Industrial Psychology

214
Chapter 1
 Psychometrics
Why are human beings THE DOING OF RESEARCH ON HUMAN
BEHAVIOUR SO THAT WE CAN DEVELOP

different from other ACCURATE (PSYCHOLOGICAL)

MEASUREMENTS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

species
Humans have the ability to consciously
experience and question their reality

Are able to reason, problem-solve (Fluid

intelligence) and influence their reality
and context

Ask the Why? Questions

We are not instinctively programmed for

survival, but do so through our problem
solving and reasoning ability
Industrial psychology
•ATTEMPTSTO EXPLAIN THE BEHAVIOUR OF
WORKING MAN.

•ATTEMPTS TO CONSTRUCT
PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR THE
BEHAVIOUR OF WORKING MAN THROUGH
SCIENTIFIC STUDY.

IMPROVES EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE =

FEASIBLE AND COST SAVING
Objective of Industrial
psychology
•to construct valid psychological explanations for the
behaviour of working individuals

•to improve performance

•via industrial psychological/human resource management

actions

•in a manner that adds value to the organization.

HRM Actions 2 Broad categories of HRM interventions ( Milkovich and
Boundreau )
Interventions aimed at the flow of employees in, through and out
Why and how do we add value to organisation of the organization

3 Types of HRM Actions: Interventions aimed at the quality/nature of employees in their

current positions.
1. Diagnosis
2. Advice
3. Interventions

Needs to be aligned with the HRM strategy as well as the business

strategy of the organisation

•HRM actions (diagnosis, advice and interventions) have a dual

impact on:
The financial position of the organization, and
The lives of people.
Criteria for
evaluating HRM
Actions
1. EFFICIENCY
2. EQUITY/FAIRNESS
3 Stakeholders
(Parties involved) in
HRM Actions
MANAGEMENT AS REPRESENTATIVES OF
THE OWNERS/EQUITY HOLDERS OF THE
ORGANIZATION

ORGANIZED LABOUR AS
REPRESENTATIVES OF EMPLOYEES

THE STATE.
The behaviour of the
working man explained
BEHAVIOUR = AN EXPRESSION OF A COMPLEX NOMOLOGICAL
NETWORK

Nomological network = Network with different latent variables (Variable

that cannot be observed) that intersect with one another

2 Types of constructs/ Latent variables

1. Person centered
2. Situational
These variables refer to characteristics
 Why is the Behaviour of the working
man (Nomological network)
so Complex?
How is this behaviour
explained? The behaviour of working man is a function of an extremely
large number situational and person-centred
1. Identifying these constructs/Latent constructs/latent variables.
variables
2. Describing the manner in which these These variables do not only directly affect behaviour but also
variables combine to determine the indirectly and in simple and higher-order interactions with
behaviour (How they work with each other
eachother)
The nature of the [direct] relationships is not necessarily
linear

The values of these constructs/latent variables differ across

individuals and situations.
Behaviour thus can be explained in terms of it and then
also can be influenced in terms of it.
A structural model
The behaviour of a employee is the result of a complex
relationship between variables.

The structural model- Try to explain how the different

variables interact with each other.

(KSI) - Exogenous latent variable

Symbol: Ei
Independent variable
Any variable that only exerts a causal effect on other latent
variables in the model but is itself not causally affected by
any latent variable in the model.

(ETA) - Endogenous latent variable

Symbol: Ni
Dependent variable: Relies on KSI to happen before it can
happen
If Ei then Ni
Any variable that is causally affected by one or more latent
variables in the model.
The Arrow indicated the casual
effect of KSI on ETA