MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
PSY 255 Section 001H INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Fall 2012
Tuesday Thursday 1pm – 2:20pm
Professor: Dr. Chu-Hsiang (Daisy) Chang
Office: Psychology Building 346
Phone: 517-355-2171
Office Hours: Thursday 12noon – 1pm , or by appointment
Email: cchang@msu.edu
REQUIRED TEXT
Levy, P. E. (2009). Industrial/Organizational Psychology: Understanding the Workplace (3rd edition). New
York: Palgrave Macmillan.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an introduction to industrial and organizational psychology which will provide a
critical examination of people at work. It is designed to be a survey class and covers a wide range of
traditional and contemporary topics in the field. Traditionally, industrial psychology is concerned
with human resource functions such as analyzing jobs, and recruiting, selecting, training, and
appraising employees. Organizational psychology explores topics such as employee attitudes, work
behaviors, motivation, and leadership. Contemporary developments in the I-O field include issues
related to employee diversity, affect and emotions, and justice perceptions.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
(1) Discuss the roles of I-O psychologists play in industry, government, and academia;
(2) Explain and evaluate major concepts and theories in the I-O psychology field;
(3) Perform basic human resource functions for an organization;
(4) Apply principles of I-O psychology to understand people’s behaviors at work.
JOB ANALYSIS PROJECT
You will pick a job that interests you, conduct a job analysis, and summarize the results in a typed
report. More Information will be provided regarding this project. This project is worth 20 points.
SELECTION/PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROJECT
Based on your job analysis results, you can choose to design either a selection tool that can be used to
select qualified employees for the job, or a performance appraisal system that will assess employees’
performance on the job. More Information will be provided for this project. This project is worth 30
points.
GROUP PRESENTATION
As a group you will prepare and deliver a 12 minute presentation on a specific topic related to the
organizational psychology. Topics are ones that will not be covered in class lectures. Groups will
consist of 2-3 students and all members will receive the same grade for the presentation, but each of
you will rate each other’s contribution to the overall presentation and that rating will be factored into
your overall grade for this assignment. Group presentations are scheduled for December 6th. Further
information about the group presentations will be posted on ANGEL. It is worth 50 points.
IN-CLASS TEST
Tests will be closed book and closed notes. They will consist of multiple choice questions. There will
be two in-class tests, each test is worth 100 points.
FINAL EXAM
The final exam will be closed book and closed notes and consist of multiple choice questions. It will
be on Thursday, 13th December from 12:45pm – 2:45pm in the regular room where the class meets. It
is worth 100 points.
PARTICIPATION
You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings. Participation grades will
be determined by your contributions during class. Effective and worthwhile participation includes
contribution of comments that demonstrate knowledge and integration of course material, building
on responses of others, and critical (yet respectful) analysis of others’ comments. There will also be inclass activities during some classes that count towards your participation grade. The participation is
worth 25 points of your final grade.
TERM PAPER
Your term paper will be a literature review to provide research-based solution for a hypothetical
organizational problem. You will choose one hypothetical problem from multiple options that will be
made available. Your paper should include the following sections: (1) Introduction, where you
describe the structure of your paper and the organizational problem that you chose to focus on; (2)
Literature review, where you describe the current research regarding the organizational issue you
chose; and (3) Solution, where you make research-based recommendations to help organizations
solve the problem. The paper is worth 175 points.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Job analysis project
Selection/Performance appraisal project
Presentation
Two in-class tests
One final exam
Participation
Term paper
Final Grades will be determined as follows:
Grade
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.0
20 points
30 points
50 points
200 points
100 points
25 points
175 points
Total points
540 and above
510 – 539
480 – 519
450 – 479
420 – 449
390 – 419
360 – 389
Below 360
Percentage
90% and above
85 – 89%
80 – 84%
75 – 79%
70 – 74%
65 – 69%
60 – 64%
59% and below
EXTRA CREDIT
Students will have opportunities to earn up to 20 extra credit points. There are two sources for the
extra credit points. First, you can earn extra credit through the HPR system by participating in
research. For research participation, please see the instruction at the end of the syllabus. Please note
that participation in research is completely voluntary. Next, opportunities exist throughout the
semester to complete extra credit assignments as handed out during class by the instructor.
MAKE-UP POLICY
All assignments and tests must be completed when scheduled. Unless prior permission has been
obtained, NO late or makeup assignments or tests will be accepted or given. Permission may be
granted for those who contact the instructor prior to the scheduled date, and provides her with valid
documentation related to the absence either before or after the absence.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is not mandatory but strongly encouraged, and it will influence your participation grade
once you miss too many classes. You are expected to be aware of any changes in dates of assignment
or tests. Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you
exchange contact information with at least two other classmates in case you have to miss a class.
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY
The official university policy is as follows:
It has always been the policy of the University to permit students and faculty to observe those holidays set aside by their
chosen religious faith. The faculty and staff should be sensitive to the observance of these holidays so that students who
absent themselves from classes on these days are not seriously disadvantaged. It is the responsibility of those students
who wish to be absent to make arrangements in advance with their instructors. It is also the responsibility of those
faculty who wish to be absent to make arrangements in advance with their chairpersons, who shall assume the
responsibility for covering their classes. As Michigan State University has become increasingly multicultural, the
incidence of conflicts between mandatory academic requirements and religious observances has increased. In the absence
of a simple and dignified way to determine the validity of individual claims, the claim of a religious conflict should be
accepted at face value. Be aware that some degrees of observance may have a more extensive period of observance.
Instructors may expect a reasonable limit to the number of requests by any one student. Some instructors attempt to
cover all reasons for student absences from required academic events such as quizzes or exams with a blanket policy, e.g.,
allowing the student to drop one grade or two quizzes without penalty. If this is meant to extend to religious
observances, the instructor should state this clearly at the beginning of the term. If instructors require make-up exams,
they retain the right to determine the content of the exams and the conditions of administration, giving due
consideration to equitable treatment.
MISCONDUCT
Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty will result in failure of the course.
The official university policy is as follows:
The principles of truth and honesty are fundamental to the educational process and the academic integrity of the
University; therefore, no student shall:
1. claim or submit the academic work of another as one’s own.
2. procure, provide, accept or use any materials containing questions or answers to any examination or assignment
without proper authorization.
3. complete or attempt to complete any assignment or examination for another individual without proper
authorization.
4. allow any examination or assignment to be completed for oneself, in part or in total, by another without proper
authorization.
5. alter, tamper with, appropriate, destroy or otherwise interfere with the research, resources, or other academic work of
another person.
6. fabricate or falsify data or results.
INCOMPLETE POLICY
The official university policy is as follows:
The I-Incomplete may be given only when: the student (a) has completed at least 6/7 of the term of instruction, but is
unable to complete the class work and/or take the final examination because of illness or other compelling reason; and (b)
has done satisfactory work in the course; and (c) in the instructor's judgment can complete the required work without
repeating the course.
Provided these conditions are met, the instructor electing to give an I-Incomplete files an Agreement for Completion of
(I) Incomplete at the time course grades are due. This agreement specifies what the student must do, and when, to
remove the I-Incomplete. The department or school office gives a copy to the student, and retains a copy for at least one
year.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE (Subject to Change)
Week
Topic and Readings
1: 30th August
Introduction
2: 4th September
Chapter 1: History of I-O
2: 6th September
Chapter 2: Research Methods
3: 11th September
Chapter 2: Research Methods
3: 13th September
Chapter 3: Job Analysis
4: 18th September
Chapter 3: Job Analysis
4: 20th September
Chapter 4: Criterion Measurement
5: 25th September
Chapter 4: Criterion Measurement and
Chapter 5: Performance Appraisal
Class Activities
Design a study exercise
Job analysis project due
5: 27th September
Chapter 5: Performance Appraisal
6: 2nd October
In-class Test 1
Chapters 1 – 5; class notes
6: 4th October
Chapter 6: Predictors
7: 9th October
Chapter 6: Predictors
7: 11th October
Chapter 7: Selection Decisions
8: 16th October
Chapter 7: Selection Decisions & Personnel
Laws
8: 18th October
Chapter 7: Personnel Laws
9: 23rd October
Chapter 8: Training
Legal issues exercise
Performance appraisal/Selection project due
9: 25th October
Chapter 8: Training &
Chapter 12: Group processes and teams
10: 30th October
Chapter 12: Group processes and teams
10: 1st November
In-class Test 2
Group process exercise
Chapters 6 – 8, 12; class notes
11: 6th November
Chapter 9: Motivation
11: 8th November
Chapter 9: Motivation
12: 13th November
Chapter 10: Job Attitudes
Job redesign exercise
12: 15th November
Chapter 10: Job Attitudes
13: 20th November
Chapter 11: Stress and well-being
13: 22nd November
Thanksgiving holiday—No class
14: 27th November
Chapter 11: Stress and well-being &
Chapter 13: Leadership
14: 29th November
Chapter 13: Leadership
15: 4th December
Catch up and review
15: 6th December
Group Presentation; Term paper due
16: 13th December
Final Exam (12:45pm – 2:45pm)
Chapters 9 – 11, 13; class notes
* The instructor reserves the right to change the content of this syllabus.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY—DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
Participation in Psychological Research: Information for Students
As part of your psychology course, you are encouraged to participate in research projects conducted or
supervised by the faculty of the department. The purpose of such participation is to give you some direct
experience with real experiments and to give you a better idea of how the work of psychology is actually carried
out. Participation is a course requirement for all sections of PSY 101.
SPECIAL NOTE: Students under 18 years of age may not participate in any HPR experiments. Special
options have been created for students under 18 to meet the 14 credit participation. Contact Leslie Baldwin
(lbaldwin@msu.edu) the HPR Student Coordinator, in Room 262, Psychology building if you are under 18
and want to learn more about these options.
Steps in Research Participation: Registering as a Participating Student.
The purpose of this handout is to go over some of the things you will need to know before participating in
psychological research. The first step is registering. This, like nearly all your scheduling activities is handled
through a site on the Internet/World Wide Web. Its address is: http://psychology.msu.edu/HPRSystem/
***If you have participated in the HPR in previous semesters you will need to create a new account. ***
You can access it using standard Web browsers (such as Netscape, Firefox or Microsoft Explorer). This will
bring HPR main page. Click on the Participant button. The first time you visit this page you must create your
account. Click on the button that says Create an account - you will be directed to the page that says Enter the
Account Creation ID. This semester your Account Creation ID is psych2012 – in the box used to enter the
access code, type it just like this (in lower case), then click on Enter. You will now see the registration page
where you should provide all the requested information. Once your account is created, you will be able to log
directly into the system with your user ID and MSU e-mail address. Please make sure you fill out all the fields
in the registration form. Registrations with incompleted fields will not be able to view the available studies.
Among other things you will be asked to select the course and section number to which you wish to have your
participation credits credited. It is CRITICAL that you select the correct course and section number. If you
select an incorrect course or section, the credits that you earn through participation will NOT be relayed to the
proper instructor and will not be counted in calculating your course grade. If you are enrolled in more than one
participating class you will disperse the credits you earn between the classes (credits cannot be shared) on the
“My Schedule “page on your HPR account.
During some semesters, experimenters may want to get some background information on those participating in
their experiments. They do this by having students answer Global Questionnaires. The more of these that you
fill out, the more experiments you will be eligible to participate in. So, after registering, you should click on the
Answer Global Questionnaires button and see if any are posted.
Signing-up for research: You can sign up for experiments 24-hours a day on the Web site. To do so, get to the
Student Menu (following the procedure described above). Then, to see a list of all experiments that are
currently recruiting participants, click on the Sign up for an Experiment button and follow the indicated
directions. Please make sure you read the participant task and any restrictions for the experiment you are
signing up for.
Canceling appointments: Experimenters have invested a great deal of time and money in preparing an
experiment. This goes to waste if you fail to keep your appointment. In such cases, you can cancel your
appointment 24 hrs prior to the start time by clicking on the button marked View/Modify My Schedule at the
Student Menu on the Web site and following the instructions for canceling an appointment. (You need to know
the name of the experiment and the date/time you signed up for.) If it is after the 24 hour deadline you need
to e-mail the HPR student coordinator Leslie Baldwin, (lbaldwin@msu.edu ).
If you lost the appointment time and place: Sometimes, people mislay the date-time-location information for
an experiment they've signed up for. If this happens to you and you ever need to check on your appointments
(where you're supposed to be and when), you can always click on the button marked View/Modify my
Schedule at the Web site to get this information. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by writing down all the
information and keeping it in a safe place.
Reporting for a research appointment: Be sure to give yourself enough time to get to the experiment on time,
(Arriving 10 minutes before the experiment is to begin is suggested) If you are late, you could find the
experiment in progress and the door locked. On rare occasions, an experimenter may not make his/her
appointment with you because of unusual circumstances (e.g., a car breakdown, a personal emergency). If this
happens contact Leslie Baldwin, the HPR student coordinator in Room 262, Psychology Building or email her
at: lbaldwin@msu.edu to report it (email is preferred).
Rights of Students Participating in Psychology Research
Participation must be voluntary/optional activities. First, it is Department, University, and Federal policy that
no student be compelled in any way to participate in research. If you participate in research, it must be done
voluntarily. Therefore, even in classes where research participation is required, students must be offered one or
more alternative activities to meet their requirement. If you want to avail yourself of such an alternative activity,
you may get information from your professor. Note that on rare occasions there are more people interested in
participating in experiments than there are openings in the experiments. If this occurs this semester, additional
alternative activities will be provided later in the semester.
Participation should be educational. Second, participating in research should be a learning experience for you.
You have a right to obtain information about the experiments in which you serve as a participant. You are
entitled to have your questions about the experiment answered. Also, at least five minutes of every
experimental session must be devoted to teaching you something about the experiment. You are entitled to
receive a written summary of the experiment, including the name and phone number of the person in charge of
the experiment, whom you may contact if you have additional questions.
The right to discontinue participation: Third, the Department of Psychology is highly concerned that no study
be conducted that would in any way be harmful to you. Even so, it is possible that in rare cases you will feel
uncomfortable about participating in a study for which you have volunteered. Just remember, you always have
the right to leave any experiment. You don't have to explain or justify why you want to leave, and you can
never be penalized for leaving.
The right to receive earned credits: Finally, if you do what you're supposed to do (sign up properly, show up
at the right place at the right time, etc.), you have a right to receive the credit you've earned. So, for example,
even if an experimenter has an equipment breakdown, you're still entitled to receive credit for the time you've
spent in the study. However, do not sign up for the same study twice. Please remember that credit values are
based on the time it takes to complete a study, (1 credit equal to 30 minutes) and not the study itself. Credits
are not automatically awarded and it may take researchers a few days to collect their data and record
attendance. The HPR does not penalize participants for missing studies but we do appreciate being notified
if you cannot make your session. Participants are NOT penalized for No Shows or if they cancel an
appointment.
Reporting problems: If you ever encounter some problem or feel that your rights have been violated, we
want to know about it. Problems you have will be handled by Leslie Baldwin, the HPR student coordinator,
email address lbaldwin@msu.edu or come to Room 262 Psychology Building. They will be investigated and
appropriate action will be taken. You will need to know the name of the experiment and the date/time you
signed up for.
Conclusions: We want to emphasize that negative experiences are very rare; most students who serve as
participants in research at Michigan State find their participation interesting and enjoyable. When you serve as
a participant in psychological research you're benefiting personally by learning more about what the science of
psychology is really about, but you're also benefiting many others. Others like the psychologists who are
working to get a better understanding of interesting and important behavioral questions. Others like people
who will benefit when that knowledge is ultimately applied to everyday human problems like loneliness,
depression, divorce, and self development. And others like future generations of students. Who knows?
Perhaps the research you participate in this semester will be featured in future psychology textbooks, just as
some of the experiments you'll study this semester had their data supplied by previous generations of MSU
students. We hope and expect that you'll put as much in and get as much out of research participation as they
did.