Students

PSYX3338 – Psychology @ Work

2026 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Narelle Hess
Co-Convenor
Kim Curby
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to Bachelor of Psychology (OUA) and 130cp at the 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

An individual’s relationship with their employment can have a striking influence on their general wellbeing, life satisfaction, and productivity at work, with a typical individual spending approximately a third of their life at work. This unit introduces you to the psychological perspectives of the world of work, including both individual and organisational aspects. You will learn how organisational psychologists apply psychological principles and tools to study occupational behaviour, working conditions and organisational structure, and solve problems related to employee wellbeing, performance, and organisational design. Tutorials will draw on real-life case studies to provide hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by organisational psychologists. This ensures that you are equipped to apply the knowledge acquired in this unit to contemporary issues facing employees and organisations.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate broad and coherent knowledge of the underlying principles, theories and concepts, and skills in the select topics related to organisational psychology (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar). 
  • ULO2: Demonstrate research-informed self-directed pursuit of scholarly enquiry to analyse, critique, and discuss research relating to select topics regarding Organisational Psychology (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • ULO3: Communicate effectively across both lay and scientific audiences for individuals, groups, colleagues, researchers, policy makers and the wider community (Capability 2: Practitioner).
  • ULO4: Demonstrate the effective application of knowledge and skills in select topics related to Organisational Psychology for positive impact at the foundational level of competency (Capability 2: Practitioner).
  • ULO5: Apply ethical knowledge and skills to identify appropriate, evidence-based solutions and to guide practice as reflective professionals at the foundational level of competency (Capability 4: Professional). 

General Assessment Information

General assessment Information

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy.

All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.

Students will be awarded a final grade and a mark which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure (clause 128 and 129).

To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better.

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.

Late Submissions

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE MARK) will be applied each day an assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern. 

 For example:

Number of days (hours) late

Total Possible Marks

Deduction

Raw mark

Final mark

1 day (1-24 hours)

100

5

75

70

2 days (24-48 hours)

100

10

75

65

3 days (48-72 hours)

100

15

75

60

7 days (144-168 hours)

100

35

75

40

>7 days (>168 hours)

100

-

75

0

 

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Online invigilated examination 45% No Exam Period Individual No Observed
Report 40% No 04/05/2026 Individual Yes Open
Presentation 15% No 30/03/2026 Individual No Observed

Online invigilated examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 45%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

You will complete a final examination held within the University’s formal exam period, in accordance with relevant requirements.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate broad and coherent knowledge of the underlying principles, theories and concepts, and skills in the select topics related to organisational psychology (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar). 
  • Demonstrate research-informed self-directed pursuit of scholarly enquiry to analyse, critique, and discuss research relating to select topics regarding Organisational Psychology (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Demonstrate the effective application of knowledge and skills in select topics related to Organisational Psychology for positive impact at the foundational level of competency (Capability 2: Practitioner).
  • Apply ethical knowledge and skills to identify appropriate, evidence-based solutions and to guide practice as reflective professionals at the foundational level of competency (Capability 4: Professional). 

Report

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 04/05/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

You will submit a professional report applying principles of organisational psychology to the workplace setting.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate broad and coherent knowledge of the underlying principles, theories and concepts, and skills in the select topics related to organisational psychology (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar). 
  • Demonstrate research-informed self-directed pursuit of scholarly enquiry to analyse, critique, and discuss research relating to select topics regarding Organisational Psychology (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Communicate effectively across both lay and scientific audiences for individuals, groups, colleagues, researchers, policy makers and the wider community (Capability 2: Practitioner).
  • Demonstrate the effective application of knowledge and skills in select topics related to Organisational Psychology for positive impact at the foundational level of competency (Capability 2: Practitioner).
  • Apply ethical knowledge and skills to identify appropriate, evidence-based solutions and to guide practice as reflective professionals at the foundational level of competency (Capability 4: Professional). 

Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 13 hours
Due: 30/03/2026
Weighting: 15%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

You will complete a professional presentation applying principles of organisational psychology to the workplace setting.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate broad and coherent knowledge of the underlying principles, theories and concepts, and skills in the select topics related to organisational psychology (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar). 
  • Communicate effectively across both lay and scientific audiences for individuals, groups, colleagues, researchers, policy makers and the wider community (Capability 2: Practitioner).
  • Demonstrate the effective application of knowledge and skills in select topics related to Organisational Psychology for positive impact at the foundational level of competency (Capability 2: Practitioner).

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

As a student enrolled in this asynchronous online delivery, you will engage in weekly online learning flexibility in your own time.

Each week will focus on a topic area in organisational psychology and include an online lecture module, online tutorial discussion forum, and readings/audiovisual resources to support your learning. You will have an allocated Tutor who will engage with you on the weekly online tutorial discussion forum and also hold a weekly online drop in session where you can clarify any questions on the content. Full details are available on this unit’s ILearn site.

Required Textbook

Landy, F. J, & Conte, J. M. (2019). Work in the 21st Century: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology (6th Australian & New Zealand Edition). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 9781119571827

Technology Used

Active participation in the learning activities throughout the unit requires students to have a reliable internet connection and access to a laptop or desktop computer equipped with a working camera and microphone, which is essential for completing the final exam.

Unit Schedule

Week

Topic

Tutorial Activity

 

1

 

Introduction to the unit and Organisational Psychology

 Welcome to the Unit

 

2

 

Job Analysis and Performance

Analysing Jobs

 

3

Motivation and Attitudes

Motivation

 

4

Personnel Selection and Psychological Assessment

Performance Evaluations

 

5

 

Training and Personality in the Workplace

Personality in the Workplace

 

6

Teams and their Leaders

Consultant Report Writing

 

Session Break

 

7

Occupational Stress & Resilience

Stress and Wellbeing

 

8

Organisational Dynamics & Psychosocial Hazards

Psychosocial Hazards at Work

 

9

Technology in the Workplace

AI@Work

 

10

Human Factors at Work

Human Error

 

11

Career Development

Career Planning

 

12

Fairness, Justice, and Diversity

 

 

13

Careers in Organisational Psychology

Careers in Organisational Psychology 

 

 NOTE: Please see ilearn for more information and the final schedule of topics and activities.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS

Macquarie University recognises that artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI, is rapidly reshaping education and the modern workplace. As AI becomes increasingly accessible, the University and your teaching staff are committed to preparing you to use these tools effectively, ethically, and with strong professional judgment. Rather than restricting technology, the emphasis is on helping you understand when and how AI can be used to enhance productivity, support learning, and reflect real-world professional practice. Across your degree, we will support you to develop the critical thinking, adaptability, and values-based decision-making skills required to navigate evolving AI tools responsibly, including acknowledging their use appropriately.  You should always appropriately acknowledge when you have used AI tools within assessment tasks, including which AI tools you have used and how you have used them.

To provide clarity, Macquarie University uses a simple, two-tiered approach to AI in assessment:

AI Open assessments allow you to fully incorporate AI, reflecting authentic tasks where AI would normally be used in professional settings.

Observed with AI Optional assessments involve tasks where you either demonstrate essential knowledge without technology or show how you apply AI under supervision.

Across both categories, the goal is to ensure you build foundational knowledge, exercise sound judgment, and engage with AI in ways that uphold ethical, cultural, and university values.

INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community,you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.

PROFESSIONALISM

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.

As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. 

Another dimension of professionalism is having and showing respect for your peers in group learning activities and discussion forums.


Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook