Class Syllabus: Organizational Psychology 101

Office Hours:	Continuous
Course Meeting Times:	Continuous

Course Description

Industrial and Organizational Psychology or I/O is a varied field of study filled with many career opportunities. The importance of this field has never been more prevalent than in the last decade. The use of I/O methods has been proven to increase productivity, profits and general workplace satisfaction by startling percentages. Most large and successful companies have implemented some or all of these methods into their workplace environment within the last several years.

I/O Psychologists may work within organizations, act as consultants to various organizations, or they may move into the area of academic research. The topics of this course primarily concern themselves with careers within organizations or as acting consultants. While there are numerous sub-fields within I/O, for the purposes of this course we will be focusing on the tools and methods that are common to all specialties. In the lessons contained herein you will learn about how to properly prepare for a career in I/O and what some possible specializations in the field are; additionally, we will cover some of the most important aspects of this profession including the use of various techniques and tools to help companies best utilize and motivate their most valuable resources--their employees.

Whether you choose to later enter into Training and Development, Employee Motivation or Diversity Coaching this course will teach you what you need to know in order to make the leap towards the growing field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Course Requirements

There are no educational requirements other than a high school reading and writing level.

Course Goals and Structure

Lessons One through Ten will contain the following elements:

Ø Introduction to the Lesson: “Introduction”

Ø The Lesson body broken down by topic: “Learn It”

Ø Lesson Conclusion: “Conclusion”

Ø Further reading and available resources: “Resources”

Ø Review Questions consisting of five T/F and five multiple choice: “Review Self- test”

Ø Highlighted key terms, checklists, exercises, graphs, charts, lists, lesson objectives, and Web site resources will be threaded throughout the entire course when and where appropriate and necessary.

The lessons will be written with the original outline topics in mind, although there may be additional topics added, removed and/or changed as research develops. The tentative planned lesson topics are as follows:

Lesson 1: “Preparation for a Career in I/O” topics:

· Do you need a graduate degree for I/O

· Best Undergrad Degree for I/O

· Preparing for graduate studies

· Researching the Field

· Career Paths (HR Dept., Consulting, Academic Research)

Lesson 2: “Specializations in Organizational Psychology” topics:

· Psychometrics

· Employment Law

· Training

· Leadership Selection

· Coaching and Development

· Organizational Design

Lesson 3: “Motivation and Leadership” topics:

· Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

· Motivation and Leadership Theories

· Functions of Leadership

· Motivation and Leadership Styles

Lesson 4: “Employee Selection” topics:

· Proper Job Analysis

· Resume Analysis

· Interviewing Procedure

· Selection Tools

· Testing

· Post Interview Assessment

Lesson 5: “Training and Development” topics:

· Coaching

· E-learning

· Instructional Design

· Organizational Learning

· Classroom Training

· Management Training

Lesson 6: “Organization Development and Guided Change” topics:

· Why OD

· Proper Planning for OD Success

· Planned Intervention

· Implementing Change

Lesson 7: “Organizational Behavior” topics:

· Models of OB

· Theory X and Theory Y

· The System Approach

· Organizational Culture

· Building Better Relationships

Lesson 8: “Work and Family Issues” topics:

· Workplace Stress

· Family Friendly Practices

· Diversity and Advancement of Women

· Employee Satisfaction

· Work/Family Balance

Lesson 9: “Job Analysis” topics:

· Interviewing

· Utilizing Questionnaires

· Observational Analysis

· Background Information Gathering

Lesson 10: “The Use of Psycometric Testing” topics:

· Personality Tests

· Motivation Tests

· Moral Tests

· Aptitude Tests

Course Materials

All course materials will be online and no outside purchases will be required.

Grading Policy

The course is divided into 10 lessons. At the end of each lesson will be brief quiz and/or assignment based on the lesson material. There are points for assignments and quizzes and class participation in forums (discussions). A percentage grade will be given based on point accumulation.

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

Describe preparations for a career in industrial and organizational psychology.
Describe specializations in organizational psychology.
Summarize motivation and leadership.
Summarize techniques for employee selection.
Describe procedures for training and development.
Define organization development and guided change.
Summarize organizational behavior.
Describe work, stress and family issues.
Summarize conducting job analysis.
Describe the use of psychometric testing, and
Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.

Recommended Books

Organizational Psychology

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