PSYC 3810 Applied Psychology in Business 2014/15, Semester II

Transcription

1 PSYC 3810 Applied Psychology in Business 2014/15, Semester II Instructor Tim Carey Tutors Ms. Carrie LI Office 360 Sino Building Office SB 326B Phone Phone Office Hours Thurs 12:30-2:00 and By appointment Office Hours 1. Course Description: What is the course about? Monday This course will explore the application of psychology to several specific organisational contexts, such as consumer behavior, negotiation, interpersonal behaviours relevant to particular work-related roles (e.g., leader/managers, sales/customer service staff), and career development. These areas are often considered to be some of the special topics in industrial/organisational (I/O) psychology. As such, the course topics will not always be clearly linked or even directly related, other than their relationship to applying psychology in the workplace. Students can expect to learn relevant theory and research, and how to apply this to practical, real-world problems through lectures, tutorial discussions, and group projects. This course, and Psychology 3820 (Industrial-Organizational Psychology), are both recommended for those students interested in the field of Industrial and Organisational Psychology. 2. Learning Approach: How does the course help you learn about psychology? In the lectures, you will be introduced to the key concepts and theories that underlie the field. In the tutorials, you will be exposed to different ways of thinking about the ideas you have learned about in the lectures. Activities will include: videos, demos and some lectures. Thus, the tutorials will enhance the topics discussed in the lectures. 3. Prerequisites: What knowledge do you need before taking this course? As this is an upper-level psychology course, you should be familiar with general psychological principles and have taken at least PSYC1000. In addition, it would be useful to have taken several other Psychology courses to become familiar with relevant principles. Other, official prerequisites for the class can be found by contacting the Psychology General Office. 1

2 4. Course Content Topic Introduction Motivation Conflict Resolution Consumer Psychology Human Factors Behavioral Economics Teamwork Sales Staff Behavior Cultural Factors and the Internet Change Management Stress and the Workplace The Future of Work Content How will the topics be addressed; is there an overarching theme to these topics? What are some principles of motivation that are directly related to and used in the workplace? What are some of the important ideas in conflict resolution and negotiation that can be applied to the workplace? How is psychology used against consumers in advertising, selling and stores? What is the role of Human Factors in the workplace? How does workplace design affect employee effectiveness? What are the principles behind peoples behaviour in relation to money? Are people rational regarding economic decisions? How can we select among employees for team effectiveness? Are there particular roles that people play in teams? How can we measure sales staff behaviour and effectiveness? What are some important aspects of that behaviour that have been measured and that we should be aware of? What are some cultural variables we must be aware of in the workplace? How is the internet influencing how companies influence consumers? What are key aspects we need to consider when thinking about organizational change? How is stress manifested in the workplace? What are the effects? What are some ways we can deal with stress? What can we expect in the early 21 st Century in terms of work? Given technological, social and economic changes, what will this mean for the future worker? 5. Expected Learning Goals Learning Goals (LG) 1. Understand phenomena related to Psychology in the workplace 2. Develop critical thinking skills in Psychology 3. Apply and relate Psychology to daily work issues 4. Learn to critically evaluate ideas based on available evidence 2

3 6. Expected Learning Outcomes Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, students will be expected to: Learning Outcome 1 understand, relate and apply key I/O Psychology concepts to work life Learning Outcome 2 become familiar with some of the important studies and experimental findings in I/O Psychology Learning Outcome 3 conceptualize, structure, articulate and present original ideas, both on tests and during tutorial discussions, on Psychology-related topics Learning Outcome 4 design, direct and regulate own study plan for problem-based learning, from identifying the problem to setting learning objectives and applying knowledge to future problems Matching of learning goals: Each learning outcome matches with the following learning goals: Learning Goal 1 Learning Goal 3 Learning Goal 1 Learning Goal 1 Learning Goal 2 Learning Goal 4 Learning Goal 2 Learning Goal 3 Learning Goal 4 7. Learning Activities Time per week Interactive Lecture Tutorial Self-Directed Study 2 hours in class 1 hour in class 3 hours out of class Thursday 10:30-12:15 pm Tuesday 1:30 2:15 pm Venue WMY 505 YIA 405 Out of class Total # of sessions 13 Lectures 12 Tutorials Attendance Mandatory Mandatory Teaching Members Lecturer Teaching Assistant Self-initiated by Matching with Learning Goals (LGs) Matching with Learning Outcomes LG 1 LG 3 LO 1 LO 2 LG 1 LG 2 LG 3 LG 4 LO 1 LO 3 students LG 2 LG 3 LG 4 LO 1 LO 4 3

4 Three different learning activities will be used in this course: I. Interactive Lectures: Present an overview of Psychology-related concepts, terminologies, theories and experimental findings, both classical and contemporary Discuss in the class controversial topics in Psychology. Engage the class in interactive activities to consolidate the understanding on Psychological concepts, terminologies, and theories. II. Tutorials Reinforce, through demonstrations, games, videos, etc, the understanding of different Psychology theories and their applications. Discuss in small groups on issues in Psychology. III. Self-directed Studies Lets students take responsibility for design, direct and regulate their own learning about Psychology, to consolidate knowledge, critical thinking skills, and personal reflection on Psychology-related topics to pursue further learning. 8. Assessment Scheme Assessment Mode (AM): Students will be assessed in the form of: 1. Formative assessment (measures what you have learned at different stages during the course) 2. Authentic assessment (measures various abilities that you can apply to address real-life problems or fictional scenarios) Matching with learning goals: Each assessment mode matches with the following learning goals: LG 1 LG 2 LG 3 LG 4 Assessment Scheme Quizzes Group Project Tutorial Participation Description Weight Matching with Assessment Mode Multiple choice and short-answer questions covering different parts of the 60% AM 1 course: AM 2 Quiz I (30%): First half of course Quiz II (30%): Second half of course In a group, develop and write up an idea for improving a business based on topics discussed in class Participation in tutorials, presentations, discussions, debates, assignments, etc. will be assessed. 30% AM 2 10% AM 2 4

5 Note: Those who are absent from a quiz for unjustified reasons will not be granted a make-up quiz and will be given a 0 for that quiz. Students with justified reasons will be given a make-up quiz composed of essay questions. The instructor and the teaching assistant reserve the rights for the final decision to grant or not to grant a make-up quiz to a particular student. Group project. The purpose of the group project is for you to learn how to apply theory and research to a particular area of business psychology. Projects can be on any topic related to applied psychology in business (such as those listed in the Lecture Timetable of this document), and may include a real-world problem that you have noticed at a business. For example, you might design a solution for a company that is: 1. having problems motivating its workers 2. debating different designs for their new office 3. having conflicts between staff members 4. experiencing problems with some managers who are not performing 5. struggling to increase creative problem-solving among staff 6. implementing a new team-based structure to deal with the business 7. working to design a new ad campaign to get its brand message across to consumers 8. developing a new training program to teach staff interpersonal skills 9. having another type of problem that you have seen or can imagine, related to class topics To address the problem you choose, you must research the issue using Psychological journals such as the ones listed below, and/or relevant books. Then, use your findings to help the company to solve the problem. Your final result should be around 12 pages long (I will stop reading after the 12 th page) excluding references. Project report. Due Wednesday, 25 March, 12:00 midnight. Grading criteria for written reports will include: (1) rationale & design; (2) use of relevant literature (theory/research); (3) soundness of conclusions drawn and/or recommendations made (sensible interpretation of findings; usefulness of findings for business); (4) structure of report (logical sequence, effective transitions); and (5) professionalism of report (grammar, spelling, punctuation, APA Publication Manual format). Please note that you will be graded down if there are errors in grammar or formatting. Thus, you are advised to finish this early and proofread!! Projects are to be completed in small groups (approximately 3-6 members), and you will be assessed on a written project report. You may also be assessed by your group members. 9. Learning Resources Readings. There is no textbook for this course. Given the nature of the topic, the readings are a number of articles and book chapters. Readings can be found on Blackboard or as otherwise noted in class. 5

6 10. Grade Descriptors. Grade Descriptor A Outstanding performance on all learning outcomes A- Generally outstanding performance on almost all learning outcomes B Strong performance on all learning outcomes OR high performance on some learning outcomes which compensates for less satisfactory performance on others, resulting in strong overall performance C Satisfactory performance on the majority of learning outcomes with a few weaknesses D Barely satisfactory performance on a number of learning outcomes F Unsatisfactory performance on a number of learning outcomes OR failure to meet specified assessment requirements 11. Course Updates Blackboard ( ) will be adopted in this course for posting course notes, handouts, announcements, etc. For students who are not familiar with Blackboard, you are recommended to read the instructions and guidelines of how to use it once you have logged in. 12. Feedback for evaluation Students are welcome to give comments and feedback at any time during the class. Stop by to talk to the instructor or teaching assistant. You can also send us s or post your comments on Blackboard. 6

7 13. Course Schedule Date Topic Readings January 8 Lecture 1: Introduction/Motivation Locke, 2002 Rosenthal, 2002 January 13 Tutorial 1: January 15 January 20 January 22 Lecture 2: Consumer Psychology I: Motivation to Buy Tutorial 2: Lecture 3: Consumer Psychology II: Social Influence - Persuasion January 27 January 29 February 3 February 5 February 10 February 12 February 17 February 19 February 24 February 26 March 3 March 5 March 10 March 12 March 17 March 19 March 24 March 26 March 31 April 2 April 7 April 9 April 14 April 16 Tutorial 3: Lecture 4: Consumer Psychology III: Art of the Sale Tutorial 4: Lecture 5: Conflict Resolution/Negotiation Tutorial 5: PROJECT TOPICS DUE Lecture 6: Human Factors and Environmental Psych Tutorial 6: NO CLASS HOLIDAY NO TUTORIAL - HOLIDAY Lecture 7: Cultural Factors and the Internet Tutorial 7: Lecture 8: Behavioral Economics Tutorial 8: QUIZ I - all material up to Behavioral Economics (i.e., excluding today s lecture) Lecture 9: Teamwork and Team Leadership Tutorial 9: Lecture 10: Interpersonal Behavior of Sales and Service Staff Tutorial 10: PROJECTS DUE MAR 25 Midnight by Lecture 11: Stress and Coping in the Workplace Tutorial 11: Lecture 12: Change Management Tutorial 12: NO TUTORIAL - HOLIDAY Lecture 13: The Future of Work Tutorial 13: Lecture 14: QUIZ II 2 nd half of course; All material since Quiz I Tutorial 14: Optional (Test debrief and review) Cialdini, 1993, introduction, Chapter 1 and Epilogue NA 7

8 14. Readings The following reference list contains some required and some suggested readings for the course. The assigned readings will be put on Blackboard before each class session. Arnold, J. (2001). The psychology of careers in organizations. In C. Cooper & I. Robertson (Eds.). Organizational psychology and development: A reader for students and practitioners (pp ). Singapore: Wiley. (On reserve at Arch Library) Bagozzi, R. P., Wong, N., Abe, S., & Bergami, M. (2000). Cultural and situational contingencies and the theory of reasoned action: Application to fast food restaurant consumption. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 9(2), (On reserve at Arch Library) Cialdini, R.B. (1993). Influence: the psychology of persuasion. New York: Quill. (On reserve at Arch Library) Foxall, G. R., Goldsmith, R. E., & Brown, S. (1998). Consumer psychology for marketing (2 nd ed.). London: Thompson. (On reserve at Arch Library) Kidd, J. M. (1997). Assessment for self-managed career development. In N. Anderson and P. Herriot (Eds.). International Handbook of Selection and Assessment (pp ). New York: Wiley. (On reserve at Arch Library) Lewis, A., Webley, P., & Furnham, A. (1995). The new economic mind: The social psychology of economic behaviour. New York: Harvester/Wheatsheaf. (Chapter 2) (On reserve at Arch Library) Locke, E. A. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American-Psychologist, 57 (9), (On reserve at Arch Library) McKenna, E. (2000). Business psychology and organizational behavior (3 rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press. (On reserve at Arch Library) Pugh, S. D. (2001). Service with a smile: Emotional contagion in the service encounter. Academy of Management Journal, 44, (On reserve at Arch Library) Rafaeli, A. (1989). When clerks meet customers: A test of variables related to emotional expressions on the job. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, (On reserve at Arch Library) Rogelberg, S. G., Barnes-Ferrell, J. L., & Creamer, V. (1999). Customer service behavior: The interaction of service predisposition and job characteristics. Journal of Business and Psychology, 13, (On reserve at Arch Library) Rosenthal, R. (2002). Covert communications in classrooms, clinics, courtrooms and cubicles. American Psychologist, 57(11), (On reserve at Arch Library) Spector, P. (2000). Industrial & organizational psychology: Research & practice (2 nd ed.). Singapore: Wiley. (On reserve at Arch Library) Stevens, M. J., & Campion, M. A. (1994). The knowledge, skill and ability requirements for teamwork: Implications for human resource management. Journal of Management, 20, (On reserve at Arch Library) Thomas, K.W. (1992). Conflict and negotiation process in organizations. In M.D. Dunnette & L.M. Hough (Eds.). Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (2nd ed., Vol 3, pp ). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. (On reserve at Arch Library) 8

9 Watkins, H. S., & Liu, R. (1996). Collectivism, individualism and in-group membership: Implications for consumer complaining behaviors in multicultural contexts. In L. A. Manrai & A. K. Manrai (Eds.) Global perspectives in cross-cultural and cross-national consumer research (pp ). New York : International Business Press (On reserve at Arch Library) Webley, P., Burgoyne, C. B., Lea, S. E. G., & Young, B. M. (2001). The economic psychology of everyday life. East Sussex, England: Psychology Press. (chapter 1) (On reserve at Arch Library) Journals in I/O psychology which publish articles relevant to the topics of this course include: Academy of Management Journal Academy of Management Review Administrative Science Quarterly Advances in Consumer Research Journal of Advertising Journal of Applied Psychology Journal of Applied Social Psychology Journal of Business and Psychology Journal of Consumer Psychology Journal of Consumer Research Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology Journal of Economic Psychology Journal of Marketing Journal of Marketing Research Journal of Personal Selling Journal of Vocational Behaviour Organization Behavior and Human Decision Processes Personnel Psychology Psychology and Marketing 9

10 15. Academic honesty and plagiarism Reference on Academic Honesty and Plagiarism Information regarding the academic honesty and plagiarism policy in the University is located at Some further advice is given below. PSYC 3810 Applied Psychology in Business Term II Guideline about plagiarism Any assignment (i.e., project, essay, or paper) that shows evidence of plagiarism will be marked down severely. In simple terms, plagiarism is copying passages and/or ideas from other sources without referencing those sources. Moreover, when you report someone else s ideas/findings you must put it in your own words and not merely copy full sentences or parts of sentences from the source article. It is your responsibility as a scholar-in-training to cite the ideas and work of others correctly. Please visit the following websites for discussions of how to recognize and avoid plagiarism If you commit plagiarism in an assignment, and it is your first offence in the course, the penalty will range from a minimum of a single letter grade reduction in score on the assignment to a maximum of failure on the assignment. A second offence within the same course will result in a minimum penalty of a single letter grade reduction in the course grade to a maximum penalty of course failure. The specific penalty applied is up to the discretion of the professor. In all cases of plagiarism, the student's name will be recorded in a central database maintained by the general office. If a student is referred for plagiarism in more than one course, or more than one instance in the same course, the student's case will be forwarded to the university administration for follow-up action. Detecting plagiarism The Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning requires that all student assignments in undergraduate programmes should be submitted via VeriGuide. This policy will only apply to assignments in the form of a computer-generated document that is principally text-based (i.e., excluding calculations in science, brief laboratory reports, drawings in fine arts and architecture, etc.). Each student must upload a soft copy of the completed assignment to the plagiarism detection engine VeriGuide, at The system will issue a receipt which also contains a declaration of honesty, which is the same as that in The declaration should be signed, and the receipt stapled to a hard copy of the assignment upon submission. Assignments without the receipt will not be graded by teachers. 10