| Organizational Psychology is a subject which applies | | | | assessing human characteristics and knowledge about |
| the principles of psychology into one of the most | | | | human performance, we are experts in selection. |
| important areas of people's life - work. Specifically, we | | | | Based on the understanding about the requirements of |
| work with the human aspects of the workplace and | | | | the job as well as the characteristics needed for any |
| aim at improving people's efficiency, and hence | | | | particular position, we can come up with an ideal |
| organizational effectiveness, through our knowledge | | | | person profile that the organization is looking for. Then |
| about human functioning. | | | | we can design, or choose among proper tools that |
| There exist a group of professionals who share a | | | | accurately measure the required characteristics, |
| similar aim and are working closely with us, the human | | | | knowledge and skills. |
| resource professionals. Despite the close relationship | | | | According to research these procedures enable us to |
| with HR professionals, Organizational Psychologists are | | | | create the best selection system which predicts future |
| distinctive professionals. Unfortunately, there is always | | | | performance of the employed staff. One should not |
| some confusion among the general public that people | | | | be surprised that the best selection tools like |
| just cannot tell who is who. More importantly, even | | | | psychometric tests, assessment centres, and |
| some HR professionals do not know what we are | | | | structured interviews as well as standardized selection |
| doing and what can we offer them. | | | | procedures are all designed and developed by |
| When we tell them we are Psychologists, a frequent | | | | Organizational Psychologists. |
| reply is "but we don't have any mental problems"! | | | | Another contribution of the organizational psychology |
| As Organizational Psychologists, we work with a wide | | | | profession to the HR field is in training. A brief look at |
| range of domains that are related to people's | | | | the training market reveals that it is flooded with many |
| everyday work life. We design work activities, | | | | training courses and providers. |
| schedules and workplaces; we design reward | | | | Obviously their quality varies and some of them do not |
| principles that are based on human motivation theories; | | | | even know what they are talking about! Our own |
| we develop training principles and train the trainers; we | | | | company has undertaken work for clients who have |
| develop selection procedures and tools; we formulate | | | | come to us after being dissatisfied with trainers who |
| performance appraisal systems; and we advise on | | | | appear to have simply taken some information from |
| organizational development issues as well as career | | | | the internet to put together a training session without |
| development decisions. | | | | any real understanding of the subject matter! |
| As you may recognise, our work reaches every | | | | As Organizational Psychologists we are working hard |
| working individual on the planet and our working field is | | | | to turn around this situation. We are experts in training |
| very closely related with the work of HR professionals. | | | | design; some understand how people learn and how |
| Although there are quite a few overlapping areas | | | | people learn the best! In designing and delivering training |
| between Organizational Psychology and Human | | | | courses, scientific human learning theories and training |
| Resource Management (HRM), there are fundamental | | | | principles are followed, but not just by gut feelings or |
| differences between us. | | | | experience only. Factors like transfer of learning, |
| The first and perhaps the most obvious difference | | | | specific needs of the organization and maintenance of |
| between us is the knowledge foundation. As | | | | learning are all fully considered. |
| psychologists, we base our work heavily on science. | | | | Besides selection and training, Organizational |
| All work has to be backed up by scientific evidence | | | | Psychologists also offer various consultancy and |
| and statistics is always in our toolbox. | | | | advisory services to HR professionals. The range of |
| In contrast, HRM is essentially a business study which | | | | work can be as small as reviewing a performance |
| emphasizes more on the practical side, with less focus | | | | appraisal check list or an assessment centre exercise |
| on the scientific side. Moreover, in addition to working | | | | to as big as designing a tailored selection system. |
| on overlapping areas, we work on different levels. | | | | On top of that, we can also go into the organization to |
| Organizational Psychologists focus more on the design | | | | diagnose the roots of problems and solve them |
| and development of procedures, tools and principles | | | | accordingly, using our scientific approach and |
| while HR professionals work more on the operational | | | | advanced knowledge about mechanisms and |
| level, such as implementation of selection systems and | | | | dynamics within the workplace. |
| applying training principles in real training scenarios. | | | | However, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, |
| The discrepancy between the knowledgebase of | | | | one big obstacle we face is the lack of knowledge |
| Organizational Psychologists and HR professionals has | | | | about our profession within the HR profession |
| been documented in academic journals. | | | | (particularly in Asia), as well as the public in general. |
| For example Sally Carless and colleagues pointed out | | | | The implication is that we often face questions like |
| that although there are important advancements in | | | | "what is organizational psychology?", "what is the |
| HR-related research, the everyday HR practice have | | | | difference between Organizational Psychologists and |
| benefited from it to a minimum level. They found that | | | | HR consultants?" and even "why do I need to employ |
| this is due to the lack of knowledge among HR | | | | scientific tools and procedures?" It can be hard work |
| professionals, especially when the training of the HR | | | | explaining all this to prospective clients! Another related |
| professionals emphasizes on general skill and | | | | problem is people always think we are very |
| knowledge in favour of science. | | | | expensive! |
| In contrast, the training of Organizational Psychologists | | | | But the fact is all the products and services we offer |
| is built upon the scientist-practitioner model which | | | | are based on scientific research which means they |
| emphasizes on both research and practical skills and | | | | have undergone lengthy and sophisticated processes |
| stipulates that practice must be supported by scientific | | | | of development and the cost of all these are huge. By |
| evidence. | | | | employing our scientific tools and principles the benefit |
| Another reason may lie in the Continuous Professional | | | | is long lasting and continuously contributing to the |
| Development (CPD) requirement. As Organizational | | | | performance of the organization, and these are all |
| Psychologists, CPD is a statutory condition for | | | | documented in the scientific literature. |
| registration and this helps them to keep updated with | | | | Another hidden obstacle for us in Asia is caused by |
| the latest developments in the field. However there is | | | | the organizational hierarchy. Very often, the first |
| no such requirement for HR professionals. Carless's | | | | contact point between our clients and ourselves are |
| study confirmed that Organizational Psychologists are | | | | assistants of HR professionals who have minimal |
| experts in the field, especially in the area of selection | | | | understanding of what we are talking about. When |
| and the authors articulated that "scientific integrity is a | | | | they do not understand they just cannot relay our |
| key differentiating feature of I/O (Organizational) | | | | message precisely to their manager. |
| psychologists." | | | | The result is obviously that the management level |
| Having closely related working areas, our work is | | | | does not receive our message and the name of |
| actually complementary to each other. Without | | | | Organizational Psychology just remains unheard no |
| Organizational Psychologists in the design and | | | | matter how hard we try! |
| development work of various HR processes and tools, | | | | As Organizational Psychologists, we see a real need |
| the HR professional would not be enjoying these | | | | to educate the public, and more importantly, HR |
| scientific and highly effective products. | | | | professionals about the subject of Organizational |
| On the other hand, without the help of HR | | | | Psychology so that the fruit of science can be |
| professionals we could never apply our work to such | | | | returned to them. |
| a broad range of people. Moreover, our relationship is | | | | There are major overlapping work areas between |
| much more complex and interactive than one might be | | | | Organizational Psychologists and HR professionals |
| aware of. Besides the above mentioned supplier-user | | | | such as selection, training, career development and |
| relationship, HR professionals are also partners, | | | | performance management, but we work on different |
| advisors and sometimes suppliers for Organizational | | | | levels and perspectives thus our relationship is actually |
| Psychologists. | | | | collaborative rather than competitive. |
| HR professionals are our partners in projects where | | | | Organizational Psychologists can offer help to HR |
| we provide them with the technical skills and | | | | professionals in various areas such as training design, |
| knowledge while they take care of the operational | | | | development of selection systems, supervising |
| part. Furthermore, HR professionals are experts of | | | | performance management processes and many |
| their company; therefore we work side by side during | | | | more. Nevertheless Organizational Psychologists in |
| consulting jobs where we need them to assist us with | | | | Asia face obstacles as the subject is relatively |
| internal matters as well as providing us with an insider | | | | unheard of among HR professionals and |
| view. | | | | communication is often blocked by organizational |
| More importantly, as HR professionals are frequent | | | | hierarchy. |
| users of our services and products, we rely a lot on | | | | Therefore one very important task for us as |
| their opinions and requests in developing our products | | | | Organizational Psychologist is to promote this subject |
| and services. They are also providers of valuable data | | | | so that people know what we can offer and make |
| and participants for us to carry out scientific studies | | | | use of our expertise! We are sure that with the |
| (e.g. validation of assessment tools). All in all, we are | | | | growing popularity of the subject, HR professionals, |
| inter-dependent parties with entwined relationships | | | | and other related professionals like career counsellors |
| rather than independent parties or competitors. | | | | and coaches, will benefit highly from Organizational |
| Being Organizational Psychologists, what can we offer | | | | Psychology. |
| to HR professionals? A lot. With the expertise in | | | | |