Industrial Organizational Psychology

During the late nineteenth century the compulsion to study and measure human motives and capabilities came about followed with the birth of the concept Industrial organizational psychology (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.). Industrial organizational psychology, eminently referred to as I/O psychology, is the extension of psychology that applies psychological theories and the principles of organizations (Cherry, n.d.). Converging on the increasing workplace productivity and other issues related to the mental and physical well being of the employees (Cherry, n.d.). Psychologists evaluate companies and conduct leadership training based on the observations of employee behavior and attitudes that populate the company (Cherry, n.d.).

Noting the systematic nature of psychological research some early psychologists sought out to apply the interpretation to business predicaments (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.). Beseeched by numerous advertising executives, Walter Dill Scott wrote and published one of the first books linking psychology and the business world collectively (Industrial /Organizational psychology, n.d.). The Theory of Advertising written by Walter Dill Scott was recognized as the first book to link the two worlds of business and psychology, a commencement to the era. The nineteenth century brought about many writings from psychologists which had been influenced by the writing of others, each one having an impact on the I/O psychology movement (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.).

During World War I, in 1917, the applied psychology transformed into its own true branch and strengthened as the war raged on (McCarthy, 2002). Psychologists were able to investigate the morale, motivation a...

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... Industrial/Organizational psychological methods are found to be the larger organizations of our time (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.). A number of large American corporations namely AT&T, IBM, General Motors Corp., Ford Motor CO., and PepsiCo, Inc., currently have a staff of I/O psychology (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.).

In today’s work force there are a multitude of reasons for organizations to be interested in the social and psychological process to better understand how their organization and its employees produce a more productive and competitive company. In regards to these reasons the Industrial/Organizational psychology has had a profound impact on our workforce in the past, present, and near future; it is almost a wonder where we would be today if not for the founding fathers of this particular branch of psychology.