Leadership and Employee Well Being

ORG LP767 - Leadership and Employee Well Being

Credits: 2

Employee well-being has well-documented effects on important outcomes, such as job satisfaction, motivation, and job performance. Not surprisingly, employee stress and well-being comprise one of the largest literatures in organizational psychology. Moreover, this area is especially relevant to the contemporary workplace, which is characterized by technological changes, increased competition, fast pace, globalization, and related economic trends. Importantly, theory and research findings in this area can inform a variety of workplace interventions. Thus, this course will equip students with knowledge and skills to assess and analyze aspects of employee well-being in organizations and design effective interventions. Specifically, students will discuss classical theories vs. current approaches to workplace stress and well-being, including the application of the positive psychology scholarship to the workplace. Resilience in different organizational contexts will be examined through real-world examples and current research. Students will examine the effectiveness of different forms of work recovery (e.g., work breaks, vacation) in the context of detachment from work. Students will explore physical aspects of employee well-being (e.g., sleep, exercise and nutrition), cognitive aspects of well-being (e.g., self-efficacy and optimism), as well as the role of emotions, social support, and work-life integration. Throughout the course, students will learn practical tools and interventions at the individual, team and organizational levels. Students will discuss employee empowerment (e.g., through training) and the role of leadership (e.g., family-supportive leadership behaviors or the cultivation of a healthy organizational culture). Theories and interventions will be examined through a workplace diversity lens, including cultural and occupational diversity.