Occupational psychology is a discipline within psychology, dedicated to applying psychological principles to work settings, that aim to improve employee’ s performance.
The domain extends well beyond the physical boundaries of the workplace since there may be factors that influence work behavior and productivity that are not found in the work settings (Landy & Conte, 2007).
The contribution of Occupational Psychology can be seen already since the beginning of the 19th century when Galton and Cattell in Great Britain and the USA respectively laid the foundations of psychological measurement and evaluation, which are still today among the most important activities of organizational psychology. However, during the first decade of the 20th century the studies of Taylor and the Gilbreth couple significantly influenced the evolution of organizational psychology. Taylor firmly believed that if organizations would apply systematic methods of measuring and analyzing employee behavior, employee productivity would automatically increase. Carrying out a series of experiments, the so-called “time studies”, Taylor aimed to improve and upgrade work systems. The results of his experiments were impressive, showing that employee productivity has greatly increased. The most well-known application of Taylor’s model was Ford’s assembly line (model T), which resulted not only in a mass-market demand for automobiles but also changed mass-manufacturing processes across many products and industries. F.W Taylor also suggested that employees productivity would increase if they were assigned tasks which were related to their personal characteristics and capabilities. The “time study” was later expanded by Frank and Lilian Gilbreth, who basically focused on motion. More specifically, Frank Gilbreth is known for his efforts to find more effective ways of performing tasks, by reducing the motions involved. Lilian suggested that scientific management should focus more on helping employees show their potential through the development of their skills and abilities.
The World War II had also a significant effect on the development of Industrial and Occupational Psychology. Specifically, the increased needs of the selection, the training and the placement of more than a million army recruits led to extensive use of psychometric tests. Additionally, a significant number of psychologists started getting systematically involved with issues such as motivation, leadership, team development and training. At the end of the war many occupational psychologists including Arthur Kornhauser (1965), conducted research on whether and how work conditions can affect employees’ mental health and personal life.
Over the past 2 decades, the recognition of the benefits of occupational and work psychology has been significantly increased. Understanding the role and the importance of human resources within organizations and businesses has led to the development of Occupational Behavior and Psychology. The spread of the assessment centres developed by occupational psychologists as well as the contribution of work psychology on selection and recruitment practices has been impressive. They are focusing not only on predicting who is going to be appropriate for the job, but also on attracting better candidates in the first place. Currently, selection is considered as a two-way decision-making process whereas procedural justice is considered (Patterson, 2001). Parker, Wall and Cordery (2001) stress the growing significance of work design and provide an elaborated model of work design to reflect rapid changes in the organizational settings.
Increased demands, including extended working hours, the decay of the working week, and overtime as a result of understaffing may have devastating consequences for employees health. However, despite the fact that work hours may have increased in several occupations, there has been a decline in real income, especially for low wage earners. From the employer’s perspective, the research evidence suggests that extended work hours lead to performance deficits in the long term. There is a need to calculate the long-term costs and ill effects of prolonged work hours, both to the employee and the organization.
Already, occupational psychologists have been highlighting the positive effect of flexible work patterns on work-family balance. For instance, employee choice regarding working hours has been found to be a significant factor in fostering well-being. Furthermore, occupational and work psychology has played a key role in the formulation of government policy and legislation regarding work settings whereas there efforts are focusing even more on developing a more holistic approach.
Most of us are now well versed in the changes occurring within the organizational landscape. These include greater global competition, new forms of work enabled by information and communications technology, increased service sector work, growth in contingent work, more individualized career paths and the changing composition of the workforce—to name but a few. What does this change mean for the theory and practice of work design?
Nowadays, since the nature of the work is constantly changing, organizations have to deal with multiple challenges. Organizations have now to place themselves in a global economy and satisfy demanding stakeholders such as employees, the community, shareholders and the environment. Moreover, the increasing diversity within businesses’ workforce poses another set of challenges for occupational psychologists. Organizations are having difficulties managing and capitalizing on the talents of employees who are significantly different in terms of age, national origin and race. Employees’ perspectives and attitudes are also changing. They are now looking for personally fulfilling jobs and for opportunities to develop their skills and abilities. In order to effectively balance work and life demands, they also want to be flexible to decide where and when to work. Technology is an essential part of the 21st-century workplace.
In addition, since organizations and business managers are focusing even more on adaptability and employees wellbeing, occupational psychologists are playing key roles by providing valuable services. They are focusing more on the social context of work and they are getting involved with issues such as assessment of cognitive demands, workplace changes, and organizational strategies (Patterson, 2001).