Scholars and practitioners connect at 9th Industrial and Organisational Psychology Conference

Some 600 delegates from Australia and ten other nations attended the 9th Industrial and Organisational Psychology (IOP) Conference held from 23-26 June, 2011 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. The theme of the conference was Connectivity in a dynamic world: Human connection in a world of rapid change.

The final program, which was fully peer-reviewed, included six keynote addresses from leading Australian and overseas researchers and practitioners,10 research symposia, six forums on practice, four practice-oriented workshops, six how-to sessions, 49 individual research papers, and 19 poster presentations. Delegates experienced a rich program that addressed the conference theme, as well as other topics of contemporary interest in the industrial and organisational psychology realm. A feature of the conference was a Doctorial Consortium, held at the nearby Southbank Campus of Griffith University, which was attended by 27 doctoral students, and presented addresses and workshops by leading Australian and international scholars.

A more complete description of all sessions at the Conference has been published in the Conference Proceedings. Reviewed and edited by the Chairs of the Conference, Professor Neal Ashkanasy and Associate Professor Nerina Jimmieson, the proceedings are available at no cost on the conference website.

One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of the Elton Mayo Awards from the APS College of Organisational Psychologists (COP). This year there were two recipients. Professor Neal Ashkanasy received the Elton Mayo Award for his outstanding contributions to research and teaching. He was recognised for his contributions to the international literature in psychology and management and, in particular, as a pioneer of the study of emotion in organisations. Dr Crissa Sumner was recipient of the Early Career Award, recognised for her achievements as Chair of COP Queensland over the last three years and her expertise as a practitioner of organisational psychology in the Brisbane business community.

At the closing ceremony Professor Ashkanasy thanked the organising committee and APS staff for their efforts in preparing for the Conference over the last two years, noting the Conference was executed seamlessly despite problems caused by the Brisbane floods and the Chilean volcanic ash cloud.

The 10th Industrial and Organisational Psychology Conference will be held in 2013 in Perth, chaired by Professor David Day ([email protected] ), and Associate Professors Gillian Yeo ([email protected] ) and Shayne Loft ([email protected] ).