72630 - Psychosocial Intervention in Human Resources Development

Learning outcomes

Students at the end of this course: - know and comprehend main intervention theories and techniques in Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology, and main evaluation methods in these fields. Particularly, for what concerns: a) Human Resource Management, students know methods to assess performance at different levels and how to develop psychological interventions aimed to improve such performance; b) Psychology of Orientation and Counselling. Student knows and understands the principal explanatory theories of the Psychology of the Human Resources respect to the practices of scholastic-professional guidance and the typologies of guidance activities and counselling; - he knows and understands objectives and methods of the professional activity of the psychologist within the Human Resources during the whole working career; - it is able to delineate a project for the organizational management and the inherent managerial practices the profession of work psychologist especially in the contexts of the job, of the organizations and of the human resources; - it is able to delineate a strategy of promotion and marketing of the profession especially in the contexts of the job, of the organizations and of the human resources.

Course contents

The first part of the course will concern :

-           The theoretical models about the career development, with a special attention to the entry and exit work role transitions;

-           The vocational guidance interventions (information-guidance-counseling) with a special attention to the practices addressed to the adults;

-           The main methods and techniques used in the field of vocational guidance practices

The second part shows theoretical topics, techniques, quality target and ethical aspects of:

-           Job evaluation, performance and potential appraisal

-           Competences assessment

Readings/Bibliography

First part

- Lectures slides

-Di Fabio, A., Lemoine, C., Bernaud, J. (2008).Accompagnamento professionale e counseling degli adulti.Milano: Hoepli

-Pombeni, M.L., Chiesa, R. (2009). Il gruppo nel processo di orientamento. Roma: Carocci

-Savickas, M.L., Nota, L., Rossier, J., Dauwalder, J.P., Duarte, M.E., Guichard, J., Soresi, S., Van Esbroeck, R., van Vianen, A.E.M. (2009). Life designing: A paradigm for career construction in the 21st century. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75, 3, 239-250.

Second Part

Regular attending students  have to study:

- Lectures slides

- Mariani (2011). Valutare le prestazioni. Bologna, il Mulino.

-International Task Force on Assessment Center Guidelines (2009). Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment center operations. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 17(3), 243-253. doi:10.1111/ijsa.2009.17.issue-310.1111/j.1468-2389.2009.00467.x

Non regular attending students  have to study:

- Lectures slides

- Mariani (2011) “Valutare le prestazioniâ€, Bologna, il Mulino (some charapters that have to be selected with professor)

- Borgogni L., Consiglio C. (2008) “La selezione: metodi e strumenti psicologici per scegliere le personeâ€, Franco Angeli, Milano (some charapters that have to be selected with professor)

-International Task Force on Assessment Center Guidelines (2009). Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment center operations. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 17(3), 243-253. doi:10.1111/ijsa.2009.17.issue-310.1111/j.1468-2389.2009.00467.x

References for further information:
Argentero P. (1996). L'intervista di selezione. Milano: Franco Angeli.
Borgogni L. (2003). Valutazione e motivazione delle risorse umane nelle organizzazioni. Milano: Franco Angeli.
Costa G., Giannechini M. (2009). Risorse umane - Persone, relazioni e valore 2/ed. Milano: McGraw-Hill..
Derous E., De-Witte K. (2001). Looking at selection from a social process perspective : towards a social process model on personnel selection. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 10, 319-342.
Farndale, E., & Kelliher, C. (2013). Implementing performance appraisal: Exploring the employee experience. Human Resource Management, 52(6), 879-897. doi:10.1002/hrm.21575

Levati, W., Mariani M. (2004). Assessment Center. Roma: Carocci.
Robertson I., Smith, M. (2001). Personnel selection. Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, 74, 441-472.
Toderi S., Sarchielli G. (2013). Sviluppare la carriera lavorativa. Risorse personali e metodi d'intervento . Bologna: Il mulino.

Teaching methods

The training activity in both parts involves the alternation of teaching methods that include: lectures, practitioner's report/guest lectures, small group discussions, students oral presentation, case study assignments and reports.

Assessment methods

First part

For the students regularly attending the classes, the tasks and assignments will be:

- group tasks concerning analysis and discussion of case studies, or design of intervention,

- individual tasks concerning analysis of a research article

- knowledge written examination about the theoretical models introduced by the classes

For the students not regularly attending the classes, the tasks and assignments will be:

- knowledge examination about the theoretical models introduced by the classes

- individual tasks concerning analysis of a research article

 -an interview on guidance practices

Second Part

Regular attending students:
- a project (5-6 pages) on a system of performance appraisal with slides for presentation (please, comunicate with Marco Mariani to define the task).
- or an individual paper on a personnel selection case (please, comunicate with Marco Mariani to define the task).
- an interview on individual task and on topics that were discussed during the course.

Non regular attending students:
- an individual task concerning analysis of empirical papers.
- or an individual paper on a personnel selection case (please, comunicate with Marco Mariani to define the task).
- a written examination and an interview on individual tasks and topics of slides and books.

The final mark will reflect the learning processes of the students as demonstrated in various tasks and assignments that form the course.

Teaching tools

The training activity in both parts involves the alternation of teaching methods that include: lectures, practitioner's report/guest lectures, small group discussions, students oral presentation, case study assignments and reports

Office hours

See the website of Rita Chiesa

See the website of Marco Giovanni Mariani