B6419 - Psychology of Wellbeing in Organizations

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will know the theoretical and applied models in the area of work and organizational psychology related to the assessment, protection and promotion of workers health and well-being using different intervention approaches targeting both work organization and individual workers.

Course contents

The course presents theories, methods, and assessment and intervention tools to promote health and wellbeing in the organizations and in different workplaces. The course involves the following integrated and complementary modules:

Module 1. Prof. Stefano Toderi (36 hours)

Contents

1. Introduction to the module and the course
2. Introduction to organizational wellbeing and key concepts of Work and Organizational Psychology
3. Job analysis: methods, instruments and products. Application to a real context
4. Work stress and its prevention: theoretical models, measurement and the European Perspective on prevention.
5. Work stress prevention phases and activities
6. The supervisor’s role in creating healthy workplaces
7. The 10 Sigtuna Principles
8. Work stress prevention in a real workplace context

Module 2. Prof. Marco De Angelis (12 hours)

The module provides an advanced theoretical and empirical approach to understanding the role of technologies in promoting health and safety in different workplaces and industries. Topics include:

- Multilevel and digital interventions to promote health at work; development of a digital platform to support and guide managers and organisations

- Digitalisation and the impacts of new technologies on the workplace; acceptance of technology in the workplace; human-technology interaction in the workplace and methods for analysing the usability of technological solutions;

- Safety, behaviours and accidents; Human Error Prevention, Non-technical skills training; Nudging techniques and behaviour change in organisations (e.g. promoting physical activity in the workplace, use of PPE).

Readings/Bibliography

Module 1. Prof. Stefano Toderi

Scientific papers and other course materials for Module 1 will be made available during the course and at "Virtuale". During the course, students are required to regularly consult the “Virtuale” platform and download the materials indicated for study and activity in the classroom and for the examination.

Module 2. Prof. Marco De Angelis

Scientific papers and other course materials for Module 2 will be made available during the course and at "Virtuale". During the course, students are required to regularly consult the “Virtuale” platform and download the materials indicated for study and activity in the classroom and for the examination.

Teaching methods

Module 1. Prof. Stefano Toderi

Frontal lectures to interactively discuss the topics covered by the course, group class presentations, work in small groups to write a job description and a project concerning interventions to prevent work-related stress in the organizations.

The Module 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.

Module 2. Prof.Marco De Angelis

The module focuses on sharing experiences with students through applied research and theoretical principles. Key components of the course include small group work, simulations, and case studies. Classroom discussions will be enhanced by reading scientific articles available on the VIRTUALE platform. Active participation is highly encouraged and can contribute up to 2 points to the final evaluation. The slides used during the lectures of Module 2 will be made available on the virtual platform prior to the lectures.

Assessment methods

Module 1. Prof. Stefano Toderi

Evaluation of learning of the lesson content will be carried out “during the course” and based on the following products.

- A small-group work on job analysis. This will give 0-10 points

- A small-group project on work stress prevention. This will give 0-10 points

- An “individual reflection paper” on the contents of the module. This will give 0-10 points (bonus of up to 2 points for outstanding paper)

 

The mark for module I is the sum of the marks obtained in the three products. A bonus of up to 2 points added to the final mark is possible for an outstanding “individual reflection paper”

IMPORTANT: Once course products are delivered for evaluation, they are no longer editable, and a second version cannot be submitted for evaluation. If the grade obtained is rejected, the student switches to the "post-course" assessment mode. This is an oral exam concerning the critical discussion of the following mandatory readings:

0 Truxillo, D., Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2021). Psychology & Work: Perspectives on Industrial & Organizational Psychology - 2nd Edition. NY: Routledge. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 12, 14

1 Nielsen, K., Randall, R., Holten, A.-L., & González, E. R. (2010). Conducting organizational-level occupational health interventions: What works? Work and Stress, 24(3), 234–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2010.515393

2 Nielsen, K., & Noblet, A. (2018). Organizational interventions: Where we are, where we go from here? In Nielsen, K., & Noblet, A. “Organizational Interventions for Health and Well-being”, London: Routledge https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781315410494-1/introduction-karina-nielsen-andrew-noblet

3 Nielsen, K., Abildgaard, J. S., & Daniels, K. (2014). Putting context into organizational intervention design: Using tailored questionnaires to measure initiatives for worker well-being. Human Relations, 67(12), 1537–1560. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726714525974

4 Nielsen, K., & Abildgaard, J. S. (2013). Organizational interventions: A research-based framework for the evaluation of both process and effects. Work and Stress, 27(3), 278–297. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2013.812358

5 Kelloway, E. K., & Barling, J. (2010). Leadership development as an intervention in occupational health psychology. Work and Stress, 24(3), 260–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2010.518441

6 von Thiele Schwarz, U., Nielsen, K., Edwards, K., Hasson, H., Ipsen, C., Savage, C., Simonsen Abildgaard, J., Richter, A., Lornudd, C., Mazzocato, P., & Reed, J. E. (2021). How to design, implement and evaluate organizational interventions for maximum impact: The Sigtuna Principles. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 30(3), 415–427. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2020.1803960

Module 2. Prof.Marco De Angelis

The written exam consists of 8 closed-ended questions + 4 open-ended questions. All the close-ended questions have a multiple-choice format with four options, where one answer is correct and three are incorrect. Questions are based on the mandatory papers and the lecture slides. Time available: 60 minutes. A bonus of up to 2 points will be given for active participation in the classes.

1. De Angelis, M., Giusino, D., Nielsen, K., Aboagye, E., Christensen, M., Innstrand, S. T., Pietrantoni, L. (2020). H-work project: Multilevel interventions to promote mental health in smes and public workplaces. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21), 8035.
2. Nielsen, K., De Angelis, M., Innstrand, S. T., & Mazzetti, G. (2023). Quantitative process measures in interventions to improve employees’ mental health: A systematic literature review and the IPEF framework. Work & Stress, 37(1), 1-26.
3. Hollnagel, E. (2008). Risk+ barriers= safety?. Safety science, 46(2), 221-229.
4. Venema, T., & van Gestel, L. (2021). Nudging in the workplace: Facilitating desirable behaviour by changing the environment. In A handbook of theories on designing alignment between people and the office environment (pp. 222-235). Routledge.
5. Other paper indicated during classes

 

FINAL MARK

The final mark for the course (ModuleI + ModuleII) is the weighted mark of the two previous assessments and is derived from the following formula:

Final mark = (ModuleI /4 x 3) + (ModuleII /4 x 1)

Students are allowed to reject the grade for one module and keep the grade for the other module. The final mark will be calculated once a grade has been obtained for the rejected module.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Toderi

See the website of Marco De Angelis