Article archive / March 1, 2013
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 7. Source pages: 11.
If you ask the average person on the street about Industrial Organizational (I/O) psychology, you will likely be met with a blank stare or confused expression. Yet across the state, seemingly right under our noses, lies a hotbed of I/O research waiting to be discovered.
The Times recently sat down with two of Louisiana’s leading academic I/Os, Dr. Tilman Sheets of Louisiana Tech and Dr. Tracey Rizzuto of LSU, to learn more about the work going on across the state. As it turns out, I/O psychologists are becoming one of Louisiana’s most valuable resources that few know about.
For those familiar, Industrial and Organizational Psychologists are some of the leading researchers in applied psychology across the country. Whether they are housed in academic programs or in private consulting firms, these applied scientists continue to make strides in organizational research.
The I/O psychology program at Louisiana Tech, although in its infancy, has already become a fast growing, internationally recognized, applied research program. In only its 4th year, La Tech currently has 4 full-time faculty and 15 graduate students, with 4 to 5 new students expected in the fall.
“I’m getting that question a lot,” said Dr. Sheets when asked if he has seen an increase in the overall number of applicants. “… I would say we are certainly getting an increase in applicants. I think more importantly, we seem to be getting an increase in quality people.”
Dr. Sheets is not only seeing a spike in the quality of applicants, research within the program is thriving as well. When asked about some of the current projects, Dr. Sheets told the Times, “We always stay pretty deep into some interesting things…we have projects that come through our AROS consultancy, which is Applied Research for Organizational Solutions,” he said. “We’ve gone international, with an engineering firm doing a cultural analysis for companies in South Africa.”
But not all of the research at Louisiana Tech is applied. “We’re very much an applied program, but we have a lot of cool academic research going on as well,” Dr. Sheets told the Times. He noted that two of the faculty members, Drs. Frank Igou and Mitzi Desselles, even won a top poster award at last year’s SIOP conference in San Diego.
Yet, in Louisiana, Dr. Sheets faces the same barriers as most when trying to work in and around the state.
“It has always been a really tough market in Louisiana. I think that the vast majority of Louisiana doesn’t understand what I/O is,” he said. “Most of the large companies in metropolitan areas understand it [I/O], they know and appreciate what I/O psychology does, but right now, it’s a tough sell in Louisiana.”
Across the state, Dr. Tracey Rizzuto is also familiar with the problems facing I/O psychologists in Louisiana. With the future of the I/O program uncertain within the Department of Psychology, Dr. Rizzuto has quickly established herself, and her research, within the Department of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development (HRE).
When asked about the status of I/O psychology at LSU, Dr. Rizzuto told the Times, “Training and opportunities in I/O psychology at LSU are very strong and very vibrant.” Indeed, some exciting new developments not only in terms of research, but from an academic standpoint are currently being implemented, she explained.
“At the undergraduate level, HRE now features an I/O concentration,” Dr. Rizzuto explained. “We see these students ultimately going into I/O doctoral programs after graduation.” On the graduate level, HRE is now offering I/O coursework and training such as new courses in Advanced Level I/O Psychology and Training and Development.
In terms of research, Dr. Rizzuto has numerous projects that are active. She recently received funding to work with the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) initiative that focuses on I/O related research in mentorship and networking. “I’m doing work that is interdisciplinary that’s looking at organizational structure and organization science in conjunction with criminologists and social workers.”
In addition, Dr. Rizzuto has now partnered with Dr. Reid Bates, also in the HRE Department, to establish an in-house consultancy firm. The goal is to provide industry awareness and services, and bridge the gap between I/O and industry that academics may not properly communicate.
Dr. Rizzuto has also been busy trying to get the word out across campus. In order to strengthen the presence of I/O at LSU, Dr. Rizzuto is establishing a student organization for individuals interested in the study of human behavior at work. “This group, Tiger P@ws (People @ Work) is multidisciplinary and very inclusive,” she said. “Our hope is that any who have an interest in employment, human behavior, or workplace matters, regardless of their training background, have a home to go to at LSU that will allow them to learn about opportunities for furthering their career, their interests, and get access to both peer and faculty mentorship.”
The group will have its first campus-wide open house in April. In addition, in order to highlight both graduate and undergraduate papers that involve human behavior in the workplace, Tiger P@ws will be publishing its first ever student journal that month as well.
In terms of I/O awareness within the state, Dr. Rizzuto seemed to mirror the concerns expressed by Dr. Sheets. “It’s definitely a challenge in Louisiana. You have to do more to educate your audience on what the I/O profession really is,” she told the Times. “However, there is a tremendous place for I/O psychologists in Louisiana. My hope is that in the future, universities such as LSU and industries can come together and build partnerships so that they can address the problems facing the state.”
While it’s certain that the I/O research will continue to thrive under leaders such as Drs. Sheets and Rizzuto, the questions still remain. How can Louisiana take advantage of the resources and opportunities that I/O’s can provide? Are more awareness and education needed? Are companies simply not looking to the proper channels to address their issues and needs? It is our hope that sometime in the near future, our state will come to realize what others already know…that I/O psychologists are here, they are flourishing, and are ready to be part of the future of Louisiana.
(Shane Lowery, MS, is a graduate student in I/O at the LSU Psychology Department.)
Dr. Tilman Sheets, previously Chair of Psychology at La Tech, has taken on building the industrial-organizational psychology program at the university. He told the Times that he is finding an increase in the number and quality of applicants to the program. Here, Dr. Sheets speaks at a scientific conference in 2010.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.