Psychology has been well-accepted for application in virtually all aspects of human activities, including making a living. Thus, the objective of this paper is to introduce the application of psychology at workplaces. Specifically this paper addresses the importance of the profession of Industrial and Organizational Psychologist in the increasingly advanced and industrious society of Malaysia. It highlights the areas that the professional cares for, as well as its roles and positions in the view of the nation’s needs. Besides that, this paper also stresses the essential issues that Industrial and Organizational Psychologist practicing in Malaysia should consider. In short, this paper advocates the need of having professionals to look into the well-being of individuals contributing towards making Malaysia a developed nation.
A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and job factors that affect work design in two automotives manufacturing companies in Malaysia. A set of multiple choices questionnaires was developed and data were collected by interviewing the employees at the production plant. Hundred and seventy male subjects between the ages of 18 to 40 years with the mean age of 26.8 and SD of 5.3 years and mean work experience of 6.5 and SD of 4.9 years took part in the survey. The survey focused on job factors, i.e. skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. The results support the previous findings that job factors are significantly correlated to job satisfaction. Furthermore, it also highlights the significant influence of age, work experience and marital status.