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Illustration: Jamie Brown

W hen you think of psychology, what immediately springs to mind? For many, I suspect, the answer will be related to mental health and counselling, perhaps even couches, Vienna dream analysis and Woody Allen.

However, one of the oldest and largest specialities in psychology relates to work and those who specialise in this field are organisational psychologists. Indeed, I am proud to out myself as a member of this group.

Organisational psychology is so ingrained into modern workplaces that we are often unaware of its pervasive influence. For instance, last week's inquiry into US Airways Flight 1549 that landed on the Hudson River focused on the teamwork and communication skills of the pilots and crew, as well as their performance under significant pressure. Organisational psychologists such as Sabine Sonnentag, from the University of Konstanz in Germany, are world experts in occupational stress. She found that a positive team climate and a strong sense of self-belief are associated with lower stress levels.

For years, aircrew training has included subjects such as cockpit resource management, which recognises that critical human element in the safe operation of a plane. Team members have to work effectively and harmoniously together in cramped environments, confronting tight timetables, economy drives and recalcitrant customers, technology and even birds. In many ways, no different to the average office or factory worker.

Much of the best research and practice related to getting teams to work effectively in organisations comes from psychologists such as Eduardo Salas from the University of Central Florida.

So what went into that smooth landing on the Hudson? Well, Captain Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles were selected carefully for their roles and would have undertaken a range of specially designed and validated selection tasks, including psychological testing and profiling. They would also have been subject to rigorous and regular training, including extensive simulator drills, which serves to screen out inappropriate candidates and to refresh and maintain the skills of continuing staff.

The principles behind the design of such industrial training and the selection processes used to engage the pilots are all derived from organisational psychology.

In all workplaces, counterproductive behaviour is a menace, perhaps no more so than at 30,000 feet, or even one foot above the Hudson. Yet how do you predict those most likely to be counterproductive?

Again, organisational psychology provides some of the answers.

Deniz Ones, from the University of Minnesota, and her colleagues concluded that integrity tests had substantial predictive validity for counterproductive job behaviours (such as disciplinary problems, absenteeism, rule breaking, violence on the job, theft, etc).

The leadership and skills shown by these pilots relied to a significant degree on their knowledge and knowledge-based leadership, which includes the study and development of the knowledge bases and executions skills for effective leadership, is an exciting new approach being led by eminent Australian organisational psychologist Robert Wood.

Captain Sullenberger may be forgiven if he is entertaining thoughts of retirement but if he is, he could look at the work of Philip Taylor, from Swinburne University, or Beryl Hesketh, from the University of
Western Sydney, both international experts in organisational psychology with lots of interesting insights into retirement decision-making.

All of these experts will be talking this week at the Australian Psychological Society Industrial and Organisational Psychology conference in Manly. If you are interested in the psychology of work, check it out and who knows, Captain Sullenberger might drop in - preferably arriving through the front door and not through the roof.

Jim Bright is professor of career education and development at ACU National and a partner at Bright and Associates, a career management consultancy.