CHAPTER 1

Introduction:
Definitions and History
 Contents

1. Introduction to Organizational
Psychology

2. History of Organizational
Psychology

3. Organizational Psychology Today

and in the Future (Trends)
What is Industrial/
Organizational Psychology?
 Psychology is the study of behavior and
mental processes.
 Industrial/organizational (I/O)
psychology is the specialty area within
psychology that is concerned with:
 The study of behavior in work settings.
 The application of psychology principles
to change work behavior.
 The Two Sides of I-O
Psychology
 First, there is the psychological side, which
involves looking at how to best match individuals
to specific job roles. This segment of I-O
psychology is also sometimes referred to as
personnel psychology.
 The other side of psychology is related to
organization
 Six Key Areas of I-O
Psychology
 Training and development
 Employee selection
 Ergonomics
 Performance management
 Work life
 Organizational development
 Lets think

1. If you were running a race and you

passed the person in 2nd place, what
place would you be in now? Second……
2. Which month has 28 days? All………..
3. How many time can you subtract 10
from 100? Once…..
4. When was it that Christmas and New
Year were celebrated in the same
year? Every Year…… 6
 The Science and Practice of
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
I/O psychology has two objectives:
1. To conduct research in an effort
to increase our knowledge and
understanding of human work behavior.
2. To apply that knowledge to improve work
behavior, the work environment, and the
psychological conditions of the worker.
The Roots and Early History of
Industrial/Organizational Psychology

 Around the turn of the 20th century, Frederick

Taylor, an engineer, believed that scientific
principles could be applied to the study of work
behavior.
 Scientific management, a movement started by
Taylor, was a method of using scientific
principles to improve the efficiency and
productivity of jobs.
The Roots and Early History of
Industrial/Organizational Psychology

 Taylor developed time-and-

motion studies  procedures in
which work tasks are broken down
 Simple component movements
timed
 Designed to develop a more
efficient method for performing the
tasks.
The Roots and Early History of
Industrial/Organizational
Psychology
 During World War I, Robert
worked with the U.S. Army
to develop intelligence tests
for army recruits.
 The Army Alpha and Beta
tests represented the first
mass testing efforts.
The Great Depression Years
and World War II

 Because of the economic depression

during the 1930s, fewer opportunities
existed for industrial psychologists.

 However, a group of Harvard

psychologists conducted studies
at the Western Electric Company
in Hawthorne, Illinois.
The Great Depression Years
and World War II

 Elton Mayo and his colleagues examined

the effects of the physical environment on
worker productivity.

 In one particular study, they examined the

effect of lighting on worker productivity.

 Results of the study found that

productivity increased regardless of level
of lighting.
 The Great Depression Years
and World War II

 The Hawthorne effect refers to changes in

behavior occurring

 Because participants know that they are

being observed

 Because of role expectations as research

participants
The Great Depression Years
and World War II

 The human relations movement was a

movement based on the studies of Elton
Mayo
 Emphasizes the importance of social
factors in influencing work performance.
 “Worker morale”
 Industrial/Organizational
Psychology Today and in the
Future
Four Trends
 First trend: The changing nature of work
• Organizational downsizing refers to the strategy
of reducing an organization’s workforce to
improve organizational efficiency and/or
competitiveness.

 Second trend: Expanding focus on human

resources
• Competition for highly-skilled workers
• Growing number of low-skilled workers in the
service industry
 Industrial/Organizational
Psychology Today and in the
Future
 Third trend: Increasing diversity in the
workforce
• Workforce is becoming more diverse
• Women make up two thirds of all entering
workers in the labor market.
• Ethnic minority group members make up
one third of all entering workers.
 TY IF THE WORLD WERE A VILLAGE OF
RSI

100 PEOPLE…
VE
DI

If we could reduce the world's

population to a village of precisely 100
people, with all existing human ratios
remaining the same, the demographics
would look something like …….
2-18
2-19
 Industrial/Organizational
Psychology Today and in the
Future
 Fourth trend: Increasing relevance of I/O
psychology in policy and practice.
There are number of workplace and social
issues and questions that should be addressed by I/O
psychology in the future like:-
Selecting Leaders, who are ethical
Offering fruitful diversity
Optimum Performance from Employees
Positive Change and Innovation
 SOME OF THE FUTURE
TY
SI
TRENDS …
R
VE
DI

& I. Gen

2-21
 Lets think

1. Among the alphabet letters, which

makes honey? B…….

2. Why is it against the law for a person

living in New York to be buried in
California? He is alive

3. You can’t call my name without

breaking me? What am I? Silence 22
23 23