Wednesday 22 July 08:00
- 09:30
Hall: O-Arsenale
Chair:
Potočnik Kristina
Co-Chair:
Martinez-Tur Vicente
Division: Division 1: Work and Organizational Psychology
Traditionally, work and organizational psychology has focused on advancements, designs, and applications arising from the United States and Europe. However, in other regions, often underrepresented at conferences and high-impact publications, work and organizational psychology has been developed along their own unique paths. Understanding these alternative "psychologies" offers a richer perspective on scientific progress and a more comprehensive worldview. This symposium will discuss the state of work and organizational psychology in four regions—Latin America, Africa, the Balkans, and China. Dr. Borges-Andrade analyzes the history, professional training and performance, scientific productivity, and dissemination of work and organizational psychology in Latin America, describing the differences among countries in the region. He also provides information about the region's scientific societies, regular conferences, and journals. Namutebi refers to the work and organizational psychology situation in Africa. She describes the challenges of the discipline in the region, as well as existing opportunities. Despite the existence of a rich and diverse African culture, contextual factors such as unemployment and the informal economy hinder the development of work and organizational psychology. Dr. Sotiroska refers to work and organizational psychology in the Balkans, explaining how contextual factors (economic instability, political uncertainty, and cultural dynamics) impact the development of the discipline in the region. The existence of workplace bullying and toxic cultures as well as obstacles to retaining talent are stressed by Dr. Sotiroska. Dr. Wang explains the evolution of work and organizational psychology in China. She explains the transition from an early phase with minimal interaction between Western and Chinese scholars to the surge in cross-cultural studies and publications in Western journals influenced by China's academic expansion. Finally, officers of IAAP Division 1 explain the results of their project, "This Works in My Place!", whose first two reports focused on Latin America and Africa. This project is based on international dialogue with the regions to identify, through a contextualized approach, practices and strategies from work and organizational psychology that help to achieve sustainable development goals and a better life for everyone while considering the unique contexts of the regions.
