Labour has always been a part of human life but

was not official paid labour. The separation of

work and personal life did not become clear until Traditionally the study of industrial psychology
the industrial revolution. New modes of mainly focused on individual differences,
production and social classes such as the employee selection, training, performance
working class and the capitalist class emerged appraisal and workforce productivity. It
during industrialization. Karl Marx’s ideas of class originated during industrialization during the
struggle are still applicable today which is evident early 20th century. Whilst organizational
in the disputes between workers and psychology focuses on comprehending how
management. Karl Marx defined "modes of organizations impact the behaviour and welfare
production" as the social and economic of employees. It began to gain recognition in
interactions that result from a society's after early 1900. Industrial/organizational (I/O)
organization for the production of goods and psychology is that specialty area within the
services. broad field of psychology that studies human
behavior in work settings (Ronald, 2015).
INDUSTRIAL
ORGANISATIONAL IOP investigates the link between
workers and the workplace and focuses
PSYCHOLOGY: on the ways in which work environments
affect behaviour, well-being and
Week1 performance of the workers. This helps
in creating plans to improve productivity
in the workplace. The relevance of
Adam Smith, an economic theorist, thought that industrial organizational psychology in
little government involvement was necessary for today’s changing work environment is
market to operate at their best. A hands-off helping employees with the transition
approach, where leaders give little guidance and let into the digital and virtual workspace
team members or employees make decisions on and challenging socio-economic-political
their own (Sharma & Singh, 2013), is the hallmark contexts. The goal of industrial and
of the laissez-faire management or leadership style organizational psychologists is to
understand how organizations function
as a whole as well as the behaviour of
the individuals.
The concepts that are presented in the figure above share a common theme through their examination of how human behaviour, work settings
and leadership styles have an impact on workplace productivity, employee well-being and organizational dynamics. The field of Industrial
Psychology focuses on individual performance factors such as employee selection, training and selection. Organizational psychology then
further expands on this analysis by focusing on how the overall structure and culture of an organization influence employee behaviour and well-
being. The connection between Adam Smith’s laissez-faire leadership style and organizational psychology shows how different leadership
philosophies affect worker motivation, autonomy and productivity. Karl Marx’s ideas link to organizational psychology by illustrating how
socioeconomic institutions in particular power dynamics between the proletariat and bourgeoise can lead to tensions.

Traditionally the goal of industrial psychology has been to increase the individual productivity through employee selection, training, and
performance appraisals. This processes are vital to Industrial Organizational psychology because they maximize worker performance which was
necessary for industrialization and is still relevant in the context of digital workplaces today.
Riggio, R. E. (2015). Introduction to industrial and organizational psychology. Routledge.
Sharma, L., & SINGH, S. K. (2013). CHARACTERISTICS OF LAISSEZ-FAIRE LEADERSHIP STYLE: A CASE STUDY. CLEAR
International Journal of Research in Commerce & Management, 4(3).
 Industrial Psychology’s Impact
 Grew in recognition through the wars and World War I:
workplace adaptations
 Screening recruits for mental deficiencies
 Psychological Testing: Influenced
industries like mining and military  Assigning recruits to jobs (ensuring skill
utilization)
 Evolved through institutions like NIPR and
HSRC for research and policy shaping  Morale, discipline, psychological effects of
injury
 Fordism:  Key Contributions:
o Mass production & o Robert Yerkes: Developed Army
specialization of tasks Alpha & Beta tests (intelligence &
(Henry Ford) (Dassbach, literacy) (Warner, 2019)
1991)
o Walter Scott: Classified soldiers,
o Efficiency vs. worker Industrial created job duties (job analysis)
dissatisfaction (e.g., Organizational Psychology:
Amazon) Week 2
World War II:
 Scientific Management:
 Expanded testing for soldier
o Frederick Taylor:
classification
Focused on task
efficiency, productivity,  Psychologists addressed
training, and morale, group dynamics,
performance-based pay psychological health
(Peek, 2023)
 Industrial Psychology: Refined
o Criticized for treating Post-War Contributions: and widely accepted as a
workers like machines scientific and applied field post-
 Simon Biesheuvel:
WWII
 Time-and-Motion Studies:
o South Africa (SA), National Institute for Personnel Research
 Focus on personnel selection
o Frank & Lillian Gilbreth: (NIPR) founder (1946) (Yerkes, 1919)
and job analysis
Reduced unnecessary
o Applied psychological testing (esp. mining industry, Air Force)

 Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC): Replaced NIPR (1969)

o Focus on large-scale research aligned with SA’s development

needs (education, labor, etc.)
The mind map represents a summary of the evolution and key contributions of industrial-organizational psychology, particularly during and
after the World Wars. It outlines the following:
1. Psychologists' Role in the World Wars:
o During World War I and II, psychologists were involved in screening recruits, assigning jobs based on their skills, and studying
the mental health, morale, and discipline of soldiers.
o Key figures like Robert Yerkes and Walter Scott developed intelligence tests (Army Alpha and Beta) and job classification
methods, contributing significantly to the fields of personnel selection and job analysis.
2. Post-War Contributions:
o Simon Biesheuvel in South Africa founded the National Institute for Personnel Research (NIPR), applying psychological
testing to the mining industry and military, later succeeded by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in 1969.
3. Key Concepts in Industrial Psychology:
o Fordism (mass production and task specialization) and Scientific Management (Frederick Taylor's efficiency-focused work
methods) are highlighted as major influences on workplace organization and worker efficiency.
o Time-and-Motion Studies (Frank and Lillian Gilbreth) focused on improving task efficiency by minimizing unnecessary
movements.
4. Impact of Industrial Psychology:
o The wars helped establish industrial psychology as both a scientific and applied field, focusing on personnel testing, job
placement, morale, and efficiency in both military and civilian industries.
The work for this week is centered on the evolution and uses of industrial and organizational psychology, or I-O psychology, with a focus on its
historical contributions before, during, and after the World Wars. I-O psychology is the study of how people behave in work environments with
the goal of improving productivity, job satisfaction, and general organizational effectiveness. Through the development of psychological exams
for military selection, job placement, and morale enhancement, the field played a pivotal role during the World Wars. Important individuals who
contributed to the establishment of psychological testing procedures that are being used in contemporary work environments include Walter
Scott, Simon Biesheuvel, and Robert Yerkes.

I-O psychology has a big influence on this week's subjects since it shows how psychological concepts were used to solve practical problems like
increasing worker productivity (with techniques like Fordism and scientific management) and streamlining job assignments. These concepts'
development into contemporary psychological techniques continues to have an impact on workplace dynamics, such as hiring decisions, job
analyses, and performance reviews. This week's study demonstrates how the core contributions of I-O psychology have influenced businesses,
both military and civilian, by offering frameworks for improving worker well-being, job satisfaction, and productivity.
Dassbach, C. H. (1991). The origins of Fordism: The introduction of mass production and the five-dollar wage. Critical Sociology, 18(1), 77-90.
Warne, R. T., Burton, J. Z., Gibbons, A., & Melendez, D. A. (2019). Stephen Jay Gould’s analysis of the Army Beta test in The Mismeasure of
Man: Distortions and misconceptions regarding a pioneering mental test. Journal of Intelligence, 7(1), 6.
Yerkes, R. M. (1919). Report of the psychology committee of the National Research Council. Psychological Review, 26(2), 83.