Research on personality, especially using the five-factor model (FFM; McCrae & Costa, 1987), has contributed greatly to industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology. In particular, this is because personality traits, especially Conscientiousness, are found to be valid predictors of job performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Hurtz & Donovan, 2000) while having relatively less adverse impact than other selection tools, such as cognitive ability tests (Ployhart & Holtz, 2008). Although the FFM is the most widely used personality model, other traits have been studied in the context of work and have been found to correlate with key variables such as job performance and job satisfaction. Such variables include need for achievement (McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, & Lowell, 1976), core self-evaluations (Judge & Bono, 2001), and goal orientation (Phillips & Gully, 1997). As a result, it is of great interest to organizations to be able to understand the personality of its applicants and its incumbents, and often such an examination of traits goes beyond the FFM.

Here are some not-to-be missed highlights from the SIOP 2016 conference! (Please see the January 2016 issue of TIP and the online program for more comprehensive descriptions.)

The SIOP Scientific Affairs committee is delighted to announce it will be hosting its third annual “Science Funding Speed Mentoring” special event at the 2016 SIOP conference in Anaheim, CA on Friday, April 15, from 5:00-6:30PM in Pacific A of the Hilton Anaheim. This event complements several other conference events focused on improving science advocacy by providing SIOP members with information and resources to more effectively pursue scientific funding opportunities. Protégés that sign up for this special event will get the opportunity to engage in two (2) consecutive half-hour small group discussions with expert science fundees and funders. The science funding-related topics from which protégés can select on a first-come, first-serve basis are:

“To help others” and “to improve lives.” These are, by far, the two most frequent answers I hear when asking I-O psychologists why they chose psychology as a career field. Very noble and aspirational goals, with the underlying theme of making a difference in the world. As I-O psychologists, our study and application of science for a smarter workplace certainly fits that bill; however, with technology and social media connecting the world so rapidly over the past few years, many in our field have found new opportunities to help others and improve lives. SIOP’s Bridge Builders and affiliated prosocial programs are noteworthy examples, yet they’re just scratching the surface.

“Scientific knowledge is not easily accessible to lay people and policy makers,” writes Detlof von Winterfeldt in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2013, p. 14055). The United Nations means to change that. The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology means to help.

The United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) is a central UN policymaker convening point, held for the purpose of reviewing and following up on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its mandates include guiding and leading the implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda, stimulating policies informed by scientific evidence and country experiences, and addressing new and emerging issues that arise.