Industrial Psychology, Chinese Psychological Society

The Specialist Committee on Industrial Psychology, affiliated to the Chinese Psychological Society, was inaugurated on the foundational platform of National Key Laboratory of Industrial Psychology at Zhejiang University. This committee proudly carries on the intellectual heritage of Professor Chen Li, recognized as the father of industrial psychology within Chinese academia. The Industrial Psychology Laboratory at Zhejiang University—formerly the Industrial Psychology Laboratory at Hangzhou University—secured a historic joint approval from both the former State Planning Commission and the State Education Commission in 1989, marking it as the inaugural national laboratory in the field of psychology in China. Today, the committee is composed of 41 distinguished members, drawn from a wide array of esteemed universities and preeminent research institutions from every corner of China, and represents a congregation of the most creative voices in industrial psychology.

The committee's principal missions include the orchestration of academic symposiums, the advancement of cutting-edge studies, the cultivation of academic talent, and enhancing the public's comprehension of industrial psychology. Through these efforts, the committee aims to propel the discipline's evolution forward. Industrial psychology delves into the psychological theories of individual and group behaviors within the intricacies of industrial and organizational settings, with a focus on the application of these theories to enhance the organizational effectiveness. In recent years, as industrial psychology has interwoven with organization management, human-computer interaction, and cognitive psychology, it has spawned several sub-disciplines such as managerial psychology (organizational behavior), engineering psychology, ergonomics, labor psychology, personnel psychology, and consumer psychology.

Since its establishment, the Specialist Committee on Industrial Psychology has maintained its research focus on industrial organizations, honing in on psychological issues in organizational management and human-computer interactions. It has proposed a range of distinctive research topics and achieved notable results. Keeping pace with the era and addressing pressing social issues, the Specialist Committee of Industrial Psychology actively engages in public outreach and science communication with a societal impact, organizing numerous conferences in ergonomics, organizational behavior, human resource management, and cross-cultural management, which have achieved notable social values.

Every other year, the Specialist Committee on Industrial Psychology organizes a national academic conference every two years and periodically conducts various focused research seminars in conjunction with academic activities in the organizational behavior field from business schools nationwide. These initiatives provide a solid foundation for the application of psychology in industrial organizations, and contribute to the thriving development of industrial psychology.