Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Industrial and Organisational Psychology examines human behaviour in work contexts, combining empirical research with practical interventions to improve individual and organisational effectiveness. Core concerns include the selection and development of personnel, the design of motivating work environments, leadership and team dynamics, employee well-being and organisational culture. Assessment methods and psychometric tests underpin decisions about recruitment, promotion and training, while theories of motivation and engagement inform the creation of jobs that foster productivity, innovation and satisfaction. At the strategic level, this discipline addresses workforce planning, change management and the psychosocial risks associated with modern work arrangements—such as remote or gig employment—thereby supporting sustainable performance and healthy workplaces across diverse sectors.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have highlighted the value of structured facilitation for fostering psychological safety in collaborative research teams. Evidence shows that embedding facilitation roles—either through independent specialists or designated team members—can help identify and address group dynamics that undermine open communication. Through cycles of observation, interpretation and targeted intervention, facilitation practices reinforce norms of mutual respect, encourage candid discussion of errors and accelerate collective learning. This approach has been shown to enhance trust and creativity across interdisciplinary and cross-institutional projects, demonstrating a scalable model for cultivating inclusive and high-performing scientific teams.

Industrial and Organisational Psychology publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in industrial and organisational psychology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Psychological safety: A shared belief that team members can take interpersonal risks—such as admitting mistakes or proposing novel ideas—without fear of negative consequences.

Delphi method: A structured communication technique that uses successive rounds of expert surveys to achieve consensus on complex issues.

Meta-regression: A statistical approach that examines variability in effect sizes across multiple studies to identify factors that moderate relationships between variables.

Creative self-efficacy: An individual’s confidence in their ability to produce novel and useful ideas in a given context.

Work engagement: A positive work-related state characterised by vigour (high energy), dedication (strong involvement) and absorption (full concentration).

Organisational culture: The collective values, norms and practices that shape behaviours and decision-making within an organisation.

Job demands-resources model: A theoretical framework positing that employee well-being and performance arise from the balance between job demands (e.g., workload, emotional strain) and job resources (e.g., autonomy, support).

References

1. Keys factor affecting employee performance in the banking sector: a Delphi study. Cogent Business & Management (2024).
2. Employee engagement and open service innovation: The roles of creative self-efficacy and employee innovative behaviour. Frontiers in Psychology (2022).
3. The antecedents of employees’ innovative behavior in hospitality and tourism contexts: A meta-regression approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management (2023).
4. Facilitating psychological safety in science and research teams. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2024).