Fundamentals of Business Psychology
Niveau
Bachelor
Learning outcomes of the courses/module
The students
• are familiar with the history, development, and sub-disciplines of economic psychology, as well as the peculiarities of economic behavior and the issues surrounding rational behavior.
• understand the role of the human image in economic psychology and can explain its influence on economic psychological theories.
• can articulate the fundamental theories of economic psychology in their own words and explain their application in various economic psychological contexts.
• recognize and describe the connection between psychological concepts at the individual and interpersonal levels and their impact on organizational and economic processes.
• apply psychological concepts to macro- and microeconomic processes by analyzing the psychological aspects of economic developments such as industrialization, internationalization, and business cycles.
• develop solution strategies for real-world scenarios by applying knowledge from economic psychology.
• are able to analyze economic behavior from a sustainability perspective and explain psychological factors influencing sustainable and non-sustainable decision-making.
• are familiar with the history, development, and sub-disciplines of economic psychology, as well as the peculiarities of economic behavior and the issues surrounding rational behavior.
• understand the role of the human image in economic psychology and can explain its influence on economic psychological theories.
• can articulate the fundamental theories of economic psychology in their own words and explain their application in various economic psychological contexts.
• recognize and describe the connection between psychological concepts at the individual and interpersonal levels and their impact on organizational and economic processes.
• apply psychological concepts to macro- and microeconomic processes by analyzing the psychological aspects of economic developments such as industrialization, internationalization, and business cycles.
• develop solution strategies for real-world scenarios by applying knowledge from economic psychology.
• are able to analyze economic behavior from a sustainability perspective and explain psychological factors influencing sustainable and non-sustainable decision-making.
Prerequisites for the course
None
Course content
• Introduction & Foundations (history; development and subdisciplines of economic psychology; characteristics of economic behavior with consideration of sustainability-related decisions; the problem of rational behavior; concept of human nature in economic psychology)
• Theories of Economic Psychology (frameworks of economic psychological research; motivation theories; cognition theories; interaction theories; field theory; market-psychological approach; culture and cross-cultural psychology; transition and stress research; cultural-sociological approach; systemic explanatory approaches)
• Economic Psychological Concepts
(individual level [values, attitudes; feelings and emotions; motivation and action; attribution; competence; learning and decision-making processes; self and identity]; interpersonal level [processes within and between groups; diversity; cooperation and competition; conflict and conflict resolution; negotiation; trust; power; justice in general and in environmental and distributive contexts])
• Psychology of Macroeconomic Processes
(psychology of economic developments [industrialization; developing countries; internationalization; business cycles];
psychology of developed societies [value change; environmental issues; shadow economy; unemployment];
psychology of money [value of money; income; taxation; saving; investment with consideration of sustainable and conventional investment forms])
• Psychology of Microeconomic Processes
(overview of the following topics: work and organizational psychology; market and consumer psychology; sustainable consumer behavior)
• Fields of Application with Examples
(processes of buying and selling; mergers and acquisitions; consulting in business-related contexts; unemployment; intercultural action in business-related contexts; entrepreneurial activity and self-employment with reference to sustainable business models)
• Theories of Economic Psychology (frameworks of economic psychological research; motivation theories; cognition theories; interaction theories; field theory; market-psychological approach; culture and cross-cultural psychology; transition and stress research; cultural-sociological approach; systemic explanatory approaches)
• Economic Psychological Concepts
(individual level [values, attitudes; feelings and emotions; motivation and action; attribution; competence; learning and decision-making processes; self and identity]; interpersonal level [processes within and between groups; diversity; cooperation and competition; conflict and conflict resolution; negotiation; trust; power; justice in general and in environmental and distributive contexts])
• Psychology of Macroeconomic Processes
(psychology of economic developments [industrialization; developing countries; internationalization; business cycles];
psychology of developed societies [value change; environmental issues; shadow economy; unemployment];
psychology of money [value of money; income; taxation; saving; investment with consideration of sustainable and conventional investment forms])
• Psychology of Microeconomic Processes
(overview of the following topics: work and organizational psychology; market and consumer psychology; sustainable consumer behavior)
• Fields of Application with Examples
(processes of buying and selling; mergers and acquisitions; consulting in business-related contexts; unemployment; intercultural action in business-related contexts; entrepreneurial activity and self-employment with reference to sustainable business models)
Recommended specialist literature
• Brinkmann, R. (2018) (Hrsg.). Angewandte Wirtschaftspsychologie. Hallbergmoos: Pearson.
• Fichter, C. (2018) (Hrsg.). Wirtschaftspsychologie für Bachelor. Berlin: Springer.
• Wiswede, G. (2021). Einführung in die Wirtschaftspsychologie. München: Ernst Reinhardt GmbH & Co. KG.
• Fichter, C. (2018) (Hrsg.). Wirtschaftspsychologie für Bachelor. Berlin: Springer.
• Wiswede, G. (2021). Einführung in die Wirtschaftspsychologie. München: Ernst Reinhardt GmbH & Co. KG.
Assessment methods and criteria
Exam
Language
German
Number of ECTS credits awarded
6
Semester hours per week
Planned teaching and learning method
The course is conducted in a blended-learning-format. This will involve a combination of online phases (inductive method for independent acquisition of knowledge and practicing tasks) and face-to-face sessions (deductive method providing assistance in the learning process and imparting knowledge through lectures).
Semester/trimester in which the course/module is offered
1