International Practice Forum: Alliance for Organizational Psychology: Getting Involved as a Practitioner
Lynda Zugec
In this edition of the International Practice Forum, the Alliance for Organizational Psychology (AOP) is highlighted in a quest to encourage a greater number of practitioners to become involved in AOP activities. Are you an internationally minded practitioner? Do you want to connect with practitioners across the globe? Have you heard or seen some of the initiatives held by the AOP at the various conferences? Are you eager to partner with academics outside your country? If so, read on to discover what is happening and how you can connect and participate!
What Is the Purpose of the AOP?
The aim of the AOP is to form an international alliance that would increase the visibility of I-O psychology in the public and private sectors, and be mutually beneficial to each society.
The AOP does not seek to duplicate functions that are already done by other existing I-O psychology Associations but instead intends to enhance, extend and facilitate exchanges among associations and their members.
The specific purposes of the Alliance are as follows:
- Influence policies and practices related to the quality of work life and the effectiveness of individuals and organizations;
- Advocate internationally for the science and practice of organizational, industrial, and work psychology;
- Enhance communication and collaboration among its member societies and the individuals who are members of these societies; and
- To do any and all acts and things necessary and expedient to accomplish any of the foregoing.
When Was the AOP Established?
The AOP was established in 2009 by the Work and Organizational Psychology Division of the International Association for Applied Psychology (Division 1), the European Association for Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP), and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP). The agreement to create AOP was signed at the 2009 SIOP conference in New Orleans by the Presidents of SIOP (Gary Latham), EAWOP (Franco Fraccaroli), and IAAP (Division 1) (José Maria Peiró).
Who Are the Current Officers of the AOP?
Franco Fraccaroli, Rosalind Searle, and Donald Truxillo are the current Officers, serving as President, Secretary-General, and Treasurer respectively. Each serve until the 2018 International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP), to be held in Montreal, Canada.
Who Qualifies for Membership in the AOP?
The AOP is a federation of associations. Current members of the AOP include the Work and Organizational Psychology Division of the International Association for Applied Psychology (Division 1), the European Association for Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP), the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), and the Canadian Society for Industrial and organizational Psychology (CSIOP). If you are a member of one of the member associations, you are effectively a member of the AOP. It is anticipated that the AOP will continue to grow in the coming years as various associations across the globe join.
What Sort of Activities Can I Become Involved In?
The AOP routinely seeks submission, ideas, and thoughts on items such as:
One way the AOP seeks to achieve its mission is to fund small group meetings (SGMs) that bring together organizational psychologists across member associations to address topics that are:
- Highly significant to our profession and/or society
- Challenging and potentially vexing, or maybe even controversial
- Directly or indirectly relevant to both research and practice
- Complex, thus benefiting from a global perspective
Each year, AOP seeks proposals for SGMs that address topics with these characteristics. These meetings typically span 2 days and have a maximum of 20–25 people (although exceptions are considered), draw attendees from all member associations, and have clear international representation.
The AOP coordinates with member associations to produce Alliance Special Sessions at member conferences. The SIOP conference in April 2017 had a total of three: http://www.siop.org/Conferences/17con/Regbk/alliance.aspx. These Alliance Special Sessions welcome all conference goers to attend and involve speakers from the various associations. If you are looking to hear about, or become more involved with, practice and research being done outside the U.S., you would be well-advised to attend these.
The aims of the white papers are to:
- Address globally relevant topics that are of interest to policy and decision makers;
- Highlighting key areas where organizational psychology can make a substantial contribution to practice;
- Feature contributors offering international perspectives (from at least three continents) and view-points (ensuring a minimum of one academic and one practitioner contributor);
- Offer international comparisons throughout the paper: outlining the problem; explaining why the issue is important; reviewing the evidence; through to offering solutions and /or interventions.
These aims are distinct from member association white papers in that the focus is global in terms of authors, literature reviewed, and solutions offered.
The AOP seeks to produce white papers that involve practitioners and academics representatives from member associations. The White Papers Committee ensures that the process for developing white papers meets the requisite standards. You can submit your white paper ideas to the AOP for consideration.
- Local Work and Organizational Psychology Groups
The AOP seeks to support local work and organizational psychology groups worldwide. A local work and organizational psychology group is a professional community that creates a forum for work and organizational psychologists to share their occupational knowledge, experience and inspiration. If you are interested in joining a local group in your area or starting a group, the AOP is available to provide the necessary supports.
Does the AOP Have a Website?
Yes. You can visit the AOP website here: http://www.allianceorgpsych.org/
WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU AND YOUR INPUT! We are calling upon you, the global I-O psychology community, to reach out and submit topic ideas for future columns. Give us your insights from lessons learned in your practice or inform us of what is happening. We are always seeking global contributors!
To provide any feedback or insights on the International Practice Forum or find out more about the Alliance for Organizational Psychology, please send an email to the following address: Lynda.Zugec@TheWorkforceConsultants.com
Or contact any of the Alliance Officers:
Franco Fraccaroli: Franco.Fraccaroli@unitn.it
Rosalind Searle: ab2919@coventry.ac.uk
Donald Truxillo: truxild@pdx.edu