An Integrated International Learning Model for Internationalizing I/O Psychology Programs

Abstract

Today’s companies that employ industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists typically have international linkages, whether the company is itself multinational or the company has international partners, vendors, or consumers. These companies would benefit from having I/O psychology (IOP) professionals who are knowledgeable about IOP practices that transcend national boundaries or constrained by them. Therefore, it behooves IOP graduate programs to prepare their students to provide services that benefit an international workforce. In this chapter, we present the integrated international learning (IIL) model. This model forwards different ways of designing international IOP programs by combining didactic and experiential approaches in traditional or virtual instructional environments and international or stationary settings. We present pedagogical approaches to internationalize programs that range from simple reinforcement that IOP theories might not cross cultural boundaries to entire programmatic curricula that infuse an international or cross-cultural component throughout all coursework. In particular, we recommend that IOP programs consider the modern work environment, which struggles with both a physical and a virtual workspace, by featuring at a minimum a virtually abroad program (an international program deployed through the web with international partners) at maximum incorporating all learning approaches i.e., an entire degree program. Activities that would support the variety of possible instructional methodologies include hosting an international cadre of faculty from around the globe both via the web and in person, research collaborations between host and visiting students and faculty, team projects across the globe, study abroad, and more. We argue that by educating graduate students to understand global and cross-cultural issues related to IOP, they will be able to design and implement IOP interventions across national and organizational cultures with refined cross-cultural competence.

Appendix 5.1 Resources for internationalizing I/O psychology programs

Organization/Institution	URL	Synopsis
AOP—Alliance for Organizational Psychology	http://www.allianceorgpsych.org/	Integration of SIOP, EAWOP, and Division 1 of IAAP (Organizational Psychology Division) “to support and advance the science and practice of organizational psychology in the global world, and to expand its scope of application and contribution to society to improve the quality of working life.”
Cross-Cultural Competence (3C) Portal	www.defenseculture.org	“To provide tools and resources that promote discovery and learning to produce more effective leaders and operators…;” and to “cultivate cross-cultural competence through e-learning, video vignettes, avatar and virtual training, science and literature, podcasts, assessments, knowledge sharing, research development and publications, and collaboration across the spectrum of 3C.”
Cultural Knowledge Consortium	https://www.culturalknowledge.org/	“A Socio-cultural Knowledge Infrastructure (SKI) to facilitate access among multi-disciplinary, worldwide, social science knowledge holders that fosters collaborative engagement in support of socio-cultural analysis requirements. The CKC supports US government and military decision-makers, while supporting collaboration and knowledge sharing throughout the socio-cultural community.”
Division 52 of the American Psychological Association—International Psychology	http://www.internationalpsychology.net/	“To develop a psychological science and practice that is contextually informed, culturally inclusive, serves the public interest and promotes global perspectives within and outside of APA. The Division of International Psychology represents the interest of all psychologists who foster international connections among psychologists, engage in multicultural research or practice, apply psychological principles to the development of public policy or are otherwise concerned with individual and group consequences of global events.”
EAWOP	http://www.eawop.org/	“Facilitates research and practice in the field of Work and Organizational Psychology through its biannual conference, journals, summer schools, small group meetings, and workshops.”
European Erasmus Mundus Master on WOP-P	http://www.uv.es/erasmuswop/	“A graduate university programme, supported by the European Commission through the Erasmus Mundus Programme which provides a Postgraduate Diploma.”
European Network of Work and Organizational Psychologists	http://www.eawop.org/enop/	“The creation of ENOP [inn 1980] grew out of an acute awareness that the progress of European integration began to pose challenges both for scientific inquiry as well as professional practice, which called for renewed efforts in information exchange and concerted European action also by academics in the field of W/O psychology.”
IAAP—Division 1 Organizational Psychology	http://www.iaapsy.org/division1/	“An excellent international platform to exchange and create bridging and bonding relations within scientists, academics and practitioners all around the world.”
IAC of SIOP—International Affairs Committee	http://www.siop.org/reportsandminutes/Goals/12_13/IAC.aspx	A fairly new initiative to bring together I/O psychologists from around the world, encourage internationalization efforts, and propagate the importance of international and cross-cultural IOP matters
IACCP—International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology	http://www.iaccp.org/	Over 900 members from more than 70 countries. The goal is to facilitate communication among persons interested in a diverse range of issues involving the intersection of culture and psychology. Biyearly (on even years) congress and biyearly (on odd years) regional conferences
IAIR—International Academy for Intercultural Research	http://www.intercultural-academy.net/	Established in 1997, IAIR is “A professional interdisciplinary organization dedicated to the understanding and improvement of intercultural relations through world-class social science research.”
ICCM at FIT—Institute for Cross Cultural Management at Florida Institute of Technology	http://research.fit.edu/iccm/	“To develop leaders and organizations to succeed in the global environment. ICCM was founded to serve as a resource for international organizations facing the challenges of operating across time zones and cultures.”
ISSWOV—International Society for the Study of Work and Organizational Values	http://www.isswov.org/	Founded in 1988 in Budapest, “ISSWOV aims to advance the study of work and organizational values and related aspects of the organization; to encourage the exchange of ideas and interaction among scholars engaged in these topics; to collect, generate, preserve, decipher, and disseminate data and information relating to work and organizational values, and to encourage and initiate publications concerning research on these themes.”
Online Readings in Psychology and Culture	http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/orpc/	“Designed to serve as a [free] resource for researchers, teachers, students, and anyone who is interested in the interrelationships between Psychology and Culture.”
SCCR—Society for Cross-Cultural Research	http://www.sccr.org/	Established in 1971, SCCR is “a multi-disciplinary organization. Its members all share a common devotion to the conduct of cross-cultural research. SCCR members are professionals and students from the social science fields of Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, and related fields including Education, Family Studies, Social Work, Human Development, Psychiatry, Communications, Ethnic Studies, Business, etc.”
SIOP International Directory	http://siop.org/internationaldirectory/	“The International Directory is provided by SIOP to help you find and communicate with organizations and people around the world”