Applied Psychology Consultants, Inc. (APC), a multi-state company that provides Industrial /Organizational consulting services to a wide range of private and public sector organizations was incorporated in 1982 by Wes Lynch from Bozeman, Montana to offer I/O services that are cost effective, designed to increase productivity, and improvement the work environment for employees. In addition to the traditional I/O consulting services, APC has begun to develop online services to clients that includes performance appraisal, organizational surveys, and computer based training (CBT) that is tailored to clients’ specific needs. 

The corporate home offices are located in Baltimore, MD. There are regional sales offices in several locations throughout the country. Each regional office is staffed by a sales and marketing person and an administrative assistant. There are software programmers, sales, marketing and distribution, trainers, and 3 personnel in finance and accounting. 

APC, Inc. has been in a growth phase since 1995 when business began to really take off. Clients have found the services to be very effective and have found that APC consultants do an excellent job of meeting client needs Most of the consulting contracts have been developed out of Baltimore because of proximity to clients.

I/O consulting services: A group of Industrial / Organizational consultants (IOCs) in the Baltimore location form teams to complete I/O work related projects that involve solving problems or capitalizing on potential opportunities that emerge. Some projects require putting out fires such as developing a strategy for hiring a CFO on short notice, while most will be longer -term problems that may require weeks to several months to solve, such as developing a selection procedure for programmers.

Because the I/O consulting group has been so successful in the past in providing internal consulting services to APC top management decided to hire a full time senior I/O consultant to head up projects in the Baltimore location. APC management hired Dr. Tom Mitchell, an I/O psychologist, to head up the I/O consulting program. Tom Mitchell recognized early on that he was unqualified and unable to do the work himself. Therefore he realized the importance of staffing the department with competent I/O masters’ degree students. He was able to attract a number of capable students from the Applied Psychology program at the University of Baltimore where he worked as an instructor before being fired from UB. 

Details about the company:

Objectives:    

• To provide a broad range of I/O consulting services to organizations. Services include personnel and organizational assessment an intervention to improve organizational functioning. Applications include job analysis, performance management (performance appraisal, motivating employees), job design, selection and placement, organizational development and many others.

• To develop, produce and market applications software products that will increase organizational productivity, and work effectiveness. 

• To provide on-site customer training along with on-line support once users have been trained.

• To provide excellence in customer service in development, timely delivery, and continued support for products and services. 

• To insure that interventions do not adversely impact the well being of employees

Total employees in Baltimore Corporate Offices22

Personnel: 32 (+20 in regional field offices)

Mr. Hadley Kohl, President and Chief Executive Office (CEO) 4 support
Mr. Wes Lynch, Chief Operations Officer 3 Support personnel: Office mgrs, Secretarial, Maintenance
Ms. Susan Mershim, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) 3 support

Ms. Debra Philip, Controller 8 support

Mr. Colin Funster, Director, Marketing and Sales (includes Staff of 20 in regional offices)

Ms. Carol Cunning, Office Manager10 Support staff: Administrative, Clerical

Dr. Tom Mitchell, Director, I/O consulting services 

Ms. Carley Simon, Director of Research and Development2Computer science experts

Ms. Merril Streep, Director, HR & Training and Development2 Trainers;2 Human resources generalists/specialists