UK occupational/organizational psychology, applied science and applied humanism: Some further thoughts on what we have forgotten

Abstract

We argue that if we lose the essentially humanistic orientation of early psychology we risk becoming ‘servants of power’. If we focus on technique, we risk becoming technicians. If we ignore the political we risk powerlessness. We maintain our position that applied psychology has immense potential in serving humanity, but wastes energy seeking legitimacy through pursuing an outdated notion of science. Finally, we continue to believe that psychology may be in danger of forgetting pioneering work, with consequent neglect of much that is valuable, not least our values and raison d'etre.

Organizational Psychology and the Tipping Point of Professional Identity

“…Just as some European countries (and some U.S. states) attempt to understand the implications of population stagnation, so too must organizational psychology come to grips with its own reproduction challenge. In 2008, Tetrick noted that of SIOP members who are academics, 43% work in business schools (see Kwiatkowski & Duncan, 2006, for discussion of a similar trend in the UK). Reflective of this, Highhouse and Zickar (1997) indicated how editorial board members of leading journals increasingly had business school rather than psychology department affiliations.…”

Organizational Psychology1 and the Tipping Point of Professional Identity

“…Just as some European countries (and some U.S. states) attempt to understand the implications of population stagnation, so too must organizational psychology come to grips with its own reproduction challenge. In 2008, Tetrick noted that of SIOP members who are academics, 43% work in business schools (see Kwiatkowski & Duncan, 2006, for discussion of a similar trend in the UK). Reflective of this, Highhouse and Zickar (1997) indicated how editorial board members of leading journals increasingly had business school rather than psychology department affiliations.…”