Luther College professor Justin M. Sprung co-authors psychology textbook “Personnel Psychology”

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College’s Justin M. Sprung, an assistant professor of psychology,  co-authored Personnel Psychology, a comprehensive and accessible textbook that delves into the psychological principles behind human resource practices.

Justin M. Sprung

Sprung, who has taught in the psychology department at Luther since 2013, along with his co-authors Alexandra Luong and Michael J. Zicker, draw from their experiences in teaching and research to provide psychological perspectives on personnel management. The textbook covers fundamental topics such as job analysis, recruitment, selection, assessment and performance evaluation. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the importance of psychology in shaping the modern workspace.

“I’ve found in my 10 years of teaching at Luther that students are often fascinated by exploring the psychology behind personnel decisions, particularly with regard to topics such as employee selection and performance appraisals,” said Sprung.

Sprung co-authored “Personnel Psychology.”

Sprung’s teaching and research interests focus on the field of industrial-organizational psychology, a discipline that seeks to apply psychological principles to the workplace to improve conditions.

He aims to make complex psychological concepts accessible to students in “Personnel Psychology,” which includes readings, review questions and discussion prompts to facilitate active learning. It also introduces students to the latest scientific research in the field and the possibility of exploring research in the future related to industrial-organizational psychology.

“My interactions with students in the classroom served as inspiration for my desire to be a part of this project,” said Sprung. “I’m grateful I had the opportunity to contribute to this textbook and am excited to continue sharing recent developments in the field of industrial-organizational psychology with Luther students.”

“Personnel Psychology” is available to purchase via the publisher, Routledge

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.