91 Industrial-Organizational Psychology and STS

Introduction

One third of your life is spent at work: this equates to roughly 90,000 hours! How can we make work as rewarding, enjoyable, and seamless as possible? This is the motivation behind I-O psychologist Andrew Naber’s work. In “One Third of Your Life is Spent at Work,” Naber explained to the writers at Gettysburg College that his research in I-O psychology focuses on discovering what impacts life at work and how to improve it (One Third of Your Life is Spent at Work). Ranging from applying scientific methods to improve efficiency and productivity in the workplace to applying psychological research methods to improve employee well-being and job satisfaction, I-O psychologists broadly work to improve the interaction of society with science and technology.

Connection to STS

Industrial-Organizational psychology is a wonderful example of STS. Pitzer College defines STS as “an interdisciplinary field that studies the conditions under which the production, distribution and utilization of scientific knowledge and technological systems occur; the consequences of these activities upon different groups of people” (Science, Technology and Society 2023). The Industrial side of I-O psychology aims to improve the interaction between people and the tools or technology they use at work. For example, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth’s time-motion studies analyzed time spent in completing a work task in order to improve efficiency. The Organizational side of I-O psychology aims to improve the interaction between people in the workplace. For example, many I-O psychologists are called into businesses to give employees personality tests so that they can understand themselves better and understand how to work with people who are different from them. I-O psychology looks directly at the relationship between science, technology, and society.

History of I-O Psychology

Industrial-Organizational (I-O) psychology has a rich historical background that has shaped its development into a distinct field of study today. The Principles of Scientific Management, proposed by Frederick Winslow Taylor in the early 20th century, laid the foundation for the application of scientific principles to improve efficiency and productivity in the workplace (Taylor 1919). Another influential work in the history of I-O psychology is the Hawthorne studies, which highlighted the significance of human factors and social dynamics in the workplace, leading to the emergence of the human relations movement in management (Olson et al. 2004). Throughout the mid-20th century, I-O psychology continued to evolve and expand its focus. The field began to incorporate concepts from other disciplines such as sociology, economics, and organizational behavior. The emergence of World War II also played a significant role in the development of I-O psychology, as psychologists were called upon to assist with personnel selection, training, and morale in the military. The focus began to expand to improve not only the interaction between people and the tools they used in the workplace, but also the interaction between each person involved in a business.

The Hawthorne Effect

The Hawthorne Effect is one of many discoveries made by Industrial-Organizational Psychologists. Derived from studies conducted at the Hawthorne plant in the 1920s, the Hawthorne effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals modify their behavior or performance in response to being observed (Zwane et al. 2011). The Hawthorne Effect is useful in the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology because it gives insight into how to increase productivity in employees, but the implications of the Hawthorne Effect exceed the workplace. The Hawthorne Effect also impacts the research process through requiring measures to validate and increase reliability that a bias was not present in the experiment due to the Hawthorne Effect. Therefore, findings from Industrial-Organizationa Psychologists not only benefit the field but other areas of research as well.

Lillian Gilbreth: an Influential Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

Lillian Gilbreth was a pioneering figure in the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Her work focused on the intersection of psychology and management, with a particular emphasis on efficiency and waste reduction in the workplace. Lillian Gilbreth’s work extended beyond traditional management practices, however. She broke ground in industrial and household management techniques, while her husband, Frank, specialized in technical work efficiencies (Mangaroo-Pillay & Roopa 2021). Together, they used innovative methods such as time-exposed photography to study the movements and motions of workers, leading to advancements in work simplification and productivity (Gibson et al. 2015). Lillian Gilbreth’s contributions were not limited to her professional work; she played multiple roles throughout her life, including daughter, student, wife, mother, author, engineer, psychologist, domestic scientist, and teacher (Gibson et al. 2015). Her diverse experiences and perspectives shaped her approach to management and influenced her contributions to the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology.

Conclusion

Industrial-Organizational Psychology plays an important role in improving the interactions between science, technology, and society. By applying psychological principles and research methods, I-O psychologists contribute to the design of user-friendly technology, enhance organizational behavior, and optimize work processes. An example of a phenomenon discovered through the work of I-O psychologists is the Hawthorne Effect, which regards how individuals modify their behavior if they know they are being watched. This phenomenon helps businesses understand how to receive the best work from their employees. Through the work of I-O psychologists, they strive to make the interactions between employees and tools as beneficial and efficient as possible, ultimately leading to improved productivity, well-being, and societal outcomes. I-O psychologists such as Lillian Gilbreth have helped us enjoy the one third of our life spent at work by improving employee well-being and general efficiency in the workplace.

References

Gibson, J. W., Clayton, R. W., Deem, J., Einstein, J. E., & Henry, E. L. (2015). Viewing the work of Lillian M. Gilbreth through the lens of Critical Biography. Journal of Management History, 21(3), 288–308. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmh-01-2014-0014

Mangaroo-Pillay, M., & Roopa, M. (n.d.). Beyond the Industrial Engineering Frontier: A few steps in history and a giant leap into the future. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering. https://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2224-78902021000300002

Olson, R., Verley, J., Santos, L., & Salas, C. (2004). What we teach students about the Hawthorne studies: A review of content within a sample of introductory IO and OB textbooks. The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, 41(3), 23-39.

One third of your life is spent at work. Gettysburg College. (n.d.). https://www.gettysburg.edu/news/stories?id=79db7b34-630c-4f49-ad32-4ab9ea48e72b

Science, Technology and Society. Academics. (2023, November 10). https://www.pitzer.edu/academics/field-groups/science-technology-society/

Taylor, F. W. (1919). The principles of scientific management. Harper & brothers.

Zwane, A., Zinman, J., Dusen, E., Parienté, W., Null, C., Miguel, E., … & Banerjee, A. (2011). Being surveyed can change later behavior and related parameter estimates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(5), 1821-1826. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1000776108