Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Psychology School
The work environment is a challenging context in which to understand human behaviour. Organisational psychology is a growing field. This course overviews theories and empirical research in industrial and organisational psychology from individual and group views. Topics include work motivation, job attitudes, team conflict, leadership, personnel selection and training.
Industrial and Organisational Psychology, often abbreviated as I/O Psychology, is the scientific study of people in the workplace. It combines the rigour of scientific research with practical applications, striving to create better workplaces for all involved. PSYC3202 explores how psychological theories, models, and principles are appliedﾠin real-world settings to create healthier, happier, and more effective workplaces.
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PSYC3202 covers a rangeﾠof themes, spanningﾠfrom individual to team, and organisational levels. On an individual level, the course explores strategies for enhancing motivation, managing stress, achieving work-life balance, and facilitating effective career development. At the team level, we discuss how to foster productive teams and successful leadership. Finally, at the organisational level, we delve into the intricacies of creating a positive organisational culture,ﾠconstructing effective recruitment, selection, andﾠtraining programs, and leading change and development.
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Course requirements
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
PSYC2010 + PSYC2040
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
Industrial and organisational psychology is concerned with the application of psychological principles and practices to the workplace. This course introduces theories and models relevant toﾠunderstandingﾠbehaviour at the individual, group, and organisational levels of analysisﾠand also looks at issues related to the practice of industrial and organisational psychology. PSYC3202 also focuses on a range of areas of practiceﾠ(e.g. recruitment, selection, training, job analysis). Throughout the course, links between research and practice will be emphasised in line with the scientist-practitioner approach.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate familiarity with theories and models relevant to understanding behaviour in organisations at the individual, group, and organisational level
LO2.
Demonstrate familiarity with the roles and responsibilities of psychology practitioners in the workplace
LO3.
Demonstrate familiarity with a range of human resource practices implemented by psychology practitioners in organisations (e.g. selection, training, job analysis)
LO4.
Demonstrate familiarity with a range of tools and instruments (e.g. surveys and other data collection strategies) used when conducting industrial and organisational psychology research and practice
LO5.
Critically evaluate research papers in terms of their methodological and theoretical adequacy
LO6.
Demonstrate effective written communication skills in report writing for audiences like managers and human resources professionals
LO7.
Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in presentations for audiences like managers and human resources professionals
LO8.
Demonstrate familiarity with the expectations and behaviours that constitute being an effective team member
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | ChatGPT Evaluation | 20% |
2/04/2026 3:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Applied Report & Critical Essay | 30% |
24/04/2026 3:00 pm |
| Presentation | Group Presentations & Peer Assessment | 30% |
18/05/2026 - 29/05/2026
Conducted/Submitted during scheduled Weeks 12 and 13 Tutorials |
| Examination | Exam | 20% |
End of Semester Exam Period 6/06/2026 - 20/06/2026 |
Assessment details
ChatGPT Evaluation
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
2/04/2026 3:00 pm
Task description
This assignment is a collaborative effort between you and AI, commonly referred to as "Human-Automation Teaming". Your assignment is to pick a topic from Lectures 1 to 6 and use ChatGPT to draft an essay on the chosen subject. To accomplish this, you need to formulate a concise and comprehensive prompt for ChatGPT, outlining what you expect in the essay. Once ChatGPT generates the essay, your task is to critically evaluate its content and quality. Based on your assessment, you'll then revise and refine the essay, improving in line with your critique.
Submission guidelines
Submission via Turnitin on Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam (the web link can be found on the Policies and Procedures tab)
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Applied Report & Critical Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
24/04/2026 3:00 pm
Task description
Full details on this assignment will be provided in the Week 1 lecture, during tutorials, and via materials on Blackboard.
This written assignment consists of two parts that must be completed and uploaded to Blackboard as one document. These two parts include an applied report (15%) and a critical essay (15%).
The assignment requires you to:
1. Assess (i.e., via questionnaires and an interview) a friend or family member on their experiences at work (i.e., pick one area only; stress or motivation) and write up the results and recommendations in a professionally formatted applied report.
2. Write a critical essay evaluating the organisational literature on a theory, intervention, or practical recommendation that is related to your chosen topic (i.e. stress or motivation). Think of this essay as an appendix to the applied report, which provides the evidence-base for the main recommendation/s made in your applied report. If a keen human resources professional or manager/supervisor wanted to read more about the science underlying your recommendations, what might they need to know? The essay needs to be in APA format.
Ethical Practice:
It is expected that you will complete the employee assessment and write up in a professional and ethical manner. The individual who agrees to participate must not be forced or coerced into completing the assessment. You must consider the type of assessments used and the appropriateness of this for the individual. Any information you provide to the individual must be done so sensitively and with their understanding that this is a learning exercise for you. Ethical practice will be discussed in tutorials. You are encouraged to speak to course staff if you have any questions or concerns.
Submission guidelines
The assignment is submitted as one document via Turnitin. The link will become available on Blackboard under Assessment a week before the due date. Please review the information on late assessment. NOTE: You will no longer receive an automatic submission receipt from Turnitin confirming your assignment has been received. You should download a copy of the digital receipt from the Assignment Dashboard and keep this as a record.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
For full details please review the School of Psychology Student Guidelines - Extensions and Deferred quiz/exam (the web link can be found on the Policies and Procedures tab)
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Group Presentations & Peer Assessment
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
18/05/2026 - 29/05/2026
Conducted/Submitted during scheduled Weeks 12 and 13 Tutorials
Task description
Starting in Week 6, tutors will help students form into groups of 4-7 (no more than 4 groups per class).
In groups, you will:
1) Find a story in the media about an issue an organisation is facing;
2) Use learning from the course to come up with an approach to solve the problem; and then
3) Present a proposed solution in class during the Week 13 tutorials. Group presentations can be pre-recorded and played during the tutorial or presented live (according to group preferences and enrolment mode).
Groups will need to meet regularly outside of class time to complete this assignment. All students in the group must present.
There is a peer assessment component to this assessment (7.5% of the 30% allocated to this assessment). After the group presentation, students will rate their group members on their contribution as a team member to the group assessment. Thus, low peer ratings will reduce your individual mark for this assessment. Peer assessments are compulsory. If you fail to rate your peers, you will not receive your own peer ratings, thus reducing your individual mark for this assessment. Peer assessment ratings are due by 3pm Thursday 28th May 2026.
There are no extensions on this piece of assessment. If you feel that you are unable to contribute to a group project, then please contact the course coordinator and provide supporting documentation.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
If you are unable to present on your scheduled day you should contact the Course Coordinator directly
Exam
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
6/06/2026 - 20/06/2026
Task description
Students will complete a multiple choice exam in the final exam block. Assessable content will include all materials for lectures, tutorials and prescribed readings covered throughout the semester.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19.99 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 47.99 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 48 - 49.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Useful journals in the areas of industrial & organisational psychology and organisational behaviour:
• Academy of Management Review (AMR)
• Academy of Management Journal (AMJ)
• Administrative Science Quarterly (ASQ)
• Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP)
• Personnel Psychology (PPsych)
• Journal of Management (JOM)
• Journal of Organizational Behavior (JOB)
• Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes (OBHDP)
• Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied (JEP:A)
• Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (JOHP)
• Work & Stress (W&S)
• Leadership Quarterly (LQ)
• Journal of Vocational Behavior (JVB)
• European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology (EJWOP)
• Journal of Business and Psychology (JBP)
• Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (JOOP)
• Organizational Research Methods (ORM)
• Annual Review of Organisational Psychology and Organisational Behaviour
Useful journals for psychology in general: Annual Review of Psychology,
Psychological Bulletin, Psychological Review
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (23 Feb - 01 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 1: Introduction to I-O Psychology Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Week 2 (02 Mar - 08 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 2: Enhancing Motivation Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Introductions, Job Analysis, Job Satisfaction & ChatGPT Evaluation Use of different methods for understanding employees' experiences of work plus information on ChatGPT Evaluation. |
|
Week 3 (09 Mar - 15 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 3: Managing Stress Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Enhancing Work Motivation & Written Assignment Discussion Motivation at Google Case Study plus information on Applied Report (Part 1: Scoping your project & preparing your survey materials & interview protocol) and (Part 2: How to score, interpret, and report your findings) |
|
Week 4 (16 Mar - 22 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 4: Promoting Work-Life Balance Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Managing Stress & Assignment Discussion Measuring stress and coping plus information on Applied Report (Part 3: Summarising your findings & making recommendations). Tutors will show you example professional reports for formatting tips and ideas. There will also be an opportunity to discuss your ChatGPT Evaluation. |
|
Week 5 (23 Mar - 29 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 5: Building Effective Teams Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Promoting Work-Life Balance & Assignment Info Making Flexibility Work activity plus information on Group Assignment (Part 1: Marking criteria and tips on finding an organisational issue). In this tutorial we form groups for the Week 12 group presentations assignment. |
|
Week 6 (30 Mar - 05 Apr) |
Lecture |
Lecture 6: Fostering Successful Leadership Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Building Effective Teams & Assignment Info Team Building activity plus information on Group Assignment (Part 2: Team roles activity). |
|
Mid-sem break (06 Apr - 12 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Sem Break: No Lecture (Independent Study) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Sem Break: No Tutorials (Independent Study) |
|
Week 7 (13 Apr - 19 Apr) |
Lecture |
Lecture 7: Cultivating Organisational Design & Culture Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Fostering Successful Leadership & Assignment Info Mapping Leadership activity plus information on group assignment (Part 3 - Problem definition) and Tutors give further advice, tips and tricks on the written assignment. |
|
Week 8 (20 Apr - 26 Apr) |
Lecture |
Lecture 8: Optimising Recruitment & Selection Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Organisational Design/Culture & Assignment Info Discovering Organisational Culture activity plus information on Group Assignment (Part 4: PowerPoint dos and donts and general presentation tips). |
|
Week 9 (27 Apr - 03 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 9: Facilitating Training & Development Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Assessment Centres, Training 101 and Group Work (Group Presentation) Assessment Centre plus Training 101 activities and further information on the essay assignment. In addition, Tutors will check in with groups on progress on group assignment. |
|
Week 11 (11 May - 17 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 11: Org Development & Change Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Org Development/Change Tutors will present a case study on organisational development. This will be the last chance for consultation on the group assignment. |
|
Week 12 (18 May - 24 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 12: Promoting Career Development Please do the reading(s) before the lecture. |
Tutorial |
Group Assignment Presentations (Weeks 12 & 13 tutorials) Students present/submit group presentation assignment during Week 12 & 13 tutorials. |
|
Week 13 (25 May - 31 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 13: Careers Panel There will be an opportunity to hear from staff and recent graduates of the Masters of Business and Organisational Psychology programs about their careers. The lecture provides information about further study and what to do next if you are interested in a career in this area. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: