The need to evolve a new radical approach to the dynamics of the workplace has been brought to the fore, at the recent inaugural Town and Gown seminar of the Department of Psychology, Covenant University, for the Omega semester.
The event, hosted at the Center for Entrepreneurial Development Studies (CEDS) Conference Room of the University, spotlighted Mr. Jude Adigwe, Head of Organisation Development at Sterling Bank, as the Guest Speaker, with the theme, "I'm Okay, You are Okay - The Role of Psychologists in Today's Changing Workplace: Industrial Psychology Perspective."
Mr. Adigwe, acknowledged several challenges faced by industrial-organizational psychologists in Nigeria, such as limited awareness and impact of psychology in the workplace, insufficient collaboration between academia and industry, and competition with Human Resource Management (HRM) professionals.
To overcome these challenges, Mr. Adigwe proposed strategic solutions including legislative advocacy, pioneering research, partnerships between academia and industry practice, and leveraging both traditional and social media for greater awareness.
He delved into the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workplace dynamics, asserting that it has accelerated pre-existing changes; highlighting the necessity for organizations to adapt to new trends, he pointed out shifts in production organizations, workspace arrangements, labor relations, and work modalities. According to Mr. Adigwe, a return to pre-pandemic work models is no longer feasible.
Discussing current trends and future predictions, Mr. Adigwe provided examples such as Internet banking and agency banking, illustrating the rapid adoption of new technologies by certain demographic groups. He emphasized the distinctive expectations of Generation Z in the workforce, particularly their preference for flexible job arrangements. Furthermore, he underscored the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in workplaces, predicting a more balanced gender composition and age distribution in the future workforce.
Mr. Adigwe also identified numerous opportunities for industrial-organizational psychologists in Nigeria. These include prioritizing employee well-being, aligning the goals of employees and employers, promoting research-driven initiatives, strengthening human-tech interactions, raising awareness of psychology in the workplace, and influencing workplace legislation.
In closing, Mr. Adigwe emphasized the importance of harmony and unity of purpose between academia and industry, particularly between employers and employees. He reiterated the ongoing role of industrial-organizational psychologists in highlighting human value and maximizing human potential in an ever-evolving workplace.
Making a closing remark at the event, the Head of the Department of Psychology, Professor Abiodun M. Gesinde, espoused to the audience, the fact that Covenant University students have been afforded a great opportunity with the advent of the town and gown seminars as these programmes help them to be fine-tuned for the world of works.
He lauded the presentation of the Guest Speaker, Mr Jude Adigwe, commenting on his beautiful delivery and expressed hopes that the student would take good cues from the lessons in the Guest Speaker’s presentation.
Others at the event include members of Faculty and Staff of the Department.