What Is Industrial-Organizational Pyschology?

Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is the research and application of different aspects of human thought, motivation, and behavior in the workplace.

I-O psychology predates psychology's official birthdate in 1879. Here are some examples of pre-psychology I-O psychologists:

• Aristotle: Developed foundations for many modern organizational design concepts.
• Machiavelli: Offered leadership coaching to early organizational leaders.
• Thomas Hobbes: Encouraged centralized leadership to counter wild nature of human beings.
• John Locke: Proposed an early form of participative leadership.
• Adam Smith: Developed foundations for much of the way businesses have been organized since the time of the Industrial Revolution.