01353 - Psychology of Organisations and Labour

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, the student will have acquired the necessary knowledge to understand the stress process, particularly work-related stress, and to recognize its various manifestations. Specifically, the student will be able to:

• Define the concept of work-related stress;
• Identify and describe the various psychosocial risks potentially present in work organizations;
• Describe the physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes related to exposure to psychosocial risks (including the phenomenon of burnout);
• Discuss the challenges in implementing a psychosocial risk assessment in a healthcare organization.

Course contents

The course will cover the following topics:

1. Motivation and emotions at work
2. Work-related stress and burnout, behavioral theories, and communication
3. Fatigue and safety at work
4. Psychology and new technologies

Readings/Bibliography

Reference bibliography to support learning:

• Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job demands–resources theory: Ten years later. Annual review of organizational psychology and organizational behavior, 10(1), 25-53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933
• Demerouti, E. (2024). Burnout: a comprehensive review. Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft, 78(4), 492-504. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41449-024-00452-3
• Mazzetti, G., Robledo, E., Vignoli, M., Topa, G., Guglielmi, D., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2023). Work engagement: A meta-analysis using the job demands-resources model. Psychological reports, 126(3), 1069-1107. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211051988

Teaching methods

The course will be based on lectures enriched with practical exercises, in order to promote effective and interactive learning. Active student participation is encouraged to benefit from direct discussion and the sharing of experiences in the classroom.

Assessment methods

Students will be required to prepare an assignment based on the content covered during the lectures. The assignment will be graded out of thirty based on the following criteria:

• Accuracy of the content
• Effectiveness of the presentation
• Originality and depth of analysis

The grading will follow these score ranges:

• 18-23: Sufficient/Fair – The assignment meets the minimum requirements, but contains some inaccuracies or gaps in the content and/or presentation.
• 24-26: Good – The assignment is well-structured, with accurate information and effective presentation, though it could benefit from further depth.
• 27-30: Excellent – The assignment stands out for its clarity, accuracy, originality, and critical depth, with a high-quality presentation.

Teaching tools

Students will have access to the lecture slides and the materials related to the practical exercises.

Office hours

See the website of Mabel San Román Niaves