02523 - Psychology of Work

Academic Year 2017/2018

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the main concepts and theoretical approaches developed by the discipline to analyse the interdependencies between individual, job tasks and the social and organizational context of work.

Course contents

Main topics covered during the course:

- Changes in the modern world of work and their psychosocial implications

- Research and intervention methods in Work and Organizational Psychology

- The latent functions of work and the meaning of work

- Work motivation

- Job satisfaction

- Job analysis

- Personnel selection

- Groups, leadership, hierarchies, and power in organizations

- Stress at work, psychosocial risk factors and stress-related outcomes

- Personality at work

- Health and safety at work

- Preventive interventions in organizations to protect workers health and well-being

All the topics will be presented by discussing the most important theories and models developed by the discipline and by examining relevant empirical evidence.

Readings/Bibliography

Sarchielli, G., e Fraccaroli, F. (2017). Introduzione alla psicologia del lavoro. Bologna: Il Mulino. (The 2010 edition of the book is also ok).

Balducci, C. (2015). Gestire lo stress nelle organizzazioni. Bologna: Il Mulino.

Further material: powerpoint slides of topics presented during the course.

 

Teaching methods

The main method will be the traditional lecture. Furthermore, a group project will be carried out as well as in-class discussions based on articles from work psychology journals. As for the group project, which is optional, this will be an empirical project consisting of the collection and analysis of data and the presentation of the main results during a lecture.

Assessment methods

Written examination based on approximately 25 questions, of which 1/4 are open ended questions and 3/4 are multiple choice questions. Open ended questions will require to write a small portion of text within the available space. Multiple choice questions are composed either of four or five different response alternatives. The time available for the final examination is fifty minutes. Foreign students (e.g. Erasmus students) are highly recommended to contact the lecturer to discuss the possibility of undertaking an oral examination.

Students with disabilities (e.g., learning disablities) are invited to contact the lecturer to explore the possibility of a different assessment method that considers their personal difficulties.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint slides of the material covered during lectures. AT the beginning of the course the slides will be available for download at http://campus.unibo.it/ (Note that user name and password are required to access the material).

Office hours

See the website of Cristian Balducci