ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Syllabus
EN
IT
Learning Objectives
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The teaching activities will enable students to get awareness and understanding of the basic tools to understand themselves and the 'other' in the work environment. Alongside appreciating the latest conceptual trends in the field of Organisational Psychology, students will achieve a practical acknowledgement of the practical techniques and tools which can be used to address psychological dynamics and processes at the micro, meso, and macro levels.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The teaching activities will guide students in the discovery of theoretical models and practical tools that are useful to contextualize psychology into the functioning of modern organizations. Students will collect key information to effectively deal with people management-related issues and enact a climate that fits the evolving expectations of employees.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The students will be able to apply their knowledge to real case scenarios through case studies, vignettes, and experimental activities. On the one hand, the students will self-assess their maturity to cope with psychological challenges and issues in the workplace. On the other hand, they will get awareness of the pervasiveness of psychological dynamics across different organisational levels, obtaining tools and techniques to enhance the quality of the work atmosphere.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS
The students will be guided in developing a strong autonomy of judgment in terms of the most important well-being outcomes related to people in the workplace. Moreover, they will be able to assess the quality of team-level exchanges, looking at both leader-member relationships and peer-to-peer linkages. Lastly, yet importantly, the students will discover the underlying factors building positive attitudes in the workplace and spurring individual motivation.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
During the course, the students will be constantly solicited to check and advance their communication skills. Case studies' discussion, dialogic debriefing, in-baskets sessions, and role-playing activities will be creatively used to engage the students in a vivid and compelling learning experience.
LEARNING SKILLS
The course will allow students to develop competencies in the field of psychology that are essential to understand the big picture behind organisational processes and dynamics. While attention will be constantly paid to organisation-wide phenomena, students will be continuously solicited to 'deconstruct' organisational dynamics, envisioning what are the various factors that shape individual behaviors, attitudes, and motivation at work.
The teaching activities will enable students to get awareness and understanding of the basic tools to understand themselves and the 'other' in the work environment. Alongside appreciating the latest conceptual trends in the field of Organisational Psychology, students will achieve a practical acknowledgement of the practical techniques and tools which can be used to address psychological dynamics and processes at the micro, meso, and macro levels.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The teaching activities will guide students in the discovery of theoretical models and practical tools that are useful to contextualize psychology into the functioning of modern organizations. Students will collect key information to effectively deal with people management-related issues and enact a climate that fits the evolving expectations of employees.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
The students will be able to apply their knowledge to real case scenarios through case studies, vignettes, and experimental activities. On the one hand, the students will self-assess their maturity to cope with psychological challenges and issues in the workplace. On the other hand, they will get awareness of the pervasiveness of psychological dynamics across different organisational levels, obtaining tools and techniques to enhance the quality of the work atmosphere.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS
The students will be guided in developing a strong autonomy of judgment in terms of the most important well-being outcomes related to people in the workplace. Moreover, they will be able to assess the quality of team-level exchanges, looking at both leader-member relationships and peer-to-peer linkages. Lastly, yet importantly, the students will discover the underlying factors building positive attitudes in the workplace and spurring individual motivation.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
During the course, the students will be constantly solicited to check and advance their communication skills. Case studies' discussion, dialogic debriefing, in-baskets sessions, and role-playing activities will be creatively used to engage the students in a vivid and compelling learning experience.
LEARNING SKILLS
The course will allow students to develop competencies in the field of psychology that are essential to understand the big picture behind organisational processes and dynamics. While attention will be constantly paid to organisation-wide phenomena, students will be continuously solicited to 'deconstruct' organisational dynamics, envisioning what are the various factors that shape individual behaviors, attitudes, and motivation at work.
Prerequisites
None. However, students will beneft from key notions in the fields of organisational design, Human Resource Management and organisational behavior
Program
The teaching activities unfold through three moments, which look at the micro, meso, and macro levels of organisational psychology. Each organisational level is addressed for two weeks for a total of 12 hours, according to the following programme:
1. The micro level: organisational psychology and individual dynamics
1.1 Presentation of the module and basic concepts
1.2 Individual traits, values, and attitudes (part I)
1.3 Individual traits, values, and attitudes (part II)
1.4 Motivation at work
1.5 Satisfaction at work
1.6 Individual well-being, burnout, and dysfunctional behaviours
2. The meso level: organisational psychology and interpersonal relationships
2.1 Group dynamics
2.2 Communication, sensemaking and sensegiving
2.3 Leadership behaviours
2.4 Followership behaviours
2.5 Human resource development and training
2.6 Performance management
3. The macro level: psychology applied to HRM and organizational dynamics
3.1 HR planning
3.2 HRM practices: Personnel recruitment
3.3 HRM practices: Selection
3.4 Organisational justice and compensation
3.5 Organisational design and psychology
3.6 Organisational climate and culture
1. The micro level: organisational psychology and individual dynamics
1.1 Presentation of the module and basic concepts
1.2 Individual traits, values, and attitudes (part I)
1.3 Individual traits, values, and attitudes (part II)
1.4 Motivation at work
1.5 Satisfaction at work
1.6 Individual well-being, burnout, and dysfunctional behaviours
2. The meso level: organisational psychology and interpersonal relationships
2.1 Group dynamics
2.2 Communication, sensemaking and sensegiving
2.3 Leadership behaviours
2.4 Followership behaviours
2.5 Human resource development and training
2.6 Performance management
3. The macro level: psychology applied to HRM and organizational dynamics
3.1 HR planning
3.2 HRM practices: Personnel recruitment
3.3 HRM practices: Selection
3.4 Organisational justice and compensation
3.5 Organisational design and psychology
3.6 Organisational climate and culture
Books
Mandatory text book
Work and Organizational Psychology (3rd Edition), by Sebastiaan Rothmann and Cary L. Cooper, Routledge, 2022
In particular students must be prepared on the follwing program
1 Introduction to work and organizational psychology (pp. 1-24)
PART I Organizational psychology
2 Individual differences and inclusion (pp. 26-46)
3 Motivation and satisfaction (pp. 47-69)
4 Group behaviour (pp. 70-86)
5 Communication (pp. 87-105)
6 Leadership (pp. 106-121)
PART II Work psychology
7 Work analysis and human resource planning (pp. 125-138)
8 Recruitment and selection (pp. 139-160)
9 Induction, training, and development (pp. 161-175)
10 Compensation management (pp. 176-186)
11 Performance management (pp. 187-202)
PART III Further aspects of organizational psychology
13 Well-being and dysfunctional behaviour at work (pp. 219-242)
14 Organizational design, development, and culture (pp. 243-257)
Work and Organizational Psychology (3rd Edition), by Sebastiaan Rothmann and Cary L. Cooper, Routledge, 2022
In particular students must be prepared on the follwing program
1 Introduction to work and organizational psychology (pp. 1-24)
PART I Organizational psychology
2 Individual differences and inclusion (pp. 26-46)
3 Motivation and satisfaction (pp. 47-69)
4 Group behaviour (pp. 70-86)
5 Communication (pp. 87-105)
6 Leadership (pp. 106-121)
PART II Work psychology
7 Work analysis and human resource planning (pp. 125-138)
8 Recruitment and selection (pp. 139-160)
9 Induction, training, and development (pp. 161-175)
10 Compensation management (pp. 176-186)
11 Performance management (pp. 187-202)
PART III Further aspects of organizational psychology
13 Well-being and dysfunctional behaviour at work (pp. 219-242)
14 Organizational design, development, and culture (pp. 243-257)
Bibliography
The Psychology of Behaviour at Work: The Individual in the Organization Paperback, by Adrian Furnham, Psychology Press, 2012
Teaching methods
The course employs a mix of teaching methods. The traditional frontal lecture is done with the support of slides, which are accessible to all students. Students are encouraged to actively participate with questions and opinions. Furthermore, the course include in-class group discussions, analysis of multimedia materials, and case studies.
Exam Rules
The exam is administered in written form and consists of three open-ended questions, one relating to each of the sections or organizational levels into which the course is structured.
In exam sessions with fewer than five registered students, the exam will be conducted orally.
The oral examination will follow exactly the same format as the written examination, with three broad open-ended questions covering the three sections or organizational levels.
Each question, whether answered in written or oral form, will be assessed on a scale from 0 to 11 according to the following criteria:
0 points: the answer is incomplete and not consistent with the content of the question;
1 to 3 points: the answer is inadequately argued, with few considerations and insufficient evidence of adequate study of the course materials available to the student;
4 to 6 points: the answer is barely sufficient, with arguments reflecting a superficial understanding of the topics covered during the course and few empirical applications;
7 to 9 points: the answer is satisfactory, with arguments demonstrating adequate knowledge of the topics covered during the course and good empirical applications;
10 to 11 points: the answer is complete and comprehensive, with arguments demonstrating an in-depth and integrated understanding of the course materials, enriched by empirical insights and connections across multiple topics.
The final grade is determined by the sum of the scores awarded to the three questions. If the total score exceeds 30, honours (30 e lode) will be awarded.
For the purposes of the overall assessment, the following grading scheme will be applied:
Fail: Significant gaps and/or inaccuracies in the knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited analytical and synthesis skills; frequent generalizations; inadequate critical thinking and judgement; arguments presented inconsistently and using inappropriate language.
18-20: Barely sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics, with possible generalizations and inaccuracies; sufficient analytical and synthesis skills and autonomy of judgement; arguments presented with limited coherence and using language that is not always appropriate or sufficiently technical.
21-23: Basic knowledge and understanding of the topics; adequate analytical and synthesis skills, with sufficiently coherent logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language.
24-26: Good knowledge and understanding of the topics; good analytical and synthesis skills, with arguments presented rigorously, although the language used is not always appropriate or sufficiently technical.
27-29: Complete knowledge and understanding of the topics; very good analytical and synthesis skills; good autonomy of judgement; arguments presented rigorously and using appropriate/technical language.
30-30L (with honours): Excellent and in-depth knowledge and understanding of the topics; excellent analytical and synthesis skills and autonomy of judgement; arguments presented in an original manner and using appropriate technical language.
The written examination, or alternatively the oral examination, is designed to assess:
• knowledge and understanding;
• the ability to apply knowledge;
• autonomy of critical judgement;
• written or oral communication skills.
In exam sessions with fewer than five registered students, the exam will be conducted orally.
The oral examination will follow exactly the same format as the written examination, with three broad open-ended questions covering the three sections or organizational levels.
Each question, whether answered in written or oral form, will be assessed on a scale from 0 to 11 according to the following criteria:
0 points: the answer is incomplete and not consistent with the content of the question;
1 to 3 points: the answer is inadequately argued, with few considerations and insufficient evidence of adequate study of the course materials available to the student;
4 to 6 points: the answer is barely sufficient, with arguments reflecting a superficial understanding of the topics covered during the course and few empirical applications;
7 to 9 points: the answer is satisfactory, with arguments demonstrating adequate knowledge of the topics covered during the course and good empirical applications;
10 to 11 points: the answer is complete and comprehensive, with arguments demonstrating an in-depth and integrated understanding of the course materials, enriched by empirical insights and connections across multiple topics.
The final grade is determined by the sum of the scores awarded to the three questions. If the total score exceeds 30, honours (30 e lode) will be awarded.
For the purposes of the overall assessment, the following grading scheme will be applied:
Fail: Significant gaps and/or inaccuracies in the knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited analytical and synthesis skills; frequent generalizations; inadequate critical thinking and judgement; arguments presented inconsistently and using inappropriate language.
18-20: Barely sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics, with possible generalizations and inaccuracies; sufficient analytical and synthesis skills and autonomy of judgement; arguments presented with limited coherence and using language that is not always appropriate or sufficiently technical.
21-23: Basic knowledge and understanding of the topics; adequate analytical and synthesis skills, with sufficiently coherent logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language.
24-26: Good knowledge and understanding of the topics; good analytical and synthesis skills, with arguments presented rigorously, although the language used is not always appropriate or sufficiently technical.
27-29: Complete knowledge and understanding of the topics; very good analytical and synthesis skills; good autonomy of judgement; arguments presented rigorously and using appropriate/technical language.
30-30L (with honours): Excellent and in-depth knowledge and understanding of the topics; excellent analytical and synthesis skills and autonomy of judgement; arguments presented in an original manner and using appropriate technical language.
The written examination, or alternatively the oral examination, is designed to assess:
• knowledge and understanding;
• the ability to apply knowledge;
• autonomy of critical judgement;
• written or oral communication skills.
Attendance Rules
The attendance is not mandatory and it will be not monitored. However, attendance is highly recommended.