I-O psychology and labor: Making up for benign neglect, antipathy, and missed opportunities
Abstract
Abstract Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology has largely ignored organized labor, both in terms of our research interests and as a potential domain of professional practice. Historically, some I-O psychologists have even engaged in antilabor activities. This article aims to make that history more salient to current members of the profession, help us better understand how and why that schism came about, note the adverse effects on our understanding of organizations and contributing to employee well-being and organizational effectiveness, and highlight associated ethical issues. We offer suggestions on how to address the situation, drawing on examples from the field of industrial relations. We also consider the impact of the current antilabor, antidemocratic US government administration. We conclude by offering some suggested prompts for commentaries to the article.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Occupational and Professional Licensing Regulation
Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology
Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 123–139
- Publication date
- 7 January 2026
- Language
- EN