On April 27, the IOHRM graduate students and faculty attended the annual Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology (SIOP) conference that was hosted in Seattle, Washington. IOHRM students presented two posters at the conference. Listed below is a brief synopsis of each poster:
Then second-year IOHRM students Riggs Matthews, Jacob Ledford, and Haley Henderson (class of 2022); along with undergraduate researcher Isabella Lopez; and faculty members Dr. Shawn Bergman, Dr. Timothy Ludwig, and Dr. Yalcin Acikgoz presented their poster titled “Not What but When: Lagged Effect of Leading Safety Indicators on Lagging Indicators”. The students examined data from a construction and a manufacturing company between 2018 and 2021. They found that safety analyses should integrate time-series tools into their study design and examine the lagged effects of safety observations on incidents. About the project, Riggs Matthews shared that "The project had a balance of research and applied work; my two-year participation was only a portion of it. The data manipulation and analyses were a central challenge to our part of the project, and where I found the most opportunities to learn." When asked about the conference experience, Riggs said: "The conference experience solidified the research we had been doing as something truly relevant. Discussing our findings with other scientists highlighted the importance of our work in the greater context of the scientific community."
Then second-year IOHRM students Alexa Sterling and Jenna Hochstetler (now alumni); then first-year IOHRM student Megan Hineline (now second-year); and faculty member Shawn Bergman presented their poster titled “Linking Psychology Curriculum with Career KSAOs”. The students examined what core and supplemental KSAOS (Knowledge, Skills,
Abilities, and other characteristics) are obtained in their psychology courses as well as the relevance of each KSAO in each class. They found that the average number of KSAOs in a psychology class was 26, with a lot of the supplemental KSAOs being taught in the early 1000 level classes and the core KSAOs being taught in the later 4000 level classes. This information helps build a foundational roadmap for psychology students as well as help psychology majors market themselves better to organizations. When asked about her
takeaways from the event, Alexa Sterling noted: “Immersion in academic research and practitioner expertise is critical to developing your professional self. The conversations you have with peers and experts and the relationships you make will enhance your understanding of the field and establish long-lasting connections.”
However, that isn’t the only thing the IOHRM program has been up to. Scott Blackburn of the Class of 2022 had his research published in Compensation & Benefits Review. His article, titled “The Case for Offering Paid Leave: Benefits to the Employer, Employee, and Society” discusses how the U.S. lags behind most other nations in federal laws mandating paid leave, and many employees, particularly those in lower-wage and front-line occupations, lack paid vacation, sick leave, and family leaves. The article proposes that paid leave is advantageous for both employees and employers, as well as a society because it is a way for employers to help attract and retain talent and is compatible with DEI initiatives. The article even gives specific recommendations on how to implement paid leave in organizations (e.g., a traditional leave system with different categories and a supportive leadership culture).
We’d like to congratulate our students on making their mark in the field and wish them the best in their future careers. We hope you’ll stay tuned in to hear what our current batch of bright and talented minds will discover next!
