What is the difference between i/o psychology and organizational behavior

Department of Labor reports that wages also vary considerably depending upon the industry in which industrial-organizational psychologists are employed. The mean annual wage for various industries is as follows:. Students who are interested in applying psychological principles to real-world setting should consider industrial-organizational psychology.

If you have a strong interest in psychology as well as related subjects such as product design, computers, statistics, and engineering, this may be the ideal field for you. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Muchinsky PM. Thomson Wadsworth; Bureau of Labor Statistics. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists.

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I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Subject Areas. Historical Figures. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! These considerations included motivation, satisfaction, and how people get along with each other. That area became known as organizational psychology. In the decades since, the two have merged to where there is little distinction. According to Landers, the main distinctions are as follows. Even so, both sides borrow from the other, creating no real distinction between the two in many settings.

IO Psychology has now expanded just helping businesses, according to the American Psychological Association. Success in IO psychology requires a combination of specific skills. They include expertise in psychology and its application to the workplace, of course. But they also include data analysis, critical thinking, research skills, psychometrics, and knowledge of test development and validation principles.

Psychologists requires doctoral training and licensing. There is a growing need for more workforce analytics, more AI, and a greater understanding of organizational development needs and growth, including some difficult conversations. This is often used with a group of subjects and may be presented as a questionnaire. The psychologists uses past history to assess the presence of patterns that may or may not be an asset. Another difference between industrial-organizational psychology and human resources is the goals they set.

They also extract information that can be used to determine appropriate compensation for the job and other things that could help in employee retention. By studying the employee and his workplace environment, the consultant can help business owners increase the wellbeing of the employee and the company. A human resource manager is a member of the human resources department of an organization. They are in charge of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, disciplining and terminating employees.

They also put together benefit plans, compensation packages, and insurance plans while also dealing with legal problems and staff issues. Human resources managers also handle timekeeping and payroll.

Many employers prefer HR personnel who have backgrounds in psychology. That accounts for much of the overlap in the disciplines. In small corporations, the difference between an industrial-organizational psychology and human resources may not be an issue. In larger companies, however, the HR department may include several managers. Some of the main types are:. This manager is responsible for meeting staffing needs in an organization.

One of the major concerns of job applicants is salary and benefit packages. This HR manager is responsible for surveying the industry standards for salary and things like insurance and other benefits to ensure that the company is competitive with others to attract quality applicants.

The manager may also work with unions and organizations to determine what constitutes fair compensation for jobs. Working with unions is also part of the responsibilities of this manager. He or she is involved in negotiations and disputes. The labor relations manager also serves as a liaison between the workers and management to develop labor policies. This person creates training programs to meet the needs of employees in different departments.

Department heads communicate needs to the manager who works to address deficiencies. This may include upgrading the skills of an individual employee or an entire department. It also pertains to continuing education needs. The Health and Safety HR manager is responsible for being aware of workplace safety laws and OSHA policies to be certain his or her company is in compliance. Industrial-organizational psychology and human resources are similar fields in that both professionals are focused on making an organization an attractive workplace and keeping their employees happy.

Returning to the doctor reference mentioned above, the psychologist is the diagnostic physician and the HR manager is the attending physician or nurse who uses the diagnosis to create and carry out a treatment plan. Two major differences between the two professionals are the salaries and the educational requirements.