Dr Tara Reich NAB4.15

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (Human Resource Management/CIPD) and MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (Organisational Behaviour). This course is available on the MPA in European Public and Economic Policy, MPA in International Development, MPA in Public Policy and Management, MPA in Public and Economic Policy, MPA in Public and Social Policy, MPhil/ PhD in Management, MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (International Employment Relations and Human Resource Management), MSc in Management Science (Decision Sciences), MSc in Management Science (Operational Research), MSc in Management, Organisations and Governance and MSc in Public Management and Governance. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

This course is available in the Michaelmas Term only.

This course seeks to understand individual attitudes and behaviour in an organisational context. Specifically, we aim to demonstrate the contribution of a psychological perspective to understanding human behaviour at work by reviewing psychological theories as they apply to organisations and critically evaluating the associated empirical evidence.

Key topics include: personality and individual differences, work motivation, decision-making, rewards systems, psychological contracts, organisational justice, organisational citizenship and retaliatory behaviour, leadership, groups and group processes, design of work, and organisational culture.

20 hours of lectures and 13 hours and 30 minutes of seminars in the MT. 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour and 30 minutes of seminars in the ST.

The teaching is highly participative and includes lectures and seminars. The course is demanding of students and its success depends partly upon student commitment and willingness to participate fully.

Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6, in line with departmental policy

Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the MT.

The course relies heavily on journal articles (from, for example, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior). An extensive reading list is provided at the start of the course. No suitable textbook exists but students may wish to consult one of the following:

Kolb, D. A., Osland, J. S., & Rubin, I. M. (2007). The Organizational Behavior Reader (8th ed.). Pearson

Porter, L. W., Bigley, G. A., & Steers, R. M. (2002). Motivation and work behavior (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Staw, B. M (2004). Psychological dimensions of organizational behavior (3rd ed.), Prentice-Hall.

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.