Have you ever wondered if industrial organizational (IO) psychology is a discipline of business or a branch of psychology? Then you’ve come to the right place, because we’ve got the short and sweet answer: it’s both.
Before you get too confused, there’s a reason for that. IO psychology is a type of psychology that is used in the corporate world to help organizations run better and to help employees enjoy where they work. But there’s a lot more to it than that, so read on to discover why IO psychology is a bit of business and psychology.
What IO Psychology Is
IO psychology studies how people behave in the workplace. It focuses on how individuals and groups respond to leadership or company culture and what motivates them. Equipped with research and observation, professionals help companies with hiring, training, managing performance, improving morale, and organizing teams.
Unlike most clinical psychology, IO doesn’t deal with diagnosing mental illness. Instead, it applies scientific methods and principles to tackle workplace and organizational challenges. In short, IO is psychology, but applied and used exclusively in business and organizations.
What IO Shares with Business
Because IO psychology deals with people at work, it naturally overlaps with business concerns. Here are several ways IO blends psychology with business:
- Workplace performance and productivity: IO psychologists design hiring processes, performance reviews, training programs, and employee assessments to make companies run more efficiently.
- Organizational behavior and structure: They study how company culture, team dynamics, leadership style, and group behavior affect employee motivation and satisfaction.
- Human resources and consulting roles: Many IO professionals work in decision-making roles, like HR, management consulting, organizational development, or internal company strategy.
Because of these overlaps, IO psychology can feel a lot like a business degree. You’re concerned with everything business is concerned with: productivity, leadership, structure, hiring, and other organizational strategies.
What Makes IO a Psychology Degree
While a lot of IO is focused on business, there’s important elements that make IO firmly a part of psychology:
- Behavior science foundation: IO relies on psychological theories about behavior, cognition, motivation, personality, and group dynamics. They use tools like surveys, statistical analysis, and psychological measurement.
- Focus on people, not just profit: Unlike business degrees that might prioritize profit and operations, IO centers on improving employees through training and development so they can do their best work.
- Research and evidence-based interventions: IO psychologists use empirical research and data, not just intuition or tradition, to design solutions. For example, professionals measure employee satisfaction and their performance.
IO psychology may be applied in business, but its principles, practices, and knowledge all come from psychology. It is effective because it has grounds in real research and study into the science of human behavior.
The Bottom Line
Industrial organizational psychology is simply behavioral psychology with an application in business. Its roots are in the science of human behavior, but its practices can be found in workplaces, companies, and organizations.
If you want a career that values both people and productivity, then IO psychology might be right for you. It offers a useful bridge between helping companies succeed and allowing people to grow and improve their experience at work.
If you want to learn more about IO psychology, check out BYU-Idaho’s degree page [LINK TO Industrial Organizational Psychology DEGREE PAGE] and other articles about the fascinating career path.
Citations
https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/industrial
https://www.mynextmove.org/profile/summary/19-3032.00
https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/social-sciences/what-is-i-o-psychology
https://www.franklin.edu/blog/what-is-industrial-organizational-psychology
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/19-3032.00