APSK15110U Work and Organizational Psychology - Seminar class

Volume 2024/2025
Content

Seminarhold 1: Paul Conway - The psychosocial work environment, stress and organisational behaviour: issues in assessment and intervention.

How does the psychosocial work environment affect stress, work engagement and organizational behaviour? How do we assess the psychosocial work environment in work organisations and design effective intervention processes?

These are common questions facing occupational and organisational psychologists as they deal with issues related to the psychosocial work environment and its impact on employees’ health and well-being. The aim of this seminar is to introduce students to theories, methods and procedures that can be used to assess and manage the psychosocial work environment in work organisations. 

Key topics covered in the course are:

  • Theoretical and methodological approaches to the understanding of different types of job demands and job resources, and their differential impact on health, well-being and organizational behaviour;
  • Theoretical and practical approaches to occupational health assessment and intervention; 
  • Workplace bullying: concept, measurement, antecedents and consequences, and intervention levels. 

     

Through group activities and case analyses, the students will be introduced to the challenges of translating theory into practice.  

Type of instruction and exam regulations:

A substantial part of the teaching is based on the active participation of students in group activities proposed during the course. Therefore, you should expect a limited use of lectures during the seminar. Preparation on the assigned literature is recommended prior to each class. The students are expected to deliver two individual assignments consisting of papers wherein theories, methods and procedures learned during the course will be applied to the analysis of specific problems relevant to the course subject. Each student is also required to provide feedback on one assignment elaborated by a peer. At the end of the seminar, the students must submit to the teacher a portfolio including all the material produced during the course.

 

Learning Outcome

By the end of the seminar, students will be able to:

  • select and account in a coherent manner for key work and organisational psychology concepts, theories and empirical evidence relevant to illustrating a given problem within the subject area covered by the seminar
  • account for key similarities and differences between the concepts, theories and empirical data covered
  • analyse and discuss possible interrelationships in work and organisational psychology problems from a theoretical and research perspective
  • discuss the analysis of the problem using a coherent form of academic argumentation
  • analyse, critically reflect upon and justify the strengths and weaknesses of work and organisational psychology processes, interventions and preventative measures.

Syllabus cf. curriculum: 600 standard pages of compulsory literature and 200 standard pages of literature chosen by the student

A current syllabus list and lecture plan will be available in the course room on Absalon immediately before the start of the semester.

Previous syllabus lists can be found here: Absalon

  • Category
  • Hours
  • Seminar
  • 30
  • Total
  • 30
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Requirement to attend classes
Type of assessment details
Form of exam:
Min. 75% attendance and active participation in the activities, assignments,
presentations, etc. stipulated in the courses offered.

Rules for group exams:
The exam can only be taken individually but the assignment and active class participation may be in a group (max. five students). For a group assignment or oral presentation,
each student’s contribution must be clearly identified to facilitate individual assessment. A minor part of the assignment may, however, be written collaboratively (see 6.8.2 in the Curricula’s Common Part). The form is stipulated in the courses offered.

Extent:
Depends on the specific courses offered.

Special regulations:
Irrespective of whether the students work individually or in groups on the required activities, oral presentations, individual written assignments and/or individual
contributions to collective written assignments are used to assess whether each individual
student's performance meets the specified requirements, including the use of the required amount of compulsory literature and literature chosen by the students. Supervision and feedback are provided during the process.
Exam registration requirements

Min. 75% attendance and active participation in the activities, assignments, presentations, etc. stipulated in the courses offered.

Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period

Autumm/spring course participation

Re-exam

Autumm/spring course participation

Criteria for exam assesment

See "Learning outcome"