Work in the 21st Century: Industrial and Organizational Psychology PDF

Work in the 21st Century: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology (6th Edition) by Jeff Conte & Frank Landy 1  Work in the 21st Century Chapter 1 What is Industrial and Organizational Psy...

Work in the 21st Century: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology (6th Edition) by Jeff Conte & Frank Landy 1  Work in the 21st Century Chapter 1 What is Industrial and Organizational Psychology? 2  Module 1.1: Fundamentals of I-O Psychology Importance of I-O psychology – Importance of work in people’s lives What % of your life is spent working? You had the opportunity not to work, will you take it? What is I-O psychology? – The application of psychological principles, theory, and research to the work setting. Nicknamed work psychologists 3 Examples?  Module 1.1: Fundamentals of I-O Psychology What is I-O psychology? – The domain of I-O psychology stretches well beyond the physical boundaries of the workplace. – family – responsibilities – cultural influences – employment-related legislation Nonwork events (e.g. COVID) Even more significant is the influence of personality on work behavior. How does personality form? 4  Fundamentals of I-O Psychology (cont’d) – SIOP (Division 14 of APA) – Fields of I-O Psychology Personnel psychology: often seen as part of human resources management, or HRM) addresses issues such as recruitment, selection, training, performance, etc. Organizational psychology: It addresses the emotional and motivational side of work (e.g., attitudes, fairness, motivation, stress, leadership, and team.) Human engineering: the study of the capacities and limitations of humans with respect to a particular environment 5  New Topics of Interest to I-O Psychology Building sustainable and environmentally conscious organizations – I-O psychologists can guide organizations in measuring their eco-benefits and in promoting these benefits along with individual, team, and organizational performance. Humanitarian work psychology (HWP): application of I-O psychology to humanitarian arena, especially poverty reduction and promotion of decent work, aligned with local stakeholders’ needs, and in partnership with global aid/development groups. 6  Common Areas of Concentration for I-O Psychologists 7  Common Job Titles for I-O Psychologists 8  Evidence-Based I-O Psychology I-O psychologists have become increasingly focused on making evidence-based decisions in their work in organizations This includes using a decision-making process that combines critical thinking with the use of the best available scientific evidence. I-O psychologists are well positioned to develop and utilize evidence-based practices as they have adopted the scientist-practitioner model to guide the field. 9 10  How This Course Can Help You Knowledge about 21st century workplace – Course will address issues such as work stress, work- family balance, workplace discrimination, & leadership 11 Case of the Hawthorne Studies 12 Where I-O Psychologists are Employed 13  Preparing for a Career in I-O Psychology Education & training Getting into a graduate program – Consideration of GPA & GRE score(s) – Relevant coursework (e.g., statistics) More emphasis on coursework than major 14  Challenges to I-O in 21st Century I-O psychology needs to be: – Relevant: This means that we need to study the problems of today, not those of yesterday. – Useful: I-O psychologists must always be thinking of ways to put our research into practice. – Grounded in scientific method: The confidence that society has in I-O psychology depends on this. 15  Changes in the Workplace Since 1980 Personal computing Teams vs. the Telecommuting & individual virtual teams Little stability Videoconferencing Family-friendly Providing a service vs. workplaces manufacturing “goods” Greater diversity Nature of work more Global workplace fluid Milton Montenegro/Getty Images 16  Module 1.3: Multicultural & Cross- Cultural Issues in I-O Psychology Multiculturalism – Culture defined System in which individuals share meaning & common ways of viewing events & objects Sharing of meanings & interpretations 17  Multicultural Nature of Work in the 21st Century How does multiculturalism affect you? Why is multiculturalism important for I-O psychology? The case of holidays in company X in Canada. 18  Hofstede’s Theory of Cultural Influence: 5 Dimensions Individualism-Collectivism Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity/Femininity Long-term vs. short term orientation 19  Power Distance The extent to which an unequal distribution of power is accepted by society members. In small power distance cultures, inequality is minimized, superiors are accessible, and power differences are downplayed. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc. Power Distance (continued)  Uncertainty Avoidance The extent to which people are uncomfortable with uncertain and ambiguous situations. Strong uncertainty avoidance cultures stress rules and regulations, hard work, conformity, and security. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc. Uncertainty Avoidance (continued)  Masculinity/Femininity Masculine cultures clearly differentiate gender roles, support the dominance of men, and society will be driven by competition, achievement and success. Feminine cultures accept fluid gender roles, stress sexual equality, and stress quality of life. The dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc. Masculinity/Femininity (continued)  Individualism/Collectivism Individualistic societies stress independence, individual initiative, and privacy. Collective cultures favour interdependence and loyalty to family or clan. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc. Individualism/Collectivism (continued)  Long-term/Short-term Orientation Cultures with a long-term orientation stress persistence, perseverance, thrift, and close attention to status differences. Cultures with a short-term orientation stress personal steadiness and stability, face-saving, and social niceties. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.  Long-term/Short-term Orientation (continued) Copyright © 2017 Pearson Canada Inc.  GlobalTech, a multinational technology firm GlobalTech is expanding its operations into different regions, each with distinct cultural orientations. The company’s leadership noticed differences in team dynamics, decision-making processes, and performance across their international branches. They engaged I-O psychologists to address these issues using Hofstede's cultural dimensions as a framework to improve organizational effectiveness. 30  Individualism vs. Collectivism In GlobalTech’s U.S. branch (individualistic culture), employees preferred working independently and expected personal recognition for their contributions. However, the Japan branch (collectivist culture) favored teamwork and group-based rewards. I-O Psychologist’s Intervention: By tailoring performance management and reward systems, the psychologists suggested promoting individual rewards in the U.S. and team-based incentives in Japan. This aligned with employees’ cultural expectations and improved overall performance by enhancing motivation and engagement. 31  Power Distance In GlobalTech’s Mexico office (high power distance), employees were hesitant to challenge authority, and decision-making was concentrated at the top. Conversely, in the Netherlands office (low power distance), employees expected to participate in decision-making processes. I-O Psychologist’s Intervention: The psychologists introduced leadership training in Mexico to encourage open communication while respecting hierarchical structures. In the Netherlands, they reinforced participative leadership models that empowered employees, fostering trust and creativity. Both approaches improved leadership effectiveness and increased team morale. 32  Uncertainty Avoidance Germany’s branch (high uncertainty avoidance) had a rigid structure with detailed procedures and risk-averse strategies. The U.K. branch (low uncertainty avoidance), however, preferred flexibility and welcomed change. I-O Psychologist’s Intervention: Psychologists recommended maintaining strict protocols in Germany while encouraging innovation in the U.K. They balanced structure with flexibility, ensuring that employees in each region were comfortable with their work environment, which improved decision-making and innovation across the company. 33  Masculinity vs. Femininity In GlobalTech’s headquarters in the U.S. (masculine culture), the focus was on competitiveness and achievement. Meanwhile, in Sweden (feminine culture), the workplace valued collaboration, work-life balance, and employee well-being. I-O Psychologist’s Intervention: Psychologists developed leadership development programs that emphasized competitive goal-setting in the U.S. and inclusive, well-being-focused policies in Sweden. This resulted in higher employee satisfaction and productivity tailored to cultural expectations. 34  Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation In China (long-term orientation), GlobalTech employees were focused on sustainable growth, education, and long-term results. On the other hand, in Canada (short-term orientation), employees prioritized quick wins and immediate results. I-O Psychologist’s Intervention: I-O psychologists suggested implementing different performance evaluation frameworks: long-term performance metrics in China, and short-term, frequent feedback loops in Canada. This ensured that the performance measurement systems aligned with the employees’ cultural values, boosting performance and job satisfaction. 35  Questions? 36