Managerial Psychology / ENG

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.