Branch of Psychology that applies the principles of psychology in the workplace
I/O Psychology
- Enhance the dignity and performance of human beings and the organizations they work in
- Adapts the scientist-practitioner model
Goals of I/O Psychology
Walter Dill Scott (Wrote books about advertising and business management; Became president of APA)
Hugo Munsterberg (Early advocate of using psych tests to measure competencies)
Pioneers in Personnel Selection
Frederick Taylor (Father of Scientific Management)
Frank and Lilibeth Gilbreth (One of the pioneers of IO Psychology; Implemented scientific management principles by breaking down job components into steps)
Scientific Management and Organizational Psychology (1800s-1900s)
US Army Recruits (1917-1918)
1917 - Army Alpha: verbal
1918 - Army Beta: nonverbal
Personal Data Sheet: measure neurotic tendencies, emotional stability
WWI and The Testing Movement
Elton Mayo (Hawthorne Studies)
Abraham Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs)
Frederick Herzberg (Two-Factor Theory)
Douglas McGregor (Theory of Human Nature)
Hawthorne Studies and Human Relations Movement
Military Service
Test, classify, and train recruits in different areas of military service
New competencies are needed to operate
Aircrafts
Tanks
Ships
Engineering Psychology
Understanding how people behave in relation to machines
How we navigate/use machines, including their safety
WWII and Engineering Psychology (1941-1945)
1980s-1990s
Increased use of more complicated statistical techniques and methods of analysis
Application of cognitive psych to industry
Increased interest in work-life balance and well-being
Renewed interest in developing employee selection methods
More sensitive to diversity, gender, aging, workforce, stress, and org. Interventions
2000s
Start of online administration of tests
Online recruitment and screening
Social media for job seekers
E-learning and distance education
Later Developments
Focused on motivation, interpersonal relations, and team dynamics
Studied the effects of PHYSICAL factors affecting productivity but results showed that SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL factors had a more significant impact
Studied lighting conditions - whether it had an effect on workers
Because of these studies, the human relations movement began
Hawthorne Studies
Change in employee behavior because they are being observed or act based on their perceived expectations of others
Hawthorne Effect
Physiological Needs (Air, water, food, shelter, etc.)
Safety Needs (Personal security, employment, etc.)
Love and Belonging (Friendship, family, etc.)
Esteem (Respect, self-esteem, status, etc.)
Self-Actualization (Desire to become the most one can be)
Hierarchy of Needs
Managers should take a positive view of people and help them realize their potential
Theory X - people are lazy, don't have initiative, and should be told what to do all the time
Theory Y - people are inherently motivated, easily satisfied, self-directed
Theory of Human Nature
Cornerstone of HR activities
Systematic process
Collecting and analyzing info about the job such as:
Tasks, duties, responsibilities (TDRs)
Knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs)
Tools or types of equipment used
Produces a job description
Job Analysis
Identify tasks performed
Write task statements
Rate task statements
Determine Essential KSAOs
Select tests to tap KSAOs
Steps in Job Analysis
Gather existing information
Interview SME
Job Incumbents
Supervisors
Customers
Observe job incumbents
Job participation, Questionnaires
STEP 1: Identify Tasks Performed
Teaching
Facilitate and moderate classroom discussions
Creating instructional materials
Evaluating student outputs like case reports, researches
Administrative
Preparing syllabi
Designing course curriculum
Encoding attendance and grades
Research
Publishing psychology-related researches
Up to date with current literature and participating in professional conferences
Guiding/mentoring student researchers or interns
Task Dimensions
Provide info about the knowledge, skills, activities, work abilities, work style, work interests, background education, training requirements of the job etc. (like a database of jobs)
O*Net (occupational information network)
Position analysis questionnaire
Job structure profile
Job elements inventory
Functional job analysis
Questionnaires: General info about work activities
Job components inventory
Questionnaires: Tools and Equipment
Threshold traits analysis
Fleishman job analysis survey
Job adaptability inventory
Personality-related position requirements form
Performance improvements characteristics
Questionnaires: Competencies
Important for task inventory and job description
Task inventory - questionnaire containing a list of tasks that will be rated based on its importance and relative time spent
Job description - summary of the job
Must contain these elements/details:
Action - What is being done
Object - to which is the action is done
Where the job is done
How the job is done
Why the job is done
STEP 2: Write task statements
Or conduct a task analysis
Process of rating each task statement based on the frequency and the criticality of the task being performed
STEP 3: Rate Task Statements
Will also be rated to the extent to which each of these KSAOs is essential in performing the job
KSAOs = Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics
Rate importance of KSAOs (competences) in connection with the task
2.5 or higher will be part of the employee selection process
1.5 to 2.49 will be taught during training
.5 to 1.49 will be learned on the job
STEP 4: Determine Essential KSAOs
Determine the best methods to measure KSAOs needed at the time of hire
STEP 5: Select Tests to Tap KSAOs
Relatively short summary of a job
Ideally, should be about 2-5 pages in length (NO SPECIFIC RULE)
Job Description
Job title
Brief summary
Work activities
Tools & equipment used
Work context
Performance standards
Compensation information
Job competencies
Details in a Job Description
How often should a job description be updated?
Consider the occurrence of job crafting
Process in which employees unofficially change their job duties to better fit their interests and skills
Example: psych prof might seeks our or take on additional responsibilities like participating in community developing activity, outreach activity to better feel a sense of purpose or increase job satisfaction levels
Job Crafting
Guides important HR and organization decisions in terms of:
Employee Selection
Training and Development
Performance Appraisal
Promotion/Transfer Decisions
Importance of Job Analyses
Concept of promoting employees to their highest level of incompetence because there are some companies/organizations that reward good job performance with promotions.
While there's nothing wrong about promoting employees because they have a good job performance, sometimes employees are promoted to a higher position but does not meet the required competencies
Peter Principle
Process of determining the worth of the job
How much is the job worth
How much you’ll be paid if you’re holding the job position
Different from performance evaluation
Job Evaluation
1. Determining compensable factors
2. Determining the levels for each compensable factor
3. Determining the factor weights
Steps of Internal Pay Equity
Identifying internal pay equity - comparing jobs within the organization = paid accordingly
Internal Pay Equity
Value/trait used to determine how much to pay an employee
Example: Psychology Professor
Educational attainment
Teaching Experience
Research and publications
Awards, recognitions, and presentations
Trainings and seminars attended
Determining compensable factors
Factors that we can think of that should be considered when be compute for the compensation or salary we are going to give an employee
Compensable factors - additional stuff like seminars, course, experience
Determining the levels for each compensable factor
More than 3 levels through training, seminars
Magnitude of the compensable factors on the compensation
For professors educational attainment is highest
Determining the factor weights
Comparing jobs to the external market (other organizations)
Use a salary survey
Questionnaire that measures how much organizations pays their employee
Determine the average salaries; specific salary for job position
For competitive advantage for the market employees
E.g. entry level, senior level salary etc.
Company size = how many employees are currently in the company
There is concept of provincial pay (lower pay)
Direct Compensation
Amount of money paid to an employee (monetary payment)
Indirect compensation
Non-monetary payment
Benefits, reimbursement
Insurance (HMOs) – may include dependents
External Pay Equity
1903 - BOOK: The Theory of Advertising
Advertising → behavior/attitudes
1907 - BOOK: The Theory and Practice of Advertising
Introduced concepts of consumer psychology
1911 - BOOK: Increasing Human Efficiency in Business
Psychology to Business and Management
Human factors → Efficiency and productivity
1919 - First consulting company in industrial psychology
Also became the president of APA
Walter Dill Scott
Early advocate of using psych tests to measure applicants’ competencies
Research activities in real-world work situations to improve job productivity
1913: BOOK: Psychology and Industrial Efficiency
Application of psychology principles to industry and management
Hugo Munsterberg
Father of Scientific Management
Use of time and motion studies to identify the best way to perform a task and increase productivity
Highs: Greater efficiency and productivity in the manufacturing industry
Critiques: Too mechanistic and dehumanizing
Frederick Taylor
Implemented scientific management principles by breaking down job components into steps in order to create the most efficient work procedures that would reduce fatigue and increase efficiency.
One of the pioneers of IO psychology
Frank and Lilibeth Gilbreth
1917 - Army Alpha: verbal
1918 - Army Beta: nonverbal
Personal Data Sheet: measure neurotic tendencies, emotional stability
Intelligence test
Those who were illiterate/ those whose native language isn’t English, they are administered an Army Beta test
US Army Recruits (1917-1918)
Head of Harvard University’s Department of Industrial Research
Conducted/led the Hawthorne studies
1929-1932
Hawthorne, IL
Elton Mayo
1954
Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow
1959
Two Factor Theory
Motivator
Hygiene
Frederick Herzberg
1960
Theory of Human Nature
Managers should take a positive view of people and help them realize their potential
Theory X - people are lazy, don't have initiative, and should be told what to do all the time
Theory Y - people are inherently motivated, easily satisfied, self-directed
Focus on uplifting and empowering employees
Douglas McGregor
Test, classify, and train recruits in different areas of military service
New competencies are needed to operate
Aircrafts
Tanks
Ships
Engineering Psychology
Understanding how people behave in relation to machines
How we navigate/use machines, including their safety
Military Service
focused on ensuring that the morale and well-being of the employees are being considered in the workplace (IO2)
Dignity
technical topics that focus on enhancing the performance
Performance
Declarative form
Knowledge of facts or concepts
Example: knowledgeable in test construction
Procedural form
Knowledge of how to do or perform a task
Example: knowledgeable in the process of test construction
Knowledge
Observable competence
Example : critical thinking, statistical analysis, attention to details
Skills
Underlying, enduring trait
4 general categories:
Cognitive (verbal, quantitative, spacial and memory)
Psychomotor (control movement, reaction time)
Physical abilities (strength, endurance, stamina)
Sensory abilities (visual and auditory abilities)
Abilities
Personality
Willingness
Interest
Motivation
Licenses
Degrees
Years of experience
Other characteristics
describes the basic nature of the job
Job title
short description of the nature and purpose of the job; usually in job advertisements
Brief description
heart of the job description; it entails the tasks, duties, and responsibilities; better if arranging the activities based on the categories (TDRs
Work activities
important during employee selection and training; main basis of the hiring manager/team for their decision making
Tools and equipment used
job context; environment/condition under which tasks are performed; how stressful the job is, the work schedule, physical demands, level of responsibilities etc
Work context
pertains to how the job performance will be evaluates; what are the expected standards expected from the employee
Performance standards
e.g. salary
Compensation information
Includes job specifications
Should be divided into 2 sections
Competencies needed at the time of hiring (selection)
Competencies that can be obtained after hiring (training)
Job competencies
questionnaire containing list of task, arrange by general function
questionnaire containing a list of tasks that will be rated based on its importance and relative time spent
Task inventory
actual incidents of job behavior that makes the difference between successful and unsuccessful job performance – can help job analyst identify expected performance standard
Critical incidents
records of individual job activities; timestamps
Activity logs