitment, factors affecting organizational commitment and behavioral outcomes, motivation theories, employees' values regarding work life, factors affecting their organizational commitment, studies in the literature were evaluated and discussed within the framework of industrial and organizational psychology.

The Role of Mega-events In Promoting Sustainable Behaviour: A Multi-group Analysis Using Micom

ABSTRACT This study investigates the influence of participation in mega events, like Dubai Expo 2020, on factors related to environmentally responsible behavior. Data from 361 UAE respondents were collected, examining environmental concern, social and personal norms, ethical obligations, and perceived behavioral control. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling and Multi-Group Analysis tested the hypotheses. The results showed that environmental concern, ethical ideologies, and perceived behavioral control had stronger impacts on the intention for responsible behavior in event attendees than in non-attendees. Attendees also demonstrated a stronger positive impact on sustainable consumer behavior. These findings offer valuable insights into environmental psychology, sustainability, consumer behavior, and event management, and can inform strategies for promoting sustainable behavior in industries such as travel, tourism, and hospitality.

Industrial and organisational psychology internship completion: Enabling and thwarting factors

Industrial and organisational psychology internship completion: Enabling and thwarting factors

How to Review a Manuscript? A Developmental Panel Sponsored by Journal of Managerial Psychology

How to Review a Manuscript? A Developmental Panel Sponsored by Journal of Managerial Psychology

Implementing a Halo Gravity Traction Program: A Multidisciplinary Endeavor.

Halo gravity traction (HGT) is a preoperative modality for children with severe spinal deformity used to optimize spine flexibility and balance while decreasing the likelihood of neurologic injury. HGT is a dependable solution for these challenging spinal deformities. Aligning treatment guidelines and providing resources, education, and training for staff are key components for a successful HGT program. The HGT program at Children's Mercy Hospital was then developed with a systems approach with the holistic goal of multidisciplinary collaboration with physical/occupational therapy, hospital medicine, pulmonology, psychology, nutrition, child life, and complex care management. Education, research, and national collaboration to standardize this therapy should improve patient safety and support quality improvement.