Book Links

Make Your Job a Calling: How the Psychology of Vocation Can Change Your Life at Work

Dr. Bryan Dik and Dr. Bryan Duffy

Do you ever feel sick of your job? Do you ever envy those people who seem to positively love what they do? While those people head off to work with a sense of joy and purpose, for the rest of us trudging back to the office on Monday morning or to the factory for the graveyard shift or to the job site on a hundred-degree day can be an exercise in soul crushing desperation. “If only we could change jobs,” we tell ourselves, “that would make it better.” But we don’t have the right education . . . or we don’t have enough experience . . . or the economy isn’t right . . . or we can’t afford the risk right now. So we keep going back to the same old unsatisfying jobs. (Read More)

Make Your Job a Calling Resource Guide

Dr. Bryan Dik and Dr. K. Arianna Molloy

It is designed to assist instructors, book study leaders, career counselors, human resources professionals, and individual readers who seek to delve deeper into the book, Make Your Job a Calling. In each chapter of the guide, the reader is given (1) a chapter summary, (2) general themes, (3) discussion questions, and (4) suggested activities. The suggested activities often involve a free write where you are encouraged to write your thoughts down without editing yourself. (Read More)

Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace

Dr. Bryan Dik and Zinta S Byrne

Work is one of the fundamental experiences of human life. Yet very few of us are lucky enough to find truly fulfilling jobs. In recent decades, as businesses have come to understand the crucial link between happiness and productivity, researchers have focused increasingly on factors such as the nature of the work itself, how well it is suited to the worker, and the ways in which employees can derive meaning and purpose from their work. In this groundbreaking book, editors Bryan Dik, Zinta Byrne, and Michael Steger have brought together experts in counseling and vocational psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, and the fields of executive coaching and management to investigate how meaningful work can be fostered and sustained throughout a wide range of work environments. Theoretically-grounded yet filled with practical strategies for the workplace, this book will be an important resource for academics, executive consultants, career counselors, human resource professionals, and organizational leaders alike. (Read More)

Psychology of Religion and Workplace Spirituality

Peter C. Hill and Dr. Bryan J. Dik (Editor)

This book, the first of a groundbreaking series, provides a solid theoretical and empirical grounding from the psychology of religion and spirituality to the emerging field of workplace spirituality. Leading researchers in the psychology of religion have contributed up-to-date reviews within their areas of expertise to help guide the emergence of this exciting new discipline. Each chapter is written with the workplace researcher in mind. Not only is the relevant literature from the psychology of religion reviewed, but it is also made relevant to the workplace setting. The religious and spiritual aspects of such topics as meaning making, emotional resilience, sense of calling, coping with stress, occupational health and well-being, and leadership, among others are discussed within the context of work life. Surely researchers interested in workplace spirituality will keep this book, as well as others in the series, within arm's reach for years to come. (Read More)

The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Training, Development, and Performance Improvement (Wiley-Blackwell Handbooks in Organizational Psychology)

Dr. Kurt Kraiger (Editor)

The latest Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Psychology uses a psychological perspective, and a uniquely global focus, to review the latest literature and research in the interconnected fields of training, development, and performance appraisal. Maintains a truly global focus on the field with top international contributors exploring research and practice from around the world Offers researchers and professionals essential information for building a talented organization, a critical and challenging task for organizational success in the 21st century Covers a diverse range of topics, including needs analysis, job design, active learning, self-regulation, simulation approaches, 360-degree feedback, and virtual learning environments. (Read More)

More About the Author: Dr. Bryan Dik

Bryan is a Professor of Psychology at Colorado State University. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from Calvin College in 1998 and his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2005. He is an internationally recognized expert in the area of career development and conducts research on perceptions of work as a calling; the role of faith in career decision-making and planning; career counseling interventions; and measurement of vocational interests.

Dr. Dik has received numerous awards including the John Holland Award for Outstanding Achievement in Career or Personality Research, Society of Counseling Psychology in 2017, an Applied Psychology of Religion and Spirituality Award, Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality in 2018, and also received the 2010 Early Career Professional Award from the Society for Vocational Psychology. He has served on the editorial boards of seven research journals, including Journal of Counseling Psychology, Journal of Vocational Behavior, and Journal of Career Assessment. Bryan teaches courses at CSU in the areas of vocational psychology, personality psychology, and the psychology of religion, and also supervises the career assessment and counseling activities of Ph.D. students in counseling psychology.

More About the Author: Dr. Kurt Kraiger

Kurt is a Professor of Psychology at Colorado State University. He received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati and his Ph.D. in I/O Psychology from Ohio State University in 1983. Dr. Kraiger is a Fellow and former President of the Society of I/O Psychology (SIOP). He was the creator of the Vocational Workforce Assessment Network, a predecessor to Career Analytics Network’s jobZology suite. Kurt is a renowned speaker at the local, state, national, and international levels. Dr. Kraiger also has a long history of consulting with organizations in helping people prosper via training, hiring and selection, leadership development, competency modeling, and employee engagement.