The SIOP Exchange

The HRM Value Blog

By Mahesh Subramony, SIOP Blogger

In December 1912, a group of managers with different backgrounds, but with a common interest in systemizing the discipline dealing with the ‘handling of employees’ formed the Employment Managers’ Association in Boston. Their aims included “to discuss problems of employes (sic); their training and their efficiency”, and “to compare experiences which shall throw light on the failures and successes in conducting the employment department (Bloomfield, 1916; p.77).  Within the next decade, similar associations had formed in most large cities in the US, and the profession of employment management – a precursor of modern day HRM – was born.

Are We Ready To Innovate?

By Manisha Bajaj, SIOP Blogger

What’s going on?

What contributes to the success of smartphones such as iPhones and Droid? Is it their product design or is it the applications (Apps) that you can buy on them? Or is it both? Putting this another way…

• Would you still buy an iPhone or Droid if the weight loss or online music Apps were not available on these devices?
• Also, would any of these Apps be available if there were no devices like the iPhone or Droid?

Call for 2012 SIOP Awards

Two New Awards Announced, All Nominations Due June 30

SIOP and the SIOP Foundation are pleased to announce the addition of two new awards this year, the Wiley Award for Excellence in Survey Research and the Hogan Award for Personality and Work Performance. They, along with several other awards, are now open for nominations through June 30, 2011. 

SIOP Annual Conference: Saturday Theme Track

Using Data to Drive Organizational Decisions and Strategy

By Deborah E. Rupp, Incoming Program Chair, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The Saturday Theme Track at this year's SIOP conference, focused on using data to drive organizational decisions and strategy, was a remarkable success—our apologies for those who did not have a seat! Sessions explored people analytics, data-based decision making, and the skills required for infusing strategy with I-O data. The program was interactive, including a wide range of formats such as expert panels, research symposia, and a science–practice “lightning round.” 

Evaluation Week: Using mTurk to Collect Evaluation Data

By Elizabeth Rupprecht

Hello! I’m Elizabeth Rupprecht, an Industrial-Organizational Psychology graduate student at Saint Louis University.  I would like to tell you more about a great resource for collecting national or international evaluation data—Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk). mTurk is normally used to provide organizations with assistance completing tasks. Typically, an organization will set up a “task,” such as transcribing one minute of audio. Then, mTurk posts this task for any interested mTurk “workers” to complete. After the organization reviews the work done, the worker is paid between one cent to a dollar, depending on the complexity and length of the task.