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Professor Darren Treadway, Associate Professor at Daemen College, has been appointed the new Specialty Chief Editor for Organizational Psychology.

“I am excited not only by the opportunity to help shape discussions within the field, but by the mission of the Frontiers in Psychology journal,” says Prof Treadway. “As scholars, our most basic job description is to ‘Create and Disseminate Knowledge’ and it is my belief in the promise of Open Access to drastically alter the landscape not just for how we publish, but more importantly for how that information is used.”

Organizational Psychology is one of the largest sections in Frontiers in Psychology, with over 800 articles and 70 Research Topics to date. The Section encompasses all aspects of human behavior in an organization, including leadership, coaching, teams, climate and culture, and networking.

Hot topics in Organizational Psychology

From future technology to the gig economy, Prof Treadway says there are several topics that researchers should be discussing more in the field:

“Technology is drastically impacting the manner in which we work. Artificial intelligence and the increasing virtual nature of work are driving new organizational forms and employer-employee relationships.

“Also, the changing motivations of the modern workforce are lending themselves to an increase in the ‘gig economy’. Currently, it is estimated that 20-30% of all workers in the European Union and the United States are employed as gig workers. This shift impacts staffing and job stress, but it also creates new opportunities such as the construction and maintenance of personal identity. These jobs allow employees to engage in ‘gigs’ that best utilize their skills and link with their personal values or interests.”

As well as these new concepts, he believes leadership will continue to be at the core of making such relationships and organizations effective. “We need to uncover new leadership concepts and refine older theories for application in these emerging contexts. Thus, I hope that leadership scholars continue to engage in meaningful and novel constructions of leadership relations.”

Treadway’s 2020 vision

In 2020 and beyond, Prof Treadway hopes to encourage researchers to challenge themselves by pushing big ideas that tackle universal human problems:

“It is our responsibility as organizational scholars to address, in some way great or small, these societal challenges in our research and positively affect the human condition.

“The name of the journal is ‘Frontiers’, so I’d like to see us keep that in mind as we move forward. I’d like to see us challenge existing paradigms that no longer fit modern organizations and I’d like to see us strive to use Open Access and its efficient publication cycle to become a better partner to organizational decision-makers.”

Open for submissions

Lead your own Research Topic or submit your cutting-edge research to Organizational Psychology.

The following Research Topics are now open for submissions:

Stress and Stress Management - Pushing Back Against Existing ParadigmsEmotions and Leadership in Organizations and Educational InstitutesAge-Based Stereotype Threat Effects on Performance Outcomes

For more information about Frontiers in Psychology, or if you have any questions for Professor Treadway, please contact us at psychology@frontiersin.org. Or follow our journal on Twitter for the latest updates.