Midterms Reviewer (Seminar in IO Psych) PDF

**SEMINAR IN IO PSYCHOLOGY** **Brief History of I/O Psychology** **World War I** -- key period for the development of Industrial Psychology, the extensive use of psychological tests for recruiting and assigning military personnel. Made its first impact during this time Born in the **early 1900s**...

**SEMINAR IN IO PSYCHOLOGY** **Brief History of I/O Psychology** **World War I** -- key period for the development of Industrial Psychology, the extensive use of psychological tests for recruiting and assigning military personnel. Made its first impact during this time Born in the **early 1900s** "Industrial Psychology" was **seldom used prior to World War 1** **"Economic Psychology," "Business Psychology," and "Employment Psychology"** were the common terms for the field **Army Alpha and Army Beta Tests** -- testing was mainly accomplished through this **Robert Yerkes & Lewis Terman** -- key figures in psychology, for their contribution during World War I. This greatly influenced the application of psychological testing in the military **Robert Yerkes** -- leading psychologist that played a crucial role in creating Alpha Tests, along with his team developed a set of tests to assess the cognitive abilities of military recruits. This work aimed to establish systematic methods for evaluating and classifying soldier's intellectual capacities, vital for assigning them to appropriate military roles **Lewis Terman** -- prominent psychologist known for his work on intelligence testing, collaborate with Yerkes on the assessments. He was essential in refining and applying these tests for the military. His expertise in psychometrics was key to the development of the Alpha Tests. Assisted in designing and validating these tests in ensuring they are accurately assessed thru their cognitive abilities, particularly for those who were literate **Alpha Tests** -- designed to gauge the intellectual abilities of literate recruits, to classify soldiers on their mental capacities, facilitating the assignment of appropriate military roles **Alpha Tests** are focused on **literate recruits** and measure cognitive abilities through written tests **Beta Tests** were designed for **illiterate recruits**, using non-verbal methods to assess intellectual capabilities **TIME AND MOTION STUDIES BY FRANK AND LILIAM GILBRETH** 1. **Therblig Analysis** **Observation**: Frank Gilbreth records worker while they assemble the widget and **analyze their movements** **Breakdown: identifies key motions involved in the task** (picking up parts, aligning them, inserting screws and tightening them **Therblig Identification**: **classifies these movements** into basic elements known as **therbligs** (like grasp, transport loaded, position, and release load) 2. **Motion Study** **Elimination of Waste**: reviewing the footage, Frank discovers the workers are performing unnecessary actions (ex. repeatedly walking to fetch tools, moving parts) **Optimization**: recognizes the workspace so that tools and parts are within easy reach, he also recommends using jigs and fixtures to streamline the alignment of parts 3. **Standardization** **Procedure Development**: Frank creates standardized procedure that reduce number of motions required to assembly, thereby shortening the time needed to complete each widget **HAWTHORNE STUDIES (Western Electric Company, Hawthorne Works)** **Result & Conclusion**: research initially investigates the effect of different physical work conditions, such as lighting, on work productivity, as it progress they began to explore a broader range of factors influencing employee behavior and motivation **I/O Psychology** Branch of psychology that applies the principle of psychology to the workplace "to enhance dignity and performance of human beings, and the organizations they work in, by advancing the science of knowledge and huma behavior" Key areas of focus in I/O psychology include: **Personnel Selection**: creating effective methods for hiring and evaluating employees to match with appropriate roles **Training and Development**: develop and implement programs to boost employees skills and overall performance **Performance Management**: establish systems to assess and enhance employee performance **Motivation and Job Satisfaction**: investigate what motivates employees and how to improve their job satisfaction **Workplace Behavior**: analyze how org structures, cultures, and practice influence employee behavior and well-being **Workplace Behavior and Attitudes**: examine how employees' behavior and attitude affect their work and overall org environment **Employee Well-being**: address issues related to health, stress, and work-life balance to support employees' overall well-being **MAJOR FIELDS OF INDUSTRILA AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY** **Industrial Approach (the "I" in I/O Psychology)** -- focus on identifying skills and abilities required for a job, recruiting employees who possess those skills and enhancing these skills through training **Organizational Approach (the "O" in I/O Psychology)** -- develops and org structure and culture that motivates employees, provide necessary information and resources, ensuring a safe and satisfying work environment **PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY** -- focus on various aspects such as job analysis, recruiting candidates, selecting staff, assessing employee performance, etc. Professionals working in these areas choose existing tests or create new ones that can be used to select and promote employees, then constantly evaluated to ensure they are both fair and valid **Personnel Psychologist** -- analyze jobs to obtain a complete picture of what each employee does, assigning monetary values to each position After obtaining complete job description, professionals in personnel psych construct performance-appraisal instruments to evaluate employee performance. They also examine various methods that can be used to train and develop employees **ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY** -- concerned with the issues od leadership, job satisfaction, employee motivation, organizational communication, management, org change, group processes within an org **Organizational Psychologist** -- conducts surveys and employees attitudes to get ideas abt what employees believe are the org's strengths and weaknesses, makes recommendations on ways problems can be solved **HUMAN FACTORS OR ERGONOMICS** -- concentrate on workplace design, human-machine interaction, ergonomics and physical fatigue and stress Psychologists frequently work with engineers and other technical professionals to make the workplace safer and more efficient **JOB ANALYSIS: IMPORTANCE, APPLICATIONS, AND PROCESS** **Section 1: Understanding Job Analysis** **Job Analysis** -- a systematic process of collecting, analyzing and organizing information about the tasks, responsibilities and requirements of a specific job role within an organization **Purpose in HR Management** -- to provide foundation for various human resource activities, including recruitment, training, performance evaluation and compliance with legal standards **Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness** -- by clearly defining job roles and expectations, job analysis helps organization optimize workforce performance, improve employee satisfaction and align individual roles with organizational goals **KEY COMPONENTS OF JOB ANALYSIS** **Job Tasks and Responsibilities** -- identify and detail the specific tasks and responsibilities associated with a job role is crucial in understanding what is expected from employees and how their performance will be evaluated **Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)** -- define necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities required for a job, ensuring the right candidates are selected and training programs are effectively tailored to bridge gaps **Work Environment and Conditions** -- analyze work environment, including physical demands and organizational culture, helps creating realistic job previews and ensuring candidates are well-suited for the role **OVERVIEW OF JOB ANALYSIS PROCESS** **Initial Task Identification** -- job analysis begins with identifying specific tasks performed in a job, includes understanding job dimensions, tools utilized and work conditions under which tasks are executed **Data Collection Methods** -- various methods such as interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs), etc. are employed to gather comprehensive information about the job role **Analysis and Documentation** -- after data collection the information is analyzed to create detailed job descriptions that outlines responsibilities, etc. in ensuring alignment with organizational goals **IMPORTANCE IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT** **Foundation for HR Functions** -- job analysis serves as the cornerstone for various human resource activities, including recruitment, training, etc. ensuring that all HR processes are aligned with the specific requirements of each job role **Enhancing Employee Performance** -- by clearly defining job roles and expectations through job analysis, organization can optimize employee performance, leading to increased productivity as employees understand their responsibilities and how they contribute to organizational goals **Legal Compliance and Risk Mitigation** -- conducting thorough job analysis helps organization comply with employment laws and regulations by ensuring that job description accurately reflect the duties and requirements of positions, reducing risk of legal challenges **Selection 2: Applications of Job Analysis** **ROLES IN EMPLOYEE SELECTION** **Foundation for Selection Criteria** -- job analysis provides a clear framework for defining the essential qualifications and competencies required for a position, ensuring that selection criteria are directly aligned with job responsibilities **Informed Assessment Tools** -- by identifying key tasks and required skills, job analysis informs the development of appropriate assessment tools, such as test and interview questions to effectively evaluate candidates' suitability for the role **Enhanced Candidate Matching** - through a detailed job descriptions derived from job analysis, organizations can better match applicants' KSAs to specific job requirement, leading to a more effective hiring decision **IMPACT ON TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT** **Tailored Training Programs** -- job analysis identifies specific skills and knowledge gaps, allowing org to design targeted training programs that enhance employee competencies that align with job requirements **Effective Onboarding Processes** -- understanding essential tasks and responsibilities of a role, job analysis facilitates the creation of comprehensive onboarding processes that prepare new hires for success in their positions **Continuous Development Opportunities** -- insights gained from job analysis can inform ongoing professional development ensuring that training remains relevant and support career progression and support career progression within the org **CONTRIBUTION TO PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL** **Job-Related Evaluation Criteria** -- job analysis provides a structured framework for developing specific job-related criteria that are essential for performance appraisal **Objective Performance Metrics** -- by identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) org can establish objective metrics that facilitate fair and consistent evaluations across similar roles, reducing bias in the appraisal process **Legal Compliance and Defense** -- this helps organizations maintain compliance with employment laws by ensuring that evaluations a re based on documented job requirement, providing a defensible basis for employment decisions **SIGNIFICANCE IN JOB CLASSIFICATIONS AND EVALUATION** **Foundation for Job Classification** -- essential for grouping similar hobs based on their duties and responsibilities, aids in establishing pay structures and career progression paths within an org **Objective Job Evaluation** -- org can determine the relative worth of different jobs, ensuring equitable compensation and helping maintain internal equity among employees performing similar tasks **Alignment with Organizational Strategy** -- effective job classification and evaluation support strategic workforce planning by aligning job roles with org goals, having better resource allocation and talent management **Selection 3: Creating Effective Job Description** **ELEMENTS OF JOB DESCRIPTION** Job Title and Summary -- clear define job title and provide brief summary that encapsulate the primary purpose and scope of position, ensuring it reflects the role's significance within the org **Key Responsibilities and Duties** -- essential tasks and responsibilities associated with the job, detailing what is expected from the employee to provide clarity on performance expectations and accountability **Required Qualifications and Competencies** -- specify necessary qualifications, education, skills, along with required knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), critical for successful job performance **BEST PRACTICE FOR WRITING JOB DESCRIPTIONS** **Clarity and Precision** -- use clear and precise language to describe job responsibilities and requirements to ensure potential candidates to fully understand the expectation needed for the role **Incorporate Key Competencies** -- highlight essential knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required for the position, helps in attracting suitable candidates in the selection process **Regular Review and Updates** -- establish routine for reviewing and updating job descriptions to reflect changes in job roles to ensure that they remain relevant and compliant with legal standards **IMPORATNCE OF REGULAR UPDATES** **Alignment with Job Changes** -- regular updates to job descriptions, ensures that they accurately reflect any changes in job responsibilities, tasks, which are essential for maintaining clarity and relevance in employee roles **Legal Compliance** -- keeping job description current help organization comply with laws and regulations ensuring all job-related information accurate and up-to-date **Enhanced Recruitment and Retention** -- updated job description improve the recruitment process by attracting suitable candidates who meet the current requirement **LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS IN JOB DESCRIPTIONS** **Compliance with Employment Laws** -- job description must adhere to federal, state, and local employment laws, to ensure that they do not inadvertently exclude certain groups and create legal liabilities for the organization **Accuracy and Clarity** -- essential that job description accurately reflect the duties and responsibilities of the position, misleading and vague description may lead to potential legal challenges regarding job expectations **Documentation for Defense** -- well-crafted job description serves as critical documentation in legal disputes related to employment practices, providing clear basis for hiring decisions, performance eval, etc. that is aligned with the stated job requirements **Selection 4: Conducting Job Analysis** **STEPS IN CONDUCTING JOB ANALYSIS** \(1) **Identify Tasks Performed** -- by outlining the specific tasks and responsibilities associated with the job, including job dimensions, tools utilized and work conditions to gain comprehensive understanding of the role \(2) **Gather Existing Information** -- collect relevant data from existing job descriptions, org charts, and other documentation to establish baseline of information that can inform the analysis process \(3) **Engage with Subject Matter Experts** -- conduct interviews and discuss with subject matter experts (SMEs), including current job to obtain detailed insights and perspectives on the job's requirements and expectations **Who should conduct job analysis?** **HR Personnel's Role** -- they are typically responsible for leading job analysis efforts, utilizing their expertise in organizational needs and compliance to ensure accurate and relevant job descriptions are developed **Involvement of Supervisors** -- they play a crucial role in job analysis by providing insights ensuring that the analysis reflects the actual work performed in the role **Engagement of Job Incumbents** -- current employees in the position being analyzed offer valuable perspectives on daily tasks and challenges, making their input essential for a comprehensive understanding of job requirements and expectations **METHODS FOR GATHERING JOB INFORMATION** **Interviews with Employees** -- conducting structured or unstructured interviews with current employees allows for in-depth insights into their daily tasks, skills, etc. providing a comprehensive understanding of job requirements **Surveys and Questionnaires** -- this can efficiently gather quantitative data from a larger group of employees about their job responsibilities, necessary skills and work environment, having a broader analysis of job roles across the organization **Observation of Job Performance** -- directly observing as they perform tasks gives valuable real-time insights into job-functions, workflows, and interaction, helps to identify essential duties and potential areas for improvement in job design **EVOLUTION OF ORGANIZATIONAL THEORIES** **(Classical, Neoclassical and Systems Approaches)** **Organizations as Living Entities** Organization are abstract but real entities. Often inhibit traits associated with living things, such as "birth" (formation), "growth" (expansion), and "death" (bankruptcy or dissolution). This idea aligns with the metaphorical view that organizations can die when they cease to exist **Purpose of Organization** Organization exist to accomplish collective goals that individual cannot achieve alone. Organizing activities and people, operate as a whole in achieving common objectives, such as profitability or innovation, that are unattainable when functions are isolated **Classical Theory Overview** -- focuses on the basic ingredients of any organization **Four Basic Components:** **System of Differential Activities** -- organizations consist of interrelated tasks and function, it includes operations (production, marketing, and sales), these collectively drive the organization towards its goals **People** -- individuals within an organization had their own tasks and various responsibilities, in which plays a pivotal role in the system's functioning **Cooperation Toward Goals** -- for the success of an organization it hinges on collaboration, where all participants work towards a unified objective **Authority** -- authority structure such as management hierarchies are essential for coordination and in ensuring that activities align with the org's purpose **CLASSICAL THEORY PRINCIPLE** **Functional Principle (Horizontal Structure)** -- emphasizes the division of labor, suggesting that work should be divided into specialized units or departments. Specialization enhances organizational performance by allowing employees to focus on specific tasks, improving supervision, coordination, and workflow **Scalar Principle (Vertical Structure)** -- addresses the **"chain of command",** highlighting hierarchy within an organization, each layer of organization is responsible for managing and supervising those below them. **"Unity of Command"** ensures that each employee reports to one superior, to prevent confusion and maintain clear structure of authority **Line/Staff Principle** -- **"Line Functions",** the core responsibility directly tied to the organization's objectives (ex. production in manufacturing company, a line function since it directly influences the company's primary goal-producing goods) **"Staff Functions",** supportive roles, help the line functions achieve their goals but are considered secondary in terms of overall importance (ex. human resources or quality control) **Neoclassical (take on this principle)** -- later challenges the strict distinction between line and staff **Span of Control Principle** -- concerns the number of subordinates a manager can effectively supervise. A "small span of control" results in a "tall organizational structure" with many managerial layers, while a "large span" leads to a "flat structure" with fewer management levels. **Classical Theory (take on this principle)** -- suggest a range between 2 and 15 subordinates **Neoclassical (take on this principle)** -- argues that the span of control depends on managerial capabilities and the nature of the work **Limitations of Classical Theory** 1. Lacks psychological considerations 2. Issues of alienation and rigid structures 3. Necessity for flexibility and adaptation in modern organization **NEOCLASSICAL THEORY PRINCIPLE** **Neoclassical Theory Overview** Emerged in 1950s, influenced by the Hawthorne studies, focuses on psychological and behavioral issues **Key Concepts:** **Flexibility**\ **Classical Theory**: this favors strict hierarchical structures\ **Neoclassical Theory**: promotes more fluid, adaptable organizational structures **Alienation\ Neoclassical Theorists**: identified the issues of alienation resulting from overly specialized, repetitive work. Workers became disengaged from tasks, lowering productivity and satisfaction **Humanistic Approach\ Neoclassical Theorists**: argued for more meaningful work environments, where employees felt valued and connected to their roles **Neoclassical Theory Principle** **Scalar Principle** -- recognizes interpersonal relationships beyond formal authority **Line/Staff Principle** -- importance of staff functions in organizational success **Span of Control** -- influenced by managerial ability and individual needs for supervision **SYSTEMS THEORY A "HOLISTIC APPROACH"** **Systems Theory Overview** Developed in the 1970s, view organization as "living organisms" composed of interdependent parts. Has a holistic view, where changes in one area of the organization affects others. This approach is based on principle derived from biology **Key Components of an Organizational System** **Individual** -- each person brings unique traits, skills, and attitudes to the organization, that influence its culture and operations **Formal Organization** -- structured arrangement of jobs and roles provides the backbone of the organization **Small Groups** -- employees interact in small groups, will help them adapt to organizational needs and challenges **Status and Role** -- hierarchies within organizations define behaviors and responsibilities **Physical Setting** -- environment in which work takes place, including the technology and physical layout of the workplace, affects organizational behavior **Systems Theory A "Holistic Approach"** **Collectivism** -- systems theory views organizations as collective entities where individual roles and tasks are interconnected. Employees work towards common goals rather than just individual tasks **Complex Interactions** -- organizational systems are dynamic and interconnected. (ex. how individuals communicate, decisions they make, the relationship they build affects the system as a whole) **Adaptability** -- organizations must adapt to changes in their external environment, a successful organization achieve stability and growth through a continuous adjustment to new challenges and opportunities In short... **Classical Theory** -- provides the structural framework for understanding organizations but is rigid in its approach **Neoclassical Theory** -- adds human behavior, flexibility and psychological aspects to organizational analysis, addressing gaps in classical thoughts **Systems Theory** -- takes a broader and more dynamic view in seeing organizations as living systems that must grow, adapt, and interact with their environment to survive (Each theory contributes important concepts that is still applied in modern organization. Even today, organizations must balance structure (classical theory), humanistic considerations (neoclassical theory), and adaptability (systems theory))