Psychology Industry
Industrial Psychology
What is Psychology?
“Psychology is the science of behavior and mental Processes”.
- the sum or characteristics of the mental states and processes of a person or class of persons, - or of the mental states and processes involved in a field of activity:
the psychology of a soldier; the psychology of politics.
What is Industry?The aggregate of manufacturing or technicall
y productive enterprises in a particular field, often named after its principal product: the automobile industry; the steel industry.
Commercial production and sale of goods.A specific branch of manufacture and
trade: the textile industry. The sector of an economy made up of
manufacturing enterprises
Industry
1. (Economics) organized economic activity concerned with manufacture, extraction and processing of raw materials, or construction
2. (Business / Commerce) a branch of commercial enterprise concerned with the output of a specified product or service
What is Industrial Psychology?“Industrial psychology is simply the
application or extension of psychological facts and principles to the problems concerning human beings operating within the context of business and industry.”
-M.L. BLUM
-J.C. NAYLOR
What is I/O psychology?Textbook definition:
“Application of psychological principles and theories to the workplace”
In most people:“Study of how people get along at work and
are able to perform effectively”
Psychology is the science of human behaviorI/O psychology is the science of human behavior
at workDual focus (attention)Efficiency/productivity of organizationsHealth/well-being of employeesDual natureApplication of the science of psychology to the
workplaceDevelopment/discovery of scientific psychological
principles at work
WHAT IS I/O PSYCHOLOGY?
Who are I/O psychologists?Two general groups
Practitioners HR and organizational specialists in
consulting, private, and public organizations Major activities
Job analysis, diagnosis, surveying employees, designing and administering selection & performance appraisal systems, training, developing psychological tests, implementing and evaluating OD & change, data analysis
“Other” category Research institutes, think tanks (e.g., RAND)
SPECIFIC AREAS OF CONCERNRecruiting and selecting employees for jobsTraining employeesAssessing performanceDefining and analyzing jobsDetermining people feel about workDetermining why people act as they do at workEffects work has on peopleEffects people have on one anotherHow organizations are structured and functionDesigning workDesigning tools and equipmentEmployee Health and Safety
The Industrial PsychologistIndustrial psychologists work for businesses, helping to improve the working conditions
and productivity of employees. They help companies hire, train, and manage
employees. They also advise companies on ways of
getting consumers interested in products and services.
History of I/OBegan early 1900’ s World War I first mass testingBetween wars psychology helping business: I sideHawthorne studies impact of social aspects: O
side Western Electric’s Hawthorne plant, near Chicago
World War II: Psychology and the war effortCivil rights movement: Job relevanceTechnological change
(Walter Dill Scott)
Leading Historical FiguresHugo Münsterberg: Psychology and Industrial
EfficiencyWalter Dill Scott: The Theory of AdvertisingFrederick Winslow Taylor: Scientific
ManagementRobert Yerkes: Army Alpha and Beta testsLillian Gilbreth: Time and motion; Human factorsBruce V. Moore: First I/O PhD?Roethlisberger & Dickson: Hawthorne Studies
Walter Dill Scott:
Prospects for I/O FieldRapidly growing
New areas/topicsAttracting more graduate studentsMore graduate programsMore psychologists in the world
Job market strong: Academic and appliedArea of psychology making an impact on the
worldRelevant to anyone who works
Interdisciplinary connectionsBusiness, engineering, health fields, other areas of
psychology
Aims and Objectives of Industrial Psychology.To improve the situation on the job.To affect high morale and enthusiasm (interest)
at work.To restore the mental health of upset and
confused individuals.To remove risks to health's or threats to safety.To increase efficiency of people at work.To increase productivity and hence the profits.
Scope of Industrial Psychology(by McCollom 1959)
Personnel selection:-Selection and assessment of employees
and executives.Personnel development:
-Performance appraisal,-Attitude measurement,-Management development-Employee counseling
Human engineering :
-Equipment and product designProductivity study:
-Worker’s fatigue (tiredness), lightingManagement:
-Activities involving administrative skillsOther:
Major Problems of Industrial Psychology