Psychology 3694F-001
Teams and Work Groups in Organizations
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 examines and assesses psychological research on workgroups/teams. Particular attention is paid to issues associated with team composition, team processes, individual vs. group performance, and the organizational context in which teams operate. Methodological/statistical issues associated with workgroup/team research are given considerable emphasis.
Prerequisites: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and 2810
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol 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.
3 seminar hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Natalie Allen
Office and Phone Number: Room 8412, SSC 519 661-3013
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: nallen@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: Trevor Coppins, PhD Candidate
Office and Phone Number: Room 8433, SSC
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: tcoppins@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Monday 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Room 66 University Community Centre
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
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 Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Package of custom readings for Psychology 3694F -- available from the Western Book Store
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to gain a solid knowledge of psychological issues associated workgroup and team composition, processes, and outcomes. Students will also become familiar with statistical / methodological issues relevant to the empirical study of teams.
Please note: Students are responsible for reading the assigned material prior to class.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, the successful student will have demonstrated that s/he can:
1/ In clear and accessible “lay person” writing, prepare a document that summarizes the hypothesis, procedures, and main findings reported in a published empirical psychological research study that examines some phenomenon associated with team composition/design, team processes, and/or team outcomes
2/ Correctly identify, proficiently explain, and/or describe, under test conditions:
- a) key methodological, statistical, and substantive principles underlying how empirically-oriented psychological researchers assess the constructs they study
and
- b) key concepts and findings from the body of research covered in the course.
3/ In an essay, accurately describe theory and research findings gleaned from the psychological study of a particular teamwork phenomenon (or hypothesis) and, in so doing, compare the results and design of multiple studies and summarize in both scientific and lay language what has been learned from this body of research
4/ As part of a small student project group: (a) participate in the planning and delivery of a clear, oral presentation describing a particular psychological phenomenon drawn from psychological research on teams, and, (b) answer questions regarding the presentation that are the posed by the class and instructor during and /or following the presentation.
5.0 EVALUATION
Research Translation 12.5 %
Research Essay Proposal 2.5 %
Course Exam 40 %
Team Project & Presentation 15 %
Research Essay 20 %
Class Participation 10 %
PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.
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 Western's 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 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Research Translation September 30
Research Essay Proposal October 21
Course Examination November 18
Team Project Presentations November 25 / December 2
Research Essay Due Friday, December 6 (Email to nallen@uwo.ca AND submit paper copy)
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
September 9 & 16 Introduction to Course / Overview of Team Research
Readings
Hackman (1998)
Williams & Allen (2008)
Allen & Hecht (2004a)
West, Brodbeck & Richter (2004)
Allen & Hecht (2004b)
Richter, Dawson, & West (2011)
Harrison, Banks, Pollack, O’Boyle, & Short (2017)
September 23 Levels, Emergence, & Expectations about Teams
Readings Klein & Kozlowski (2000)
Allen & O’Neill (2015)
Sleesman, Hollenbeck, Spitzmuller, & Schouten (2018)
September 30 Team Contexts & Forms NOTE: Research Translation Due
Readings Hughes et al. (2016)
Krumm, Kanthak, Hartmann, & Hertel (2016)
Allen & O’Neill (2015; revisited from last week)
Essay Discussions & Team Project Work
October 7 Team Composition & Selection Issues
Readings Allen & West (2005)
Barrick, Stewart, Neubert & Mount (1998)
Harrison, Price, & Bell (1998)
Bell, Villado, Lukasik, Belau, & Briggs (2011)
October 21 Team Design Issues NOTE: Research Essay Proposal Due
Readings Carter, Mead, Stewart, Nielson, & Solimeo (2019)
Dirks (2000)
DeJong, Dirks, & Gillespie (2016)
October 28 Team Process Issues (Cohesion / Conflict)
Readings Barrick, Stewart, Neubert, & Mount (1998); revisited from October 7
Castano, Watts, & Tekleab (2013)
Fahr, Lee, & Farh (2010)
O’Neill, Allen, & Hastings (2013)
November 11 Leading & Rewarding Teams
Readings Boies, Lvina, & Martens (2010)
Wang, Waldman, & Zhang, (2014)
Pearsall, Christian, & Ellis (2010)
Garbers & Konradt (2014)
November 18 Course Test
November 25 Team Project Presentations
December 2 Team Project Presentations
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/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
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
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
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
- 2019-2020 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
