02523 - Psychology of Work

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student: - knows the main concepts and theoretical approaches developed by the discipline to analyze the interdependent relationships between the individual, the work task and the particular social context of the work organization. In addition, the student develops specific interpersonal skills for group interaction and management of work conflicts. In particular, he/she is able to: - understand and analyze work contexts - choose methodological and instrumental orientations to research and intervention according to the particular characteristics of the relevant contexts

Course contents

The course consists of two modules.

Module 1 (Prof. Ferdinando Toscano) provides students with a framework of the discipline of work psychology. It also introduces current psychosocial research and intervention questions related to the structural and sociocultural changes of the present time, marked by economic, technological, and informational globalization. Some of the main themes of the discipline are also highlighted with examples of application to concrete work situations, examined through case discussions and with the active participation of students in the course.

The subject areas covered in the module include:

Occupational psychology: what it is and what it is for.
Current scenarios for work: diversity and inclusion, decent work, sustainability.
The other side of work psychology: Humanitarian Work Psychology.
New technologies: work without space-time boundaries (smart working).
The different dimensions of work performance.
The psychological link between individual and work: work-related motivations.

Module 2 (Prof. Marco De Angelis) intends to present and deepen some theoretical and application aspects of the discipline's themes by relying on some basic texts retrieved from current international literature, from concrete experiences at the national level and from research projects funded within the European Commission's framework programs. Active participation of male and female students in the course is strongly encouraged.

The topic areas covered in the module are:

Emotions at work: meaning and importance
Revenues and costs of work: the main focus on job stress
Occupational safety and risk management
From organizational needs analysis to the development of organizational interventions
Experience from European research projects: aspects of project management, diversity management and human factors

Readings/Bibliography

The reference text is:

Sarchielli G., Fraccaroli F. (2023). Introduzione alla psicologia del lavoro, Bologna, Il Mulino (III edizione).

Other materials will be pointed out by the lecturers to supplement the topics in the text or for possible further study and made available in the course's online platform.

Teaching methods

Contents will be covered both through lectures and through guided discussions and exercises to be carried out individually or in small groups. Some examples of major working problems and the most important intervention techniques will also be presented. Videos may be offered of situations to be commented on in the classroom.

For this reason, class attendance (obviously not compulsory from a regulatory point of view) is a necessary prerequisite to effectively benefit from participation in this course. After all, within a course of study like SVIC the real added value of this teaching is to know some intervention techniques, accompanied by sufficient conceptual background, and to be able to situate them in concrete working situations. And this is only possible by discussing them concretely together in class.

If you cannot-or do not intend to-actively participate in the lectures, your curiosity about the psychology of work can probably be satisfied by: a) reading the indicated textbook or other texts that will be suggested upon request; b) reviewing the lectures and any other resources available as Integrative Digital Didactics.

Assessment methods

For STUDENTS WHO WILL FREQUENTLY ATTEND, the verification of learning involves two steps:

STEP I: For each module, a mini-report (max 2 pages) is required on a topic agreed with the lecturer and chosen by the student from a list of articles/texts. Professors will present the list during the first lecture of each module.

STEP II: Final oral test (common to both modules) based on two questions related to the topics actually covered in class.

For STUDENTS WHO WILL NOT BE FREQUENTLY ATTENDING, the assessment (common to both modules) is conducted in written form only. The examination consists of six closed-ended and six open-ended questions and has a duration of 50 minutes.

The set of questions is designed to test the presence of basic information in the different subject areas of the course described above.

Teaching tools

Lecture ppt presentations, audiovisual materials, documents indicated in class and/or made available for download in the dedicated platform (VIRTUALE).

Office hours

See the website of Marco De Angelis

See the website of Ferdinando Toscano