INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL(I-0) PSYCHOLOGY

Jay M. Finkelman, Ph.D., C.P.E., M.B.A.

Professor and System-wide Associate Dean

Nurcan Ensari, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Marshall Goldsmith School of Management

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I-O Psychology - An Overview

What is I-O Psychology?What do I-O Psychologists Do?What are typical I-O Psychology

careers?What are job prospects like?How much do I-O Psychologists make?How can I become an I-O Psychologist?What training is required?

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What is I-O Psychology?

Both a science and a practice

Science and practice complement each other

Science provides theoretical knowledge

Practice applies and/or generates theory, and identifies important issues for research

“Scientist-Practitioner Model”

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Application of psychological principles to address problems of human behavior at work, e.g.:

Increase motivation and teamwork Improve leadership and governance Improve employee recruitment, selection & retention Increase organizational performance & effectiveness Increase job satisfaction, participation, & involvement Improve communication, decision-making, & conflict resolution Reduce needlessly high levels of stress

What is I-O Psychology?

Who are I-O psychologists ?

- Scientists who derive principles of individual, group, and organizational behavior through research;- Consultants and staff psychologists who develop scientific knowledge and apply it to the solution of problems at work; and- Teachers who train in the research and application of I-O psychology.

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What Do I-O Psychologists Do?

Conduct basic and applied research at 3 levels:

IndividualGroupOrganization / Whole System

Consult to:IndustryGovernmentNon-Profits

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What Do I-O Psychologists Do?

Teach: Graduate and undergraduate classes, at Colleges, universities, and corporate

universities Supervise student research

Many I-O Psychologists combine all three: Consult, and also teach adjunct courses Work as a professor, conduct basic and/or applied

research, and consult to external clients

Some Interesting Research Topics Within I/O Psychology

Performance Appraisals: Assessing worker performance. It can provide information that is valid for pay increases, promotions etc. Organizational Development: Change in the workplace and how a company goes about the transition process to new ways of managing things. Assessment Centers : Evaluating job applicants in a structured way in order to find the best fit for hiring and/or promotion. Leadership : What makes a leader and what the different styles of leadership are. Training and Development : Different types of training and how companies go about providing training in the workplace.

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Highest Degree

Primary Job M.A. Ph.D.

Consulting 12.7 22.7

Teaching 3.4 31.8

Internal – Private Sector 53.4 29.3

Internal – Public Sector 17.9 7.5

Other 12.6 8.9 Based on Rentch, et al. (1997)

What Do I-O Psychologists Do?

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Examples of Job Titles for I-O Psychologists

Human Resources Director

Training and Development Manager

Industrial Relations Director

Sales Analyst

Management consultant

Personnel Research Director

Professor

Behavioral Scientist

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What Are Typical Careers Like?

Consulting Fast-paced Serving the needs of clients through the

application of scientific approaches Internal - within a human resource or

organization development departmentServing as an internal “change agent”

External - as a member of a consulting firm, or independently, serving multiple clientsOften involves a lot of travel and long hours

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Teaching and Research Colleges and smaller universities tend to focus on

teaching

Large universities focus on research, may involve little teaching (most done by doctoral students)

Most time spent doing research and writing grant proposals

Busy and varied job with many different projects

High level of autonomy to pursue your own research and writing interests

What Are Typical Careers Like?

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What Are Job Prospects Like?

In a word, excellent!The demand for I-O Psychologists is

growingMany, varied job opportunities

More opportunities for Ph.D.’s than M.A.’s Academic positions require Ph.D. Can become a practitioner with an M.A.

Some Potential Attractions of Careers in I/O Psychology

Many Opportunities: One can work for a HR department, in management or for multiple companies as a consultant. Challenges: Relatively new field; people are still trying to learn more about people in the workplace. In Demand: To increase job satisfaction and performance, companies need I/O psychologists to help them out. Set Own Hours: Somewhat flexible hoursCan be Independent or Work for a Company: Create your own consulting firm or work with a large company and have a set salary and workday.

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How Much Do I-O Psychologists Make*?

Master's Degree: Median annual salary $67,000

Doctorate: Median annual salary $90,000

25% earned > $125,00010% earned > $200,000

Academic positions are lower paying, but professors can make up the difference through consulting & writing, and have more autonomy

* From SIOP Income and Employment Survey 2000.

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How Do I Become an I-O Psychologist?

Begin learning about the field. Explore APA and SIOP: www.siop.org Become a student member! Read The Industrial Organizational Psychologist.

Learn about I-O graduate programs: Graduate Training Programs in Industrial/Organizational

Psychology and Related Fields (from SIOP). See www.siop.org/gtp/gtp98/phdpsychprograms.htm

Visit grad school websites (e.g., www.alliant.edu) Think about research topics that might interest you

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What Training is Required?

B.A. in Psychology recommended Some students major in related fields such as

Business or Sociology.

Graduate education required: Minimum: Master's in I-O (2-3 years). Maximum: Doctorate in I-O (+2 or more years). Internships recommended during graduate

school. Teaching during grad school if academic career. Masters’ thesis & dissertation. Qualifying / comprehensive exams.

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What Questions Do You Have?

Thank You For Your Attention, and

Good Luck With Your Career Choices!