Assignment 2: Using Psychology at Work

Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology can impact the workplace in a wide range of areas. When it comes to understanding human behavior, industrial/organizational (I/O) professionals can support organizations as they manage change, become more global, and even strategically plan for the future. Consider the value of understanding how people work and think as you answer the following questions:

• What is utility theory, and how does it apply to industrial/organizational (I/O) applications, such as employee selection?
• What is the systems approach? Thinking about your most recent/current job, did the organization use a systems approach in performance management? If so, what evidence of the systems approach did you observe? If a systems approach was not used, how could it have been applied?
• Imagine that you are an industrial/organizational (I/O) professional taking a new job. The organization is going through reorganization, and strategic planning meetings are taking place. The meetings do not include anyone from human resources (HR) or an industrial/organizational (I/O) professional. What might you say to convince the chief executive officer (CEO) that you should be included in strategic planning?

Your response should directly address each question, providing references and examples to support your points. You should use at least two scholarly sources cited in APA format. Comment in a substantive manner to at least two of your classmates. Some comments or questions you may consider as you respond to others include:

• Another perspective on one of the topic areas
• An additional reference with an interesting complementary or different view of the topic areas
• A personal example related to one of the topic areas
• Other applications of utility theory
• A different experience with the systems approach
• Suggested improvements in the use of the systems approach
• Additional evidence to support the value of industrial/organizational (I/O) in strategic planning

Submission Details:

• Write your initial response in a minimum of 300–400 words. Cite the sources as per APA standards.
• By Friday, February 20, 2015, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Through Wednesday, February 25, 2015, review and comment on at least two of your classmates’ responses. Provide substantive, meaningful posts in order to further the discussion. Request clarification from them, suggest alternative career choices for them, and provide any helpful information you may have about their selected careers.

Discussion Grading Criteria and Rubric

All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 40 points. Download the discussion rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.