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Dr Ilka Gleibs

This course is available on the MSc in Behavioural Science, MSc in Organisational and Social Psychology, MSc in Psychology of Economic Life, MSc in Social Research Methods, MSc in Social and Cultural Psychology and MSc in Social and Public Communication. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Students who come to this course without any background in social psychology are expected to familiarise themselves with the relevant literature. To this end, we strongly suggest that those students read the following books:

Hogg, MA & Vaughan, G. (eds) (2017). Social Psychology. 8th edition. Harlow: Pearson

Brown, R. (2000). Group processes: Dynamics within and between groups. 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publisher.

Brown, R. & Peherson, S. (2019). Group processes. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

In any successful organisation understanding group dynamics, identity processes, and interpersonal skills are an essential element and often provide a competitive advantage in managing organisations of all sorts. Thus, the dynamics within and between groups directly informs the ability of an organisation and organisational members to think, learn, and innovate together. This course provides students with a critical understanding of the different theories and practices associated with identity and group dynamics in organisational settings. The objectives of the course are two-fold:

1. To introduce past and present theories of identity and group dynamics by introducing concepts used by social and organisational psychologists to understand and improve organisational behaviour

2. To apply and critical evaluate how identity and group dynamics theory help us explain and predict real-life experiences in organisational settings and beyond.

The course aims at highlighting how a better understanding of key social and organisational psychological concepts can contribute to understanding and managing the effectiveness of groups in various organisational and socail settings. Examples of topics that will be covered include: Why group dynamics?; Influence and power; Identity and inclusion; Collective behaviour; Importance of groups on mental and physical health; Performance and decision-making; Diversity management; Organisational change; Group dynamics and the internet.

15 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the LT.

Students will be expected to produce 1 essay and 1 presentation in the LT.

Brown, R. & Peherson, S. (2019). Group processes. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

Forsyth, D. (2019). Group dynamics. 7th edition Cengage Learning.

Haslam, S.A., (2004). Psychology in Organisations. A Social Identity Approach. London: Sage.

Levi, D. (2013). Group dynamics for teams. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Essay (100%, 3000 words) in the LT.