2021 Membership Survey

SIOP Survey Subcommittee: Richard Vosburgh, Victoria Stage, Victoria Hendrickson, Harry Kohn, Stephen King, Brett Guidry, and Erik Zito

SIOP’s Membership Survey is conducted every 3 years, most recently in January of 2021. Approximately 15% of the current membership participated (n = 1,147), compared to 14% of the 2018 members. The detailed results of the 2021 Membership Survey can be found on the SIOP Survey website. Our focus in this article is to share the results as quickly as possible. Upcoming articles will focus on actions that are planned and underway. An executive summary of the results is provided here.

Overall Findings

• Membership satisfaction and engagement are strong. Scores are favorable (86%) and trending upward.

• Commitment to maintain SIOP membership is high, at 89% favorable, up 1 point from 2018.

• Drivers of engagement suggest the importance of connecting communities of interest, openness to discussing ideas, improved resources, and the value of SIOP membership as compared to other organizations.

• Members see many areas for improvement for the website, including general aesthetics, usability in facilitating networking and job opportunities, ease of user interface in navigating SIOP updates, official messaging, and databases, as well as availability of practical resources.

• A majority (61%) of members are satisfied with SIOP’s efforts to facilitate a balance between academic and practitioner interests. Although this sentiment is notably higher among members in an academic setting (71%) than those in a practitioner setting (52%).

Connection to SIOP’s Four Goals

One of the ways we reviewed the data was how it linked to SIOP’s goals.

Goal 1: Collaborate with organization leaders, communities, and policymakers to understand and confront relevant real-world problems and translate scientific knowledge to promote individual and organizational health and effectiveness.

• Comments suggest a need for more direct use of I-O research and science to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

• Feedback suggests an opportunity to provide resources to better communicate the impact I-O can have in business and government settings.

Goal 2: Build a diverse, inclusive, and agile SIOP that maximizes our impact through effective people, process, technology, and data infrastructure.

• Scores on technology resources (including the website) are more moderate, identifying room for improvement.

• Feedback suggests that SIOP can be more active in connecting different groups and segments.

• Comments suggest that SIOP has an opportunity to prioritize the visibility of minorities, as well as representation in SIOP leadership.

Goal 3: Use and strengthen our ability to gather, energize, and align all those invested in understanding and improving work and workplace issues in ways that inspire action and inclusive dialogue.

• Results show that the SIOP conference is a good opportunity to connect the community. Outside the conference, SIOP could do more to support greater interaction and connection between members.

• Member feedback reveals a desire for more resources that provide practical advice and templates for use in organizations.

• Comments suggest a need for more external outreach to the world for collaboration and interdisciplinary work.

Goal 4: Create an ecosystem that generates future I-O psychology capabilities to advance and advocate for both science and practice by guiding education and lifelong learning.

• Feedback suggests that SIOP could support educational programs (undergraduate and graduate) to build a stronger, more diverse pipeline.

• Member comments also discuss a need for developmental resources, designed for both academic and practitioner audiences.

Impact of COVID-19 on Work

Although 20% stated that COVID-19 did not have a significant impact on their work, the following impacts were experienced:

• 15% had projects or work on hold.

• 12% focused on different types of work.

• 12% experienced at least one layoff or a significant loss of work.

• 11% faced reduced productivity.

• 10% had lower quality of communications and relationships.

SIOP’s Reputation

Results suggest that I-O may need some marketing or public relations outside of I-O.  Being a member of SIOP is highly regarded within:

• I-O psychology (82%).

• Psychology outside of I-O (27%).

• Business schools (27%).

• Applied/business settings (29%).

ANOVA and T-Test Results

• There was no significant difference in overall satisfaction based on employment setting.

• Fellows indicate higher overall satisfaction compared to Student Affiliates, Associates, and Members.

• Satisfaction was significantly higher for PhDs compared to those with master’s degrees.

• Satisfaction was significantly higher for those who self-identified as heterosexual than for other groups.

• Satisfaction was significantly higher for those who self-identified as white than for other groups.

• There was no significant difference in overall satisfaction based on country.

• Fellows’ commitment to maintaining membership was significantly higher than Student Affiliates.

Again, our thanks go out to those who participated in the survey! We encourage all SIOP members and leaders to review the full survey results posted on the SIOP Survey website and continue to share your feedback. Our team is also reviewing alternative approaches in the months to come on how we can continue to gather feedback more regularly as we address critical areas of opportunity for our Society. For additional feedback or questions, please contact Victoria Stage at vstage31@gmail.com