1: Introduction

Question 1

What did Hugo Munsterberg contribute to Psychology?

Answer 1

1. Develop aptitude test, work sample test
2. Establish criterion validity of the tests
3. For Industrial Efficiency: Select the best possible man through testing, designing the best possible job through scientific management and optimize the effort put in through advertising and marketing

Question 2

What is I-O Psychology?

Answer 2

1. The scientific study of human behaviours in work settings

2. The application of psychological principles to change work behaviours (focus is on solving problems)

Question 3

What is the goal of I/O Psychology?

Answer 3

Goal: “Enhance human well-being and performance in work settings by promoting science, practice, and teaching of I-O psychology”

Question 4

Why is it called I-O Psychology?

Answer 4

The term “industrial psychology” became popular after WWI
The label “O” got popular in the 60s when more focus was put to the people in the workplace
The “I-O” label was adopted by Division 14 of APA in the early 1970s

Question 5

Describe the Hawthorne Studies. What is their importance?

Answer 5

Conducted in Western Electric Company
Headed by Elton Mayo from the Harvard Business School
Followed the footpath of Taylor and Gilbreths (applied principles of Scientific Management)
Studied the Level of illumination and rest pauses on the performance of female assembly line workers (examine how different aspects of the work environment, such as lighting, the timing of breaks, and the length of the workday, had on worker productivity.)

The Hawthorne effect
Temporary changes in criterion measure due to workers’ knowledge that they are being studied
Led to the human relations movement

Question 6

What is Taylorism and Fordism?

Answer 6

Taylorism is scientific management, a “form of job design which stresses short, repetitive work cycles; detailed, prescribed task sequences; a separation of task conception from task execution; and motivation based on economic rewards.”

Fordism is a derivative of Taylorism, also adopts scientific management principles. It is defined as the “unification of high-volume, high-speed production of a limited range of products using mass production, assembly-line technology and unskilled, assembly-line operatives, aimed at a mass consumer market”

They were similar in viewing workers in economic terms (limiting their motivation and desires to monetary terms), neglecting the emotional and psychological

They differed in a few ways:
1. Pace of Work
in Taylorism was set by the employees or the supervisor, but in Fordism it was set by the machinery with the speed of the assembly line.

2. Role of machinery
   Taylor advocated for organized work around existing machinery whilst Ford eliminated work with the addition of new machinery

Question 7

How has I/O Psychology changed from the Postwar period to Present day?

Answer 7

1. The human relations movement popularised the ideas of the well-being of workers:
   Job attitudes and organisational group dynamics
2. Establishment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed the testing culture: Equal opportunities in employment in terms of race, religion, sex, or national origins
3. Other legislations appeared, E.g., Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993
4. Globalisation: increasingly diverse workplace [Organisational structure, communication styles, preference of rewards structure, team working styles]

Question 8

What are the Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions?

Answer 8

A universal framework to understand cultures:
1. Individualism/collectivism: Values put on self and the others

2. Power distance: Emphasis on hierarchy
3. Uncertainty avoidance: Tolerance of uncertainty or ambiguity
4. Masculinity/femininity: Emphasis on masculine (power and success) vs. feminine values (relationship)
5. Long-term vs. short-term orientation: Immediate versus delayed gratification of needs

Implications for HRM
Considerations in hiring, leadership style, compensation policies, etc.

Question 9

What is Triandis’s Model of Culture?

Answer 9

A 2X2 taxonomy: Individualistic/collectivistic and vertical/horizontal cultures (a form of hierarchy)
It’s like crossing Indiv/Collectivism with Power Distance from the Hofstede model
Offers a more precise framework when doing a cross-cultural comparison

Question 10

What does research in I/O Psychology aim to do?

Answer 10

1. explain phenomenon
2. Establish relationship among things (variables) in the context of human behaviours
3. Always about the influence of independent variables (IVs) on dependent variables (DVs)