Defining ourselves: I-O psychology's identity quest

Ryan, Ann Marie

doi:10.1037/e578792011-002

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(27 reference statements)

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“…This analysis of attributes can also be extended to other collectives such as professions. For example, Ryan (2003) suggested a core emphasis on psychology, employment of a scientific approach, operating with a multilevel framework, and concern for the effectiveness of the organization and the well‐being of individuals as CEDs for organizational psychology. Others would add that the embrace of the scientist–practitioner identity has dominated the field historically (Zickar & Gibby, 2007) and is explicitly endorsed as a central attribute in training guidelines (http://www.siop.org/PhDGuidelines98.aspx).…”

Section: Key Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organizational Psychology1 and the Tipping Point of Professional Identity

Ryan

Ford

2010

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

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Using concepts from the literature on individual and collective identity, we argue that organizational psychologists are at a tipping point with regard to identity. Assertions regarding a lack of distinctiveness from other fields, ambiguity in individual identification with the field among new entrants, hyperadaptation to external forces, and a failure to manage within‐identity dynamics associated with science and practice are presented. These assertions are supported with descriptions of the nature of growth in the field, challenges in academic psychology departments, and calls for changing research agendas. With the aim of engaging others in collective sensemaking, alternative future scenarios for organizational psychology are presented.

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Section: Key Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organizational Psychology1 and the Tipping Point of Professional Identity

Ryan

Ford

2010

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

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“…I believe our antipathy to acknowledging the role played by values in both research and practice (because they are presumably soft‐headed, unscientific, and merely reflect subjective prejudices) may sometimes lead us to misidentify relevant values issues as disciplinary content issues, thus failing to appreciate the importance of the former. For example, in making the case for the preeminence of content over practice in establishing professional identity (and rightly so), Ryan (2003) states:…”

Section: Our Real Distinctiveness: It's a Matter Of Valuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, questions such as “Is this the morally right thing to be doing?”; “Is the option we’ve chosen fair to everyone involved?”; “Are we about to cause unnecessary harm?”; “Will this help create a better workplace for employees?”; or “What will be the adverse effects of this on the local community?” are much less frequently represented in our deliberations. Although the American Psychological Association (2003) code of ethics indicates that “Psychologists are committed to … improv[ing] the conditions of individuals, organizations, and society” (preamble), and most definitions of OP contain a phrase reflecting “concern for the effectiveness of the organization and the well‐being of individuals” (Ryan & Ford; also see Ryan, 2003), in the customary practice of OP the organization is clearly preeminent over concern for individual employees, other stakeholders, or the commonweal. It is the rare exception when the latter are paid more than lip service.…”

Section: Our Real Distinctiveness: It's a Matter Of Valuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Industrial-Organizational Psychology's Recurring Identity Crises: It's a Values Issue!

Lefkowitz

2010

Ind. organ. psychol.

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It's important to place the issues expressed by Ryan and Ford (2010) in historical perspective. Although they acknowledge some earlier expressions of concern, especially with respect to professional training (Naylor, 1971), I think it's fair to characterize the overall tenor of their essay as one of sounding the alarm: a new and unique impending identity crisis. However, as previously noted, “industrial-organizational psychology seems to be subject to recurring identity threats” (Lefkowitz, 2005, p. 18).

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“…According to Strümpfer, I-O psychology should be viewed as a specialised field within the larger field of psychology that focuses on the workplace (Van Vuuren, 2010). Ryan (2003) is concerned with how the field fits into the broader field of psychology. Perloff (2005) states that during the past 50 years, 'I-O psychology has drifted from its roots in mainstream psychology to its current alliance with practical business aims ' (p. 95).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the role of the industrial-organisational psychologist as counsellor

2014

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Orientation: Industrial-organisational (I-O) psychologists are often confronted with counselling interventions in the workplace and thus it is vital that they are effectively prepared for their role as workplace counsellors.Research purpose: The aim of this study was to review the role of I-O psychologists as counsellors and to ascertain whether these practitioners are effectively prepared for this purpose.Motivation for the study: I-O psychologists are mainly concerned with the deep-rooted problems individuals experience in the workplace, and they therefore need appropriate counselling skills. However, it is not clear whether graduates in this discipline receive adequate training for this role.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative research design with convenience and snowball sampling of 22 participants was utilised. Participants were practising I-O psychologists across Gauteng and North West (South Africa). Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to gather data, which were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis.Main findings: Participants were familiar with the meaning of counselling and confirmed that they are faced with a range of counselling situations requiring a unique set of skills and competencies. Based on these findings, participants made recommendations for the future training of I-O psychologists and recommended that counselling be included in the scope of practice of I-O psychologists.Practical/managerial implications: The role of the I-O psychologist requires training in short-term therapeutic techniques and counselling in tertiary education.Contribution/value-add: The study clarifies the role of the I-O psychologist as a counsellor that will ensure that I-O psychologists can be trained more effectively for this role.

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Defining ourselves: I-O psychology's identity quest

Cited by 17 publications

References 40 publications

Organizational Psychology1 and the Tipping Point of Professional Identity

Organizational Psychology1 and the Tipping Point of Professional Identity

Industrial-Organizational Psychology's Recurring Identity Crises: It's a Values Issue!

Exploring the role of the industrial-organisational psychologist as counsellor

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