Basics of Work & Organisational Psycholgy

Brief description

The Motivation to Work: need-based theories (Maslow, ERG, Herzberg, etc.), process-based theories (equity, organizational justice), application-based theories (goal setting, job characteristics, reinforcement & incentives), practical issues in motivation (measuring, generational differences) • Attitudes, Emotion, and Work: work attitudes (job satisfaction, commitment, organizational identification, employee engagement), antecedents, correlates & consequences of work attitudes, measuring of work attitudes, foundation of organizational commitment, distinction between moods, attitudes and emotions, core evaluations (self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control, neuroticism) and work attitudes, early warning signs and withdrawal behaviour • Stress and Worker Well-Being: stressors and consequences of stress, theories of stress, reducing and managing stress, violence at work • Leadership: concept of leadership, traditional theories of leadership, new approaches to leadership

Mode of delivery

face to face

Type

compulsory

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Blended learning (online and presence, inverted classroom with e-learning material for self-study), online quizzes and discussion in online forums as formative assessments during self-study phases

Assessment methods and criteria

Written exam: 30 % MC questions, 20 % short definitions, 50 % open questions: 3 open questions. Criteria: Correctness and completeness of the answers, application and reflection of concepts to practical contexts

Prerequisites and co-requisites

Grundlagen der Arbeitsgestaltung, Grundlagen Organisationslehre

Infos

Degree programme

People & Culture Management (Bachelor)

Cycle

Bachelor

ECTS Credits

3.00

Language of instruction

English

Curriculum

Part-Time

Academic year

2026

Semester

2 SS

Incoming

Learning outcome

After successful completion of this course, students are able to - explain major concepts and theories across a broad array of topics in the field of WO psychology: motivation (e.g. need-, process-, and application-based theories of motivation, metaphors for motivation), attitudes & emotion (job satisfaction, commitment, organizational identification, employee engagement), stress & worker well-being (Selye and Cannon, Demand-Control and Person-environment fit models), leadership (leader emergence vs leader effectiveness, Ohio-state and Michigan Studies of leadership behaviour); - understand how classic theories of WO psychology affect current topics in WO psychology, e.g. digitization, New Work, - understand how emotions experienced at work affect work and non-work behaviour, - describe antecedents and consequences of job satisfaction, - explain the distinction between moods and emotions in the work context, - explain Leader-Member Exchange theory and the distinctions between in-group and out-group members, - explain the challenges of leadership in the changing workplace, - describe the concept of commitment in its different forms, - understand the emergence of psychological strain at work and are able to describe common physical and psychological stressors at work, - distinguish between the concepts of leader emergence and leader effectiveness, - apply concepts and theories of motivation to common organizational approaches, - apply concepts and theories of stress & worker well-being to organizational stress management programmes and - apply principles of WO psychology to understand affect, behaviour, and cognition at work.

Course code

1582-24-01-BB-DE-16

Basics of Work & Organisational Psycholgy