Industrial Psychology Concept
Industrial Psychology is a managing branch that results from several jobs that searched to apply management to the knowledge of several social sciences, namely psychology. One of the main forerunners of these works was Hugo Münsterberger, psychologist, whose most significant work was Psychology and Industrial Efficiency published in 1912.
Like in Classic School, the main goal of the management continues to be the increase of efficiency and productivity. However, the means to achieve that efficiency increase is now through the choice of people whose mental qualities better adapt to the performed activities and through the study of the work psychological conditions on which the employees better perform their duties and up to which extent could be influenced in order to maximize their productivity.
One of the main restrictions of Industrial Psychology is the fact that, by having placed the emphasis in sociological and psychological factors (namely the social environment in the workplace) forgot many aspects, also important, like salary levels, interest levels for certain tasks, organizational culture and the relation between employees and between these and the managers.
After Hugo Münsterberger appeared other authors from who stand out Fritz J. Roethlisberger, William Dickson, E. E. Ghiselli and C. W. Brown, who deepened the personality study aspect of the employees and managers and the investigations in the areas of motivation, leadership, communication and interpersonal and social relations inside the organization.
