1. Introduction
2. The Organizational Man
3. Lesson 2 Objectives and Readings
4. Lesson Assignment

Introduction

The field of I-O psychology is devoted to the general idea of examining the human element in the workplace. That is, it is an applied field of psychology that focuses on how we can apply psychological research methods and understanding of human behavior, thoughts, and emotion to people as they work and pursue careers.  It’s quite possible that this focus on the human element is more important now than ever, given the complexities of the workplace, careers, and life, in general.  The vast majority of people can no longer think of their careers in terms of a simple, linear progression up the ladder of a single employer.  Individuals are likely to work in several different organizations during their careers.  They may even change careers multiple times.  Furthermore, the metaphor of a career lattice, including horizontal and downward career moves in addition to vertical career moves, may represent career movement more realistically than the career ladder that had represented upward promotion in one employer’s organizational chart, ascending rung by rung.  The vast majority of people can no longer rely on that single employer to invest in developing their skills and competencies.  Individuals will need to gather information about themselves, develop their self-awareness, and proactively seek out developmental opportunities to adapt and take their careers in directions that best suit him/herself.  As the saying goes, the only constant will be change, and individuals will need to be able to adapt to the inevitable changes.