Bachelor of Commerce Honours: Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to consolidate, advance and deepen the student's professional expertise in the various practice areas of industrial and organisational psychology and develop research capacity in the methodology and techniques of a selected practice or specialisation area. In this regard, the qualification serves to educate and train researchers who can potentially contribute to the development of new knowledge in the profession at postgraduate level, leading to enhanced career and employment prospects. The qualification provides qualifying students with comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of the principles, major theories and paradigms, methods and technology of the science and profession of industrial and organisational psychology in various areas of specialisation. The qualification equips the student with the required advanced and specialised intellectual and practical skills to prepare for registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as psychometrists or counsellors in designated practice or specialisation areas, and to further their studies as prospective Industrial Psychologists and as Chartered Human Resource Practitioners. Successful completion of this qualification will enable the graduate to meet the competence requirements for registration as a Human Resources Practitioner with the South African Board for Personnel Practice (SABPP).

Graduates who complete the Bachelor of Commerce Honours: Industrial and Organisational Psychology and wish to register with the HPCSA as psychometrists or counsellors will have to complete a practicum and pass a National Board Examination set by the College for Professional Psychology, which functions under the auspices of the Professional Board for Psychology of the HPCSA.

Rationale

The profession of industrial and organisational psychology has become increasingly relevant in the modern era, as evidenced by the burgeoning research-based publications devoted to the study, understanding and improvement of human work behaviour and the psychological conditions of workers in the multiculturally diverse local and global socio-economic, socio-political and legal work contexts. The Bachelor of Commerce Honours: Industrial and Organisational Psychology prepares students for research-based postgraduate study, deepens their expertise in conducting and reporting applicable psychological research under supervision and utilising their research findings to improve quality of work life and organisational productivity in the African and global organisational context. The qualification also prepares graduates for specialised professional employment.

Candidates who apply for enrolment in this qualification should

• Be able to read and critically evaluate academic texts in English and communicate information and their own ideas orally and in written text that is grammatically correct, well structured, clear and concise, using accepted standards of scientific and academic writing.
• Be able to independently plan, schedule and take responsibility for the success of their learning in a structured and Open Distance Learning (ODL) tuition environment and appropriately manage their time according to required outcomes.
• Be able to identify, access, retrieve and integrate information from scholarly or professional literature.
• Be able to use technology, access and participate in the various modules that comprise the qualification by means of online delivery and also use the library and other electronic services in support of the learning, and any other additional resources related to the qualification modules.
• Have well-rounded knowledge about the theoretical and practical aspects of the field of industrial and organisational psychology.
• Have an NQF Level 7 qualification with specialisation in Industrial and Organisational Psychology.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning will be applied in line with the regulations of the University of South Africa (Unisa).

Students who are not able to complete the research component in the qualification can transfer credits from the uncompleted qualification to the Postgraduate Diploma in Organisation Development or a cognate postgraduate diploma at NQF Level 8.

Entry in mid-stream: Students who are (or have been) registered for this or another related qualification (or even for some of the same related subjects) at another higher education institution will be allowed to enter mid-stream. Such students will retain credit for modules that have been passed, after recognition by the previous institution and the Dean of the College of Economic and Management Sciences, University of South Africa.

Exit in mid-stream: Students who want to switch to another cognate qualification or other modules at this institution may do so subject to certain limits. They will retain full credit for modules that have been passed.

Access to the Qualification

The applicant must have

• Achieved an appropriate Bachelor's Degree with specialisation in Industrial and Organisational Psychology.
• Access to all types of South African media.

A minimum of 120 Credits is required to complete the qualification.

All Modules are at NQF Level 8.

Compulsory Modules

• Industrial Psychological Assessment; 24 Credits.
• Managerial and Organisational Psychology; 24 Credits.
• Personnel and Career Psychology; 24 Credits.
• Research Methodology; 12 Credits.

Total Credits for Compulsory Modules: 84 Credits.

Electives modules

• Students must choose one of the following Combinations and complete all the given Modules for that Combination to complete the qualification.

Note: Students who wish to register with the HPCSA as Professional Counsellors in the category Employee Wellness must successfully complete the Modules given in Combination 1.

Combination 1

• Research proposal in employee and organisational wellness: 12 Credits.
• Research project report in employee and organisational wellness: 24 Credits.

Combination 2

• Research proposal in consumer psychology; 12 Credits.
• Research project report in consumer psychology; 24 Credits.

Combination 3

• Research proposal in employment relations; 12 Credits.
• Research project report in employment relations; 24 Credits.

Total Credits for each Elective Combination: 36 Credits.

1. Demonstrate coherent and critical understanding of research, founded on a comprehensive and systematic knowledge base, in one of the following areas: employee and organisational wellness, consumer psychology or employment relations.

• Range: Knowledge base must include: Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in economic and management sciences, theory and paradigms, professional practice and ethical standards in the specialisation areas of managerial and organisational psychology, personnel and career psychology, industrial psychological assessment

1. Demonstrate advanced scholarship in the various specialisation areas by critically and systematically reviewing knowledge and processes of knowledge production and interrogating multiple sources of knowledge in the various areas of specialisation.
2. Use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and address complex, abstract and/or real-life problems in the workplace, drawing systematically on own knowledge of ethical standards, theory and paradigms, research methods, techniques and technologies in the various specialisation areas.
3. Form a research proposal by applying knowledge of and insight into the theory and principles of research and the process of conducting research in a particular complex and/or real-life problem in a selected area of specialisation.
4. Plan and implement a research project in a selected area of specialisation and use the resources of an academic/professional discourse to write up a research report relevant to the profession that meets the standards of scholarly/professional writing.

• Range for content of report: Specialised knowledge, skills, research methods, techniques and technologies and ethical standards.

1. Demonstrate capacity to manage and self-assess learning tasks autonomously, professionally, responsibly and ethically with due consideration of own continued professional growth and development.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

• Identify and solve challenging, complex and real-life human behaviour problems in an organisational context and make decisions using advanced critical and independent thinking.
• Autonomously collect, analyse, research, organise and critically evaluate information and make sound judgements, reflecting critical self-reflection and a consideration of consequences and ethical standards.
• Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation or community by taking full responsibility for own work, decision making and use of resources.
• Organise and manage self and own activities responsibly and effectively, develop own learning strategies which sustain independent learning and academic or continued professional development and interact effectively within the learning or professional group as a means of enhancing learning.
• Communicate effectively using visual and/or language skills in the mode of oral and/or written presentations. This includes researching, reviewing, evaluating, producing and communicating information in specialised contexts in order to develop creative responses and insights, rigorous interpretations and solutions to problems and issues appropriate to the context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation. This includes operating effectively within a system, or managing the system based on an understanding of the roles and relationships between elements of the system.
• Develop sensitivity to diversity and individual uniqueness and understand similarities shared with others. This includes identifying and addressing ethical issues based on critical reflection on the suitability of different ethical value systems to specific contexts.
• Promote responsible citizenship by contributing towards the psychological wellbeing of others and quality of work life within the organisation, including the full personal development of individuals, and the social and economic development of society at large.
• Develop a comprehensive and systematic theoretical knowledge base in the areas of specialisation and practical macro vision, taking into account socio-economic, socio-political, legal and multicultural factors influencing economic, business and people management internationally, nationally and locally.

The following set of generic assessment criteria apply to the qualification as a whole

• Current research and multiple sources of scholarly or professional literature are reviewed, critiqued and evaluated in an intellectually independent manner.
• Sound theoretical judgements are made by using well-reasoned, theory-driven and evidence-based arguments.
• Diagnoses of human psychological functioning in an organisational context and other complex problems related to the areas of specialisation are accurately identified, critically reviewed, evaluated and interpreted by taking into consideration the socio-economic, socio-political and legal contexts, including professional and ethical standards.
• Standard procedures, processes or techniques to theoretically deal with, or empirically investigate, unfamiliar complex, abstract or real-life world problems in a particular area of specialisation are appropriately applied.
• The analyses and interpretation of theoretical, quantitative and qualitative data and information are independently conducted and demonstrate coherent and critical insight by means of well-rounded, theory-driven and evidence-based arguments and critical self-reflection.
• Judgements and conclusions are based on information and data and are clearly communicated to specialist and non-specialist audiences using the resources of an academic/professional discourse appropriately, reliably and accurately.
• Critical self-assessment reflects an awareness of taking responsibility for own activities, ethical behaviour and continued professional development in the field of industrial and organisational psychology and general human resource management.
• Reasoning, viewpoints, insights and ideas reflect an acceptable social sensitivity in own relationship and interaction with others in the scholarly, industrial and organisational psychology and human resource management work environment.
• Ethical decisions which affect knowledge production of complex organisational or professional issues are made in an autonomous manner with due social sensitivity and awareness of consequences.

Integrated Assessment

Evidence of learning competency (knowledge, skills, attitudes and expertise) and of the candidate's ability to achieve the purpose of the qualification as a whole at the time that the qualification is awarded is required by means of comprehensive and Integrated Assessment (constituting a range of formative and summative assessments). Continuous formative and summative assessment methods are used in the form of written assignments and exams, and the supervision of a research project.

Formative and summative assessment will be conducted within the guidelines of the Unisa Assessment Policy. The students must complete the specified number of compulsory assignments, 10% of which contribute to the year mark. A written examination in each module will comprise 90% of the total summative assessment mark.

For the qualification to be awarded, a candidate must have successfully achieved the outcomes of each of the compulsory/core and elective modules that constitute the qualification, and have completed an approved research proposal and research report under guided supervision in an elected area of specialisation.