Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T18:05:28.946Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Making and Managing the Pitch: Selling I-O Psychology Research to Organizations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 December 2018

Caitlin Ann Demsky*
Affiliation:
Department of Management & Marketing, School of Business Administration, Oakland University
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Caitlin A. Demsky, Department of Management & Marketing, School of Business Administration, Oakland University, 345 Elliott Hall, 275 Varner Drive, Rochester, MI 48309. E-mail: [email protected]

Extract

In their focal article, Lapierre et al. (2018) draw attention to several key unanswered concerns academics face in establishing, developing, and maintaining research partnerships with organizations. Though mentioned briefly in the article's introduction, one potential concern that would benefit from further attention is selling a potential research topic to organizations. Many academics find themselves with research interests that organizations would prefer to avoid shedding light on (e.g., workplace mistreatment, sexual harassment, hiring practices, diversity and inclusion practices, etc.). In these instances, it may be particularly difficult to convince key stakeholders within organizations to partner on research projects, especially in situations that might raise organizational fears of negative publicity. In their introduction, Lapierre et al. (2018) state that “middle or frontline managers may be reluctant to facilitate a study out of fear of what the research could reveal in terms of problems in their units, particularly if such problems might be perceived as reflecting poorly upon them (e.g., poor leadership skills)” (p. 545). Further, “managers may fear raising employees’ expectations or highlighting particular problems by involving them in research projects” (Lapierre et al., 2018, p. 544). In the following several paragraphs, I address how academics may proactively address and minimize these potential concerns. Although not meant to be an exhaustive set of recommendations, the goal is to provide several potential avenues for “selling” industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology research to potential organizational stakeholders.

Type
Commentaries
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Hassard, J., Teoh, K. R. H., Visockaite, G., Dewe, P., & Cox, T. (2018). The financial burden of psychosocial workplace aggression: A systematic review of cost-of-illness studies. Work & Stress, 32, 632.Google Scholar
Jefferson, H., & Lewis, N. Jr. (2018, April 23). Starbucks won't have any idea whether its diversity training works. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/04/23/starbucks-wont-have-any-idea-whether-its-diversity-training-works/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0d563b813517Google Scholar
Lapierre, L. M., Matthews, R. A., Eby, L. T., Truxillo, D. M., Johnson, R. E., & Major, D. A. (2018). Recommended practices for academics to initiate and manage research partnerships with organizations. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 11 (4), 543581.Google Scholar
Leiter, M. P., Laschinger, H. K. S., Day, A., & Oore, D. G. (2011). The impact of civility intervention on employee social behavior, distress, and attitudes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96, 12581274.Google Scholar
Meyer, Z. (2018, May 26). Starbucks’ racial-bias training will be costly, but could pay off in the long run. USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/05/26/starbucks-racial-bias-training-costly/642844002/Google Scholar
Owens, B. P., Baker, W. E., Sumpter, D. M., & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Relational energy at work: Implications for job engagement and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101, 3549.Google Scholar
White, G. B. (2017, April 19). The toll of Wells Fargo's account scandal. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/wells-fargo/523578/Google Scholar