We should also aim higher : I-O psychology applied to sustainable growth and development

[Extract] Schneider and Pulakos (2022) suggest that industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is uniquely positioned to explain organizational effectiveness and argue that an organizational focus will enhance the relevance of the field. We applaud their efforts to raise the field’s attention to a level of analysis higher than individuals and teams. Building from this idea, we consider here the potential for I-O psychology to contribute to an understanding of sustainable growth and development at the societal level. The notion of sustainable growth and development captures the interconnectedness between work, well-being, and society. It considers work productivity as a contributing factor to economic growth; decent work as a mechanism underlying quality of life for individuals and communities; and the intricate and important connections among well-being, economic vitality, and the health of the planet in both short and long terms (International Labour Organization, nd; United Nations General Assembly, 2015). Paralleling Schneider and Pulakos, we argue that I-O psychology can make important contributions that go beyond its current level of analysis.