Psychology 2660A-001

Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology

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

An introduction to the theories, methods, findings and applications of industrial and organizational psychology. Topics to be covered include: personnel recruitment and selection, employee training and development, performance appraisal, work attitudes and motivation, leadership and group processes, and organizational design.

Antirequisites: Psychology 2060, 2061A/B

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.

Prerequisite: At least 60% in a 1000 level Psychology course
2 lecture hours, 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course

Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

    Instructor:    Dr. John Meyer        
    Office and Phone Number:  8411 SSC; 519-661-3679    
    Office Hours: TBA        
    Email:  meyer@uwo.ca             

    Teaching Assistant: Brittney Anderson    
    Office: 8436            
    Office Hours:  TBA        
    Email:  bander27@uwo.ca             

    Teaching Assistant: Jose Espinoza    
    Office:  8424A SSC            
    Office Hours: TBA        
    Email:  jespinoz@uwo.ca            

    Time and Location of Lectures:   1200 SEB; Tues. 11:30 – 1:20

    Time and Location of Tutorials:   Section 1a&b: Wed. 10:30 - !2:20; 54B UCC            
                 Section 2a&b: Thurs. 1:30-3:20; 65 UCC

Note. Students will attend tutorials on alternating weeks depending on section assignment (see Tutorial Schedule below for meeting dates)    


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

Spector, P.E. (2012). Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Research and Practice (6th Edition). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the field of industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology.  Upon completion of the course, students should be familiar with both the science and practice of I/O psychology.  Discussion will focus on the critical evaluation of theory and research in major topics of interest to I/O psychologists (e.g., personnel selection, performance evaluation, motivation, leadership) as well as on the application of theory and research to improve productivity and quality of work life.

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

Evaluation for this course will be based on two tests (each worth 35%), two tutorial assignments (10% each), and participation in tutorials (10%).

The test will include multiple-choice and short-answer questions. The first (mid-term) test will be held in class on Nov. 3 and will cover text, lecture and tutorial material from Sept. 15 to Oct. 27. The second (end-of-term) test will be held during the Final Exam period and will cover text, lecture and tutorial material from Nov. 10 to Dec. 8.

Attendance and participation in tutorials is required and will account for 10% of the final grade.

Students will be required to complete two short (500 - 750 word) tutorial assignments, one in each half of the course. The specific details about the assignments, due dates, and options available will be provided during the first tutorial session. Each of these written assignments will be worth 10% of the final grade.

6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

November 3: Mid-term (2 hrs; multiple choice and short answer covering text, lecture, and tutorial material for Sept. 15 to Oct. 27

TBA: End-of-term (2 hrs; multiple choice and short answer covering text, lecture and tutorial material for Nov. 10 to Dec. 8

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

Date    Topic            Required Reading

Sept. 15    Introduction            Ch. 1

Sept. 15, 22    Research Methods in I/O Psychology        Ch. 2
    
Sept. 22    Job Analysis            Ch. 3

Oct. 6    Performance Criteria & Appraisal        Ch. 4

Oct. 13, 20    Employee Selection            Chs. 5 & 6

Oct. 27    Training            Ch. 7

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Nov. 3    Mid-term Test
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    Nov. 10    Work Motivation            Ch. 8

    Nov. 17, 24    Attitudes, Emotions & Behaviour        Chs. 9 & 10

Nov. 24    Occupational Health Psychology        Ch. 11

Dec. 1    Work Groups & Teams             Ch. 12

Dec. 8    Leadership            Ch. 13

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TBA    End-of-Term Test
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7.0b TUTORIAL SCHEDULE

Date    Topic            Required Reading

Sept. 23/24/30/ Oct. 1    Job Analysis            Ch. 3

Oct. 7/8/14/15    Performance Criteria            Ch. 4
    
Oct. 21/28/29    Employee Selection            Chs. 5 & 6

    ** Note: Students who whose regularly scheduled tutorial would fall on Oct. 29 should attend the tutorial on Oct. 22 at the same room and time. **

Nov. 11/12/16/18    Attitudes and Behaviour            Chs. 9 & 10
    
Nov. 25/26 Dec. 2/3    Work Groups & Teams            Ch. 12


    Note: See the course website on OWL for information about the tutorial section to which you have been assigned


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.


SDC’s Learning Skills Services, Rm 4100 WSS, www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning  

LS counsellors are ready to help you improve your learning skills. They offer presentations on strategies for improving time management, multiple-choice exam preparation/writing, textbook reading, and more.  Individual support is offered throughout the Fall/Winter terms in the drop-in Learning Help Centre, and year-round through individual counselling.