Progress in Launching the Alliance for Organizational Psychology
The European Association for Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP), the Organizational Psychology Division of the International Association for Applied Psychology (Division 1), and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) are continuing their collaboration to establish the Alliance for Organizational Psychology. The Alliance is expected to become a global federation comprising national and regional associations of industrial, work, and organizational psychologists.
Alliance History
Alliance for Organizational Psychology
At the 2009 Closing Plenary, I announced three personal goals for this year. The first was to continue to support the newly formed Alliance for Organizational Psychology (consisting of SIOP, EAWOP, and IAAP-Division 1). Executive Board Officer Donald Truxillo, International Affairs Committee Chair Alex Alonso, and others proposed two “research incubators” to be unveiled at this spring’s conference. The research incubators are much like roundtables held at past conferences but have the specific goal of bringing together researchers interested in the same topic from around the globe. This year’s topics are applicant reactions and strategic performance management. Thus, for example, if you were working on a scale of applicant reactions and wanted to validate it cross culturally, this would be an opportunity to find collaborators to help you do just that. I am currently working with organizers of the International Congress of Applied Psychology to have one or two of these or similar sessions placed on the program for next summer’s program in Melbourne.
-Kurt Kraiger
SIOP, EAWOP, and IAAP-Division 1 Form Alliance for Psychology
Stephany Schings
SIOP Communications Specialist
An historic signing ceremony took place at this year’s annual conference among SIOP’s Past President Gary Latham, EAWOP President Franco Fraccaroli, and International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) Division 1 President José M. Peiró.
The three signed a declaration of collaboration for the Alliance for Organizational Psychology, an agreement between the three societies aimed at creating an international alliance that will increase visibility of I-O psychology and mutually benefit each society.
Latham met with Fraccaroli and Peiró in April 2008 to discuss the partnership. A second meeting took place July 25, 2008 in Berlin at the International Congress of Psychology. Milt Hakel, Fraccaroli, Peiró, and Latham, who are all members of SIOP, EAWOP, and IAAP, were all in attendance.
The partnership with EAWOP and IAAP-Division 1 was the first of three goals Latham set for SIOP during his presidency. These goals were also the topic of his first presidential column in TIP, July 2008. In that message, Latham explained how the partnership will help enhance the visibility of I-O psychology.
“Size does, in fact, matter,” Latham said. “The media and legislators in particular pay far more attention to groups with a large membership. Partnering in some fashion with the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP) and Division 1 of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) is an initial step, a relatively easy step, to increase our potential for having a societal influence. It is a step that will benefit their members as well as SIOP’s in implementing the pillars of SIOP’s strategic plan.”
The respective president, past president, or president elect of the three societies will also meet on an ongoing basis at each other’s conferences to ensure the implementation of the collaboration. Additional I-O psychological societies may be asked to join the Alliance in the coming years, though all three societies must be in agreement for anyone else to join.
Gary Latham’s complete presidential message outlining the SIOP, EAWOP, and IAAP-1 partnership can be found in the July 2008 TIP.