75649 - Psycology of labour

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:

1. Conservation of Resources in the Organizational Context: The Reality of Resources and Their Consequences
2. The Dark Triad and Workplace Behavior.
3. Emotions in the Workplace.
4. Employee Psychoactive Substance Involvement: Historical Context, Key Findings, and Future Directions.
5. Identity Under Construction: How Individuals Come to Define themselves in Organizations.
6. Job Insecurity and the Changing Workplace.

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 three 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.

   c) Cortese, C. G., Del Carlo A. (2017). La selezione del personale. Milano: Cortina Editore.

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

Students with an interest 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