THEME 1

INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY:
A BROAD OVERVIEW

Department of Industrial Psychology


Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
 Prescribed literature and other sources

Prescribed reading
•Woods & West (Prescribed textbook) Ch. 1 (3rd edition 2020)

•Bergh, Z. (2021). Introduction to Work Psychology. Oxford University

Press: Goodwood, Cape Town. Chapter 1 (pp.1-43): Introduction to – and
applied fields in – psychology and I-O psychology. [Electronically
available on SUNLearn]
 Theme learning outcomes

• Describe the aims of I-O Psychology and the relevance it holds for
organisations.
• Describe the subfields of I-O Psychology and related practice areas
• Describe and compare the tasks of I-O Psychologists and human-resources
specialists
• Explain issues related to the training, registration and practice of
psychologists in South Africa.
• Discuss the major factors contributing to the emergence of I-O Psychology
• Compare Theory Y and X, and the management implications
• Discuss contemporary challenges facing organisations and the role of I-O
Psychology and HRM
 Nature of Psychology and related disciplines

• INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY is a subfield of PSYCHOLOGY

• PSYCHOLOGY: scientific study of human behaviour and all

mental processes that underpin it.
• explains WHAT, HOW and WHY of human behaviour.
• Done through SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY.
• An APPLIED SCIENCE and PROFESSION (scientist practitioner
model).
• The importance of context (African/ Afrocentric psychology).
• Categories of professional psychologists.
Scope of practice.
Reflect:
Why does psychology interest you?
What is an applied science?
What other fields of psychology can you think about?
 I-O Psychology defined

• The SCIENTIFIC study of

• human behaviour
• in the work-place
• through the use of psychology theory and methodology
• for the purpose of ensuring optimal organisational
performance.

• Discipline name variations:

• Industrial Psychology
• Industrial and Organisational Psychology (I-O Psychology)
• Occupational Psychology
• Work Psychology
• Organisational psychology
 I-O Psychology defined

The importance of I-O Psychology in organisations

• Organisations transform scarce production factors into goods and services
• To be sustainable,
• People play an important part in this (as a production factor, labour and by
acting as entrepreneurs).
• I-O Psychology attempts to influence human behaviour to improve work
performance.

[contextualize through section 1.2.3 (p.9)

1.4.3 (p.25 – 27)
Example: being involved in employee training, motivation and
performance management (p.26).
 Career possibilities

Knowledge of I-O-P is relevant for the following careers:

• Registered Industrial Psychologist working as an internal / external

consultant
• Human Resources Specialist
• General Manager
• Scientist / Researchers

Reflect:
Share your career aspirations?
• Bergh p.29 - 30
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

• Main I-O psychology subfields are normally:

• Organisational Psychology
• Personnel Psychology
• Career/ Counselling Psychology
• Consumer Psychology
• Human factors and Ergonomics
• Employment Relations
• Other auxiliary disciplines that developed out of the subfields:
• Research methodology
• Psychological assessment / psychometrics
• Employee and organisational well-being
• Cross-cultural psychology
• Human resources management (HRM)
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

•Deals with the organisation as a system involving individuals and

groups, and the structure and dynamics of the organisation.
•Aim is to facilitate worker adjustment, satisfaction and productivity,
as well as organisational efficiency.
•Main focus activities
• Leadership and motivation
• Organisational climate, culture and trust
• Organisational change and transformation
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY
•Focuses on the scientific study and application of individual
differences in the work-place

•Main focus activities

• Assessment and appraisal of employees
• Selection, placement and promotion of employees
• Training and development
• Reward systems
• Construction and validation of assessment processes and instruments
etc.

•Personnel I-O psychologists critical in informing key HR practices

 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

CAREER PSYCHOLOGY
•Focus is on issues to do with nature of work, career development, the
nature of employment (and unemployment) and any other career
related issues at work.

•Special interest is on factors influencing individuals in their careers

 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY
•Also referred to as ‘economic’ and ‘market’ psychology

•Concerned with understanding, explaining and predicting the

psychological aspects (& behaviour) of consumers or buyers

•Focus is on the needs, values, beliefs, attitudes, interests and other

personal attributes that facilitate decision-making and motivation in
buyers as they search for, purchase, use and evaluate goods and
services.

•Acquired knowledge is applied in advertising and marketing

strategies – HOW?
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

ERGONOMICS
•Also referred to as ‘engineering and human factors psychology’

•Focus on the optimal fit and interaction between characteristics of

employees (human factors) and work-environment/ (technical, social
and physical)

•Through designing work, equipment and workplace with special

consideration of human factors

•Generally the field also informs the design of homes, buildings and
various forms of transport.
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
•Also Labour Relations or Industrial Relations

•Deals with the dynamics, communication processes and conflict

resolution issues principally among three parties:
Employees (as individuals and/or as a group)
Employers (management and organisations/industries)
Government (directly or through legal mechanisms)

•Examples of conflict?
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

•I-O Research is scientific in nature (Scientific inquiry)

•Basic or Applied Research

•All fields of Industrial Psychology do research

•Research contribution considered a major part of any I-O Psychology

academics and professionals in South Africa
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT/ PSYCHOMETRICS

•Acts as a support discipline for the various applied sub-fields

•Defined as:
• the development and utilisation of various types of assessment
instruments
• to measure attributes and behaviours of employees
• in various work applications such as selection and development

•Key aspects include

• Validity and reliability
• Measurement bias and fairness
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

EMPLOYEE AND ORGANISATIONAL WELL-BEING

•Deals with such issues as:

• work stress and conflict
• positive and disruptive employee and organisational behaviour
• work dysfunctions
• employee counseling

•Draws mainly from other fields such as health psychology, abnormal

psychology, clinical psychology and consulting psychology
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

•It entails the running and management of employees (human
resources)
•Main activities include:
• Acquiring
• Training
• Appraising
• Motivating
• Rewarding
• Disciplining employees
• Providing and ensuring a safe, ethical and fair working environment
for employees
•Shift from administrative to strategic role (Strategic Business
Partner)
 I-O-P Subfields and practices areas

What is the difference between I-O Psychology and HRM?

•HRM more about application or management of personnel, business and
administrative processes.
•I-O Psychologist is an expert in human behaviour and related influencing
processes that inform the HRM processes.
•Different training and accreditation requirements.
•Both are critically important and complementary.
HR and organisational functions Task of I-O-P and HR Practitioners
HR planning, recruitment, selection and Job advertising, developing assessment
placement of employees. techniques, executing assessment…
Planning and administration of employee Remuneration surveys, job market
compensation. analysis…

Refer to p.27 - 30 in Bergh

 Professional training, registration and practice
issues in South Africa

• Training governed by various bodies in SA

• Academic I-O Psychology Departments at Universities
• Society for Industrial Organisational Psychology of South Africa (SIOPSA)
• Professional Board for Psychology (PBP), as a subsection of the HPCSA

• Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is a statutory body for

all the health professions in South Africa
• PBP carters for issues to do with training, practice and conduct of psychologists

• All professional Psychologists, psychometrists and counsellors MUST

register with PBP

Refer to p.38 - 39 in Bergh

 Professional training, registration and practice
issues in South Africa

Practice framework: Registration categories

The practice framework (i.e. registration categories) at the

HPCSA (PBP in particular):

•Psychologist
•Psychometrist
•Counsellor
•Intern Psychologist (part of training)
•Student Psychologist (part of training)
 Professional training, registration and practice
issues in South Africa

Practice framework: Registration categories

Minimum Qualifications for registration are as follows:
•Honours + approved 6 months practicum + success in the board entrance
examination qualifies for registration as:
• Psychometrist
• Counsellor
•Masters degree + one year approved internship + success in the board entrance
examination for registration as a psychologist in any of the following categories:
• Industrial
• Counselling
• Clinical
• Educational
• Research
• Neuro-psychology
• Forensic
 Professional training, registration and practice
issues in South Africa

Professional registration for HR Practitioners

•Practice and training controlled by South Africa Board for People

Practices (SABPP)
•Non-statutory body
•Can register in the following categories:
• Master HR Practitioner
• Chartered HR Practitioner
• HR Practitioner
• HR Associate
• HR Technician

Refer to p.38 - 39 in Bergh

 Professional training, registration and practice
issues in South Africa

Important websites:

HPCSA – http://www.hpcsa.co.za

SIOPSA – http://www.siopsa.org.za

PsySSA – http://www.psyssa.com

SABPP – http://www.sabpp.co.za
 The emergency I-O Psychology: a brief history

Major factors contributing to the emergence of I-O Psychology as

a discipline:

1.Early developments

2.World War 1 (WWI) and WW2

3.After WW2 (1950s to the early 90s)

4.Modern times: 1994 and beyond.

Mostly Self-study – a summary provided in class.

Bergh, p.32 – 36.

 Contemporary challenges

1. Environmental and social responsibility, and ethics.

2. Globalisation and cross-cultural issues.

3. Towards African/ Afrocentric psychology.

4. Technology/The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)/AI.

5. Virtual/ remote working.