Introduction to Human Factors for Organisational Psychologists

This text introduces industrial and organisational psychologists to the discipline of human factors. It also provides a range of tools necessary for the application of human factors strategies and techniques in practice. The text is intended to respond to the growing demand for organisational psychologists to assist in the development and evaluation of initiatives that are intended to optimise the relationship between workers and the operational environments with which they engage.

The book

• Contains practical strategies and examples that are intended to guide readers

• Combines human factors and organisational psychological concepts in a single volume

• Covers context-related examples that illustrate the application of human factors tools and principles

• Presents an integrated approach to human factors from an organisational psychological perspective

The text begins by discussing the application of human factors in organisations, together with notions of risk and uncertainty. Frameworks for human factors are considered, including error-based and system safety approaches. It explores the links between individual differences and human factors, and it covers group processes and the impact on team performance, including the role of leadership and followership. The book also presents a range of tools and techniques that can be applied by organisational psychologists to acquire human factors-related information and develop an understanding of the situation or factors that may explain human behaviour.

Mark Wiggins is a Professor of Organisational Psychology at Macquarie University. He gained his PhD in Psychology from the University of Otago, New Zealand in 2001, is a Registered Psychologist in Australia with an endorsed area of practice in Organisational Psychology, and is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society. He has a broad range of experience that spans both scholarship and practice. As a research scholar, he is the author or co-author of over 100 publications on topics ranging from diagnostic error amongst physicians and allied health practitioners to cybersecurity in the banking and energy sectors. As a practicing organisational psychologist, Mark has acted as consultant to a number of national and international organisations, including the Clinical Health Commission, Energy Queensland, the New South Wales (NSW) Port Authority, Transport for New South Wales, and the United States Federal Aviation Administration.