Instructor: Clair Kueny, Ph.D.
Class Time & Location: Wednesday4:00-6:30 pm; Library 316
Phone: (573) 341-4732
E-mail:
Office & Office Hours: HSS 106; Tues., Wed., & Thurs. 1:00-2:00 pm & by appointment
Required Readings
Cartwright, S., & Cooper, C. L. (Eds.) (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Personnel Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. ISBN 9780199655816
Additional articles and readings provided by instructor.
Useful text:
APA. (2009). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Ed.).
See also
Course Description & Learning Objectives
This course will provide you with an advanced understanding of human behavior at work. More specifically, this is a course that examines the science, methods, and practice of Industrial Psychology. An emphasis is placed on theory and application of practices related to individual differences, work design, personnel recruitment and selection, performance management and appraisal, and training and development. Course seminars will be structured around theoretical and applied research in each topic area. Students will be expected to practically and theoretically apply what they learn in class through class discussion questions, in-class activities, and a training pitch at the end of the semester in which you will practically apply what you have learned.Prerequisite: Psych 4700 or graduate standing.
After completing this course, students will:
- Have a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of Industrial Psychology
- Demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical arguments and research findings from the Industrial Psychology literature to practical workplace issues and situations
- Be able to draw connections across topic areas towards development of a more holistic approach to the field
- Demonstrate an ability to use theory and research to critique and design effective workplace interventions
Course Structure & Content
Participation
Class sessions will be seminars in which assigned readings will be discussed and critiqued. To facilitate these discussions, I will provide discussion questions each week and these questions will be used to guide weekly discussions of the readings. Students are expected to come prepared to class each week with thoughtful responses to each question in order to facilitate in-class conversations.However, each student is also expected to come prepared with their own questions to guide class discussion. These questions will also need to be posted in Canvas each week, at least 24 hours before class to give everyone a chance to look over what other students may ask.
Distance students, if you are unable to log-in live for a class, just send me your thoughts to the instructor questions by 12 noon on the day of class. The responses to the questions do not need to be fully-written essays; just bulleted thoughts will be fine. Make sure to still post your weekly question in Canvas, and then for weeks you cannot attend live, make sure to comment on at least 2of your peers’ questions that have also been posted. You can post your responses to your peers after you have watched the class lecture, don’t feel you need to post by class time.
Leading Class Activity
Every student will also be required to lead the class in a class activity for one class session. Students will be able to choose the week they would like to lead the activity. Activities should incorporate what we are covering that week in class. Examples of activities include: case study presentation and discussions, discussion/debate on a current event that relates, a short practical application, discussion/application of current trends in organizations that relate, etc. Please let me know if you have any questions or want to discuss possible activities.
Distance students, if you are unable to attend class (or even a portion of it), then prepare the materials you would normally use to lead the activity and submit them to me at least 48 hours before class. I will then lead the activity for that class period. If possible, distance students are encouraged to pick a week to lead an activity when they think they may be able to log-in live. Of course, we can be flexible, and distance students are not required to attend class.
Debate Participation– Week 5, Class on 9/21
Are flexible work arrangements useful? Half the class will take the position that FWAs are relevant and helpful to employees and organizations, and half the class will take that position that they are not. Sides will be chosen in the class period the week before. The book chapters for this week are required readings for everybody and all other readings are suggestions to help support your side and refute the other. Students are also encouraged to go beyond these readings and find other sources in order to make their arguments. Distance students do not worry if you are unable to attend class – just make sure to coordinate with your side and provide whatever insight/arguments you think will be relevant to have your side win its case.
PM Presentation
Students are responsible for giving a brief presentation (~10-15 mins) on a selected performance management/appraisal topic. These presentations should include the following information: theoretical underpinnings of the topic, strengths and weaknesses (pros and cons) of the main topic, application of the topic in the workplace, and other considerations (e.g., historical background of the topic; industries and/or positions commonly used for; trainability of the PMS; additional application issues; real-world examples; etc).The presentation will be due by class on time on 10/19.
Distance students, if you are unable to present during class time, you can put together your presentation using VoiceThread (which you can access through the class Canvas; more information is also available here: which I can then distribute to fellow classmates to watch outside of class. Please let me know if you have any questions about how to access and/or use VoiceThread.
PMTopics to choose from:
360-degree feedback – Andrew
Forced ranking (“rank & yank”) – Elizabeth
Competency-modeling – Colton
Goal-based management & appraisal – Carrie
Team-performance appraisal – Siji
Objective vs. subjective measures – Ellen
Rating format
Purpose of PMS: feedback vs. administrative decision-making – Quan
Defining performance – Becky
Biases in ratings
Future directions in performance management and appraisal – Marci
Training Pitch
For the final semester project, students will be organized into groups of 3 with the goal of designing a training around how to use a new performance management system. Students can pick whichever system they think is best and then during each Training & Development week, class time will be set aside for students to walk through the design of their training program. Then, during the final class period, each group will “pitch” their training program to me as if they are convincing an organizational leader to accept their bid, and its ideas for the best PMS and training approach on how to use the new PMS. More details will be provided in class as the semester goes on.
Overall, the pitch will need to include appropriate presentation materials – for example, a power-point during the pitch and handouts detailing the both the PMS and the training program. This is also a chance for you to get creative! If you want to come up with company logos, etc. – great! But also make sure time is spent discussing each component of the PMS and the training process.
Not every student will need to present, however, it is expected that every student attend the Final class time to support their groups and be available for questions. Distance students, this is the only time that I will ask you to provide reasoning if you are unable to attend the Final class period. Since not every student will need to present, each group can decide how to best split up the work in order to produce the best product and cater to students’ strengths. To ensure equal contributions from all, I just ask that students maintain a record of who completes what and to turn the record in with the final pitch at the end of the semester. It does not need to be a detailed log, but I would like a general sense of equal contribution.
The pitch and all supporting materials will be due by final time(12/14 @ 7 pm). The group log will be due by 5pm on 12/16 (last day of finals week).
Grading
*These grades will be posted in Canvas
Participation150 pts
Leading Class Activity*30 pts
Debate Participation/Prep50 pts
PM Presentation*50 pts
Training Pitch*^120pts
^This is a group grade with individual considerations
Grading scale:
A 90% - 100%
B 80% - 89.9%
C70% - 79.9%
F< 70%
Course Policies
Attendance & Participation
Live students:Full attendance to each class session is required. Since class only meets once a week, it is crucial that you can attend each class for the full time. Absences are only excused if you are absent for a religious holiday, a funeral, or a medically-related emergency. In the case of the religious and funeral-related absences, you will need to notify me ahead of time (in the case of the religious holiday, I would prefer if you could let me know at the beginning of the semester so that I can plan accordingly). In the case of a medical emergency, I will need some form of documentation confirming the emergency occurred the next time you attend class. Please feel free to come to me if you have any questions or concerns about this policy or a potential absence. Active participation in class is also important and is factored into the course grade. It is expected that you will contribute to class discussions and actively participate in any in-class activities.
Distance students: If you are able to login to class each week – that would be great! But it is not required. If you are unable to attend class, please make sure you watch the course lectures to see the discussion that occurred. Then, after viewing the lecture, make sure to post any extra thoughts you had about the in-class discussion on the appropriate Weekly Discussion forum in Canvas.(Note, posting in the Weekly Discussion forums is not a requirement, rather it’s just a place for you to post any additional thoughts or questions you may have based on what gets covered in class.) If you are able to login during class time and participate in live-time, then you do not need to worry about posting thoughts on the Weekly Discussion forum.
Late Assignments
Late assignments will not be accepted. All late assignments will receive a score of 0. In the case of extreme circumstances, feel free to talk to me separately. Assignments include leading class activities, the PM presentation, and the training pitch.
Student Conduct & Academic Honesty
From the Missouri S&T Student Academic Regulations (2014): “A student enrolling in the University assumes an obligation to behave in a manner compatible with the University's function as an educational institution and voluntarily enters into a community of high achieving scholars. Consequently, students assume new privileges along with new responsibilities in accordance with the University’s mission and expectations.” See academic regulations for more information on appropriate and unacceptable student actions ( Additionally, find more information about appropriate conduct as laid out by the Missouri S&T student council:
Part of the student code of conduct is to maintain academic honesty. Academic dishonesty including plagiarism and cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Violations of the academic honesty policy will result in an automatic 0 on the assignment. Repeated violations will result in an F in the course as well as possible administrative action.
Instructor Expectations and Requirements:
I will respond to course e-mail within 24 hours on weekdays and within 48 hours on the weekend, unless otherwise noted. I will not take meetings on weekends unless under special circumstances.
I will provide timely feedback on all assignments. Specifically, I will try to have all feedback on assignments returned to students within a week of being submitted – unless otherwise noted.
Additional University Policies & Resources
Disability Support Services
Any student inquiring about academic accommodations because of a disability should be referred to Disability Support Services so that appropriate and reasonable accommodative services can be determined and recommended. Disability Support Services is located in 204 Norwood Hall. Their phone number is 341-4211 and their email is . Instructors may consider including the following statement on their course syllabus as a means of informing students about the services offered:
"If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, you are strongly encouraged to meet with me early in the semester. You will need to request that the Disability Services staff send a letter to me verifying your disability and specifying the accommodation you will need before I can arrange your accommodation."
Emergency Egress Route
Please familiarize yourself with the emergency egress route for your classroom:
Title IX
At Missouri S&T, we are committed to the safety and well-being of all members of our community.Missouri S&T’s Title IX Coordinator is Vice Chancellor Shenethia Manuel. Contact her directly (; (573) 341-4920; 113 Centennial Hall) to report Title IX violations. To learn more about Title IX resources and reporting options (confidential and non-confidential) available to Missouri S&T students, staff, and faculty, please visit
LEAD Learning Assistance
If you wish to increase your understanding, improve your skills, and validate your mastery of concepts and content, then please check out the Learning Enhancement Across Disciplines Program (LEAD) which sponsors free learning assistance across a variety of courses.Please see more at or you can contact the LEAD office at 341-7276 or .
The Burns & McDonnell Student Success Center
The Student Success Center is a centralized location designed for students to visit and feel comfortable about utilizing the campus resources available.Visit the B&MSSC at 198 Toomey Hall; 573-341-7596; ; facebook: web:
Course Schedule
*I have the right to make changes to this schedule as needed throughout the semester.
Week: Date / Topic / Reading / Assignment/NotesWeek 1: 8/24 / Syllabus/Introductions / N/A / Introductions
Week 2: 8/31 / Ind. Differences: Big 5 & Other Considerations / Chp 3.
Ones et al., 2005
Tett & Burnett, 2003
Connelly & Ones, 2010 / Discussion Questions
No activity this week – Picnic instead!
Week 3: 9/7 / Ind. Differences: Cognitive Ability & EI / Chps. 1 & 2
Schmidt, 2002
Mayer et al., 2008 / Discussion Questions;
Student-led activity
Week 4: 9/14 / Work Design: Theory / Chp. 24
Morgeson & Humphry 2008
Parker, 2014
HernausVokic, 2014 / Discussion Questions; Speaker Brown Bag
Or Diversity Panel
Week 5: 9/21 / Work Design: Flexible Arrangements / Chps. 17 & 23
Allen et al., 2013*
Gajendran & Harrison, 2007*
Leslie et al., 2012*
Kossek et al., 2006*
Mesmer-Magnus & Viswesvaran, 2006*
Shockley & Allen, 2007*
Vandello et al., 2013* / Debate – Are FWAs useful?
*These articles are suggested readings to prep for the debate. How in-depth you read each article depends on your side of the debate.
Week 6: 9/28 / R&S: Process / CascioAguinis, 2005 – pgs 279-287, Chps 13 & 14
Chps. 8 & 9 / Discussion Questions
Student-led activity
Week 7: 10/5 / R&S: Issues & Perceptions / Chps. 7& 21
Donovan et al., 2014
Levy, 2010 – Chp 7(pp 180-193) / Discussion Questions
Student-led activity
Week 8: 10/12 / Perf. Manage. & Appraisal: Theory & Research / CascioAguinis, 2005 – Chp. 4
DeNisi & Smith, 2014
Chp. 16
Brown et al., 2010 / Discussion Questions; Student-led activity
Week 9: 10/19 / Perf. Manage. & Appraisal: Systems & Tools / CascioAguinis, 2005 – Chp. 5
Aguinis et al al., 2011
Bleckman et al., 2016 (optional) / Mini-presentations on PM topic; Introduce Training Project
Week 10: 10/26 / T&D: Needs Assessment, Training Climate, Objectives / CascioAguinis, 2005 – pgs 379-393
Zemke, 1998
Brown, 2002
Tracey & Tews, 2005 / Discussion Questions; Student-led activity;
Work on Train. Proj.
Week 11: 11/2 / T&D: Learning & Training Delivery / CascioAguinis, 2005 – pgs 395-412
Sitzman et al., 2006
Sitzman, 2011
Taylor et al., 2005 / Discussion Questions; Student-led activity;
Work on Train. Proj.
Week 12: 11/9 / T&D: Transfer / Yelon & Ford, 1999
Martin, 2010
Huang et al., 2015
Saks & Burke-Smalley, 2014 / Discussion Questions; Student-led activity;
Work on Train. Proj.
Week 13: 11/16 / T&D: Evaluation / CascioAguinis, 2005 – pgs. 412-434
Abernathy, 1999
Chp. 12
McNall & Foster-Fishman, 2007 / Discussion Questions; Student-led activity;
Work on Train. Proj.
Break: 11/20-11/27 / Happy Thanksgiving!!
Week 14: 11/30 / T&D: Training Programs / Bendick et al., 2001
Weaver et al., 2014
APA Vol. 2 Chp 18
Santhanam et al., 2013 / Discussion Questions; Student-led activity;
Work on Train. Proj.
Week 15: 12/7 / Consulting 101 / Block, 2011 – Chp. 2
Fuqua et al., 2012
Blanton, 2000
Schmitt, 2013
Anderson, 2013 (optional) / Discussion Questions; Student-led activity
Week 16: 12/14 / Final Time: 7 pm / PMS Training Pitches