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Why Register as an Industrial Psychologist in South Africa?

Fiona Donald & Robin Bleekers

Department of Psychology

School of Human & Community Development

Fiona.donald@wits.ac.za

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Industrial Psychology: Issues

  • Recognised as a body of knowledge.
  • Is the profession marginalised and threatened?
  • Valued in organisations?
  • Other groups of statutorily registered professionals? (e.g. Doctors, Accountants, Lawyers)
  • Overlap with HRMs

(Benjamin & Louw-Potgieter, 2008)

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What is a profession?

  • Qualifications and training
  • Professional conduct and practice (e.g.

Ethical code)

  • Continuous Professional Development
  • Occupational exclusivity or sole jurisdiction

(Health Professions Act 56 of 1974)

  • Professional identity built around work
  • Registration with a statutory body

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Status

  • Standing in a social hierarchy, determined by respect, deference and social influence (Huberman, Loch & Önçüler, 2004)
  • Contributes to identity, identification, self esteem and self enhancement
  • Measure: Extent to which person feels respected and valued

Job Satisfaction

  • “A pleasurable or positive emotional state that results from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences” (Martin & Roodt, 2008, p. 24)
  • Many factors affect job satisfaction

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Methodology

  • Sample (N=91)
  • Purposive and snowball sampling
  • Registered with the HPCSA?
  • Membership of a Professional Association?

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Measuring instruments

    • Biographical variables
  • Self Perception of Status scale (Self Developed, based on Fuller et al., 2006)
  • Job diagnostics survey (Hackman & Oldman, 1975)
  • Cronbach’s alphas:
    • Status .78
    • Job satisfaction .9

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Descriptive Statistics

Variable

Mean

SD

N

Status

Industrial psychologists

HRM practitioners

Total sample

 

65.20

65.82

65.51

 

7.92

7.08

7.48

 

46

45

91

Job satisfaction

Industrial psychologists

HRM practitioners

Total sample

 

74.35

76.51

75.418

 

14.355

11.754

13.106

 

46

45

91

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Results

  • T-tests run between registered and non-registered participants

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  • Status (t(88.99)=-0.90, p=0.37)

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  • Job satisfaction (t(86.34)=-0.79, p=0.43)

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  • No significant differences between the groups

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Discussion

  • Status:
    • Overlap in roles (Benjamin & Louw-Potgieter, 2008) & job titles
    • Senior positions, proved themselves to get there, likely to feel valued
    • Younger / less experienced people might have different perceptions

Is industrial psychology relevant as a separate profession?

  • Job satisfaction:
    • Many factors influence job satisfaction and these could have a more direct influence than statutory registration
    • Statutory bodies have a regulatory function
      • Controlling? Counteracts benefits of registration? (supports Renecle, 2001)

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Recommendations for future research

  • Perceptions of own status versus comparative status
  • Benefits of professional associations versus statutory registration
  • Role of statutory bodies and professional associations in influencing professional identity and how this might differ at different stages of a person’s career.

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Conclusion: Why Register as an Industrial Psychologist?

  • Obvious reasons appear not to be compelling:
    • Status
    • Job satisfaction
    • Occupational exclusivity

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  • Subtle reasons possibly more compelling:
    • Informs ethos underlying approach to work
    • Work identity and self efficacy

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Contact Details

Fiona Donald

  • Tel: +27117174507
  • Email: Fiona.Donald@wits.ac.za

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Robin Bleekers

  • Tel: +27118830260
  • Email: Rbleekers@gmail.com

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This presentation may be accessed at: www.witsicp2012.blogspot.com