Assignment 3: Understanding the Hierarchy of Managerial Levels and Division of Labor

Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology professionals (both internal and external) typically act in an advisory role and use their professional expertise to solve organizational problems, supervised and guided by client management. The nature of the work varies widely and is primarily based on two factors, organizational level and the department where the project is being conducted. The work could be strategic or tactical, based on the level of the organization. How to apply the advice depends on the functional area.

It is important for industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists to understand how organizations are departmentalized and the type of work conducted at various levels within the organization.

For this assignment, you will complete the following:

• List the typical departments that might be found in a midsize to large manufacturing organization. Briefly, describe what type of work each department does. Be sure to include all of the support functions it takes to run such a business.

• For each department, classify if its management would be considered to have line or staff authority.

• Identify three different levels of management within the organization with line authority and differentiate generally between their primary roles.

Your final product should be a 3- to 5-page Microsoft Word document, using a minimum of three scholarly sources. Be sure you write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Use APA format.