Psychology at Work

1. Psychology at Work Using psychology to create a more fulfilling and successful workplace Dr Anna Sutton Dr Sarah Crozier Ψ

2. Why psychology at work? • To be effective at work, you need to know about yourself and the people you work with • Knowing more about what makes you tick will help you make better career choices and improve your performance at work • Whatever job you go into, you will be working with other people… • Understanding other people better will help you to work more effectively with them

3. What’s it all about? What’s the best way to lead your team to high performance? What are peak experiences and how can you find them at work? • This unit will develop your ability to find the answers to these questions and more, using an evidence-based approach. • You will focus on how you can use psychology to achieve a more productive and satisfying workplace, and develop your understanding of the psychological tools and resources available to you as a manager. Taught by Chartered Psychologists with expertise in work psychology

4. Topics • Improving communication • Creating high performing teams • Capitalising on individual differences at work • Understanding the impact of employee attitudes towards work • Developing peak experiences and spirituality in the workplace • Developing skilled leaders • Using an evidence-based, scientific approach at work. • Balancing acts: work-life and the psychological contract • Promoting well-being and managing stress at work • Positive psychology: getting the best out of people

5. How will I learn? • Taught component • Mix of lectures, guided group work and discussions • Lectures introduce you to the concepts and theories • Group work and discussions help you to apply the concepts to work and understand their practical implications • Guest speakers from occupational psychology companies to give you an insight into the expertise you can draw on as a manager

6. How will I learn? (cont’d) • Self-directed learning • As with other units, you are expected to engage in a substantial amount of independent study • We provide guidance on reading for every lecture • Recommended reading is drawn from textbooks, journal articles and practitioner publications • Many of these materials will be available on Moodle

7. Assessment • Managerial Report (50%) – An individual report to the managerial team based on a case study, with practical recommendations on how to resolve an important workplace issue from a psychological perspective. • Exam (50%) – A mix of short discussion questions and an essay question, designed to test both the breadth and the depth of your understanding.

8. What’s special about this unit? • Focus on the positive: how to improve the workplace and solve problems • Find out how to identify and use psychological research • Unique opportunity to learn about cutting edge work psychology that you can integrate into your own life • The core text Work Psychology in Action is brand new (due to be published summer 2014) • Written by one of your lecturers, Anna Sutton, it is designed specifically to support this course • Develop your understanding of the interface between theoretical psychology and practitioner concerns so you can engage with both audiences

9. Any further questions? Please contact Dr Anna Sutton: a.sutton@mmu.ac.uk