PSYCH 484

PSYCH 484 Work Attitudes and Motivation (3 credits): Survey of theory and research with respect to attitudes, morale, and motivation of employees and management.

Prerequisite: PSYCH 100; PSYCH 200 or STAT 200 or 6 credits of GQ

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Overview

This course is designed to examine issues related to employees' work motivation and job attitudes, and will focus on both the causes and consequences of these constructs. Because there are many different approaches to the study of motivation, the first portion of the course will be spent examining various theories. The latter portion of the course will be devoted to examining the factors that affect motivation and to understanding job attitudes and outcomes. Major topics include the nature of human needs, reward structures, cognitive models of motivation (e.g., expectancy, equity, and goal setting theories), and job attitudes (e.g., satisfaction, commitment).

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Objectives

The goals of this course are to:

• define motivation and job attitudes in a work context and understand how individual characteristics, work characteristics, and organizational characteristics are interrelated in motivating workers;
• offer explanations as to what (the factors that motivate), how (mechanisms by which people are motivated), when (under what conditions) and who (individual differences, leaders) of motivation through theories and research presented in the course;
• understand the major components of each motivational approach and assess its strengths and weaknesses;
• evaluate each motivational approach from the perspectives of a scientist (How much research support does the theory have?) as well as a practicing manager (How can/has the theory been utilized in organizations?);
• learn how research is conducted in this area by reading and evaluating journal articles;
• apply the motivational approaches to work settings to understand what improves and hinders employee motivation; and
• compare and contrast approaches to motivation to understand the unique perspective each contributes to an overall understanding of motivation.

Expectations:

Students are expected to have read the articles and lesson readings before completing lesson activities. Some weeks the lesson reading is closely related to text, while other weeks it covers different material. Students can read either the readings or the lesson first. It is expected that everyone will participate in discussion by utilizing message boards and responding to messages that other students have posted. It is also expected that all members of a group will contribute to group work. Make sure not to fall behind on assignments. Assignments and quizzes will only be posted for a short period of time and once they are taken down, you cannot make up the assignment or take the quiz (unless there are legitimate circumstances such as a death in the family, serious illness, etc.).

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Materials

Text: None, this is a readings based course you will need to download articles from the library

Articles: available to download from E-Reserves

Library Resources

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more.

You can view the Online Students' Library Guide for more information.

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page and select  My Account.

E-Reserves

This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. To access these materials, click on the Library Reserves link under the Resources tab.

Please see the E-Reserves Readings file located under the Lessons Tab for a complete list of readings. Once you've completed registering with the library, follow these steps to retrieve an article:

• click on the "Resources" tab
• click on "Library Reserves"
• scroll down to the title of the article
• click on the "Details" box next to the name of the article and follow the instructions

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Technical Specifications

For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:

Technical Requirements

Operating System	Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor	2 GHz or higher
Memory	1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	20 GB free disk space
Browser	We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers. Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection	Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM	Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers	Required
Monitor	Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

Outreach Helpdesk

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

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Course Requirements and Grading

The final grade will be determined as follows:

Quizzes	100 points	(10%; 1% each)
Wiki Group Projects	330 points	(33%; 11% each)
Discussions	250 points	(25%; 2.5% each)
Synthesis Paper	320 points	(32%)
	1000 Total Points

The final grading scale will be as follows:

Points	Percentage	Grade
934-1000	93.4-100	A
894-933	89.4-93.3	A-
866-893	86.6-89.3	B+
834-865	83.4-86.5	B
794-833	79.4-83.3	B-
766-793	76.6-79.3	C+
694-765	69.4-76.5	C
594-693	59.4-69.3	D
0-593	0-59.3	F

Quizzes – Each week an open-book quiz will be posted on ANGEL. The questions are usually multiple-choice but there are some true/false questions, too. Quizzes will cover information that was covered in class that week. For example, the quiz in lesson 2 will cover the information presented in the Lesson and readings during that lesson. There will be a total of 10 quizzes that count towards your final grade, there will be 11 available, but your lowest one will be dropped. Each quiz is worth 10 points. The quizzes together are worth 100 points, or 10% of the course grade.

Wiki Group Projects – Over the course of the semester you will also be required to participate in 3 group projects where you analyze motivation and job attitude theories and concepts by creating a publically viewable wiki page (online editable encyclopedia). For each wiki project, you will be required to have a discussion with your assigned group members (assigned by your instructor after the first week of the semester) and then to create or edit the wiki page for that theory (or theories). Your grade will be determined in part by group participation and ratings of quality of work. You will be mostly graded on the process of creating the wiki; the end result will only be graded as a reflection of the group process. Each of your 3 wiki group projects is worth 110 points for a total of 330 points. These are great assignments for several reasons, but the most important is that the document lives on and it is something that you can direct a graduate school admissions person or supervisor to in order to show the quality of your work. See the grading rubric and assignment instructions for more details.

Weekly Discussion Board –Every week a discussion question will be posted on the message board. These questions are designed to elicit discussion from members of the class. You will need to participate in 10 questions over the course of the semester (the final one is required, and there will be 14 available for you to choose from). You are expected to put some thought into your answers for these questions by using examples from your personal life experiences, knowledge of actual people in society, and by incorporating information from the class (Lessons or readings). You will write approximately 2 to 3 paragraphs in response to the question. You will also provide a substantive reply (2 to 3 paragraphs) to responses that other students have posted.  Do not simply agree or disagree with other students, but explain why you agree or disagree. Both your original post and your reply are due by Sunday at 9:00 p.m.   You will be graded on the thoughtfulness of your responses and your effort in getting involved in discussion. Each of the 10 questions is worth 25 points total for a total of 250 points. This is 25% of the course grade. See the grading rubric and assignment instructions for more details.

Synthesis Paper – In order to help you apply the concepts we have discussed in class, you will be required to write a formal APA paper at the end of the semester. You will undertake a self-analysis paper that reflects on instances where the course concepts have been applicable to your life and integrate those experiences with theory and approaches learned in class. The paper should be approximately 9-12 pages. The paper is worth 320 points or 32% of the course grade. See the grading rubric and assignment instructions for more details.

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Course Schedule

 

				Activities
Week	Lesson	Topic	Readings	Discussions	Quiz	Assignments
1	1	Course Introduction; Introduction to Work Motivation and Job Attitudes	"Getting Started" Introduction items Lesson 1 commentary Gittins (2007)	1	None	None
2	2	Need Theories	Lesson commentary Adie, Duda, & Ntoumanis (2008).	2	1	Needs Wiki (Team 1)
3	3	Reinforcement Theory	Lesson commentary Schacter (2009)	3	2	Reinforcement Wiki (Team 2)
4	4	Cognitive Theories: Expectancy	Lesson commentary Chen & Fang (2007)	4	3	Expectancy Wiki (Team 3)
5	5	Cognitive Theories: Equity	Lesson commentary Stecher & Rosse (2007)	5	4	Equity Wiki (Team 4)
6	6	Cognitive Theories: Goal Setting	Lesson commentary Bennett (2009) Gergen & Vanourek (2009)	6	5	Goal Setting Wiki (Team 1)
7	7	Self-Efficacy and Social Cognitive Theory	Lesson commentary Rottinghaus, Larson & Borgen (2003)	7	6	Self-Efficacy and Social Cognitive Wiki (Team 2)
8	8	Intergroup Theories: Social Identity, Social Dominance, and Integrated Threat	Lesson Commentary Umphress, Simmons, Boswell & del Carmen Triana (2008)	8	7	Intergroup Wiki (Team 3)
9	9	Control Theory	Lesson Commentary Luria (2008)	9	8	Control Wiki (Team 4)
10	10	Job Design	Lesson Commentary Campion & Thayer (1987) Kovac (2008) Bright (2008)	10	9	Job Design Wiki (Team 1)
11	11	Job Satisfaction	Lesson Commentary Bright (2008) Shepherd (2008) Swift (2008)	11	10	Job Satisfaction Wiki (Team 2)
12	12	Organizational Commitment	Lesson Commenatry Business Daily (2008) Evans, Gunz & Jalland (2009), Ja-young (2008) Stirling (208)	12	11	Work and Organizational Commitment (Team 3)
13	13	Lateness, absenteeism, turnover, and burnout	Lesson Commentary Podsakoff, Lepine & Lepine (2007)	13	None	Lateness, absenteeism, turnover and burnout Wiki (Team 4)
14	Fall Break
15	14	Synthesis paper	None	None	None	Synthesis Paper
16	15	Putting it all together Work Motivation and Job Attitudes	NDA (2009) Case Study Siemens (2009) Case Study	14*	None	None

*required participation

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

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Academic Integrity

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Policies

Accommodating Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Students with disabilities participating in internship, practicum, student teaching, or other experiential learning opportunities as part of their degree requirements may also be eligible for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access and opportunity. These accommodations are determined through an interactive process involving the student, their University supervisor, and the site supervisor. Student Disability Resources can assist students with identifying potential barriers, facilitating accommodation requests, and coordinating with University supervisors to promote inclusive learning experiences.

Additional Policies

For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.

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