Organizational psychology Study Guide

📖 Core Concepts Industrial & Organizational (I/O) Psychology – applies scientific psychology to improve employee and employer well‑being and organizational effectiveness. Scientist‑Practitioner Model – I/O psychologists conduct research and apply findings directly to work problems. Job Analysis – systematic collection of what a job entails (tasks + required KSAOs). Selection Validity – evidence that a hiring tool predicts job performance (content, construct, criterion‑related). Performance Appraisal vs. Performance Management – appraisal = periodic rating; management = ongoing feedback & coaching. Person‑Environment Fit – alignment between a person’s abilities/values and job demands predicts satisfaction and performance. Occupational Stress Models – demand‑control‑support, effort‑reward imbalance, person‑environment fit. Organizational Climate & Culture – shared perceptions (climate) vs. deeper shared values & assumptions (culture). Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) – discretionary, non‑rewarded actions that help the organization. Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB) – actions that harm the organization, ranging from absenteeism to violence. Leadership vs. Management – leadership inspires change; management plans, budgets, and solves problems. --- 📌 Must Remember General Mental Ability (GMA) is the single strongest predictor of job performance (meta‑analysis). Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels – Reaction, Learning, Behavior, Results. Core Job Design Dimensions (Hackman & Oldham) – skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, feedback. Safety Climate = employees’ shared perception of safety priority (Zohar, 1980). Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) = management’s commitment to psychological health (Dollard & Bakker, 2010). Fiedler’s Contingency Model – match leader style (task‑ or relationship‑oriented) to situational favorableness. Path‑Goal Theory Styles – directive, supportive, participative, achievement‑oriented. Six Bases of Power – coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, referent, informational. Meta‑analysis Requirements – correct for sampling error & publication bias. --- 🔄 Key Processes Job Analysis → Selection → Training → Performance Management Conduct interviews/questionnaires → derive KSAOs → design selection tests → validate → identify training gaps → evaluate impact (Kirkpatrick). Performance Appraisal Cycle Set criteria → observe behavior → rate using behaviorally anchored scales → give feedback → adjust goals. Safety Climate Improvement Survey → share results → develop safety‑oriented leadership actions → monitor climate change. Team Building Intervention Diagnose team climate → select appropriate activity → implement → evaluate outcomes (often mixed). Person‑Environment Fit Assessment Measure person abilities/values → match to job demands/values → predict satisfaction & stress. --- 🔍 Key Comparisons In‑role vs. Extra‑role Performance In‑role: core technical duties. Extra‑role: OCBs like helping coworkers, citizenship. Selection Methods: Tests vs. Interviews Tests: higher reliability, stronger criterion validity (especially GMA). Interviews: lower reliability, susceptible to bias unless structured. Transformational vs. Transactional Leadership Transformational: vision, inspiration, intellectual stimulation → higher safety climate. Transactional: contingent rewards, monitoring → focuses on rule compliance. Safety Climate vs. Psychosocial Safety Climate Safety Climate: physical safety focus. PSC: psychological health focus; buffers emotional demands. --- ⚠️ Common Misunderstandings “All personality predicts performance.” – Only conscientiousness consistently predicts higher performance; other traits vary by job. “OCB is always good.” – Compulsory OCB can be driven by pressure, leading to burnout. “More training automatically improves performance.” – Effectiveness depends on clear objectives, active practice, and feedback (Arthur et al., 2003). “High‑skill teams always outperform low‑skill teams.” – Without task interdependence or proper resources, skill alone isn’t enough. --- 🧠 Mental Models / Intuition “Fit = friction.” – Imagine a gear (person) meshing smoothly with another gear (job). Mis‑fit creates friction → stress, lower performance. “Safety climate is a thermometer.” – If employees constantly talk about safety, the temperature is high; if silence, climate is low. “OCB is the oil that keeps the machine running.” – Small discretionary acts reduce wear on formal processes. --- 🚩 Exceptions & Edge Cases GMA predictive power drops for very low‑complexity jobs – ability matters less when tasks are routine. Demand‑control‑support model may not apply to highly autonomous creative roles where “control” is already high. Meta‑analysis effect sizes can be inflated if publication bias isn’t corrected. --- 📍 When to Use Which Select a test vs. work sample – Use tests for large applicant pools and when KSAOs are cognitive; use work samples for jobs with observable, task‑specific skills. Apply behaviorally anchored rating scales – When you need to minimize rating error in performance appraisals. Choose transformational leadership – In environments needing cultural change or safety improvement. Use hierarchical linear modeling – When data are nested (e.g., employees within teams). --- 👀 Patterns to Recognize High job satisfaction → low turnover & higher life satisfaction (consistent across meta‑analyses). Stressors + low PSC = higher burnout – look for the interaction in case studies. Team interdependence + team‑based rewards = better cooperation – common in successful project teams. Absenteeism and CWB often co‑occur – a red flag for underlying disengagement. --- 🗂️ Exam Traps “All OCB categories are always voluntary.” – Remember compulsory OCB exists under pressure. Confusing safety climate with overall organizational climate. – Safety climate is a specific perception about safety, not the whole climate. Assuming “any leadership style works if the leader is charismatic.” – Fiedler and Path‑Goal emphasize fit to situation, not charisma alone. Choosing “personality” over “conscientiousness” as the best predictor. – Conscientiousness is the specific trait with robust evidence. Over‑relying on interview scores for high‑complexity jobs. – Structured tests (GMA) have stronger validity for these roles.