I experienced ten years in the work force before I began my pursuit of higher education. Consequently, I know the frustration of squandered effort, perceived inequities in reward systems, and lack of job satisfaction. I also know the triumph of excellent performance, intrinsic job satisfaction, and the piece of mind that accompanies work well designed. The ultimate goal of Industrial/Organizational Psychology is to reduce the margin that exists between how people could feel about their work, and how people do feel about their work; while integrating the organization's and the individual's needs.
Because of my varied work experience, I am able to offer strength and diversity to your program. Before attending the University of Northern Iowa, I was employed in the music industry, construction, restaurant management, and sales. I view these years as invaluable, as they have shaped my motives, compelled me to appreciate the need for goal orientation, and allowed me to experience the triumphs and frustrations of the "real" world. Consequently, I entered my college career with a strong sense of purpose.
This sense of purpose is reflected in my activities relevant to Industrial/Organizational Psychology, which have been under the continuous and invaluable guidance of Dr. Dave Whitsett, Professor of I/O Psychology, University of Northern Iowa. In January of 1993, I approached the Human Resource Department of John Deere Tractor Assembly Division, Waterloo, Iowa, with the intention of gaining hands-on experience in a manufacturing setting. I have, under the supervision of Marshal C. Chesmore, Senior Human Resource Representative, researched Self-Directed Work Groups and served on the "Changing Role of the Supervisor" committee. I am continuing my involvement by serving on a subcommittee responsible for developing a training needs analysis for the Central Training Division of John Deere Waterloo Works.
Feeling a need to diversify my experience, I approached GMAC Mortgage of Waterloo, Iowa, about the possibility of a credited internship. I am currently reviewing their personnel processes via interviews with appropriate personnel and examination of existing documentation. This project will culminate in a modal description of these processes, and recommendation for process/organizational modification.
I have prepared myself academically for advanced graduate study in I/O Psychology through relevant college course work, such as Organizational Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Principles of Psychological Testing, Statistics for Psychology, and Research Methods in Psychology. I have conducted research, under Dr. Augustine Osman, Clinical Psychologist, University of Northern Iowa, on the psychometric properties of the "Inventory of College Students in Recent Life Experience." This research, which has been accepted for publication in Journal of Clinical Psychology, provided experience using "Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences" for factor analysis, reliability and validity issues, and the verification of data. I have qualified for the dean's list the last two semesters, currently carry a 3.70 junior/senior GPA and a 3.75 GPA in my major, and fully anticipate graduating with honors in May of 1994.
In addition to my academic and related activities, I manage and perform in a successful regional band, write and produce local/regional radio and television commercials, and volunteer my time to various community projects and charitable causes. I feel that in balancing academic, community work, and family activities, I have further developed into a person who is confident, competent, assertive, reliable, resilient, and compassionate.
Some of the Colorado State I/O Psychology Department's recent research and consulting activities, such as designing a performance appraisal plan for state and local agencies, or evaluating strategies for organizational change, are areas in which I would like to research and write my dissertation. Your geographic location provides access to internship with industry in both the Fort Collins and the Denver area. The integration of scientific and practitioner models in your program would further my career goals of teaching at the college level and consulting in industry. These considerations, along with a favorable social/geographic environment for my wife and four children, are of prime concern.
My major goal is to understand better the processes through which Industrial/Organizational Psychology can make significant societal contributions. Abraham Maslow, while researching his book Eupsychian Management, came to believe that industry was the one institution through which we could best shape our society. I share this position. Since Americans spend roughly eight hours per day, five days per week, fifty weeks per year for forty years in their careers, what better place to focus our research energies and apply sound psychological theory than the institution that governs the very pattern of our days and lives