Organizational Research
The problems that Industrial or organization psychologist study concern human mental processes and behavior in organizations and businesses. An example of a problem that an I/O psychologist maybe interested in is whether the salary of employees doing the same job is likely to determine their mood at work. Organizational research normally uses the scientific method because most the problems studied meet the four specific objectives relevant to scientific understanding; description, control, explanation and prediction.
Description requires that what is being studied should be accurately portrayed by identifying its characteristics and determining the degree in which it exists. In scientific research, the study must identify the variable involved. Organizational research normally identifies the variables that maybe of interest. For example, in a study to determine whether the salary of employees doing the same job is likely to determine their mood at work, the variables will be employees’ mood and salaries paid.
Explanation involves elucidating why the phenomena exist or the causal relationship. Scientific method is not only concern with identifying causal relationships, but also explaining the plausible reasons for the casual relationships. Similarly, organizational research is concerned with casual relationships and the plausible reasons as well. Prediction is the ability to anticipate events prior to their occurrence. This is important in scientific research in determining whether there is a knowledge gap. If we cannot predict a phenomenon accurately then a knowledge gap exists. Scientific research involves making hypothesis which is an educated guess and so does organizational research.
Lastly, control refers to removing the effects of extraneous variables or holding them constant in order to determine the existence of a causal relationship. Control experiments are very crucial in scientific research. Organizational research also employs control experiments while studying phenomena.
References
Christensen, L. B., Johnson, R. B., & Turner, L. (2011). Research Methods, Design, and Analysis. New Jersey: Prentice Hall .
