Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Among one of the most unemployed majors, psychology bachelors degree students tend to find difficulty in finding employment opportunities that match their skills after graduation, despite their mastery of many knowledge, skill, and abilities (KSAOs) (Burning Glass Technologies, 2018; The Ladders, 2019; Halonen & Dunn, 2017). As businesses continue facing critical issues in the workplace, this begs the question: How can students with an undergraduate psychology degree resolve the most pressing issues within the world of business? This study aims to answer this question by understanding how KSAOs gained from a psychology curriculum align with addressing industry problems. Methods The method used to collect our data was a literature review. Researchers reviewed articles regarding current workplace issues and created a summary for each. These summaries outlined the key workplace related issues the article(s) listed. Then, deeper analyses will be conducted into the knowledge of theories and study findings psychology students learn that can address business questions. Additionally, O*Net-validated skills and abilities that psychology graduates possess, such as data analysis, that are valuable in solving problems, will be identified. Expected results Based on our methodology and prior research (Todd et al., 2021), we expect to find that the solutions to the current issues facing the industry are highly correlated with the KSAOs undergraduate psychology students acquire from their major courses. We expect that the knowledge psychology majors acquire from their psychology curriculum, such as knowledge of theories of motivation and models of culture, will be instrumental in addressing workplace problems including but not limited to retention, leadership development, and employee engagement. Implications By understanding how KSAOs obtained in psychology curriculum can be used to address real world problems, psychology majors can feel more prepared entering and contributing to the workplace. Psychology students aware of the KSAOs that they offer become more employable in their field as they are better able to market themselves. Understanding this information is also beneficial for employers. They can understand how to better utilize psychology graduates in the workplace. Finally, this would allow professors in the university setting to better prepare and organize their classes. Enhancing communication about KSAOs, offering better opportunities for application, and expanding professional development so students can advertise their KSAOs for employment.
Date
October 2022
Subject
Industrial and organizational psychology
Document Type
posters
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Included in
How can psychology students can solve top industry issues?
Abstract Introduction Among one of the most unemployed majors, psychology bachelors degree students tend to find difficulty in finding employment opportunities that match their skills after graduation, despite their mastery of many knowledge, skill, and abilities (KSAOs) (Burning Glass Technologies, 2018; The Ladders, 2019; Halonen & Dunn, 2017). As businesses continue facing critical issues in the workplace, this begs the question: How can students with an undergraduate psychology degree resolve the most pressing issues within the world of business? This study aims to answer this question by understanding how KSAOs gained from a psychology curriculum align with addressing industry problems. Methods The method used to collect our data was a literature review. Researchers reviewed articles regarding current workplace issues and created a summary for each. These summaries outlined the key workplace related issues the article(s) listed. Then, deeper analyses will be conducted into the knowledge of theories and study findings psychology students learn that can address business questions. Additionally, O*Net-validated skills and abilities that psychology graduates possess, such as data analysis, that are valuable in solving problems, will be identified. Expected results Based on our methodology and prior research (Todd et al., 2021), we expect to find that the solutions to the current issues facing the industry are highly correlated with the KSAOs undergraduate psychology students acquire from their major courses. We expect that the knowledge psychology majors acquire from their psychology curriculum, such as knowledge of theories of motivation and models of culture, will be instrumental in addressing workplace problems including but not limited to retention, leadership development, and employee engagement. Implications By understanding how KSAOs obtained in psychology curriculum can be used to address real world problems, psychology majors can feel more prepared entering and contributing to the workplace. Psychology students aware of the KSAOs that they offer become more employable in their field as they are better able to market themselves. Understanding this information is also beneficial for employers. They can understand how to better utilize psychology graduates in the workplace. Finally, this would allow professors in the university setting to better prepare and organize their classes. Enhancing communication about KSAOs, offering better opportunities for application, and expanding professional development so students can advertise their KSAOs for employment.
Department
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dept. of Psychology