85399 - Current Trends in WOP Psychology

Learning outcomes

This course will be devoted to present students with scientifically and professionally important topics, able to illustrate current trends in work and organizational psychology.

Course contents

The course focuses on the concept of employability and aims to improve the students' knowledges about:

-employability: definition and main conceptual models

-educational, individual and organizational antecedents and outcomes of employability

-employability, career management and career success

-employability and soft skills

- training and career interventions to foster employability and soft skills

Readings/Bibliography

Akkermans, J., Brenninkmeijer, V., Huibers, M. & Blonk R.W.B. (2013) Competencies for the contemporary career: Development and preliminary validation of the Career Competencies Questionnaire. Journal of Career Development, 40 (3),245-267,

Akkermans,j . Brenninkmeijer, V., Huibers, M., Schaufeli, W.B. & Blonk R.W.B. (2015). It's all about CareerSKILLS: Effectiveness of a career development intervention for young employees. Human Resource Management, 54 (4), 533-551.

Akkermans, J. & Kubasch, S. (2017) # trending topics in careers: A review and future research agenda. Career Development International, 22 (6), 586-627

De Vos, A., Van der Heijden, B.I.J.M., Akkermans, J. (in press).
Sustainable careers: Towards a conceptual model. Journal of Vocational Behavior.

Fugate, M., Kinicki, A. J., & Ashforth, B. E. (2004). Employability: A psycho-social construct, its dimensions, and applications. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 65(1), 14.

Guilbert, L., Bernaud, J., Gouvernet, B., & Rossier, J. (2016). Employability: Review and research prospects. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 16, 69–89

Van der Heijde, C. M., & Van der Heijden, B. I. J. M. (2006). A competence-based and multidimensional operationalization and measurement of employability. Human Resource Management, 45(3), 449-476.

Vanhercke, D., De Cuyper, N., Peeters, E., & De Witte, H. (2014). Defining perceived employability: A psychological approach.Personnel Review, 43(4), 592–605

Teaching methods

The teaching methods used for the course are: lessons, case analysis and discussions, simulations, individual and group assignments.

The course is designed to be very interactive, based on students’ active participation. Therefore, students are requested to attend systematically all the lectures. Exchange students, aiming to choose this course for their learning agreement, should carefully consider – in their own interest – that they are requested to attend the full course.

This course is compulsory for students of Erasmus Mundus WOP-P programme.

Assessment methods

The final evaluation will be based on a small group (3 or 4 members) intervention project. The paper should be 2500-3000 words in lenght. A oral presentation of the small group work to the class is requested too.

Small Group paper and presentation Evaluation Criteria: a)Pertinence of theoretical framework; b) consistency of the intervention; c) accuracy of the paper structure and of the oral presentation

The grading scale is from 0 to 30, 18 being the minimum passing grade.

Teaching tools

Scientific papers and assignments will be shared by e-learning platform.

Office hours

See the website of Rita Chiesa