1.1 — the importance of I-O psychology

Question 1

what is Gardner’s concept of “good work”?

Answer 1

work that exhibits a high level of expertise, and it entails regular concern with the implications and applications of an individual’s work for the wider world

Question 2

what does corner cutting lead to?

Answer 2

compromised work

Question 3

what is compromised work?

Answer 3

work that is not illegal or unethical, but that still undermines the the core values of a trade or a profession

Question 4

what has occurred in I-O research since the mid-1990s?

Answer 4

rapid and substantial increase in research looking into feelings that workers experience in and around the workplace

& dramatic increase of research in issues of work-life balance

Question 5

when did the term ‘authentic leadership’ first appear?

Answer 5

in 2002, before that it has never appeared in research

Question 6

what does the term I-O psychology refer to?

Answer 6

industrial-organisational psychology

Question 7

what is the definition of I-O psychology?

Answer 7

the application of psychological principles to, theory, and research to the work setting

Question 8

what factors influence work behaviour?

Answer 8

• personality (extremely significant influence)
• family responsibilities
• cultural influences
• employment-related legislation
• non-work events (such as 9/11)

Question 9

what are the three major sub-areas I-O psychology has been divided into?

Answer 9

• personnel psychology (often seen as part of HRM — human resources management)
• organisational psychology
• human engineering

Question 10

what is the definition of human resources management (HRM)?

Answer 10

includes practices such as recruitment, selection, retention, training, development of people (HR) in order to achieve individual and organisational goals

Question 11

what is the definition of authentic leadership?

Answer 11

a style of leadership that emphasises the genuineness and integrity of the leader + usually accompanied by life story

Question 12

what is the definition of personnel psychology?

Answer 12

often seen as a part of HRM — field of psychology that addresses issues such as recruitment, selection, training, performance, appraisal, promotion, transfer and termination

Question 13

what is the assumption in personnel psychology?

Answer 13

people are consistently different in their attributes + work behaviours and that information about these differences can be used to predict, maintain, and increase work performance and satisfaction

Question 14

what is organisational psychology a combination of?

Answer 14

research + ideas from social psychology + organisational behaviour

Question 15

what are the topics addressed by organisational psychology?

Answer 15

→ the emotional + motivational aspect of work

• attitudes
• fairness
• motivation
• stress
• leadership
• teams
• broader aspects of organisational + work design

Question 16

what is the issue targeted in organisational psychology?

Answer 16

the extent to which characteristics of people match the characteristics / demands of the work

Question 17

what is the definition of human engineering?

Answer 17

the study of capacities and limitations of humans with respect to a particular environment

Question 18

what is a synonym of human engineering?

Answer 18

human factors psychology

Question 19

what disciplines are included in human engineering?

Answer 19

• cognitive science
• ergonomics
• exercise physiology
• anatomy

Question 20

are the human engineering approach and the personnel approach similar or different?

Answer 20

they are almost opposites—for the personnel approach, the goal is to find the best person for the job ; while for the human engineering approach, the goal is to develop an environment compatible with the characteristics of the worker

Question 21

what is the emphasis on the application of scientific knowledge called?

Answer 21

scientist-practitioner model

Question 22

what is the scientist-practitioner model?

Answer 22

a model that uses scientific tools + research in the practice of I-O psychology → emphasis on application of research in the workplace

Question 23

what does SIOP stand for?

Answer 23

Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology (SIOP)

Question 24

what is SIOP?

Answer 24

the primary professional membership organisation for I-O psychology ; part of APA

Question 25

according to the definition of I-O psychologists by the SIOP, what roles do they have?

Answer 25

• scientists — derive principles of individual, group and organisational behaviour from research
• consultants & staff psychologists — who develop scientific knowledge and apply it to solutions for work problems
• teachers — who train in the research & application of I-O psychology

Question 26

what is the role of I-O psychologists in driving sustainability in organisations?

Answer 26

I-O psychologists can guide organisations in identifying and measuring their eco-benefits & promoting these as another important outcome

Question 27

what are some of I-O psychology’s contributions to society?

Answer 27

• development of environmentally conscious organisations
• humanitarian work psychology — the promotion of prosocial applications of psychology (seen in Carr’s work ; New-Zealand I-O psychologist)
• CRS — corporate social responsibility ; can include employee volunteering, donating a portion of sales / profits to charity / schools

Question 28

what is humanitarian work psychology?

Answer 28

the application of I-O psychology to the humanitarian arena

Question 29

what is the application of I-O psychology to the humanitarian arena called?

Answer 29

humanitarian work psychology

Question 30

what kind focus has been increasingly important in decision-making for I-O psychologists?

Answer 30

evidence-based decision making has been an increasing focus for I-O psychologists

Question 31

what is the TIP?

Answer 31

quarterly newspaper published by the SIOP provides latest relevant information about the field

Question 32

what is a welfare-to-work program?

Answer 32

a program that requires individuals to work in return for government subsidies

Question 33

what is a virtual team?

Answer 33

a team that works over large distances on common goals through technology

Question 34

what does the little research done on younger workers suggest?

Answer 34

• for younger adults, jobs that provide an opportunity to use current skills or develop new skills are most satisfying
• for younger adults who do not have the opportunity to use current skills or develop new skills, often leads to cynicism and lack of motivation
• younger worker represent a valuable resource since:
  
  • their multicultural school environments
    → open-mindedness that older generations did not have
  • more sophisticated technologically
  • tend to see the world globally, instead of domestically
  • their education levels tend to be higher than their parents’