Morris Viteles

Morris Simon Viteles (March 21, 1898 - December 7, 1996) was an influential researcher and writer in the field of industrial and organizational psychology. His book Industrial Psychology, published in 1932, was the first comprehensive modern textbook in the field. His writings were so influential that he was often regarded as the founder of the field, although he disavowed that claim.

Early life and education Viteles was born in a village in the Bessarabian region of the Russian Empire in 1898. He subsequently assisted Philadelphia Electric in measuring the propensity for error of electrical substation operators, to great success. The company then hired him to pioneer in the utility industry standardized testing for promotion instead of seniority.

Viteles' 1953 book, Motivation and Morale in Industry, supplemented his seminal 1932 textbook Industrial Psychology by addressing the organizational side of the field.

Viteles was also known for the strongly international perspective he brought to the field, building connections with psychologists in numerous European countries. He served as president of the International Association of Applied Psychology from 1958 until his 1968 retirement.