Entry requirements
Only open to second year students that completed at least a Social and Organisational Psychology course or a similar course. For admission requirements, please contact the study advisor.
Description
In this course we study the social psychological processes related to culture and diversity in the field of work and organisations. Globalisation and diversification have a continuously growing impact on work outcomes, mobility, and wellbeing. Increasing numbers of ethnic minorities are entering the labour force, and women are moving into traditionally male-dominated fields and higher managerial positions. This growing diversity offers both challenges and opportunities.
In the lectures and readings of the course we examine both classic and current theories and research on the impact of diversity on group processes, motivation and performance. We specifically pay attention to the challenges of a diverse labour force in recruitment and selection, evaluation, leadership, and decision-making. We also discuss how stereotypes and prejudice can influence personnel decisions and career development; how group composition affects teamwork, and how motivation is impacted by group processes.
Course objectives
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
Recognize and describe the key concepts and theories that are presented in the course;
Explain how these relate to each other; and
Apply these concepts and theories to practical issues that are relevant to culture and diversity at work.
Timetable
For the timetables of your lectures, workgroups, and exams, select your study programme.
Psychology timetables
Registration
Course
Students need to register for lectures, workgroups and exams.
Instructions for registration in courses for the 2nd and 3rd year
Elective
Elective students have to enroll for each course separately. For admission requirements contact your study advisor.
Exchange/Study abroad
For admission requirements, please contact your exchange coordinator.
Examination
Students are not automatically enrolled for an examination. They can register via uSis from 100 to 10 calendar days before the date; students who are not registered will not be permitted to take the examination.
Registering for exams
Mode of instruction
8 2-hour lectures
Assessment method
Students will be examined on their knowledge and understanding of the material and their ability to apply the knowledge they have acquired in a final exam comprising multiple choice (70% of the grade) and open questions (30% of the grade). Open questions may be answered in either English or Dutch. The students will be examined on the readings and the information presented in the lectures.
The Institute of Psychology uses fixed rules for grade calculation and compulsory attendance. It also follows the policy of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences to systematically check student papers for plagiarism with the help of software. Disciplinary measures will be taken when fraud is detected. Students are expected to be familiar with and understand the implications of these three policies.
Reading list
Reading consists of articles and chapters made available via Blackboard. Typical examples are provided below — changes and additional readings will be announced on Blackboard:
Berry, J. W. (1997). Individual and group relations in plural societies. In C. S. Granrose & S. Oskamp (Eds.), Cross-cultural work groups: Claremont symposium on applied social psychology (pp. 17-33). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Brewer, M. B. (1995). Managing diversity: The role of social identities. In S.E. Jackson & M. N. Ruderman (Eds.), Diversity in work teams: Research paradigms for a changing workplace (pp. 47-68). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Dovidio, J. F., Gaertner, S. L., & Bachman, B. A. (2001). Racial bias in organizations: The role of group processes in its causes and cures. In M. E. Turner (Ed.), Groups at work: Theory and research (pp. 415-439). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Eagly, A. H., & Karau, S. J. (2002). Role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. Psychological Review, 109, 573-598.
Eccles, J. (2009). Who am I and what am I going to do with my life? Personal and collective identities as motivators of action. Educational Psychologist, 44, 78-89.
Ellemers, N. (2014). Women at work: How organizational features impact career development. Policy Insights from Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1, 46-54.
Ely, R. J., & Thomas, D. A. (2007). Cultural diversity at work: The effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes. In A. S. Wharton (Ed.), The sociology of organizations: An anthology of contemporary theory and research (pp. 290-315). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Galinsky, A. D., Todd, A. R., Homan, A. C., Phillips, K. W., Apfelbaum, E. P., Sasaki, S. J., Richeson, J. A., Olayon, J. B., & Maddux, W. W. (2015). Maximizing the gains and minimizing the pains of diversity: A policy perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10, 742-748.
Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (2007). Sex discrimination: The psychological approach. In F. J. Crosby, M. S. Stockdale & S. A. Ropp (Eds.), Sex discrimination in the workplace: Multidisciplinary perspectives (pp. 155-187). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Homan, A. C., Van Knippenberg, D., Van Kleef, G. A., & De Dreu, C. K. (2007). Bridging faultlines by valuing diversity: diversity beliefs, information elaboration, and performance in diverse work groups. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1189–1199. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.5.1189
Kanter, R. M. (1976). The impact of hierarchical structures on the work behavior of women and men. Social Problems, 23, 415-427.
Kulik, C. T., & Roberson, L. (2008). Diversity initiative effectiveness: What organizations can (and cannot) expect from diversity recruitment, diversity training, and formal mentoring programs. In A. P. Brief (Ed.), Diversity at work (pp. 265-317): Cambridge University Press.
Moss-Racusin, C. A., Van der Toorn, J., Dovidio, J. F., Brescoll, V. F., Graham, M. J., & Handelsman, J. (2014). Scientific diversity interventions. Science, 343, 615-616.
O'Brien, L. T., Major, B. N., & Gilbert, P. N. (2012). Gender differences in entitlement: The role of system-justifying beliefs. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 34, 136-145.
Ryan, M. K., & Haslam, S. A. (2007). The glass cliff: Exploring the dynamics surrounding the appointment of women to precarious leadership positions. Academy of Management Review, 32, 549-572.
Schmitt, M. T., Ellemers, N., & Branscombe, N. R. (2003). Perceiving and responding to gender discrimination in organizations. In S. A. Haslam & D. Van Knippenberg & M. J. Platow & N. Ellemers (Eds.), Social identity at work: Developing theory for organizational practice (pp. 277-292). New York: Psychology Press.
Stephan, W. G., & Stephan, C. W. (2001). Diversity initiatives in the workplace. In W. G. Stephan & C. W. Stephan (Eds.), Improving intergroup relations (pp. 75-101). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Van den Brink, M. (2011). Scouting for talent: Appointment practices of women professors in academic medicine. Social Science & Medicine, 72, 2033-2040.
Van Knippenberg, D., De Dreu, C. K., & Homan, A. C. (2004). Work group diversity and group performance: an integrative model and research agenda. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 1008–1022. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.89.6.1008
White, J. B. (2008). Fail or flourish? Cognitive appraisal moderates the effect of solo status on performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 1171-1184.
Wright, S.C. (2001). Restricted intergroup boundaries: Tokenism, ambiguity, and the tolerance of injustice. In J. T. Jost & B. Major (Eds.), The psychology of legitimacy: Emerging perspectives on ideology, justice, and intergroup relations (pp. 223-250). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Contact information
Dr. Niels van Doesum
n.j.van.doesum@fsw.leidenuniv.nl