Managerial Psychology Fundamentals
Course Overview & Teaching Approach
This course introduces international students (with non-psychology BAs) to Managerial Psychology – the application of psychological principles to management and organizational behavior. The curriculum covers core theories and research on individual, group, and organizational behavior (e.g. personality, motivation, leadership, team dynamics, culture). Each session balances 50% theory (concepts, models, fun facts) and 50% practice (exercises, discussions, case studies) for active learning. We apply an experiential learning approach tailored to adult learners: students learn best by actively engaging in real-world simulations, reflective activities, and problem-solving tasks. This approach leverages their prior experience and fosters higher-order thinking – from understanding concepts to applying and analyzing them in management contexts. Sessions include interactive lectures, group activities, and multimedia (videos/talks) to maximize engagement. By course end, students should grasp fundamental theories of human behavior in workplaces and be able to apply psychology-based techniques to manage people effectively. Speaker notes and timing breakdowns are provided for each 4-hour session, along with external video links, practical exercise guidance, and a short quiz to reinforce learning.
Teaching strategy: We emphasize experiential and participatory learning. Students will experience key concepts through activities, reflect on those experiences, conceptualize with theory, and apply insights to new situations. This cycle (Kolb’s experiential learning) and the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy ensure the course moves from basic knowledge to higher-level skills (analysis, evaluation). For example, after learning a concept, students immediately practice it via a case or simulation, then discuss outcomes. This approach is well-suited to adult international learners, who bring diverse perspectives and learn best when content is relevant, collaborative, and applicable to real life. We also integrate “fun facts” and interesting research findings (e.g. famous studies, surprising psychology facts) to spark curiosity and show the lighter side of managerial psychology.
- Tanár: János Ács
Önvezetés: értékek, identitás, etika, érzelmi intelligencia
A kurzus megnyitója + vezetés a szociálpedagógiában
Tanulási eredmények
- A vezetés meghatározása: kontextusfüggő magatartás (nem pedig beosztás)
- A pszichológiai biztonság érdekében kialakítjuk az osztály „munkamódszereit”
Feladatok
- „Vezetői megfigyelések”: a párok megosztják egymással, mikor láttak vezetést egy közösségben/NGO-ban/iskolában
- A csoport kidolgoz egy definíciót: vezetés = emberek mozgósítása a jólét javítása érdekében korlátozott körülmények között
Előadói megjegyzések
- Hangulat megteremtése: „Gyakorolni fogunk, nem csak beszélgetni.”
- Pszichológiai biztonsági normák kialakítása (szólásszabadság, tisztelet, gúnyolódás tilalma, személyes történetek bizalmas kezelése).
Online anyagok
- A pszichológiai biztonság magyarázata a közös nyelv kialakítása érdekében
- Tanár: János Ács
- Tanár: János Ács
Day1: Introduction to Managerial Psychology & Individual Behavior
Introduce the field of managerial/organizational psychology and explain why “people factors” are critical to management success. Cover foundational concepts of individual behavior at work – including personality traits, perception and cognitive biases, and employee attitudes. Students will recognize how individual differences (e.g. personality, values) and perceptions influence workplace behavior. The session sets the tone for an interactive course, using an icebreaker and classic examples (like the Hawthorne studies) to illustrate the impact of psychology in the workplace. Theory (50%) in this session includes definitions and key theories (e.g. Big Five personality model, perceptual errors). Practice (50%) includes self-reflection and a fun perception demo. By the end, students should be able to define managerial psychology, identify major individual-level factors that affect work behavior, and appreciate historical milestones of the field.
Day2: Motivation and Reward Systems in the Workplace
Dive into the psychology of motivation – what drives people to perform and how managers can influence motivation and engagement. Students will learn key motivation theories (from classic ones like Maslow’s Hierarchy and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory to contemporary approaches like Self-Determination Theory). We’ll examine intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation and why “carrots and sticks” aren’t always effective. The session also touches on related factors like emotional intelligence (understanding oneself and others’ emotions) as a foundation for motivating and communicating with a team. Theory (50%): major motivational theories and concepts of rewards, job design, and employee needs. Practice (50%): an interactive exercise where students design a motivation plan for a case scenario, plus viewing and discussing a short animated talk. By session end, students should be able to identify different motivational factors, understand how to apply
motivational techniques (e.g. setting meaningful goals, providing recognition), and be aware of common pitfalls (e.g. over-relying on money).
Day3: Leadership, Communication, and Team Dynamics
Explore how psychology informs leadership and teamwork. In this session,
students learn about different leadership styles and their effects on group
motivation and performance. We also cover communication skills, conflict
management, and the stages of team development. The goal is for students to
understand what makes an effective leader (e.g. transformational leadership
behaviors, emotional intelligence in leadership), how groups develop (Tuckman’s
stages: forming, storming, norming, performing), and the psychological factors
that make teams successful (like trust and psychological safety). Theory
(50%) includes leadership theories (trait vs. behavior, transformational
vs. transactional leadership, situational leadership), concepts of power and
influence, and group psychology (norms, roles, group decision phenomena like
groupthink). Practice (50%) includes a hands-on team-building exercise
(the Marshmallow Challenge) to experience team dynamics, plus analysis of that
activity. A short TED Talk video provides a fun look at how movements start
(illustrating informal leadership and followership). By the end, students
should be able to identify effective leadership behaviors, facilitate healthy
team processes, and be aware of common pitfalls in group dynamics (e.g. poor
communication, lack of trust).
Day4: Organizational Culture, Change Management, and Global Context
In the final session, we widen the lens to the organizational level. Students learn what organizational culture is and why it’s pivotal to performance and employee well-being. We discuss how leaders can shape or change culture, including values and ethics. The session also addresses managing organizational change – introducing models (Lewin’s unfreeze-change-refreeze, Kotter’s 8 steps) and best practices for leading people through change (communication, participation, quick wins, etc.). Given our international audience, we integrate cross-cultural management: how national cultural differences (à la Hofstede’s dimensions) can affect managerial psychology in global teams. Theory (50%): definitions of culture, dimensions of culture (e.g. innovation vs stability, people-oriented vs outcome-oriented cultures), the concept of cultural fit, overview of change management theories. Practice (50%): case study analysis of a company undergoing change (students devise a change plan), and a fun cultural awareness activity (comparing proverbs from different cultures for underlying values, or a quiz on cultural etiquette). We also include an external video of a TED talk related to trust and safety in workplace culture (Simon Sinek’s talk). By course end, students will appreciate how the “personality” of an organization (its culture) influences behavior, and have basic tools for implementing change and navigating intercultural situations.
- Tanár: János Ács