Psychology 2061A-001
Psychology at Work
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to the field of industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology and its contributions to enhanced organizational effectiveness and quality of work life. I/O psychology offers an evidence-based approach to hiring, training, performance management, and leadership, and provides insight into the motivation and behaviour of individuals and teams.
Antirequisites: Psychology 2660A/B, the former 2060
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Hayden Woodley
Office: SSC 8404
Office Hours:By appointment only
Email: hwoodley@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: Rima Tarraf
Office: N/A
Office Hours: By appointment only
Email: rtarraf@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Lectures: Mondays 1:30-4:30, SEB 1059
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Kelloway, E. K., Catano, V. M., & Day, A. L. (2011). People and Work in Canada: Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Toronto: Nelson. ISBN-10: 0176501819; ISBN-13: 9780176501815 *Required*
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology can be broadly thought of as the application of psychology to the workplace, and the study of human behaviour in organizational settings. This course provides an introduction to the theories, methods, findings, and applications of I/O psychology. The goal of this course is to provide students with an overview of the main topics and issues relevant to the study of I/O psychology.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
• Identify major concepts, theories, and topics in I/O psychology
• Recognize methodological and theoretical issues important to the study of I/O psychology
• Think critically about a range of issues pertinent to I/O psychology
• Discuss and write about concepts and theories in I/O psychology
• Apply concepts and theories in I/O psychology to real workplace problems
5.0 EVALUATION
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
Student evaluation will be based on 2 exams and participation in online discussions.
Component % Of Final Grade
Midterm Test 35
Final Exam 40
Assignment #1 10
Assignment #2 15
Total 100
Tests/Exams (75%)
There will be one mid-term test, worth 35% of the final mark, and a final exam, worth 40%. Both will last for 2 hours and will consist of multiple-choice questions (approximately 70-80) based on material drawn from the textbook and lectures. Because a significant number of exam questions will come from material that is covered only during lectures, attendance is important for obtaining a good grade in this course. The exams are not cumulative. For a list of topics covered on each, see section 7.0 below.
All exams will be closed book -- no books, notes, calculators, cell phones, dictionaries, or aids of any type will be allowed. Please bring a couple of pencils, a good eraser, a watch, and your student identification to the examinations.
It is recommended that you do not bring items such as laptops, backpacks, textbooks, notes, etc. with you to the examinations. At the beginning of every examination you will be asked to place all such items in a common area in the exam room and neither the instructor nor Western can be responsible for the theft, damage, or loss of such items.
Note: You should NOT finalize your travel plans until the final exam date and time has been announced.
Assignments (25%)
Students will be required to write 2 assignments (maximum 3 double-spaced pages). Each assignment will be a case study. You will be required to take an evidence-based approach to solve the problem(s) presented in each case. Information about both assignments and the marking schemes will be discussed in lecture and made available on the course website. For both assignments, students may work individually or in a group of two.
Assignments are to be submitted electronically (through OWL). The first assignment is due by Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 11:59pm and the second assignment is due by Sunday, November 29, 2015 at 11:59pm. Assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism.
Assignments submitted after the due date will be penalized 10% per day for a maximum of 5 days (including weekends). After 5 days, the assignment will receive a grade of zero. If you cannot meet the deadline due to medical or compassionate grounds, then you are required to contact an academic counsellor in your faculty to request academic accommodation. You should contact an academic counsellor and inform the instructor regarding your situation as early as possible.
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Assessment Weight Date Format Material Covered
Midterm Test 35% Oct. 26 MC Sept. 14 – Oct. 19 (Chs. 1-5, & 11)
Final Exam 40% TBA MC Nov. 2 – Dec. 7 (Chs. 6-10, 12, & 14)
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Week Dates Topic Required Reading
1 Sept. 14 Introduction to I/O Psychology & Scientific Methods Ch.1 & Ch. 2
2 Sept. 21 Job Analysis & Competency Models Ch. 3
3 Sept. 28 Recruitment, Selection, and Decision Making Ch. 4
4 Oct. 5 Performance Management Ch. 5
5 Oct. 12 Thanksgiving Holiday No Class
Assignment #1: Due October 18 (Sunday) at 11:59pm through the course website on OWL
6 Oct. 19 Counterproductive Work Behaviour Ch. 11
7 Oct. 26 MIDTERM EXAM Chs. 1-5, & Ch. 11
8 Nov. 2 Training Ch. 6
9 Nov. 9 Groups & Teams in Organizations Ch. 7
10 Nov. 16 Work Attitudes, Affect, & Behaviours Ch. 8
11 Nov. 23 Motivation Ch. 9
Assignment #2: Due November 29 (Sunday) at 11:59pm through the course website on OWL
12 Nov. 30 Leadership Ch. 10
13 Dec. 7 Occupational Health & Positive Organizational Psychology Ch. 12 & Ch. 14
? TBA FINAL EXAM (During Exam Period; Dec 11-22) Chs. 6-10, 12, & 14
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
The University of Western Ontario’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2015/pg117.html
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2015 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.
