IO - Review

• I/O Psychology


  A branch of psychology which applies psychological principles in the workplace
• Principles applied in I/O Psychology

  • Principles of learning used to develop training programs and incentive plans
  • Social psychology principles used to form work groups and understand conflict
  • Principles of motivation and emotion used to motivate and satisfy employees
• Industrial side of I/O Psychology

  Determining competencies, staffing the organization with those who have competencies, and increasing competencies through training
• Organizational side of I/O Psychology

  Creating an organizational structure and culture that motivates employees to perform well, give them necessary information to do their jobs, and provide working conditions which are safe and result to an enjoyable environment
• Major fields in I/O Psychology

  • Personnel Psychology
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Human factors/ergonomics
• Personnel Psychology


  Covers job analysis, recruitment, selection, determining salary levels, training, and evaluating employee performance
• Organizational Psychology


  Concerned with leadership, job satisfaction, employee motivation, org communication, conflict management, org change, and group processes
• Human factors/ergonomics


  Focuses on workplace design, human-machine interactions, ergonomics, and physical fatigue/stress
• The field of I/O Psychology started when Walter Dill Scott wrote "The theory of advertising" where psychology was first applied to business


  1903
• Hugo Munsterberg wrote "psychology and industrial efficiency"


  1910
• Walter Dill Scott wrote "Increasing human efficiency in business"

  1911
• The field of I/O Psychology created its first big impact during WWI when the army alpha (literate) and beta (illiterate) tests of mental ability were used to assign various units within the army
• John Watson developed perceptual and motor tests for potential pilots while Henry Gant helped with increasing the efficiency with which cargo ships were built, repaired, and loaded
• Thomas A. Edison created a 150 item test which he administered to 900 applicants, understanding the importance of selecting the right employees


  1920
• Frank and Lillian Gilbreth's time and motion studies improved productivity and reduced fatigue
• The Hawthorne studies were published, focusing on the quality of the work environment as well as the attitudes of employees


  1930s
• Passing of major pieces of civil rights legislation, focusing HR professionals on developing fair selection techniques. Sensitivity training and training groups were utilized.

  1960s
• Greater understanding of employee satisfaction and motivation. Skinner's behavior modification techniques were increasingly used.


  1970s
• Four major changes happened: use of sophisticated statistical techniques and analysis methods, new interest in the application of cognitive psychology to industry, interest in the effects of work on family or leisure, and a renewed interest in developing methods to select employees

  1980s-1990s
• Rapid advances in technology was the greatest influence, with the use of computers and the internet in terms of screening, recruitment, training, etc. The changing demographic in the workplace was also evident.

  2000s
• Job analysis is the foundation of all human resource activities
• Job analysis


  Used to determine the tasks an employee performs, the conditions under which they are performed, and the competencies needed to perform the tasks
• Uses of job analysis

  • Writing job descriptions
  • Employee selection
  • Training
  • Person power planning
  • Performance appraisal
  • Job classification
  • Job evaluation
  • Job design
• Components of a good job description

  • Job title
  • Brief summary
  • Work activities
  • Tools and equipment used
  • Job context
  • Performance standards
  • Compensation information
  • Job competencies
• Conducting a job analysis

  1. Identify tasks performed

  2. Write task statements

  3. Rate task statements

  4. Determine essential KSAOs

  5. Selecting tests to tap KSAOs

  
• Task statement


  At minimum, contains an action (what is done) and an object (to which the action is done). May also contain the where, how, why, and when the tasks are done.
• KSAOs


  Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics needed to perform a job
• When competencies are tied to an organization's strategic initiatives, the process is called competency modeling
• Job analysis methods: General information about worker activities

  • Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)
  • Job Structure Profile (JSP)
  • Job Elements Inventory (JEI)
  • Functional Job Analysis (FJA)

  
• Job analysis methods: Information about tools and equipment

  • Job Components Inventory (JCI)
• Job analysis methods: Information about the work environment

  • AET ("Arbeitswissenschaftliches Erhebungsverfahren zur Tatigkeitsanalyse")
• Job analysis methods: Information about competencies

  • Occupational Information Network (O*NET)
  • Critical Incident Technique (CIT)
  • Threshold Traits Analysis (TTA)
  • Fleishman Job Analysis Survey (F-JAS)
  • Job Adaptability Interview (JAI)
  • Personality-related Position Requirements Form (PPRF)
• Internal pay equity


  Comparing jobs within an organization to ensure that the people in jobs worth the most money are paid accordingly
• External pay equity


  The worth of a job is determined by comparing the job to the external market. Salary surveys are usually given out to other organizations.
• Steps in evaluating a job

  1. Determining compensable job factors

  2. Determining levels for each compensable factor

  3. Determining factor weights
• Other ways employees may be compensated


  • Pay for time not worked (holiday, vacation, sick days)
  • Deferred income (SS and pension plans)
  • Medical and dental insurance
  • Perquisites
• Steps in selecting employees

  Job analysis -> selecting testing methods -> test validation -> recruitment screening -> testing -> selecting -> hiring/rejecting
• Methods of recruitment


  • Newspaper advertisements
  • Electronic media
  • Internet
  • Situation wanted ads
  • Point of purchase method
  • Campus recruiters
  • Employment agencies
  • Executive search firms
  • Employee referrals
  • Direct mail
• Recruitment methods


  • Campus recruiters
  • Employment agencies
  • Executive search firms
  • Employee referrals
  • Direct mail
  • Incentives
• Campus recruiters


  • Sending recruiters to campuses to answer questions about themselves and interview students
  • Virtual job fairs may also be utilized