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: Kyle Cameron                                                         

       Office and Phone Number: SSC-8436          

       Office Hours: By Appointment                               

       Email: kcamer52@uwo.ca                                                 

 

       Teaching Assistant: TBD                            

       Office:                                                        

       Office Hours:                                              

       Email:                                                        

 

Time and Location of Classes: Mondays, 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM; UCC-146


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

This is a required text; material from the textbook will absolutely be assessed.

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course introduces students to the science and practice of industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology. Students will have the opportunity to learn about a wide range of theories, methods, and research findings related to human behaviour in organizational settings. Students will also be challenged to think about how research evidence can be applied to enhance organizational effectiveness and quality of work life.

   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

 

  • Recall and explain major theories in I/O psychology
  • Recognize methodological and theoretical issues important to the study of I/O psychology
  • Defend the use of a scientific approach to management
  • Recommend solutions to “real life” organizational issues and justify recommendations based on research evidence from I/O psychology
  • Apply concepts and theories in I/O psychology to personal workplace problems

5.0     EVALUATION

Student evaluation will be based on two written assignments, a mid-term test, and a final exam.

Assessment

% of Final Grade

Assignment #1

15

Mid-term Test

35

Assignment #2

10

Final Exam

40

Total:

100

Tests/Exams (75%)

      

Both the mid-term test and final exam will be 2 hours in length and will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. The assessments are not cumulative. Please see Section 7.0 of this outline for the schedule and the list of topics and readings covered on each assessment.

 

Exam questions will be based on information from both the textbook AND weekly lectures, including information that might not appear on the slide decks made available after class. Attendance is crucial for students hoping to perform well in the course.

 

All exams will be closed book – no books, notes, calculators, cell phones, dictionaries, or aids of any type will be permitted. Please bring a couple of pencils, a good eraser, a watch, and your student ID to each assessment.

 

It is recommended that you do not bring valuables with you to the exams. At the beginning of every assessment you will be asked to place all of your belongings in a common area in the exam room.  Neither the instructor, nor Western, can be responsible for the theft, damage, or loss of such items.

 

DO NOT finalize your travel plans until the date and time of the final exam has been announced.

 

Assignments (25%)

 

Students will be required to complete two written assignments (three page, double-spaced maximum). These assignments will require students to take an evidence-based management approach and apply it to a “real life” workplace problem, challenge, or issue.  Information about both assignments, as well as the marking schemes, will be discussed in lecture and made available on the course website.  Each assignment will be completed in groups of 3-4 students.

Assignments must be submitted through OWL. The first assignment is due by Monday, October 4th, 2016 at 23:59.  The second assignment is due by Monday, November 7th, 2016 at 23:59.  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.


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/pdf/academic_policies/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



6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

Assessment

Weight

Date

Format

Material Covered

Mid-term Test

35%

October 24th

MC & SA

Chapters 1-6 and associated lecture material.

Final Examination

40%

TBA

MC & SA

Chapters 7-12; 14 and associated lecture material.

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

WEEK

DATE

TOPIC

READINGS

1

September 12

Introduction to I/O Psychology;

Scientific Methods

Ch. 1

Ch. 2

2

September 19

Job Analysis and Competency Models

Ch. 3

3

September 26

Recruitment, Selection, and Decision Making

Ch. 4

4

October 3

Performance Management

Ch. 5

Assignment #1: Due at 23:59 on Monday, October 3rd via OWL

N/A

October 10

Thanksgiving – NO CLASS

--

5

October 17

Training

Ch. 6

6

October 24

Midterm Test (In Class; Chapters 1-6)

--

7

October 31

Groups and Teams in Organizations

Ch. 7

November 5th – Last day to drop a first-term half course or a first-term full course (2016-17 Fall/Winter Term) without academic penalty.

8

November 7

Work Attitudes, Affect, and Behaviours

Ch. 8

Assignment #2: Due at 23:59 on Monday, November 7th via OWL

9

November 14

Motivation

Ch. 9

10

November 21

Leadership

Ch. 10

11

November 28

Counterproductive Work Behaviour

Ch. 11

12

December 5

Occupational Health Psychology;

Positive Organizational Psychology

Ch. 12

Ch. 13

 

December 10-21

Final Exam (TBA; Chapters 7-12; 14)

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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

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2016/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
- 2016 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.