I/O Psychology and a 17th Century Saint
ByYesterday Christy and I attended a lecture at DePaul University on Sustaining a Healthy Workplace by Lillian Eby, Ph.D of the University of Georgia. The lecture coincides with the 350th anniversary of the death of St. Vincent DePaul. Now for those of you who aren’t up to speed on your catholic saints, St. Vincent devoted his life to helping the overlooked and the marginalized. St. Vincent asked, “What must be done?” to help make life better? As it pertains to sustaining a healthy workplace, what must I/O psychologists do to help the overlooked and marginalized?
When I/O psychologists consider a healthy workplace, they typically think about the psychological environment, such as positive relationships and open communication. But there is another aspect that is often overlooked, the physical environment. Studies often focus on white, male, middle managers that tend to work in clean and safe physical environments. The physical environment becomes a non-issue, yet in “dirty jobs,” jobs that are physically, socially, or morally tainted, the physical environment is very relevant.
Dr. Eby tackles the physical environment in her work with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She and her team study workforce issues within drug treatment centers. While we have all heard of the luxurious drug treatment centers attended by celebrities, the reality is that most treatment centers are located in very gritty neighborhoods and are in very poor condition. The clean and safe environment is not an option for employees. This is where I/O psychologists are needed most. Discussion of the conditions of the physical environment was in relation to job stress and burnout for the counselors as opposed to the clients. I think the point Dr. Eby makes is that as I/O psychologists, we are accustomed to working in clean, white-collar areas and perhaps have just missed how the physical environment can influence one’s stress level or the occurrence of burnout.
Dr. Eby went further into the specifics of her research, but it is the simplicity of the call that struck me. I went into my school’s library database and searched for articles relating to drug treatment centers. Almost all of them related to patients or treatments within the centers. Very few if any related to the workforce. I/O psychologists can offer interesting insights into all types of jobs, but as St. Vincent DePaul would ask, “What must we do?” Where can we help the most to aid the overlooked and marginalized? We have work to do!
