What is I-O?

In the July issue of TIP, I described several goals that I would personally focus on this year. In this column, I will provide an update on committee efforts related to several of these goals as well as note other developments since the conference. 

Institute for the Teaching of I-O Psychology

A key goal was to begin work on the development of the Institute for the Teaching of I-O Psychology, which will focus on serving faculty at minority-serving institutions. As Irv Goldstein (president, SIOP Foundation) indicated at the conference, PRA has made a generous donation to initiate the development of the Institute. In May, APA awarded SIOP a CEMRRAT (Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention, and Training) grant to further the development of the Institute. Initially, the funds SIOP has received will be used to develop workshops to assist faculty at minority-serving institutions who are charged with teaching I-O psychology or are interested in adding I-O psychology material to an introductory psychology course or some other type of psychology course. As I write this column, we are coordinating the development of a half-day workshop to be conducted in New Orleans in November. This workshop will review emerging trends in the field and involve conversations with practicing I-O psychologists and academics about the work they conduct. For this workshop, we are inviting psychology faculty from historically Black colleges and universities in the Louisiana and southern Mississippi areas. We are particularly thankful to Lisa Schulte and Elliott Hammer of Xavier University of Louisiana for their support of this effort. Also, Kecia Thomas is leading the development of a second workshop to be conducted in Atlanta in spring 2004. These workshops represent the first steps for the Institute, which over time will serve as a means for opening lines of communication between faculty at minority-serving institutions and the I-O psychology community and assist in more effectively recruiting minority candidates to our field. 

Financial Planning Committee

Another goal was to establish a financial planning committee to clarify both short-term and long-term financial objectives of the society that are consistent with our mission and to propose plans to meet these objectives. The committee composed of Dianna Stone (chair), Ann Marie Ryan, Jeff McHenry, and John Cornwell has been very active over the last several months. An important recommendation from the Financial Planning Committee to the Executive Committee was to propose a change in SIOPs bylaws concerning the process for establishing dues. Based on a number of considerations, which are detailed in a report by Dianna Stone in this issue of TIP, the Executive Committee recommends a change in the dues-setting process. The ballot for this vote will be included in the December mailing to the membership. Notably, the proposed change in the dues-setting process would allow for input on the behalf of members, while at the same time provide the Executive Committee with greater flexibility in establishing dues in a timelier manner to effectively manage ongoing operations. I urge you to read Dianna Stones report on this proposed change in the dues-setting process and to support the proposed change when you receive your ballot. 

The Financial Planning Committee also developed a plan for distributing the revision of the Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures (Fourth Edition). The committee did a very good job of taking into account the Executive Committees desire to provide all members with access to a free copy of the Principles and, at the same time, produce a distribution plan that would recoup some of the investment that SIOP made in the development of the revision over the last 4 years. The Executive Committee has approved plans for distributing the Principles at no cost to the membership via SIOPs Web site, and to provide bound copies of the Principles at a minimal fee. The Principles were approved at the APA Council Meeting in Toronto. Dick Jeanneret (chair, ad hoc Committee on Revision of the Principles) and his committee have produced an excellent revision, and Heather Roberts Fox (chair, APA/APS Relations Committee) and our APA Council Representatives (Angelo DeNisi, Jim Farr, Kevin Murphy, Lois Tetrick, and Nancy Tippins) have worked diligently over the last few months to prepare both SIOPs Executive Committee for the APA Council vote and to garner support among APA Council members for passage of the Principles. 

The Financial Planning Committee is continuing work on a proposal for restructuring SIOPs fiscal operations. In addition, the committee has provided valuable advice and input to the Executive Committee on the short-term and long-term cost/benefit considerations of options related to other recent decisions that the Executive Committee has made, including the structuring of a contract with APA to produce a revision of the Ethical Practice of Psychology in Organizations.

Revision of the Ethics Casebook

In June, APA released the new APA Ethics Code. As a result, the Executive Committee voted to revise the Ethical Practice of Psychology in Organizations to update the citations and references to the new Ethics Code. Rodney Lowman, who edited the present version of the ethics casebook, has agreed to serve as editor of the revised ethics casebook. The revision will be produced as a joint publication of APA and SIOP. 

Proposed Change in Bylaws Concerning the Sunsetting of Standing Committees

As reported by Bob Dipboye in this issue of TIP, the Executive Committee recommends a change in the bylaw governing the sunsetting of standing committees. Presently, the bylaws only allow for a standing committee to be sunset by a majority vote of the membership. Given the growth in the number of standing committees and SIOPs operations since the sunsetting bylaw was written, a change in the bylaw that provides for a quicker sunsetting of standing committees when needed would enhance the efficiency of the Executive Committees operations. The present communication requirements and time to take a vote of the membership on the sunsetting of a standing committee can create a considerable delay in effecting such a change. I urge you to read Bob Dipboyes report on the proposed change in the sunsetting bylaw and to support the proposed change when you vote.

International News

The 11th European Congress on Work and Organizational Psychology, held under the auspices of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP), was in Lisbon in May. The conference featured invited joint SIOP/EAWOP symposia organized by Handan Sinangil, Matti Vartiainen, Deniz Ones, and Milt Hakel. As evidenced by these symposia and numerous other joint SIOP/EAWOP sessions at the conference, we continue to build bridges between SIOP and EAWOP and expand upon the joint sessions that began between our respective associations 6 years ago. Other SIOP members that I saw at the conference were Art Brief, Stphane Brutus, Martin Davidson, Miriam Erez, Gary Johns, Steve Kozlowski, Nathan Kuncel, Gary Latham, and Frank Schmidt, to name a few. 

Mike Brannick (chair, ad hoc Electronic Communications Committee) and Sharon Arad (Professional Practice Committee) are coordinating the development of the International Directory of I-O Psychologists. The development of this Web-based directory is being sponsored by the SIOP Foundation and is intended to enhance communication and collaboration among I-O psychologists on a worldwide basis. 

APA Presidential Elections

In May, I wrote to each of the five APA presidential candidates asking them torespond to questions that relate to concerns of SIOPmembers includingquestions on licensure, professional training, and the relationship of I-O psychology with the broader field of psychology. The candidates responses appear in this issue. I hope the responses are helpful to those of you who are APA members and plan to vote in the upcoming APA presidential election.

Other News

Bill Macey was elected as SIOPs newest representative to APA Council. Bills 3-year term will begin in January 2004. Dawn Riddle (chair, Education & Training) will represent SIOP this fall at APAs Education Leadership Conference. The conference will address issues of accountability, assessment, and advocacy related to education in psychology and psychology in education. John Scott (Professional Practice) has produced an abridged version of SIOPs approved petition (to the Commission on the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology) for the continued recognition of I-O psychology as a specialty in professional psychology. This abridged document is posted on the SIOP Web site. This document provides a synopsis of the field of industrial and organizational psychology. Finally, Jack Edwards will serve as guest editor of a special issue of Human Resource Management Journal. The special issue, comprised of invited articles that pair experts in practice and academics as authors, will discuss the contributions of psychological research to human resource management. 

Member Feedback

Member feedback on SIOP activities and the conference has been most helpful. In this issue of TIP, Rob Ployhart (chair, SIOP Program Committee), Don Truxillo (SIOP Conference Committee) and Jeff McHenry (chair, SIOP Conference Committee) describe how we are responding to some of the suggestions made for improving the program and conference. If you have any comments for me related to items discussed in this column or desire to communicate with SIOPs officers and committee chairs, please refer to the contact information listed at the back of TIP. We look forward to your feedback, and we will be planning another member survey this coming year to systematically gather the input of the membership on a variety of issues.