Foundations of Behavior, Motivation, and Attitudes at Work

Catalog description

Students will examine the psychological and social processes underlying behavior, motivation, and attitudes in work settings. PSY 539 Foundations of Behavior, Motivation, and Attitudes at Work (3) Ongoing changes in the nature of work (e.g., increasingly jobs are knowledge-based), the workforce (e.g., more diverse), and employee-organizational linkages (e.g., greater mobility of employees from organization to organization; increased employee responsibility for maintaining work-relevant skills and knowledge) result in increasing complexity and variability in individual motivation and attitudes at work that, in turn, lead to challenges for leaders in their attempts to influence and develop their employees. Knowledge of the many psychological factors affecting motivation and attitudes, and related skills in understanding the specific ones that may be relevant in a given organizational setting, are critical for effective leadership. This course will provide a broad exploration of research and theory concerning the psychological factors that underlie motivational and attitudinal processes related to human behavior in work and organizational settings. In particular, the course investigates both positive and dysfunctional work behaviors, and their causes and consequences; work attitudes, including job satisfaction and organizational commitment; work motivation theories, including need and trait approaches, behavioral approaches, and cognitive approaches; the role of work content and context and social factors on motivation and attitudes; the importance of aligning such factors to create a work environment supporting effective employees and work groups; and how the changing nature of work and organizations may impact the importance of these factors. The course will focus on the development of the students' ability to think critically about the complexity of factors that influence behavior and the wide range of individual differences in behavior, emotions, and thinking that occur even when individuals experience a common work environment. Building on these insights, students will learn to recognize and identify in specific work settings the situational conditions that may enhance and/or inhibit effective employee motivation, attitudes, and behavior. Students will also develop skill in aligning various organizational programs and policies to maximize the overall positive impact on effective employee behavior. Synthesis of the various theories and sets of research findings will be developed by the use of relevant examples, cases, and discussions that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in relation to the development of leadership behaviors likely to be effective in various organizational situations.