PS10C Introduction to IO Psychology

1
Lecturer Sophia S. Morgan E-mail
sophia.morgan_at_uwimona.edu.jm
2
Overview of Topic Areas

• Section I - Introduction
• What is Psychology (I.1)
• What is Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  (I.2)
• Research Issues and Approaches in I/O Psychology
• Characteristics of the Organization
• The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization

3
Lecture Outline

• Why is research important to the I/O
  Psychologist?
• The Research Process
• Research Designs
• Measuring Variables
• Research Methods Individuals, Groups, and
  Organisations
• Characteristics of the organization
• The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization

4
Importance of Research to the I/O Psychologist

• GOAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
• - Describe, explain, predict situations/ human
  behaviour
• - Solve problems/challenges
• - Improve/Enhance work behaviour
• (alter/change or control behaviours)

5

• .

Formulation of the problem
Generation of hypothesis
Choosing an experimental design
Collection of data
Statistical analysis of data
Interpretation of results and drawing
of conclusions
6
The Research Process

• Formulation of the Problem or Issue
• - Prior Research
• - Existing problem in the workplace
• - Researcher's interest

7
The Research Process

• The Research Design
• - The research should consider important factor
  of the research setting in deciding which design
  is best.

8
The Research Process

• Generation of hypothesis
• - What does the researcher intend to measure?
  (Variables)
• - Statement (s) of relationship (hypothesis)
• - Development of theories or models

9
The Research Process

• Collection of Data
• - Sampling methods
• - (Data collection methods)

10
The Research Process

• Analysis of Research Data
• - Quantitative Analysis Techniques
• - Qualitative Analysis Techniques

11
The Research Process

• Interpretation of Research Results
• - The meaning of the findings is explored
• - Conclusions are drawn
• - Limitations are identified

12
Some Issues in the Research Process

• Objectivity limit personal biases and value
  judgement
• External Validity the extent to which the
  findings of your research can be generalised
• Reliability the extent to which the same result
  is achieved (consistency) when a measure is
  applied repeatedly
• Confidentiality information from research
  should not be disclosed to unauthorised
  individuals
• Ethical Considerations Rights and
  responsibilities of the researched and the
  researcher

13
Research Designs

• Experimental (laboratory Field)
• - Independent variables dependent variables
  extraneous variables
• - Treatment group control group

14
Research Designs

• Correlational (Observational)
• - Examines relationships among variables as
  they occur naturally
• - No manipulation of the variables
• - Does not determine cause-and-effect (causal
  statements are made however)

15
Research Designs

• Meta Analysis
• - Drawing conclusions about the relationship
  between variables from the examination of a
  number of research studies
• Case study
• - Observational study involving a single
  activity, event, organisation, or behavioural
  assessment

16
Measuring Variables

• Operationalisation of Variables
• Observational Techniques
• - Obtrusive
• - Unobtrusive
• Self Report Techniques
• - Surveys
• - Interviews

17
Research Methods Individuals, Groups, and
Organisations

• Individuals
• Measurement of Attitude, Aptitude, Personality
  etc
• Situations in which research on individuals may
  be undertaken include
• - Screening and selection
• - Promotion

18
Research Methods Individuals, Groups, and
Organisations

• Groups
• - Self Report (Sociometry Moreno 1934)
• - Observations Interaction Processes Analysis
  (IPA Bales)

19
Research Methods Individuals, Groups, and
Organisations

• Organisations
• Action Research/Participatory Action Research
• - Strategic Planning
• - Team Building
• - Process Consultation
• - Management by Objectives (MBO)

20
The Organization

• Characteristics of the organization
• The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization
• Research Issues and Approaches in I/O. Psychology

21
Characteristics of the Organization

• Structure
• Process
• Culture
• Boundaries

22
Characteristics of the Organization

• Structure - the arrangement of positions in an
  organization and the authority and responsibility
  relationships among them (Riggio) T
• Ways we can describe structures
• Traditional vs Non Traditional
• Chain of Command Span of Control
• Decentralized vs Centralized
• Functional vs Divisional

23
Characteristics of the Organization

• Traditional vs Non Traditional

24
Characteristics of the Organization

• A. Traditional vs Non Traditional
• A bureaucracy is a classical example of a
  traditional organization
• Max Weber
• German Sociologist
• According to Weber there are six defining
  features of a bureaucratic organization
• These are
• Specialization of Labour
• Well Defined hierarchy of hierarchy
• Formal rules and procedures
• Impersonality
• Employment decisions based on merit
• Written records

25
Characteristics of the Organization
How would you describe these structures?
26
Characteristics of the Organization

• Structure Contd
• Chain of Command - the number of authority
  levels in the organization. This is represented
  vertically on an organigram or organization
  chart.
• The span of control is the number of workers who
  must report to a particular supervisor.

27
Characteristics of the Organization

• Decentralized vs Centralized Decision Making
  Power
• Centralization the degree to which the decision
  making authority is concentrated at the top of
  the hierarchy
• Decentralization the process of taking the
  decision making authority out of the top level
  and distributing it to lower levels.
• Functional vs Divisional (Tasks vs Products or
  customers)
• Functional organizations divide the organization
  into departments based on the tasks performed
• Divisional organizations may divide the
  organization based on types of products or
  customers.
• Discussion What are the advantages and
  disadvantages of each?

28
Characteristics of the Organization

• Process This describes how organizational
  goals are achieve and the set of interactions
  involved.
• Leadership
• Decision Making
• Conflict Management
• Goals and tasks

29
Characteristics of the Organization

• Processes Contd
• Eg. Leadership the ability to influence others
  to act
• Leader Behaviour (concern for people
  consideration and concern for task completion
  initiation)
• Leadership Style transformational, adaptive,
  transactional etc.

30
Characteristics of the Organization

• Culture the glue that binds the organization
• It is also the shared values, beliefs,
  assumptions and patterns of behaviour within an
  organization Riggio

31
Characteristics of the Organization

• Culture Contd
• Artifacts visual organizational structures and
  processes
• Espoused Values Organizational philosophy,
  mission, goals etc
• Shared Assumption Unconscious beliefs, thoughts
  and feelings
• (Edgar Schein)

ARTIFACTS
ESPOUSED VALUES
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
32
Characteristics of the Organization

• Culture Contd
• Artifacts Visible indicators Eg. Language,
  technology, clothing/style of dress, manner of
  address, myths, stories these are usually
  easily discerned but hard to decipher
• Espoused Values Company vision, conscious
  strategies, goals and objectives etc,
• Basic Assumptions These represent the core
  aspect of culture

33
Characteristics of the Organization

• Boundaries Clear Definition of organization's
  parameters Help to define the organization's
  identity
• Strategies
• Vision
• Core Business
• Membership

34
The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization

• Lindos Plantation Model
• The sugar plantation is the organizational model
  that defines Caribbean Organizations
• Three features characterize this model
• A set of absentee owners
• An overseer or middle management class
• Almost undifferentiated mass of slave labourers
• Two other models, Colonial Administration the
  Family Firm are also prominent

35
The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization

• Nunes Draper - Classification of Caribbean
  Business Organizations
• Branch Bureaucracy
• Margin Gatherer
• Public Administration
• Indigenous Firm

Civil Service
Quasi-Public Institutions
Large Corporations
Small Enterprises
36
The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization

• Nunes Draper - Classification of Caribbean
  Business Organizations
• This taxonomy involves four broad categories
• Branch Bureaucracy Large-scale subsidiaries of
  multinational corporations based in the region
• Margin Gatherer Established commercial sector
  which has its roots in the trading activity.
  This is important in dependent economies.

37
The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization

• The Taxonomy Contd
• 3. Public Administration All bureaux that are
  accountable to government
• Civil Service Organisations that perform the
  customary functions of government organisation
• Quasi-Autonomous Agencies that provide
  developmental services, are indirectly
  accountable to the political system, have
  technical rather than political leadership
• 4. Indigenous Firm Business entities owned and
  controlled locally
• a. Large Organisations the increasing number
  of business organisations engaged in
  construction, manufacture, services etc
• b. Small Enterprise The range of business
  activities from one man operation up to those
  which engage in as many as twenty persons

38
The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization

• Nunes and Draper used five criteria to establish
  the classification. These are
• Ownership and Control
• Prevailing Ethos
• Clientele
• Type of Response Mechanisms
• Sensitivity to Local Environment

39
The Caribbean (Jamaican) Organization

• Some Issues for Consideration (Discussion)
• Leadership - Management Style (Plantation
  Management Model)
• Productivity Motivation (Why Workers Wont Work)
• Education and Training - Quality of Jamaican
  Worker Trainability
• Trade Union Role vs Management Role
• Some References
• Lindo Caribbean organizations
• Carter Why workers wont work
• 3. Cowell, Noel (2004). Is work is a four-letter
  word? Work attitudes and the myth of the lazy
  Jamaican worker. Social and Economic Studies,
  533, 1-29