Psych'ed Up for Business School: Preparing I-O Psychologists for Business School Careers

Given the substantial overlap between I-O psychology and various business areas (e.g., organizational behavior, human resource management, research methods), industrial-organizational (I-O) psychologists are increasingly pursuing business school careers (Aguinis, Bradley, & Brodersen, 2014). Despite the interest in this career path, there are limited resources to help prospective I-O psychologists learn about the nuances of working within a business school. I-O psychologists, who are typically trained within psychology departments, may encounter different requirements and culture when transitioning to business school environments. In this session, we seek to aid I-O psychologists interested in business school careers on these differences by providing insights on identifying and navigating such challenges. To this goal, we assembled a diverse panel of business school faculty with a psychology educational background who represent various ranks (i.e., Assistant, Associate, Full Professor), roles (i.e., faculty, Chair, Dean), and foci (i.e., from research, teaching institutions). The session will include short introductions, roundtable discussions, and a question-and-answer (Q&A) session, focusing on various aspects of working within a business school. We aim to benefit both job candidates and business schools by providing a realistic job preview of this career path, and a recognition of the differences between the disciplines both parties can expect to encounter.