Disaster in the Gulf-A Role For I-O Psychology?

Ronald Kennedy, I-OPsyc.com

I am going to make an assumption that a company with as many resources as BP has employs I-O Psychologists. They must feel sick about what is happening in the Gulf. They may have worked very hard on the safety and other systems that were in place on the Deepwater Horizon. The tragedy seems to point out that, no matter the systems in place, the human-factor is still the "weak-link."

As a consultant who has worked in many organizations, and founded a few of my own, it is ALWAYS the human-factor that is the wild card in operations. And, if there is any further proof of the ongoing importance and need for I-O Psychology within organizations, particularly those dealing in hazardous businesses, one need look no further than this unfolding disaster.