24504 - RESEARCH AND MASTER THESIS

Anno Accademico 2020/2021

  • Moduli: Rita Chiesa (Modulo 1) Cristian Balducci (Modulo 2) Silvia Moscatelli (Modulo 3) Michela Menegatti (Modulo 4) Stefano Toderi (Modulo 5) Simone Donati (Modulo 6) Fabio Massei (Modulo 7) Marco De Angelis (Modulo 8) Stefano Toderi (Modulo 9)
  • Modalità didattica: Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 1) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 2) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 3) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 4) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 5) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 6) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 7) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 8) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 9)
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: Laurea Magistrale in Work, organizational and personnel psychology (cod. 9236)

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

By the end of this activity, students will show: - the mastery of basic/fundamental topics of psychosocial and organizational research - the mastery of research methods for psychosocial and organizational studies - the ability to carry out a psychosocial and organizational research.

Contenuti

MODULE 1 "Evaluation research" 15h Chiesa Rita

MODULE 2 “Methods and designs in WOP-P_part 1” 15h Balducci Cristian

MODULE 3 “Scientific writing” 15h Moscatelli Silvia

MODULE 4 “Questionnaires” 15h Menegatti Michela

MODULE 5 “Online surveys” 15h Toderi Stefano

MODULE 6 “Diversity and creativity in organizations” 15h Donati Simone

MODULE 7 "Talent management" (Practitioner-oriented module) 15h Massei Fabio

MODULE 8 “Evaluation of organizational interventions” 15h De Angelis Marco

MODULE 9 “Methods and designs in WOP-P_part 2” 15h Toderi Stefano


MODULE 1 (Rita Chiesa, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module, the students will be able to:

  • define what evaluation research means
  • use psychosocial research methods for evaluative purposes;
  • plan an evaluation study to assess learning-transfer

MODULE 2 & MODULE 9 (Cristian Balducci & Stefano Toderi, 30h, 3h x 10 classes)

At the end of the module students will be able to design a research/intervention study to assess common questions regarding the relationship between psychological and psychosocial variables, analyse the data and interpret the main results.

Topics:

  • Measurement issues: Fitting a measurement model to the data with confirmatory factor analysis (theory and exercises)
  • Cross-sectional designs and data analysis: Cross-sectional study designs (quick review), hierarchical regression analysis, moderation and mediation on cross sectional data: theory and implementation
  • Intro to longitudinal designs and data analysis: Incomplete vs complete panel designs, intensive sampling “Diary Studies”
  • Individual support to students on issues related to the research paper

MODULE 3 (Silvia Moscatelli, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will be able to write a literature review, and to formulate research questions and hypotheses; to identify limitations and future direction of your research; to write the “Discussion” section of the RP.

Topics:

  • Scientific writing
  • Writing the literature review, research questions and hypotheses
  • Writing the “Discussion” section of the research paper
  • “Becoming a reviewer” of a scientific paper: an exercise

MODULE 4 (Michela Menegatti, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will be able to design, develop and pilot an effective survey/questionnaire to answer specific research and practical questions.

Topics:

  • Surveys and questionnaires: Strengths and weaknesses.
  • Operationalization of the constructs and variables in a questionnaire
  • Designing items/questions for a questionnaire
  • Piloting
  • Development of a questionnaire to be used in the professional practice

MODULE 5 (Stefano Toderi, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module, students will be able to design and conduct online surveys and to export data in SPSS. Students will also learn some basic information about the Scientist Practitioner Orientation.

Topics:

  • Qualtrics as a software for online surveys and scales
  • Inserting questions in Qualtrics
  • Exporting results in SPSS
  • Explorative factor analysis and internal validity of the Scientist-practitioner Inventory
  • Exercise of self-assessment
MODULE 6 (Simone Donati, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will learn professional practices and tools useful to analyze and understand diversity and creativity/innovation processes within organizations using a multilevel perspective. Students will be able to design and perform basic multilevel modeling related to diversity and creativity/innovation processes within organization.

Topics:

  • Diversity and creativity/innovation processes within organization: antecedents, consequences and measures using a multilevel perspective
  • Team Shared Leadership and creativity in diverse teams: theoretical approaches and methods
  • Introduction to basic multilevel modeling methods and techniques

MODULE 7 (Fabio Massei, 15h, 3 x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will know the basics of the Talent Management framework in organizations, with a specific focus on talent assessment and development:

Topics:

  • Talent Management in the 21st century
  • Talent Assessment: interview, role plays and tests
  • Talent Development: coaching

MODULE 8 (Marco De Angelis, 15h, 3h x 5 classes)

At the end of the module students will learn about the main methods and techniques in the evaluation of organisational interventions and be familiar with mixed-method approaches in the evaluation process using a multilevel perspective. A specific focus will be devoted to digital-based interventions. Students will be finally able to design and develop a process evaluation plan to ensure the fit of the intervention to the organisational context.

  • Mixed-method and multi-level intervention approaches
  • Process evaluation of interventions: analyzing not only what works but for whom and in which circumstances
  • Proximal and distal variables in the evaluation of organisational interventions
  • Evaluation of digital-based interventions
  • Cases and examples from a European project

Testi/Bibliografia

At the beginning of each module the lecturer will suggest/confirm the needed readings.

Methods and designs in WOP-P:

Balducci C., Fraccaroli F., Schaufeli W. B. (2010). Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9): A cross-cultural analysis. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 26(2), 143-14.

Balducci, C., Avanzi, L., Consiglio, C., Fraccaroli, F., Schaufeli, W. (2017). A cross-national study on the psychometric quality of the Italian version of the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS). European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 33(6), 422-428.

Balducci, C., Avanzi, L., & Fraccaroli, F. (2018). The individual ‘costs’ of workaholism: An analysis based on multisource and prospective data. Journal of Management, 44(7), 2961-2986.

Literature review:

Hart, C. (1998). Doing a literature review. London: SAGE

Surveys and questionnaires:

Krosnick, Jon A., & Presser S. (2009). Question and Questionnaire Design. In J. D. Wright & P. V. Marsden (eds.) Handbook of Survey Research (2nd Edition). Elsevier: San Diego.

Diversity and creativity in organizations:

Anderson, N., Potočnik, K., & Zhou, J. (2014). Innovation and creativity in organizations: A state-of-the-science review, prospective commentary, and guiding framework. Journal of Management, 40, 1297–1333. doi:10.1177/0149206314527128

Mathieu, J. E., Hollenbeck, J. R., van Knippenberg, D., & Ilgen, D. R. (2017). A century of work teams in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 452–467.

Zhu, J., Liao, Z., Yam, K. C., & Johnson, R. E. (2018). Shared leadership: A state‐of‐the‐art review and future research agenda. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(7), 834-852.

Talent management:

Scott, J. C., & Reynolds, D. H. (2010). Handbook of workplace assessment (Vol. 32). John Wiley & Sons.

Hernez-Broome, G., & Boyce, L. A. (Eds.). (2010). Advancing executive coaching: Setting the course for successful leadership coaching (Vol. 29). John Wiley & Sons.

Evaluation of organizational interventions:

Nielsen, K., Randall, R. (2013). Opening the black box: A framework for evaluating organizational-level occupational health interventions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology,22,5, 601-617.

Nielsen, K., & Abildgaard, J.S. (2013). Organizational interventions: A research-based framework for the evaluation of both process and effects. Work & Stress, 27, 278-297.

Nielsen, K. & Miraglia, M. (2017). Critical essay: What works for whom in which circumstances? On the need to move beyond the “what works?” question in organizational intervention. Human Relations, 70(1) 40-62.

 

Metodi didattici

The course is structured as a series of interactive seminars.

In-Class attendance. Attendance and active participation are highly important. The joint effort of teachers and students is needed. Although we don’t want to rely in the mere strength of negative reinforcements, penalty will be applied for every class missed without due motivation (1 point for every missed 2 hours).

Ethical code. All students are expected to follow the ethical code of the University of Bologna. http://www.normateneo.unibo.it/NormAteneo/codice_etico.htm

The following actions are not acceptable. PLAGIARISM: representation of another’s work or ideas as one’s own in academic submissions. CHEATING: actual or attempted use of resources not authorized by the instructor for academic submissions. In addition, students are expected to treat each other, themselves and the course instructor and teaching assistant with respect and courtesy, including respecting, and possibly capitalizing on, diversity of all types.

Penalties of late and short / long work. Our Master is challenging, so that cooperation by everyone is needed to make the effort sustainable. Delays in agreed deadlines for assignments area threats for the quality of our work. Any assignment which is submitted after the relevant deadline, without being covered by adequate evidence of medical problems or of another serious emergency, or by the prior permission of the tutor concerned, will be penalized as follows: 1 point will be deducted for every day after the relevant deadline.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

The range of marks in Italy is from 18 to 30 points (18/30 is the threshold to pass or fail).

The teacher of each module will ask you to complete assignments and perform some extra activities in case of missing classes.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Policy on the Use of Technology in the Classroom. Technology is useful, only when aimed to improve performance in the classroom. Therefore all hand held devices (cell phones, cameras, etc.) should be turned off and packed away during class sessions. Computers in the classroom are a tool for work, and should be used for note-taking only. If computers are used for texting, e-mail, or Internet connection (without the explicit permission of the professor), the professor may stop the use of a computer in that class. Students who need to use voice recorders for class lectures are kindly invited to ask for the explicit permission of the professor in order to do so.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Cristian Balducci

Consulta il sito web di Rita Chiesa

Consulta il sito web di Silvia Moscatelli

Consulta il sito web di Michela Menegatti

Consulta il sito web di Stefano Toderi

Consulta il sito web di Simone Donati

Consulta il sito web di Fabio Massei

Consulta il sito web di Marco De Angelis

Consulta il sito web di Stefano Toderi

SDGs

Istruzione di qualità

L'insegnamento contribuisce al perseguimento degli Obiettivi di Sviluppo Sostenibile dell'Agenda 2030 dell'ONU.