The Role of and Statistics in Organizational Psychology - Research Paper Example

The Role of Research and Statistics in Organizational Psychology The complex nature of the workplace environment is governed by the presence of several variables that are responsible for defining the performance, commitment and productivity of a company’s employees. According to Landy and Conte (2009), the need for conducting research and developing statistical data is a fundamental concept in organizational psychology because it allows I-O psychologists to evaluate past decisions for the purposes of establishing a new advanced and optimized model of a system.

By evaluating the outcomes of prior assessments and research, I-O psychologists can make empirical observations and generate theories to promote effective practices throughout the organization. Landy and Conte (2009) note that this is only achieved once I-O psychologists conduct research which allows them to anticipate the outcomes of initiating a varied system or model within the organization or altering an existing framework that has not been yielding desired results. The role of research in organizational psychology is of immense significance because it enables employers to comprehend the foundations of numerous processes that are at work within a company.

This observation permits the management to view current frameworks in terms of their contribution to overall organizational success. For example, research in the field of organizational psychology has been able to reveal that the conventional hiring process which is based upon a first-come, first-served basis is highly ineffective and an employer is most likely to recruit a better candidate by conducting personality-based assessments of the potential employee (Landy and Conte, 2009). The abovementioned example is indicative of the fact that organizational psychology research essentially assists the evolution of current practices by observing existing trends and testing the results of altering current frameworks.

As suggested by Landy and Conte (2009) effective research instills confidence within the organization’s management regarding the outcomes of decision-making and enhances the probability of securing positive results. Similarly, the role of statistics in organizational psychology is such that it enables I-O psychologists to explore the correlations that are shared between different variables. For example, analysis of statistical data enables researchers to comprehend the varying impact of prevailing conditions on individual, group and structural variables.

The Use of Organizational Psychology in Organizations The field of organizational psychology is marked by constant progress and evolution to accommodate the arrival of new theories, advanced methods of research and recent findings. As stated previously the role of research in the field of organizational psychology enables I-O psychologists to develop effective frameworks and models to enhance organizational performance and address various issues within a company.