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MUCHINSKY, PAUL M. Psychology Applied to Work: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1993. Pp. xx + 584. $55.00
This is the fourth edition of Muchinsky's seminal undergraduate textbook in industrial/organizational psychology. Previous reviews (Benson, 1991; Davis, 1988; Knouse, 1983) have consistently praised the author for his intellectual rigor and his attention to academic detail. Moreover, Muchinsky has dutifully responded to constructive reviewer criticisms by frequent incorporation of their suggestions into later editions. He has continued this trend in the fourth edition by dropping highly complex and less relevant topics (e.g., suppressor and moderator variables) and by adding sections that give the book a greater sense of conceptual wholeness--such as discussion of newer and more controversial theories of leadership, ergonomic approaches to work design, human/computer interactions, and substance abuse in the workplace. More will be said about these enhancements a little later.
As in earlier editions, the book remains organized into four major sections ("Introduction," "Personnel Psychology," "Organizational Psychology," and "The Work Environment") with the same 15 chapters. The organization and structure have changed little since the first edition in 1983. A few headings have become subheadings and vice versa. Perplexingly, the number of pages has dropped rather substantially (somewhere between 50 and 100, depending on whether or not you count reference pages). Quality and quantity are not equivalent measures of "goodness," still, given the increasing sophistication of the subject matter, I would have expected more, rather than fewer, pages.
Because the basic structure and content of the book has remained essentially intact since 1983, I will refer readers to the earlier reviews for information on the internal makeup of the book. I will devote my efforts elsewhere.
While I agree with much of my colleagues' previous reviews of Muchinsky's work, I have some rather notable concerns and criticisms. True, Muchinsky devotes appropriate and comprehensive attention to the more traditional academic areas of industrial psychology--research methodology, personnel psychology, criteria and predictors (or is it the other way around?), the process of making personnel decisions, employee training, and the appraisal of employee performance.
He devotes an equivalent number...