The Dangers of Resource Myopia in Work and Organisational Psychology: A Plea for Broadening and Integration

Abstract

On souligne dans cet essai les limites de l'approche quantitative traditionnelle en psychologie du travail et des organisations. Il est nécessaire de s'orienter vers un élargissement de la palette des méthodes une ouverture sur de nouveaux problèmes et une meilleure intégration d'une part avec les disciplines connexes, d'autre part avec les applications des résultats des recherches pour garantir l'utilité et la mise en oeuvre de la future psychologie du T&O. Ce qui ne signifie pas que les microproblèmes doivent être laissés de côté, mais on part du principe que la psychologie du T&O ne doit pas être privée de la possibilité de s'attaquer aux questions de niveau moyen et global, souvent les plus pertinentes, sous prétexte que l'on ne dispose pas des outils appropriés pour les traiter.In this essay the limitations of the traditional quantitative approach in work and organisational psychology are put forward. It is argued that an extension of the methods, a broadening of the type of problems to be addressed, and a stronger integration with associated disciplines as well as with the application and implementation of the research findings are needed to ensure the usefulness and application of future W&O psychology. It is not suggested that micro-level problems should not be investigated, but it is postulated that W&O psychology should not be deprived of the opportunity to tackle other, and often more relevant, mesoand macro-level issues because we lack appropriate tools for attacking them.

Psychology: Is It Applied Enough?

“…As President of All European Academies (ALLEA), the European federation of national Academies of Sciences and Humanities (from 2000 to 2006), I was privileged to participate extensively in European Science policy discussions, and to be able to observe science's impact on the debate on major societal issues and problems. As was also reported elsewhere (Drenth & Heller, 2004), there is ample evidence of the above‐mentioned undervaluation of psychology. Examples are: Discussions on global change are mainly conducted by natural scientists: climate researchers, geologists, mathematicians, and chemists; there is some economic input, but hardly any from the behavioural sciences.…”

“…A strictly positivistic, quantitative tradition may be unsuitable to provide insight into the concrete contextual complexity of organisational or governmental decisions and strategy. Elsewhere (Drenth & Heller, 2004), we have argued that multi-method approaches, including qualitative and descriptive analyses, and the involvement of multidisciplinary teams, are necessary to address the compounded problems of modern organisations' strategies and courses of action. Such a renewed and successful approach would have to include a transdisciplinary orientation.…”

Social Sciences: Truthful or Useful?

“…A strictly positivistic, quantitative tradition may be unsuitable to provide insight into the concrete contextual complexity of organizational or governmental decisions and strategy. Elsewhere, 20 , 21 we have argued that multi-method approaches, including qualitative and descriptive analyses, and the involvement of multidisciplinary teams, are necessary to address the compounded problems of modern organizations’ strategies and courses of action. Such a renewed and successful approach would have to include a transdisciplinary orientation.…”

Social Sciences: Truthful or Useful ?

“…A strictly positivistic, quantitative tradition may be unsuitable to provide insight into the concrete contextual complexity of organisational or governmental decisions and strategy. Elsewhere (Drenth and Heller, 2004), we have argued that multi-method approaches, including qualitative and descriptive analyses, and the involvement of multidisciplinary teams, are necessary to address the compounded problems of modern organisations' strategies and courses of action. Such a renewed and successful approach would have to include a transdisciplinary orientation.…”