ORG303 Applied Organizational Psychology
Credit Hours:
3
Contact Hours:
This is a 3-credit course, offered in accelerated format. This means that 16 weeks of material is covered in 8 weeks. The exact number of hours per week that you can expect to spend on each course will vary based upon the weekly coursework, as well as your study style and preferences. You should plan to spend 10-25 hours per week in each course reading material, interacting on the discussion boards, writing papers, completing projects, and doing research.
Course Description and Outcomes
Course Description:
This course consists of a study of industrial/organizational psychology and its application in solving organizational problems and challenges. The course includes a balance between research, theory and application. Topics include developing psychologically healthy and productive workplaces, addressing contemporary organizational challenges, and best practices related to employee management and development. Upon completing this course students should be able to understand and explain industrial/organizational psychology applications in helping organizations fulfill their missions and objectives.
Course Overview:
In this course, students will read lectures, articles, and the course textbook to learn about organizational psychology principles and applications. They will also watch videos and complete activities to gain course content. Students will then assess their learning through quizzes, projects, papers, and exercises.
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Examine concepts and theories associated with industrial and organizational psychology.
2. Evaluate the challenges and solutions related to the recruitment, selection, and training of employees.
3. Apply best practices to address organizational challenges including employee motivation, satisfaction and retention.
4. Explain the process involved in job analysis and evaluation within an organization.
5. Formulate an analysis of an organizational problem and propose effective solutions.
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Participation & Attendance
Prompt and consistent attendance in your online courses is essential for your success at CSU-Global Campus. Failure to verify your attendance within the first 7 days of this course may result in your withdrawal. If for some reason you would like to drop a course, please contact your advisor.
Online classes have deadlines, assignments, and participation requirements just like on-campus classes. Budget your time carefully and keep an open line of communication with your instructor. If you are having technical problems, problems with your assignments, or other problems that are impeding your progress, let your instructor know as soon as possible.
Course Materials
Textbook Information is located in the CSU-Global Booklist on the Student Portal.
Course Schedule
Due Dates
The Academic Week at CSU-Global begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday.
• Discussion Boards: The original post must be completed by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. MT and Peer Responses posted by Sunday 11:59 p.m. MT. Late posts may not be awarded points.
• Opening Exercises: Take the opening exercise before reading each week’s content to see which areas you will need to focus on. You may take these exercises as many times as you need. The opening exercises will not affect your final grade.
• Mastery Exercises: Students may access and retake mastery exercises through the last day of class until they achieve the scores they desire.
• Critical Thinking: Assignments are due Sunday at 11:59 p.m. MT.
• Live Classroom: Although participation is not required, a Live Classroom session is held during Week 4.
Week #
Readings
Assignments
1
• Chapters 1 & 2 in Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach
• Jonsson, J. E., & Rancano, A. (2013). Hiring employees that fit with a proactive approach. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4 (13), 106-114. Retrieved from http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_4_No_13_October_2013/13.pdf
• Yeoman, R. (2014). Conceptualising meaningful work as a fundamental human need. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(2), 235-251. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1894-9
• Discussion (25 points)
• Opening Exercise (0 points)
• Mastery Exercise (10 points)
• Portfolio Project Milestone (15 points towards final project)
2
• Chapters 3 & 4 in Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach
• Discussion (25 points)
• Opening Exercise (0 points) SAMPLE
• Sinha, V., & Thafy, P. (2013, December). A review on changing trend of recruitment practice to enhance the quality of hiring in global organizations. Management: Journal of Contemporary Management Issues, 18(2), 141-156.
• York, C. D. (2014). Hone in on Your Hiring Practices. Journal of Property Management, 79(3), 26.
• Mastery Exercise (10 points)
• Critical Thinking (90 points)
• Portfolio Project Milestone (15 points towards final project)
3
• Chapters 5 & 6 in Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach
• Akhtar, R., Boustani, L., Tsivrikos, D., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2015). The engageable personality: Personality and trait EI as predictors of work engagement. Personality and Individual Differences, 73, 44-49. Retrieved from http://www.mihantarjomeh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/The_engageable_personality__Personality_and_trait_EI_as_predictors_of_work_.pdf
• Lough, J., & Von Treuer, K. (2013). A critical review of psychological instruments used in police officer selection. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 36(4), 737-751. Retrieved from http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30059560/vontreuer-acriticalreview-2013.pdf
• Rosso, A. (2014). Streamlining the hiring process. Collector (0010082X), 80(1), 30-31.
• Discussion (25 points)
• Opening Exercise (0 points)
• Mastery Exercise (10 points)
• Critical Thinking (95 points)
4
• Chapter 7 & 8 in Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach
• Alasadi, R., & Al Sabbagh, H. (2015). The role of training in small business performance. International Journal of Information, Business & Management, 7(1), 293-311.
• Farndale, E., & Kelliher, C. (2013). Implementing performance appraisal: Exploring the employee experience. Human Resource Management, 52(6), 879-897. doi:10.1002/hrm.21575
• Discussion (25 points)
• Opening Exercise (0 points)
• Mastery Exercise (10 points)
• Critical Thinking (90 points)
• Live Classroom (0 points)
5
• Chapter 9 & 10 in Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach
• Hatch Woodward, N. (2014). Come on, get happy. HR Magazine, 59(10), 46.
• Rashid Gohar, F., Bashir, M., Abrar, M., & Asghar, F. (2015). Effect of psychological empowerment, distributive justice and job autonomy on organizational commitment. International Journal of Information, Business & Management, 7(1), 144-173.
• Strawderman, L. (2014). Leveraging generational differences to reduce knowledge transfer and retention issues in public administration. Public Administration Research, 3(2), 61. Retrieved from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/par/article/view/41374/22680
• Discussion (25 points)
• Opening Exercise (0 points)
• Mastery Exercise (10 points)
• Critical Thinking (95 points)
6
• Chapter 11 & 12 in Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach
• Katoma, V., Mwanza, C., & Shameem, A. (2014). Interplay of value system and leadership at workplace. International Journal
• Discussion (25 points)
• Opening Exercise (0 points)
• Mastery Exercise (10 points) SAMPLE
of Business and Social Science, 5 (9), 102-112. Retrieved from http://www.ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_5_No_9_August_2014/14.pdf
• Long, C. S., Yusof, W. M. M., Kowang, T. O., & Heng, L. H. (2014). The impact of transformational leadership style on job satisfaction. World Applied Sciences Journal, 29(1), 117-124. Retrieved from http://idosi.org/wasj/wasj29(1)14/17.pdf
• Rai, R., & Prakash, A. (2012). A relational perspective to knowledge creation: Role of servant leadership. Journal of Leadership Studies, 6(2), 61-85. doi:10.1002/jls.21238
7
• Chapter 13 & 14 in Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach
• Mishra, K., Boynton, L., & Mishra, A. (2014). Driving employee engagement: The expanded role of internal communications. Journal of Business Communication, 51(2), 183-202. doi:10.1177/2329488414525399
• Saruhan, N. (2014). The role of corporate communication and perception of justice during organizational change process. Business & Economics Research Journal, 5(4), 143-166.
• Discussion (25 points)
• Opening Exercise (0 points)
• Mastery Exercise (10 points)
8
• Chapter 15 in Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied Approach
• LaVan, H., Lopez, Y. P., Katz, M., & Martin, W. M. (2012). The impact of domestic violence in the workplace. Employment Relations Today (Wiley), 39(3), 51-63. doi:10.1002/ert.21377
• Tomazevic, N., Kozjek, T., & Stare, J. (2014). The consequences of a work-family (im)balance: From the point of view of employers and employees. International Business Research, 7(8), 83. Retrieved from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ibr/article/view/38975/21571
• Understanding and preventing violence in the workplace [Cover story]. (2014). Safety Compliance Letter, (2564), 1-11.
• Discussion (25 points)
• Opening Exercise (0 points)
• Mastery Exercise (10 points)
• Portfolio (350 points)
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Assignment Details This course includes the following assignments/projects:
Module 1
Portfolio Project Milestone: (15 points towards Final Portfolio Project)
Be sure to review the Portfolio Project Description and Portfolio Project Rubric in the Module 8 folder for details.
Portfolio Project Milestone Option #1
Read the Portfolio Project requirements found in Week 8’s Materials link and create a plan for completing it. Begin thinking about a topic for your project. The plan should include planned dates of completion for the outline, rough draft, final draft, and any other important milestones for the project. You will not need to submit each of these documents – the purpose of this plan is to be proactive in completing the Portfolio Project. Submit your plan in the Week One Portfolio Project discussion thread.
This is not a scored assignment; it is part of your Final Portfolio Project. Review the Portfolio Rubric located in the Week 8 Materials link for grading details.
Portfolio Project Milestone Option #2
Read the Portfolio Project requirements found in Week 8’s Materials link and create a plan for completing it. Begin thinking about a topic for your project. The plan should include planned dates of completion for the outline, rough draft, final draft, and any other important milestones for the project. You will not need to submit each of these documents – the purpose of this plan is to be proactive in completing the Portfolio Project. Submit your plan in the Week One Portfolio Project discussion thread.
This is not a scored assignment; it is part of your Final Portfolio Project. Review the Portfolio Rubric located in the Week 8 Materials link for grading details.
Module 2
Critical Thinking: (90 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: Recruitment Case Study
Read the Recruitment at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Applied Case Study in Chapter 4 of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In a well-written paper, answer the following questions:
• What factors would affect not only the number of available applicants but the quality as well?
• How would you handle the practical aspects of receiving and screening the 30,000 applications?
Adhere to the following standards:
• Your paper should be two to four pages in length, not including the title or references pages.
• Review the grading rubric, which can be accessed on the Materials link for each week.
• Be sure to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• Your paper should include an introduction, a body with at least two fully developed paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support your interpretation with evidence from the book and at least two peer-reviewed journal articles from the library. SAMPLE
Option #2: Focus on Ethics
Read the Ethics of Recruiting and Hiring Based on Physical Appearance in Chapter 4 of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In a well-written paper, answer the following questions:
• Do you see any potential ethical dilemmas of recruiting and hiring based on looks? If so, what are they?
• Is it ethical to take a less skilled applicant over a more skilled one just because one is more attractive than the other?
• Is it fair or ethical for places like Borgata Casino and Spa to refuse employment to less than average looking employees?
• Is there a more ethical way to balance the rights of companies to have attractive people and the rights of people who are perceived as unattractive?
• Do you think that more states and cities should make laws against discrimination of people based on their looks?
Adhere to the following standards:
• Your paper should be two to four pages in length, not including the title or references pages.
• Review the grading rubric, which can be accessed on the Materials link for each week.
• Be sure to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• Your paper should include an introduction, a body with at least two fully developed paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support your interpretation with evidence from the book and at least two peer-reviewed journal articles from the library.
Portfolio Project Milestone: (15 points towards Final Portfolio Project)
Portfolio Project Milestone Option #1
Begin working on your Portfolio Project by looking at the organization and problem or challenge you will be addressing. Post the challenge to the Module 2 discussion thread for the Portfolio Project.
This is not a scored assignment; it is part of your Final Portfolio Project. Review the Portfolio Rubric located in the Week 8 Materials link for grading details.
Portfolio Project Milestone Option #2
Begin working on your Portfolio Project by looking at the organization and problem or challenge you will be addressing. Post the challenge to the Module 2 discussion thread for the Portfolio Project.
This is not a scored assignment; it is part of your Final Portfolio Project. Review the Portfolio Rubric located in the Week 8 Materials link for grading details.
Module 3
Critical Thinking: (95 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: New London Case Study
Read the City of New London, Connecticut, Police Department in Chapter 5 of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In a well-written paper, answer the following questions:
• Do you agree with New London’s reasoning about being “too bright”? SAMPLE
• Do you agree with the judge’s decision that it was not discriminatory to not hire people who are highly intelligent? Why or why not?
• How would you have determined the cognitive ability requirements for this job?
Adhere to the following standards:
• Your paper should be two to four pages in length, not including the title or references pages.
• Review the grading rubric, which can be accessed on the Materials link for each week.
• Be sure to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• Your paper should include an introduction, a body with at least two fully developed paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support your interpretation with evidence from the book and at least two peer-reviewed journal articles from the library.
Option #2: Diversity Efforts
Read the Focus on Ethics: Diversity Efforts in Chapter 6 of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In a well-written paper, answer the following questions:
• To increase diversity, it is often legal to consider race or gender as a factor in selecting employees. Although legal, do you think it is ethical that race or gender be a factor in making an employment decision? How much of a role should it play?
• Is it ethical to hire a person with a lower test score because he or she seems to be a better personality fit for an organization?
• If an I/O psychologist is employed by a company that appears to be discriminating against Hispanics, is it ethical for her to stay with the company? What ethical obligations does she have?
Adhere to the following standards:
• Your paper should be two to four pages in length, not including the title or references pages.
• Review the grading rubric, which can be accessed on the Materials link for each week.
• Be sure to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• Your paper should include an introduction, a body with at least two fully developed paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support your interpretation with evidence from
Module 4
Critical Thinking: (90 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: Ethics of the At-Will Doctrine
Read the Focus on Ethics: The Ethics of the At-Will Doctrine in Chapter 7 of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In a well-written paper, answer the following questions:
• What are other ethical dilemmas in the at-will doctrine?
• Which argument do you agree with: that of critics of the doctrine or its supporters?
• Are there other limitations that should be imposed on the doctrine, other than those outlined in your textbook, that would make the doctrine more ethical and, therefore, fairer?
• Do you agree that having different laws for public and private sector employees (at will versus for just cause) is fair?
Adhere to the following standards:
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• Your paper should be two to four pages in length, not including the title or references pages.
• Review the grading rubric, which can be accessed on the Materials link for each week.
• Be sure to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• Your paper should include an introduction, a body with at least two fully developed paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support your interpretation with evidence from the book and at least two peer-reviewed journal articles from the library.
Option #2: Training Case Study
Read the On the Job: Applied Case Study: Training at Pal’s Sudden Service in Chapter 8 of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In a well-written paper, answer the following questions:
• If you were in charge of training, how would you develop a training program that would reduce the number of transaction errors?
• How would you evaluate the success of your training program?
Adhere to the following standards:
• Your paper should be two to four pages in length, not including the title or references pages.
• Review the grading rubric, which can be accessed from the Materials link for each week.
• Be sure to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• Your paper should include an introduction, a body with at least two fully developed paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support your interpretation with evidence from the book and at least two peer-reviewed journal articles from the library.
Module 5
Critical Thinking: (95 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Option #1: Ethics of Motivation Strategies
Read the Focus on Ethics: Ethics of Motivation Strategies in Chapter 9 of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In a well-written paper, answer the following questions:
• Although there were some legal ramifications for what Hooter’s did, do you think what they did to the waitress was also unethical?
• Do you think that the waitresses were lied to? If so, do you think lying to employees is unethical?
• What do you think about the motivating strategy of allowing employees to rip off the shirts of other employees? Is humiliating employees ethical?
• Is it ethical to promise money or other compensation to students for studying hard? What if the losing students actually studied harder than the winner, but the winner only did well because he/she just happened to be brighter? Would giving that student the money be fair to the students who studied hard?
• Does the fact that these motivation techniques had the desired result by increasing sales or decreasing the use of paper outweigh any negative consequences of such motivators?
Adhere to the following standards:
• Your paper should be two to four pages in length, not including the title or references pages.
• Review the grading rubric, which can be accessed on the Materials link for each week. SAMPLE
• Be sure to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• Your paper should include an introduction, a body with at least two fully developed paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support your interpretation with evidence from the book and at least two peer-reviewed journal articles from the library.
Option #2: Turnover Case Study
Read On the Job: Applied Case Study: Reducing Turnover at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Chapter 10 of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In a well-written paper, answer the following questions:
• On the basis of what you learned in this chapter, what interventions would you make to reduce management turnover?
• How would these interventions be different if you were trying to reduce non-managerial turnover?
Adhere to the following standards:
• Your paper should be two to four pages in length, not including the title or references pages.
• Review the grading rubric, which can be accessed on the Materials link for each week.
• Be sure to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements.
• Your paper should include an introduction, a body with at least two fully developed paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Support your interpretation with evidence from the book and at least two peer-reviewed journal articles from the library.
Module 8
Portfolio Project: (350 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this week. Do not complete both assignments. Identify your assignment choice in the title of your submission.
Note that while there are two options for the Portfolio Project, there is only one rubric. Review the rubric to confirm you are meeting the assignment requirements.
Portfolio Project Option #1: Problem Analysis Paper
For the final Portfolio Project, write a paper that includes an assessment and analysis of a psychology-related problem or challenge. Include the following in your paper:
• This should be a challenge that you have encountered in an organization in which you currently or previously worked.
• Develop a potential solution using concepts or strategies from the course textbook and additional scholarly sources.
• Provide sufficient detail when describing the problem, including the type of organization and division/department in which the problem occurred, as well as any other pertinent background factors.
Portfolio milestones are due in the weeks they are assigned. Go to the week’s assignments page for full details.
• Week 1: Plan of Completion
• Week 2: Declare Portfolio Topic
Please adhere to the following requirements for the paper:
• Adhere to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements SAMPLE
• Include at least five full pages, but not to exceed seven
• Use at least five sources, including a scholarly journal article
• Have an introduction and strong thesis
• Make use of support and examples supporting your thesis
• Finish with a forceful conclusion reiterating your main idea
• Demonstrate critical thinking
• Be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Portfolio Project Option #2: Economic Analysis of Specific Government Policy
For the final Portfolio Project, create a presentation that includes an assessment and analysis of a psychology-related problem or challenge. Presentations may be created in a website, or in an application such as Prezi, VoiceThread, PowerPoint, or YouTube. Include the following in your presentation:
• This should be a challenge that you have encountered in an organization in which you currently or previously worked.
• Develop a potential solution using concepts or strategies from the course textbook and additional scholarly sources.
• Provide sufficient detail when describing the problem, including the type of organization and division/department in which the problem occurred, as well as any other pertinent background factors.
Portfolio milestones are due in the weeks they are assigned. Go to the week’s assignments page for full details.
• Week 1: Plan of Completion
• Week 2: Declare Portfolio Topic
Please adhere to the following requirements for the paper:
• Adhere to CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements
• Include between ten to fifteen paragraphs of information, either in text or audio narration
• Include at least one image on each slide and a citation for each image used. Images may include portraits, images of documents important to the individual, and images of the country at the time.
• Include a transcript to accompany the presentation. The transcript must be at least three pages.
• Use at least five sources, including a scholarly journal article
• Have an introduction and strong thesis
• Make use of support and examples supporting your thesis
• Finish with a forceful conclusion reiterating your main idea
• Demonstrate critical thinking and be free of grammar and spelling errors.
Course Policies
Course Grading
20% Discussion Participation
0% Opening Exercises
0% Live Classroom
8% Mastery Exercises 37% Critical Thinking Assignments 35% Final Portfolio Paper
Grading Scale and Policies
A
95.0 – 100
A-
90.0 – 94.9
B+
86.7 – 89.9
B
83.3 – 86.6
B-
80.0 – 83.2 SAMPLE
C+
75.0 – 79.9
C
70.0 – 74.9
D
60.0 – 69.9
F
59.9 or below
In-Classroom Policies
For information on late work and incomplete grade policies, please refer to our In-Classroom Student Policies and Guidelines or the Academic Catalog for comprehensive documentation of CSU-Global institutional policies.
Academic Integrity
Students must assume responsibility for maintaining honesty in all work submitted for credit and in any other work designated by the instructor of the course. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, plagiarism, reusing /re-purposing your own work (see CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements for percentage of repurposed work that can be used in an assignment), unauthorized possession of academic materials, and unauthorized collaboration. The CSU-Global Library provides information on how students can avoid plagiarism by understanding what it is and how to use the Library and Internet resources.
Citing Sources with APA Style
All students are expected to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements when citing in APA (based on the APA Style Manual, 6th edition) for all assignments. For details on CSU-Global APA style, please review the APA resources within the CSU-Global Library under the “APA Guide & Resources” link. A link to this document should also be provided within most assignment descriptions on your course’s Assignments page.
Disability Services Statement
CSU–Global is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. Any student with a documented disability requesting academic accommodations should contact the Disability Resource Coordinator at 720-279-0650 and/or email ada@CSUGlobal.edu for additional information to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Netiquette
Respect the diversity of opinions among the instructor and classmates and engage with them in a courteous, respectful, and professional manner. All posts and classroom communication must be conducted in accordance with the student code of conduct. Think before you push the Send button. Did you say just what you meant? How will the person on the other end read the words?
Maintain an environment free of harassment, stalking, threats, abuse, insults or humiliation toward the instructor and classmates. This includes, but is not limited to, demeaning written or oral comments of an ethnic, religious, age, disability, sexist (or sexual orientation), or racist nature; and the unwanted sexual advances or intimidations by email, or on discussion boards and other postings within or connected to the online classroom.
If you have concerns about something that has been said, please let your instructor know.
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