Conceptualization in work and organizational psychology: need for congruence with phenomena and facts

Abstract

In this paper I present, as a starting point, a reflection about the levels of analysis in the construction of knowledge in the field of Work and Organizational Psychology (WOP), from the proposal of the three worlds of Karl Popper. Subsequently, I discuss the need for congruence between conceptualizations, psychological phenomena and social facts, given the changing of the world of work which entails that, in many cases, the concepts that define facts and phenomena associated with work remain outdated, and not define precisely those aspects that relate; for this reason, researchers and theorists should conduct periodic updates of their conceptual repertoires to suit the new conditions of the contexts in which they are used.