Introduction to Organizational Psychology

The course is designed to provide an introduction to the field of organizational psychology. We will explore the basic concepts, theories and research related to organizational psychology.

Organizational psychology focuses on the behavior of employees in the workplace and apply psychological principles and research methods to improve the overall work environment, including two main outcomes such as employees' performance and well-being.

Organizational psychologists have expertise in the design, execution and interpretation of research in psychology and apply their findings to help address human and organizational problems in the context of organized work, especially they:

− Design and optimize job and work quality of work life

− Develop criteria to evaluate performance of individuals and organizations

− Analyze organizational communication and conflicts

− Identify training and development needs

− Formulate, implement training and talent management programs and evaluate their effectiveness

The course discusses in details issues such as job analysis and competencies, personnel selection and recruitment, employee motivation and satisfaction, learning and training, group processes and leadership, communication, talent management, conflict and ethics, organizational culture and climate, diversity management, organizational change.

Main reading:

Furnham, A. (2008). The psychology of behavior at work. The individual in the organization. New York: Psychology Press (selected chapters)

1.HR functions

De Stefano, F., Bagdadli, S., & Camuffo, A. (2018). The HR role in corporate social responsibility and sustainability: A boundary‐shifting literature review. Human Resource Management, 57(2), 549–566. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21870

Boon, C., Eckardt, R., Lepak, D. P., & Boselie, P. (2018). Integrating strategic human capital and strategic human resource management. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 29(1), 34–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1380063

2.Job analysis and competencies

Campion, M.A., Fink, A.A., Ruggerberg, B.J., Carr, L., Philips, G.E., & Odman, R.B. (2011). Doing competencies well: Best practices in competency modeling. Personnel Psychology, 64, 225-262.

Sanchez, J. I., & Levine, E. L. (2009). What is (or should be) the difference between competency modeling and traditional job analysis? Human Resource Management Review, 19(2), 53–63

Grant, A. M., Fried, Y., & Juillerat, T. (2011). Work matters: Job design in classic and contemporary perspectives. In S. Zedeck (Ed.), APA handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Vol. 1. Building and developing the organization (pp. 417–453). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/12169-013

3.Employer branding and recruitment

Lievens, F., & Chapman, D. (2019). Recruitment and selection (pp. 123-150). In A. Wilkinson, T. Bacon, S. Snell, & D. Lepak (Eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Human Resource Management. Sage.

Lievens, F., & Slaughter, J. E. (2016). Employer image and employer branding: What we know and what we need to know. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 3, 407–440. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-041015-062501

4.Employee motivation and satisfaction

Furnham chapter 6

5.Learning, training and development in organizations

Bell, B. S., & Moore, O. A. (2018). Learning, training and development in organizations: Emerging trends, recent advances and future directions. In D. S. Ones, N. Anderson, C. Viswesvaran, & H. K. Sinangil (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of industrial, work & organizational psychology: Organizational psychology (2nd ed., pp. 215–234). Sage Reference.

Huysman, M. (2000). An organizational learning approach to the learning organization. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 9(2), 133–145

6.Talent management in organizations

Collings, D. G., & Mellahi, K. (2009). Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 19(4), 304–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2009.04.001

Holck, L., & Stjerne, I. S. (2020). How inclusive can exclusive talent management be? In S. Swailes (Ed.), Managing talent: A critical appreciation (pp. 107–123). Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83909-093-620201009

7.Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Buengeler, C., Leroy, H., & De Stobbeleir, K. (2018). How leaders shape the impact of HR's diversity practices on employee inclusion. Human Resource Management Review, 28(3), 289–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2018.02.005

Ferdman, B. M. (2014). The practice of inclusion in diverse organizations: Toward a systemic and inclusive framework. In B. M. Ferdman & B. R. Deane (Eds.), Diversity at work: The practice of inclusion (pp. 3–54). Jossey-Bass/Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118764282.ch1

Olsen, J. E., & Martins, L. L. (2012). Understanding organizational diversity management programs: A theoretical framework and directions for future research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(8), 1168–1187. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1792

8.Leadership

Judge, T. A., & Piccolo, R. F. (2004). Transformational and Transactional Leadership: A Meta-Analytic Test of Their Relative Validity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), 755–768. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.89.5.755

Alimo-Metcalfe, B. (2013). A critical review of leadership theory. In H. S. Leonard, R. Lewis, A. M. Freedman, & J. Passmore (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of the psychology of leadership, change, and organizational development (pp. 15–47). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118326404.ch2

Furnham chapter 12

9.Conflict and ethics in organization

Furnham chapter 8

10.Innovation in organizations

Crossan, M.M. & Apaydin, M. (2010). A multidimensional framework of organizational innovation: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Management Studies, 47, 1154-1191. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00880.x

11.Organizational climate and culture

Furnham chapter 13

12.Change management

Cole, S., Harris, S.G., & Bernerth, J.B. (2006). Exploring the implications of vision, appropriateness, and execution of organizational change. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 27, 352-367.

By, R. T. (2005). Organisational change management: A critical review. Journal of Change Management, 5(4), 369–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697010500359250

13.Evaluation of HR practices

Van Beurden, J., Van De Voorde, K., & Van Veldhoven, M. (2021). The employee perspective on HR practices: A systematic literature review, integration and outlook. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(2), 359–393. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2020.1759671

14.Students’ Presentations

15.Final Exam