Motivation, Engagement, and Job Design Module Notes

Module Overview

  • Title: Motivation, Engagement, and Job Design in Organizational Psychology

  • Instructor: Lecturer in Organizational Psychology, Program Director for BSc in Business Psychology.

Module Aims

  • Critically examine and evaluate diverse motivation theories.

  • Distinguish between motivation (drive to act) and engagement (energetic connection to work).

  • Explore job design principles and their impact on employee motivation, satisfaction, and organizational performance.

Key Topics

  • Motivation Theories:

    • Content Theories: Focus on internal needs and factors (e.g., Maslow's, Herzberg's, Alderfer's). Covered in Week 2.

    • Process Theories: Focus on cognitive processes and mechanisms of motivation (e.g., Expectancy, Equity, Goal-Setting). Covered in Week 3.

    • Revisiting Content Theories: Contemporary needs-based theories like Self-Determination Theory (SDT) (Week 6).

    • Revisiting Process Theories: Newer models and applications in modern work environments (following Week 3).

  • Job Design:

    • Early vs. contemporary theories: Includes classical approaches (Job Enlargement, Job Enrichment) and modern frameworks (Job Characteristics Model - JCM).

    • Job Crafting: How employees proactively shape their roles to fit values, passions, and strengths, enhancing engagement.

  • Engagement:

    • Definitions, conceptualizations, and relation to motivation: Examines models of engagement (e.g., vigor, dedication, absorption) and how motivation leads to engagement (Week 5).

Learning Objectives

  • Understand, critically analyze, and evaluate the empirical relationship between motivation theories and job design strategies.

  • Analyze individual factors affecting motivation, including emotions, time, personality traits, personal values, and cognitive biases.

Module Structure

  • Duration: 9 teaching weeks during the autumn term.

  • In-person sessions: Lectures, case studies, group activities, with supplementary pre-recorded lectures and readings on Moodle.

  • Weekly seminars: Dedicated to critical discussions, application exercises, peer support, and formative feedback.

Assessment Information

  • Main assessment: 2,000-word critical reflection essay.

  • Deadline: Friday, December 8 by 4 PM. Strict adherence to word limit (±10%\pm 10\% allowed; check guidelines).

  • Coursework questions: Released in Week 6; choose one to answer.

  • Mandatory appendices: As specified in the detailed assessment brief (e.g., reflection log, research plan).

  • Prohibited use of AI tools: Strictly forbidden for generating essay content; considered academic misconduct.

Tips for Success

  • Actively engage with pre-session activities: Complete readings, watch videos, and prepare discussions.

  • Familiarize with readings early