Bridging the Gap Between the Science and Practice of Psychology in Organizations: State of the Practice Reflections

Abstract

This special issue of the Journal of Business and Psychology focuses on the linkage between the science and practice of psychology in applied organizational settings. The purpose of this special edition is to (a) cover current hot topics and cutting edge practice areas in HR and/or the psychology of organizations, and (b) raise compelling research issues and ideas for researchers to pursue, with an overall goal of helping bridge the science to practice gap. Each of the 14 articles included in this special issue were selected because they focus on some critical aspect of an important topic in applied organizational settings for which there is either limited, contradictory, or very little formal research in the literature. Key themes include: employee engagement, ensuring sustained behavior change through feedback and coaching, the impact of emerging technologies such as social networking sites on HR practices, and talent management and retention among others. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.