Industrial and organizational psychology is a scientific field that applies psychology principles and research methods to understand and support employees and workplaces. As its name implies, there are two general facets of this field: the industrial and organizational. The industrial side of this field focuses on technical and legal areas within workplace psychology and includes areas such as employee selection (e.g., the process of finding new people to employ in jobs), equal employment opportunities, and training and development. The organizational side of the field includes the “softer” and people-focused aspects of the workplace, such as leadership development, organizational culture, and team-building. These are just some examples of areas that fall under each facet, and each of these examples also includes layers, concepts, and components.
The scientific nature of the field is a critical feature. Workplaces and organizations are often comprised of employees interacting with each other, managers, customers or clients, machines, structures, and other elements. Industrial and organizational psychology provides a way to study these elements and their interactions systematically, learn from them, and develop best practices and solutions to support employees, employers, and workplaces.
There is a vast scientifically developed research literature comprised of empirical studies conducted in workplaces and on issues related to industrial and organizational psychology. Researchers with expertise in industrial and organizational psychology continuously conduct research in this field and publish their research findings in scientific and trade journals, books, conference proceedings, and increasingly more through blogs, videos, and podcasts. This body of research and the continuous, applied research that practitioners conduct in the field contribute to the field’s scientific foundation, differentiating it from related fields, such as human resource management. In fact, in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security recently deemed the field of industrial and organizational psychology a stem science.
What is an Example of Industrial and Organizational Psychology?
There are many ways that industrial-organizational psychologists can apply psychological principles in workplaces and organizations. For example, an industrial-organizational psychologist may work with a company to improve their employee selection process. They may start by conducting a systematic review of the job for which the company wants to select new employees. By conducting a “job analysis,” the industrial-organizational psychologist gathers up-to-date information about key tasks and competencies someone in the job must do to perform it well. They can then use other methods to help the company create a reliable and accurate strategies to finding people who can perform that job well.
Unfortunately, the field of industrial and organizational psychology is not as well-known as other areas within psychology, such as clinical or counseling psychology. With the current, rapidly-changing landscape of the world of work, employees and employers could benefit from this scientific field more than ever. Industrial and organizational psychology research can help to answer important questions that are relevant to today’s workplaces. For example, how can employers best motivate their employees to perform well? Are remote or virtual work options viable? Do employees perform better when they have schedule flexibility? How can organizations embrace diversity in their workplaces? Are “work from anywhere” policies conducive to productivity and employee engagement? And so many more questions about the future of work….
Human resource management professionals and managers of workplaces can learn best practices from this scientific field to support their stakeholders. By completing training or courses, reading books and articles, and applying what they learn from the field of industrial and organizational psychology, leaders can empower their decision-making with decades of scientific research conducted in workplace contexts. Organizations can also employ experts in industrial and organizational psychology to work full-time or as consultants to support initiatives. People who work directly in the area of industrial and organizational psychology often use the title of industrial-organizational psychologist.
Where Do Industrial and Organizational Psychologists Work?
A defining characteristic of the work of industrial and organizational psychologists is its varied options and possibilities. Industrial-organizational psychologists work in various types of organizations. Their roles vary greatly within organizations. Likewise, they work under a myriad of titles. I will cover a few of the more common ones here.
In For-Profit Companies
Industrial and organizational psychologist work in companies alongside human resource management professionals, as internal consultants, and in data analytic-related positions. Many large companies (e.g., big, fortune 500 companies and multinationals) often employ industrial-organizational psychologists to work directly within their headquarters. They may work under specialized titles, such as “Talent Manager” or as part of the human resources department. In these roles, industrial-organizational psychologists can make a measurable impact on the employees and organization, helping stakeholders thrive.
In Non-Profit Organizations
Non-profit organizations, government entities, and military agencies also employ industrial-organizational psychologists. There are federal jobs aligned with the industrial-organizational psychologist role (e.g., “Personnel Psychologist” positions). In the United States, the different military branches also employ industrial-organizational psychologists. For example, an industrial-organizational psychologist might work as an applied researcher within one of the military branches’ research institutes. They may conduct data analytics on survey data collected from military personnel and write reports based on the findings. Their findings may be shared with policy makers and lead to changes impacting military personnel within that branch.
Consulting Firms
Industrial and organizational psychologists often work as consultants, providing third-party expertise and services to support companies and organizations. There are many types of consulting firms that hire industrial-organizational psychologists. Some firms focus specifically on providing services in this field. Many firms provide management consulting, consulting on strategy, change management services, leadership or executive coaching, and related areas. A consultant working in a large consulting firm may work with teams of consultants to help clients manage a change or resolve issues.
Academic Settings
Industrial-organizational psychologists also work in academic settings, such as at higher education institutions. They may work in various departments within academic institutions. For example, it’s common to find industrial-organizational psychologists teaching in business schools or schools of management. It is, of course, also common to find industrial-organizational psychologists teaching in psychology departments. Some may teach in other departments, such as communications. Depending on the type of university, they may be teaching and/or conducting research in these institutions. Industrial and organizational psychologists also teach online, hybrid, and traditional university settings. They also teach in certificate programs, as well as undergraduate and graduate-level programs.