Psychology 3610G-001 (Online for 2020-21)
Using Psychology to Manage and Measure Employee Work Performance
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
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.
Antirequisite: Psychology 3690F if taken in 2012/13 or Psychology 4690G if taken in 2013/14.
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 seminar hours; 0.5 course.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Richard (Rick) Goffin, Ph.D.; goffin@uwo.ca
Course Format: Virtual (online) -- synchronous
Office and Phone Number: Rm. SSC8406; 519-661-2111, Ext.84641
Office Hours: Just email to arrange a virtual meeting.
T.A.: Trevor Coppins, M.Sc., Ph.D. Candidate; tcoppins@uwo.ca
Office Hours: Just email to arrange a virtual meeting.
Time and Location of Classes: Tuesdays 12:30 to 3:30
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
No specific textbook is required but readings will be assigned on a weekly basis in accordance with the lecture schedule in this document.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course will cover the application of psychological theory and methods for the purpose of appropriately assessing and managing employee job performance in work settings. Obtaining an accurate assessment of each employee’s work performance is essential to a variety of vital purposes such as employee motivation and feedback, as well as the appropriate administration of rewards such as salary increases. However, work performance measurement typically amounts to a simple judgmental rating carried out by a supervisor who may or may not be well-acquainted with the employee’s performance. Moreover, there are a variety of issues, stemming from the social and political context within which job performance ratings occur, that make the process prone to bias and an intriguing subject for the application of psychological theory and research. A variety of approaches to assessing employee performance will be discussed in detail and some of the more prominent topics will be the nature and psychological antecedents of work performance, the evaluation of performance appraisals, and attempts to improve the validity and motivational impact of work performance assessments. This course will improve skills in evaluating research, in the assessment of individual differences, and in developing research ideas.4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
describe and explain important measurement issues relevant to the management and measurement of employee work performance |
Lecture, Readings, Class Exercises, |
Test, Essay, Assignment, Class Participation |
|
generate new testable hypotheses relevant to the management and measurement of employee work performance |
Lecture, Readings, Class Exercises, Research for Essay |
Essay, Class Participation |
|
design research to test hypotheses relevant to the management and measurement of employee work performance |
Lecture, Readings, Class Exercises |
Test, Essay, Class Participation |
|
identify and describe important dimensions of work performance that are common to a wide variety of jobs |
Lecture, Readings, Class Exercises |
Test, Class Participation |
|
apply concepts and theories from the management and measurement of employee work performance to real world problems |
Lecture, Readings, Class Exercises, Research for Essay |
Test, Essay, Assignment, Class Participation |
5.0 EVALUATION
Test. There will be one test of up to 2 hours in length, consisting of essay questions. The test will be administered during the regular lecture time slot (synchronously) and will draw from all the lectures, classes, and assigned readings up to that point. The test will be “open book” and unproctored but students must work independently. The test will be worth 34% of the final course grade.
Essay. An APA-formatted essay of 2500 words (not counting references, tables, figures, and appendices) must be completed by each student. More details on the content, structure, and grading of the essay, will be provided early in the semester. The essay will be worth 40% of the final course grade. Aside from accepted accommodations (see Section 9.0), submitting your essay after the deadline will result in a deduction of 5 percentage points per day. In other words, a paper that would have received a grade of 85% if handed in by the deadline, will only receive a grade of 80% if handed in one day late.
Assignment. A written assignment on the topic of multi-source (e.g., peer, supervisor, self, subordinate) ratings of job performance must be completed by each student. Details on the assignment, and late penalties, will be provided during the February 9 class. The assignment will account for 18% of the final grade. Aside from accepted accommodations (see Section 9.0), submitting your assignment after the deadline will result in a deduction of 5 percentage points per day. By this I mean that an assignment that would have received a grade of 85% will only receive a grade of 80% if submitted one day late. Moreover, barring accepted accommodations, submitting the assignment 2 weeks past the deadline, or later, will result in a grade of zero on the assignment. This is because the graded assignments will ordinarily be returned to the class 2 weeks after the deadline.
Class Participation
It is expected that students will become actively involved in discussions and will prepare for class by doing the assigned readings and reflecting upon them. Class participation will account for 8% of the final grade.
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
In accordance with Departmental policy, I will not round "close" grades up (e.g., a final grade of 79.4 will not be rounded to 80%) for any reason.
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Test. The test will take place on Tuesday, March 16 during the regular class time slot.
Essay. The essay must be submitted through the “assignments” section of the OWL site by Wednesday, April 7 at 5:00p.m.
Assignment. The assignment must be submitted through the “assignments” section of the OWL site by Friday February 26 at 5:00pm.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE and READINGS* (Note: All readings are available through Resources/Uploaded Readings in OWL).
Jan 12; Week 1: Using Psychology in the Workplace: Evaluating and Managing Employee Work Performance -- Overview and Introduction.
Jan 19; Week 2: Why Study Employee Work Performance? Overview of Work Performance Measurement and the Criterion Problem.
Murphy, K. R., & Cleveland, J. N., & Hanscom, M.E. (2019). Performance Appraisal & Management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. pp. 161-176.
Jan 26; Week 3: Basic Measurement Principles Relevant to the Understanding of Work Performance.
Murphy, K.R., & Davidshofer, C. O. (2005, 6th ed.). Psychological testing: Principles and Applications. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Chapter 6: Read whole chapter
Chapter 7: Only read pp. 133-140
Chapter 8: Only read page 153 to top of page 170
Feb 2; Week 4: What is Work Performance and How/Where Do We Obtain Information About It?
Catano, V.M., Wiesner, W.H., Hackett, R.D., & Methot, L.L. (2016). Recruitment and selection in Canada (6th Ed.). Toronto, ON: Thomson Nelson. pp. 181 to top of 195.
Spector, P.E., Fox, S., Penney, L.M., Bruursema, K., Goh, A., & Kessler, S. (2006). The Dimensionality of counterproductivity: Are all counterproductive behaviors created equal? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68, 446-460.
Page Break
Feb 9; Week 5: Multi-source (e.g., Self, Peer, Supervisor, Subordinate) Ratings of Work Performance. Note: You will learn about the assignment during this class.
Balzer, W.K., Greguras, G.J., & Raymark, P.H. (2004). Multisource feedback. In J. C. Thomas (Ed.), Comprehensive handbook of psychological assessment: Industrial and organizational assessment (Vol. 4). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. (pp. 390-411).
Harris, M. M., & Schaubroeck, J. (1988). A meta-analysis of self-supervisor, self-peer, and peer-supervisor ratings. Personnel Psychology, 41, 43-62.
Nowack, K.M., & Mashihi, S. (2012). Evidence-based answers to 15 questions about leveraging 360-degree feedback. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 64, 157-182.
Feb 13-21: Spring Reading week (includes Family Day on Feb 15).
Feb 23; Week 6: Evaluating Performance Appraisal
Part I:
Murphy, K. R., & Cleveland, J. N., & Hanscom, M.E. (2019). Performance Appraisal & Management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. pp. 231-253.
Part II:
Economist (Sept. 10, 2009). Big Brother Bosses.
McNall, L. A., & Roch, S. G. (2007). Effects of electronic monitoring types on perceptions of procedural justice, interpersonal justice, and privacy. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37, 658–682.
Young, K. (2010). Policies and procedures to manage employee internet abuse. Computers in
Human Behavior, 26, 1467-1471.
March 2; Week 7: Improving Work Performance Measurement and Management
Catano, V. M., Wiesner, W. H., Hackett, R. D., & Methot, L. L. (2016). Recruitment and Selection in Canada, (6th ed.). pp. 203 to 209.
Goffin, R.D., & Olson, J.M. (2011). Is it all relative? Comparative judgments and the possible improvement of self-ratings and ratings of others. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6, 48-60.
Woehr, D. J., & Huffcutt, A. I. (1994). Rater training for performance appraisal: A quantitative review. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 67, 189-205.
March 9: Week 8: Conclusion of Improving Work Performance Measurement and Management and Review for Test.
March 16; Week 9: Test.
March 23; Week 10: Developing your Essay – Using Multiple Regression, PsychInfo, and Other Resources.
March 30; Week 11: Developing a Behavioral Performance Rating Scale.
April 6; Week 12: Careers in Industrial-Organizational Psychology.
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence 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 offences. 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).
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES
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
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 must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It 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 hoursafter 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 Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the course that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online as determined by the course instructor.
11.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE
In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:
- please “arrive” to class on time
- please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
- please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
- to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
- In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
- In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
- Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting
The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:
- If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
- Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
- Self-identify when speaking.
- Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).
General considerations of “netiquette”:
- Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
- Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
- Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
- Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.
Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.
12.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services: 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
- 2020-2021 Calendar References
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos 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 any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
Maintaining a Complete Set of Notes is Your Responsibility. Through no fault of your own, you may, occasionally, miss a class. In order to avoid having an incomplete set of lecture notes when it’s time to prepare for the test, I recommend finding two or three classmates early on in the semester whom you are comfortable sharing notes with in the event that one of you should miss a lecture or lab. Remember to get contact information from these classmates so that you can get in touch with them on short notice if need be. If you miss a class, be sure to contact these colleagues ASAP so that you can get caught up and not be confused by later lectures or labs that may well presume that you are already familiar with the material that was covered in the class that you missed. Please be advised that the instructor(s) of Psych. 3610G do not lend lecture notes or post complete lectures, and it is simply not feasible to repeat lectures for individual students, even if the test is the next day!
Learn and Study Productively. If you feel that your progress in this course, or at Western in general, is not what it should be as a result of your study skills, habits, or personal problems, you may wish to utilize the Student Development Centre (SDC): http://www.sdc.uwo.ca . A wide range of helpful services are offered there, including learning skills services, which you can find out more about through this link: www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/ . Additionally, the academic counsellors in your Dean’s office may be able to help you with a variety of issues.
“Turnaround Time” for Grading
Assessment results will ordinarily be provided to you two-to-three weeks after the assessment due date.
Instructor Expectations: Psychology 3580F Zoom Classroom**
Although lectures and labs will take place online via the Zoom platform, they are still academic gatherings intended to replace the traditional in-class setting. Therefore, the expectation is that you regularly attend class, and come prepared to engage in the material.
- Please sign-in and participate with your cameraonand microphone muted but prepared to participate through discussion and questions when appropriate.
- To eliminate possible distractions, your microphone shouldremain mutedthroughout the class, unless participating in discussion or asking questions.
- If you have questions during lecture, please use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom, and you will be called upon.
- At times, the“Chat”feature may be used in the lecture and/or lab; please follow any specific instructions provided at that time.
- For those new to Zoom, here is a resource video that briefly reviews the basics of the In-Meeting features:
Zoom 101: In-Meeting Controls (Basics)
Technical Difficulties.** If you find yourself unable to complete/submit an assignment on time due to technical difficulties, a screenshot of your screen is required. Ensure that the error message or problem, as well as the date & time, are visible on the screen when you take the screenshot. You must send this screenshot along with an email to the instructor and or the TA in order to be eligible for an extension for submission.
__________________________
*The dates mentioned in this outline could be changed by the instructor. Sufficient notice will be given for any such changes and they will be announced in class or on the course’s OWL website.
**Thanks to Sarah Babcock for composing these sections
