Increasing Representation in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology Curriculum

Jessica J. Sim & Carrie A. Hewitt, Elmhurst University

In recent years, many disciplines in higher education have taken an active interest in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their curriculum (e.g., Mintz, 2021). Traditionally, many fields have centered Western (e.g., Fuentes et al., 2021) and male (e.g., Harris et al., 2020) voices, which fail to reflect the multitude of voices in the field and the shifting demographics of the student body. In psychology, there have been efforts to decolonize the field (e.g., Pappas, 2022) through reimaging, restructuring, and revamping pedagogies and classroom dynamics (e.g., Tormala et al., 2022). In I-O psychology, considerable attention has been given to syllabus development and the representation of the scholars in course materials (e.g., Scott et al., 2022).

To support efforts to broaden the perspectives presented in course materials, lectures, and readings in I-O psychology, we introduce a crowd-sourced spreadsheet specifically tailored to I-O psychology topics (inspired by Wojcik, 2020). This will be a spreadsheet of publications in I-O psychology that are authored or coauthored by scholars from historically underrepresented backgrounds in academia and industry. The database will offer recommendations for published work that faculty could incorporate into their undergraduate and graduate courses.

The database takes a broad view of diversity, including race, ethnicity, culture, gender, disability, LGBTQ+, and intersecting identities, so that students may see role models who are similar to them making an impact in the field. For historically underrepresented students, elevating the important voices of authors from multiple backgrounds and identities may enhance their sense of inclusion and belonging. Further, equitable representation may expand the topics and worldviews that students learn about, ultimately boosting engagement and interest in the field for all students.

Please consider contributing to this resource to diversify the I-O psychology curriculum. We will moderate the spreadsheet and make it publicly available for faculty of undergraduate and graduate I-O psychology classes to diversify their course readings and to highlight the work of underrepresented scholars in their syllabi. Please use this form to submit papers: https://forms.gle/bXnk1r1i2TBjF4Rh6

Self-submissions are encouraged. Please also consider sharing the form with your I-O colleagues and students to reflect the membership of I-O psychology and to acknowledge the contributions of marginalized researchers and practitioners in the field. You can also suggest authors directly to Jessica Sim (jessica.sim@elmhurst.edu) so that we can add their publications to the database.

References

Fuentes, M. A., Zelaya, D. G., & Madsen, J. W. (2021). Rethinking the course syllabus: Considerations for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. Teaching of Psychology, 48(1), 69–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320959979

Harris, J. K., Croston, M. A., Hutti, E. T., & Eyler, A. A. (2020). Diversify the syllabi: Underrepresentation of female authors in college course readings. PLoS One, 15(10), e0239012.

Mintz, S. (2021). Decolonizing the academy. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/decolonizing-academy

Pappas, S. (2022). Psychologists are working to diversify the undergrad curriculum and make classrooms more inclusive. APA. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/inclusive-undergraduate-psychology

Scott, K. S. (Chair), Ahmad, A., Arun, N., Wilson, C. E., & Wilson, S. (2022). Revolutionizing our syllabi: Dismantling and reimagining I-O curriculum [Panel]. Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference, Seattle, WA, United States.

Tormala, T., Biddle, A., Martorell, G., & Berntsen, L. (2022). Decolonizing introductory psychology. STP. https://teachpsych.org/DecolonizingIntroPsych

Wojcik, E. (2020). BIPOC psych papers spreadsheet. https://sites.google.com/site/ericahwojcik/bipoc-psych-papers-spreadsheet