Introduction

Successful completion of this assessment will demonstrate your understanding of I/O concepts and theories and your ability to apply these foundational principles to research, training, and intervention programs, leadership coaching, and management systems. As an I/O psychologist, it is important that you are able to critically analyze theories and selectively apply the concepts and principles in the theories to professional practice in organizations.

Organizational Culture

The culture of an organization is like an interdependent ecosystem in which individuals change and relationships evolve continuously. Each individual employee brings a different perspective to the group. When individual employees are supported in achieving their full potential, they contribute to a positive organizational culture, which enhances the success of the organization for which they work. To foster optimal achievement for both the individual and the organization, I/O psychologists work with individuals in the workplace, to grow and improve their work environments, morale, leadership abilities, motivation, and job satisfaction.

Three Levels of Culture

Organizational culture is a hypothetical construct focused on three levels of distinction that include cultural artifacts, values, and basic assumptions. The functions of culture focus on external adaptation and internal integration. The problems of external adaptation include mission, goals, means, performance measures, and correction mechanisms (Lawson, Anderson, & Rudiger, 2013).

The internal processes of an organization include language, boundaries, power and status, peer relationships, reward system, and ideology (Lawson, Anderson, & Rudiger, 2013). This internal unity can foster constancy and a sense of employee loyalty to the larger group and to the organizational mission and purpose. Employees who are engaged in the welfare of the organization typically make both themselves and the organization more productive and successful. Therefore, the I/O practitioner continually explores and implements the various strategies and theories that enable individuals to work effectively as a group.

The Field of I/O Psychology

When you examine the roots of the field of I/O psychology, you study the nature of the forces that have driven the development of this subfield within the psychology profession. You also have the opportunity to consider what you want to achieve by knowing the field of I/O psychology better than you do now. Consider what you want to accomplish in this course. Why are you interested in this field?

Reference

Lawson, R. B., Anderson, E. D., & Rudiger, L. P. (2013). Psychology and systems at work. Pearson.

Preparation

As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.

• What are the differences and similarities between industrial psychology and organizational psychology?
• How might their findings be applied to your career field?
• How might research methodology be used to support future changes in I/O?
• What changes in your own workplace could be due to I/O psychology?
• How has the specialization evolved?
• What changes in the workplace have increased the importance of the I/O specialization?
• How might you expect I/O to change in the future, based on current trends?

Instructions

For this assessment, analyze three current I/O practices from a current or former workplace. Create a comparison table of the three current I/O practices you chose to show some of the following components. Discuss the remaining components in the narrative body of your paper:

• Describe the foundational theories and organizational practices underlying each current I/O practice.
• Explain three I/O practices for a workplace.
• Explain how the practice is applied for both industrial and organizational use and provide an example.
• Examine critically the evolution of the workplace changes with each selected practice and how changes have influenced the development of I/O psychology.
• Identify a related scholar-practitioner gap in a current or former workplace practice.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.
• Software: Use the software of your choice to create a comparison table, concept map, or mind map to meet the requirements for this assessment.
• References: A minimum of two scholarly sources for each identified I/O practice.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 points.
• Length: 5–7 pages.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Analyze the foundational theories and concepts of industrial and organizational psychology.
  • Explain current I/O practices for a workplace (such as selection, performance management, or training).
  • Describe the foundational theories and organizational practices underlying three current I/O practices.
  • Analyze the current research that supports current industrial and organizational psychology practices
  • Explain how the practice is applied for both industrial and organizational use.
  • Examine the evolution of workplace practices and how those practices have influenced the development of industrial and organizational psychology.
  • Identify a related scholar-practitioner gap in a current or former workplace practice.
• The Master’s in Psychology Library Research Guide: I/O Psychology can help direct your research.
• Landy, F. J., & Conte, J. M. (2016). Work in the 21st century: An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology (5th ed.). Wiley. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
  • The book is divided into three parts, each of which is divided into several chapters. Part 2 lists practices for industrial psychology, and Part 3 lists practices for organizational psychology. Each chapter focuses on a selected practice and also includes foundational theories.