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INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

CHAPTER II : Research Method in I/O Psychology

Book Ref : I/O Psychology by Paul E. Spector

1. Introduction . This chapter mainly deals with the methodologiesadopted in research for I/O Psychology. It explains the major concept andtypes of design with their relative advantages and disadvantages. It alsocovers the drawing of conclusions from the data collected by usinginferential statistics. Moreover it reviews the major principles of researchethics.

2. Aim . The aim of the paper is to summarize the topics covered in

chapter II and give own comments/understanding of each topic.3. General

a. Nature of Refined Questions how these are refined intotestable research hypothesis.

b. Research Designs; how these are used as basis of organizational research studies.

c. Basic principles of measurements, which define how

observations of the phenomena of interest are collected.d. Draw conclusions, from the data of an investigation.

OWN COMMENTS

4. Nature of Refined Question

a. Research question has to be specific and not general,concerning the subj matter for which the data is being collected.

A varied answer may lead to swayed conclusions depending

upon the perception of the interpreter rather than the opinion or the replies of the subject.

b. ³Birds of Feather flock together´, so the data being collectedshould also cater for nature of job employment andenvironments. Each cat be tested separately, people doingfield job and desk job will how different opinion workenvironment, nature of job, physical and mental abilities andperception.

c. Since this form part of basis of complete study such asemployment of research design and phenomena of interesttherefore matter has to be very clear and cognisant.

d. Hypothesis once established has to be now confirmed, soframing of questions all the more reason become important andspecific.

e. There is joke also on this SPECIFIC. Some lady wished toGod to provide him lots of good flowers in her courtyard and

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the best man. Next day she was given lots of roses andblessed with Abdul Sattar Eidhi, so be SPECIFIC.

5. Research Design Concept . There are numerous design conceptsdeveloped after the studies and it has to be selected and applied very

carefully according to the requirement and environment of the subjectorganization.

a. Variables . All the intangible items like intelligence, behavior,attitude etc are attributes to variable. These cannot bemeasured directly therefore each is given some weightnumber to be quantified is statistically.

b. Research Setting . This implies that the research will be doneis lab or field. Although the best results can only be obtainedby carrying out the research at actual location as lab cannotcreate these natural environments, like stresses, movementsand motivation.

c. Generalisability . It is a concern that the studies carried out inthe lab hold good for field also, moreover the studies for onegroup will be effective for others also or not. The onlyconfidence once can have about the conclusions drawn is after a successful finding of some results in the field as well.

d. Control . During some study it is likely that variations enter thestudy to effect the conclusion. These have to be kept in mindand should be eliminated or reduced by deliberate efforts.Variation of job environment, status/ level of subjects will givedifferent response to same questions. So the category beselected into various groups and then groups be analyzed assingle entity.

e. Random Assignment and Random Selection . As the wordRadom is self explanatory for the understanding of this topic.Literally speaking it means not systematic but it should not beconfused with Haphazard. It is only that it is non-sequencialotherwise all participants are provided equal chances. Randomin terms of categories (top/lower level), gender, job employmentetc once selected give a clearer picture to conclude andanalysis research is broad based. Therefore any remedialmeasures taken will not be for one group but will cater allparticipants.

f. Confounding . It is the phenomenon of intertwind variableswhere assessment becomes difficult if not impossible. Byapplying controlled method where by segregating the twoclasses and assessing them separately will reduce theconfounding.

6. Research Design . A basic structure of Scientific Study.

a. The Experiment Design . Practically passing the subjectsthrough natural/artificially created environments in field or laboratory will give results very close to actual and thus

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conclusions will also be justified. Only problem is thatexperiment is done on selected individuals (may be at random)and not on whole organization, services, human mind hasvarying understanding. This can be reduced by expanding thebase of selection and applying controls.

b. The Survey Design . It is the simplest and easiest form of study where questionnaire is distributed among the subject andbasing on the replies, analysis a carried out and conclusion aredrawn. Mostly correspondence sectional survey i.e are timequestion and answer will give feelings of that particular timebracket where as tooling charge with the job length, experiencegains and stress felt etc. So the solution is longitudinal survey,where some questions if asked at varied length of job fromsame subject can give actual state mind. To get a willingresponse from all desired member is one of the major challenge, a surveyer has to tackle. People generally tend toavoid due to lethargy, fear etc and then mostly out of those whoparticipate always try to be positive. This problem can beaddressed by motivating, creating awareness and removingfears about survey/surveyor results and then controlling thequestion to avoid generalization.

c. The Observational Design . Researcher by placing himself closer to the subject or making himself part of subject canobserve the behavior and create/note his impressions about thespecific area of research. Observation can be obtrusive i.e withthe knowledge of subj on unobtrusive i.e without their knowledge, both have independent advantages and disadvantages but major disadvantage of Obtrusive study is thatresearcher can effect the responses of subj during the casestudy and may not get the true picture. (Hawthorne Study).

d. Qualitative Study . It is the combination of observant methodsi.e. by making observation about the subj and then recordingthem separately. Analysis is done basing on the length of observations and then qualitative approach is used to generatetestable hypothesis and conclusions are drawn.

7. Measurement . It is qualifying the variables where each variable isallotted with certain numbers. Important thing is that how the numbers areassigned and with what weightage. Measurement can be categorical or continues in nature. Categorical numbering is done when allotted numbersare not measured by their size, higher the number more the weight, likenumbers given to football team are not with weight but just as areplacement to their names. Whereas continuous numbering is done withrelation to weight.

a. Classical Measurement Theory

(1) It depends upon true score and error.

(2) By repeating the measurements, the error is reduced tominimal. Each reading carried some error in it due to

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multiple reasons. Mean of all the reaching is closer toTRUTH.

(3) The magnitude of attitude, motivation or job satisfaction isnot easy and straight forward measurement, so varying

approached at verifying times can only fetch the resultsclose to truth.

b. Reliability

(1) Reliability is the accuracy of the measurement that can beachieved by reducing error by adopting multiple measuresfor some subject on adopting the techniques of test-retest.

(2) It is a very important factor as all the analysis, deductions

and conclusions are then drawn basing the results.c. Validity

(1) The term validity refers to the inference drawn from ameasurement divide rather than device itself.

(2) There are four very important types of measurement for validity:-

(a) Face Validity . What it looks like, meaning thereby

assessing on analyzing what is avail. Any datacollected may not be giving a true picture of subjectbut results have to be drawn according to face data.No one would accept ³Yes´ in the question ³Do youlie?´ but we have to move with the replied answers.

(b) Content Validity . Has the questionnaire passed tothe subject covered all the req fields or areas hereinputs were required? Simple question may cover one portion of the whole subject but not thecomplete subject. So in order to get the completetrue picture each matter has to be reported andassessed by multiple question.

(c) Criteria Related Validity . If two measure are inter related to the results achieved for, then one shouldhold good for other as well.

(d) Construct Validity . It is a confidence that theresults achieved through one measure will

representing the same desired level for the other. Itis not cause and effect theory but inter relation of two means which have been proved over the year through experiments and observation.

8. Ethics of Research . All the ethical values that hold good for anycivilized severity do the same for I/O Psychologist.

a. He is to encourage people to participate, so any data collectedfrom one indl need confidentiality.

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b. There can be retraction where conflicting requirements may becontracted by psychologist to compromise the ethical values,here the intellect of researcher comes in that how best he/shecan avoid such situations.

c. This is also ethical that you inform the individual or group abouttheir involvement in study or they being the subject.