Class will meet Mondays from 8:30 to 11:40 am in Stevenson 3082 (PLEASE NOTE ROOM CHANGE).

For those of you who would like to read the New York Times piece I mentioned in class, please click here.

Course Description:

Industrial / Organizational (I/O) Psychology is the application of social science methods and principles to industrial and organizational behavior. Topics include: teams in organizations, motivation, individual differences, attitudes and emotions relevant to work, stress and well-being, fairness and diversity within organizations, leadership and organizational change and development. The ultimate objective of this discipline is to maximize both employee well-being and organizational effectiveness. Because of the data-intensive nature of I/O Psychology, if you have a basic understanding of how empirical psychological research is conducted (from Statistics, Psychological Research Methods, Social Psychology or Personality), you will find the course material more accessible.

Course Goal:

Upon completing this course, students should be able to evaluate and apply current psychological theory and research to organizational settings and problems.

Course Objectives:

• Understand why psychologists study the behavior of workers and organizations, and how this study has contributed to both our understanding and practice of work.
• Increase critical thinking by carefully examining the methodology and results of empirical research.
• Demonstrate the application of relevant psychological theory and research problems faced by employees and organizations.
• Summarize and evaluate psychological research and theory relevant to a specific organizational context.
• Use psychological theory and research to support possible solutions to organizational problems.
• Learn from direct experience about teams and organizations.

This course also is designed to contribute to the following Psychology Department learning objectives:

• Students should be able to apply psychological theories and concepts to problems and questions they find personally important
• Students should be able to apply psychological theories, concepts and principles to personal and broader social systems and issues.
• Students should be able to recognize and understand the complexity of cultural diversity.
• Students should be able to understand and apply basic research methods in psychology and the social sciences.

Course Text:
Robbins, S.P. & Judge, T.A. (2013). Organizational Psychology. Pearson Education: Upper Saddle River.

Other resources:

• University Policies:  http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/studentinfo.shtml
• Disability Services for Students (DSS): http://www.sonoma.edu/dss/ (Salazar 1049)
• Writing Center Resource: Free consultation; http://www.sonoma.edu/programs/writingcenter/ (Schulz 1103)
• Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): http://www.sonoma.edu/counselingctr/ (Stevenson 1088)

Heather Smith, Ph.D.
Psychology Department
Stevenson 3089
664-2587
smithh@sonoma.edu