70014 - Psychology of Human Resources

Academic Year 2018/2019

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will have an advanced knowledge of the main research and applied themes of work psychology, particularly as far as methodological and data analytical aspects are concerned. A special attention will be given to organizational and personal variables that influence organizational behavior and its outcomes in terms of safety, health and well-being. The student will also develop the skills to evaluate critically scientific evidence in general, and in particular in the area of work and organizational psychology.

 

Course contents

The first part of the course focuses on the methods and techniques which characterize the psychological intervention in work organizations. It also considers some important themes relevant to modern human resources management. The following specific topics will be covered:  

- Psychological constructs and Work psychology main areas of interest

- Measuring psychological phenomena: self-reported vs. objective data

- Robust research designs (experimental and quasi experimental designs, longitudinal design, diary studies)

- Psychological tests in organizations

- Main multivariate analytical techniques used in Work psychology, with in class demonstration

- The psychosocial implications of changes characterizing the modern world of work

- Job performance and its appraisal

- Organizational well-being

- Career and career development

- Work groups

The second part of the course consists of in class discussions of a series of papers concerning literature reviews on specific topics, among which:

- Social determinants of health and the working-age population: Global challenges and priorities for action

- The health consequences of organizational injustice: Why do they exist and what can be done? 

- A sound change: Ways to support employees' well-being during organizational restructuring

- Making safety training stick

- Safety climate and safety at work;

- Enhancing work engagement through the management of human resources

- Work-family conflict in individuals' lives: prevalence, antecedents, and outcomes

- Job insecurity and employability among temporary workers: A theoretical approach based on the psychological contract

- Workplace interventions for occupational stress

- Workplace incivility

- Workload: A review of causes, consequences, and potential interventions

- Sources of toxicity in organizations

The second part of the course will se a more active involvement of students, who will be requested to present  a paper chosen among those suggested by the lecturer and to stimulate the following in class discussion.

Nota bene: The course contents may be partly changed following a discussion with students during the first (introductory) lecture.   

Readings/Bibliography

Foreign students are assumed to attend all (or most of) the lectures.

Readings/material for the final examination are the following:

1) Powerponts slides of the lectures

2) One of the following two books:

   a) Mariani, M. G. V. (2011). Valutare le prestazioni: come gestire e migliorare la performance lavorativa. Bologna: Il Mulino.

   b) Toderi, S., Sarchielli, G. (2013). Sviluppare la carriera lavorativa. Bologna: Il Mulino.

3) The bookchapter used for the group project, which will be assigned at the beginning of the course. 

Students with interests for specific topics may also discuss with the lecturer the possibility of using alternative texts/papers.

Students who do not attend lectures should contact the lecturer to take an agreement on the readings for the final examination. 

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures, in class discussions, group projects, presentations and practical exercises on databases made available by the lecturer.

Assessment methods

Written examination based on open-ended and multiple choice questions. Open-ended questions require to write a small portion of text within the available space. Multiple choice questions are composed of either four or five different response alternatives. The written examination will assing a maximum of 20 points. The projects carried out during the course contribute to the final mark up to 12 points.

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 and papers from scientific journals. Such material will be available for download on the platform Insegnamenti OnLine at the beginning of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Cristian Balducci