Stress, Motivation and Self-Leadership

Introduction

The candidate will gain research-based knowledge about subjects related to work environmental topics, and the meaning of motivation in a work environmental context. The Scandinavian work environment tradition and the historical context that can be traced all the way back to the Hawthorne-studies in the 1920s are some of the subjects that the course will cover. These trends contributed to the development of psychological work requirements and the extended emphasis that was placed on democracy at the workplace. Furthermore, the candidate will gain nuanced knowledge about the meaning of autonomy and co-determination, as well as other aspects that contribute to sustainable workplaces that prioritize health and well-being. Important organisational goals that promote performance and auxiliary behaviour are also a part of this course.

Motivation constitutes a central point within a working environment, and it is central to the effectiveness and productivity of organisations. The student should have a wide knowledge about the effects of different types of motivation, the connection between motivation and work engagement, and aspects that trigger and inhibit motivation at a workplace. The candidate should know that motivation is crucial when it comes to empowerment of colleagues, and if it is likely that effective self-leadership can be successfully implemented or not.

The course also highlights factors that facilitate self-leadership, and the importance of autonomy at the workplace. The course provides knowledge about strategies that promotes self-leadership and super-management, and counteracts procrastination.

Stress is also an important part of the modern work life. The candidate should know about different types of stress, like burnout, while having a nuanced understanding of the relationship between stress and mastery control, and aspects that can induce disease-promoting stress. The candidate should also know about empirical findings related to measures that can counteract stress.

Course content

• The work environment tradition; historic context and Norwegian leadership
• Self-leadership and super-management
• Procrastination
• Different types of motivation and consequences
• Motivation and well-being in organisations
• Motivating job design, work climate and performance leadership
• Relations at the workplace, the psychological contract
• Leader motivation and destructive leadership
• Different perspectives surrounding stress
• Emotional work and burnout
• New stress factors: Job insecurity and technostress
• Work-life balance and workaholism
• Mastery of stress