Over the past decade, critical scholarship in the field of management has experienced a veritable explosion. A burgeoning new area of research, teaching, and practice under the name of “critical management studies” (CMS) has inspired numerous course readers (Alvesson & Willmott, 2011a, 2011b, 2011c, 2011d; Grey & Willmott, 2005), handbooks (Alvesson, Bridgman, & Willmott, 2011; Prasad, Prasad, Mills, & Mills, 2016), textbooks (Alvesson & Willmott, 2003; Tadajewski, 2011), and practitioner guides (Cox, Letretn-Jones, Voronov, & Weir, 2009; Malin, Murphy, & Siltaoja, 2013), not to mention a recent “All-Academy Conference Theme” at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management (“Capitalism in Question” in 2013). Despite this momentum, critical scholarship has yet to penetrate the closely related field of industrial-organizational psychology.

What if the president of the United States of America was selected rather than elected? In other words, what if candidates applied for the job of president in much the same way that executives apply for the job of CEO? What would the selection process look like? What knowledge, skills, and abilities would the ideal presidential candidate possess? I-O psychologists are all over the place in government work. For example, SIOP’s GREAT committee advocates for evidence-based decision making in government. Many I-O psychologists work within government agencies such as the TSA, the FBI, OPM, and the Social Behavioral Sciences Team. There are also plenty of I-O organizations that often subcontract with the government, including FMP, HumRRO, and PDRI. Clearly, I-O psychologists are deeply involved in many government processes. Why not selecting a president? We posed these questions during interviews with a variety of SIOP members.  We are not suggesting a change in the Constitution.  Consider this as a kind of thought experiment in employee selection.

On May 18, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its final rule to modify the existing overtime pay regulations covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  The final rule, which was officially published in the Federal Register on May 23, raised the salary threshold for salaried executive, administrative, and professional employees to qualify for overtime pay, from $455 per week ($23,660 per year) to an estimated $913 per week ($47,476 per year).  Employers are expected to be in compliance by the time the rule goes into effect on December 1, 2016.

As graduate students we spend a substantial amount of time preparing for our future by developing the necessary skills and credentials to succeed in research or practice. However, we often fail to consider how to best communicate these aspects of our expertise and training to fellow researchers, peers, supervisors, or potential employers. This component of professional development is critical to establishing your own unique niche in a competitive job market. In the words of branding expert Tiffany Poeppelman, “if you’re not branding yourself, you can be assured others are doing it for you. A brand is your reputation, professional identity, and how you show up” (personal communication, August 25, 2016). In this TIP-TOPics column, we explore how to create and sustain your own personal brand using social media to optimize your network and create impact so others are less likely to do it for you.

We have an exciting new development for the International Practice Forum! With Walter Reichman (OrgVitality) and a number of I-O psychology practitioners and academics, we will be exploring the ways in which “Industrial-Organizational Psychology Helps Heal the World.” Through a series of articles, we will present real and actionable ways in which I-O academics and practitioners have an impact in innovative and creative ways and how they have been helping to heal the world!