Occupational and Organizational Psychology

Dr Gail Steptoe‑Warren is an Occupational Psychologist and Coaching Psychologist with over twenty years of experience across higher education and applied practice. She has developed and led postgraduate programmes, supervised extensive cohorts of MSc and doctoral researchers, and contributed to evidence‑based approaches in leadership, workplace wellbeing, organisational culture, and selection and assessment. She has also provided strategic leadership as Head of the School of Psychology, where she developed and led a community of more than 7,000 students and around 100 academic staff, and is known for her structured, developmental supervision style that supports students in building methodological rigour and reflective capability.Alongside her academic leadership, Gail is an experienced practitioner working in coaching, assessment, leadership, organisational development, and change. She has played an active role in the British Psychological Society, supporting Stage 2 training and professional standards across the discipline. Her research interests include leadership behaviours, coaching psychology, psychometrics, and the impact of organisational culture on wellbeing and performance. She is recognised for her ethical practice, clarity of communication, and commitment to fostering psychologically healthy workplaces and learning environments.Ali Brown is an Occupational Psychologist and Executive Coach with a distinctive blend of academic rigour and applied practice. She has extensive experience consulting across a range of industries including manufacturing and construction, health and care and the civil service, and education. She supports individuals, teams and organisations to navigate complex workplace dynamics. Ali has held a senior academic role as a Lecturer in Business Psychology, where she developed new programmes and delivered teaching in areas including coaching, training and development, leadership, and organisational culture and values. She also supervises and assesses candidates working towards the Stage 2 qualification in Occupational Psychology.Now fully practitioner-focused, Ali specialises in positive psychology, leadership development, relational health and mediation, often integrating coaching within broader organisational work. Her work is characterised by a deep understanding of how individuals interface with their work environments, and how leadership, organisational culture and values shape working relationships, behaviour and organisational dynamics.Dr. Anthony Thompson is a Chartered Psychologist specialising in organisational psychology, leadership development, and workplace wellbeing. Anthony holds a PhD from Coventry University, where his doctoral research examined employee wellbeing through participatory co-creation methodologies, contributing to a growing body of evidence on sustainable workplace health interventions.Anthony has held senior roles within higher education, including as a Head of Department overseeing both MSc Psychology and MSc Business Psychology pathways. Alongside this, Anthony works with private organisations to enhance workplace neuroinclusion through specialised training and consultancy. Anthony is also the founder of ThoughtLab Business Psychology Ltd, through which he applies evidence-based psychological science to organisational challenges. Anthony holds a CMI coaching qualification, is a qualified BPS test user for occupational testing, and his academic work continues to appear in peer-reviewed journals focused on occupational health and organisational behaviour.Dr Sophie Ward is a Chartered Coaching Psychologist, Associate Professor, change practitioner, and award-winning impact leader with over ten years of experience across higher education, applied psychology, public sector research, and organisational practice. She has held senior roles across both academic and professional services contexts, contributing to programme development, student and staff support, institutional leadership, and evidence-informed practice. Her work is grounded in Occupational Psychology, with expertise across areas including coaching, leadership, psychometrics, workplace wellbeing, organisational change and development, and psychologically informed approaches to learning and work.Alongside her academic leadership, Sophie has worked with public sector organisations including the Police Service, Fire and Rescue Service, and the National Health Service, contributing to research, evaluation, governance, service improvement, and professional education. She is also a governor for an education academy in the West Midlands and has supported civic and voluntary work through organisations including St John Ambulance. Sophie’s work is characterised by academic rigour, ethical leadership, reflective practice, and a commitment to helping institutions think critically, act responsibly, and serve communities with integrity, resilience, and sustained credibility.

• Chapter 1. Introduction to Occupational Psychology. Chapter 2. Becoming an Occupational Psychologist. Chapter 3. Supervision in Practice. Chapter 4. Individual Differences. Chapter 5. Psychological Assessment at Work. Chapter 6. Learning, Training and Development. Chapter 7. Work and Well-being. Chapter 8. Employee Engagement and Motivation. Chapter 9. Career Development. Chapter 10. Coaching. Chapter 11. Leadership. Chapter 12. Groups, Teams and Teamwork. Chapter 13. Work Design and Human Machine Interaction. Chapter 14. Organisational Change and Development. Chapter 15. The Impact of Technologies in the Workplace. Chapter 16. Turning the Workplace Green.