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Course Syllabus

Master 2022/2023

Psychology of Software Development Team Management

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type: Compulsory course (System and Software Engineering)
Area of studies: Software Engineering
Delivered by: School of Psychology
Where: Faculty of Computer Science
When: 2 year, 1, 2 module
Mode of studies: offline
Open to: students of one campus
Instructors: Olga Abramova
Master’s programme: Software and Systems Engineering
Language: English
ECTS credits: 4
Contact hours: 32

Course Syllabus

Full Syllabus

Abstract

a. Psychology of Software Development Team Management is a course about building the effective software development teams in the context of modern IT organization with focus on human-centered approach, innovation and successful product development. The course provides the knowledge of the main concepts, models and theories of teamwork management with practical skills’ training in the real project. The course is designed to prepare students as future IT project managers with knowledge of essential psychological basis of people behaviors in teamwork and modern organizational context. b. The course is obligatory discipline for the 2st year master students of the MSc program 09.04.04 “System and Software Engineering”. c. It is presupposed that all students enrolled on the course completed corresponding full-time Bachelor degree training programs and were selected (based on either portfolio tenders, or other core performance indices) to continue their MS studies in the educational program “System and Software Engineering” (SSE). Therefore, no other special requirements, apart from those that are mentioned above, are put forth.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • The aim of the course is to give students theoretical knowledge and practical skills in management of software teams. Deeper understanding of people behavior with regard to motivational process, personality traits, leadership styles and organizational culture in IT organization is essential during the war for talent and digital transformation of business. Modern horizontal organizational structures require different strategy and techniques to inspire people for creative outcomes, stable performance and innovative products. Students will improve their leadership skills, develop deeper emotional intelligence in recognizing employees’ needs and start usage of psychological instruments in management practice. Moreover, the project teamwork will get experience in creating social roles, planning team results and influence groupthink processes.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • critically reflect and apply main motivational theories in organizational psychology
  • able to use the specific concepts, models, and methods of decision making process to solve complex problems in software development team
  • analyze and train contemporary leadership styles in a dynamic 21st century work environment of IT company, acting consistently, ethically and socially responsibly
  • compare and train the management style of software development team leader in corporate organization and in a start-up.
  • create the software development team with remote work practice with regard to international context
  • critically reflect upon theoretical approaches and implement them to achieve effective organizational change towards innovation on a team level
  • plan and execute the team research projects to generate and evaluate complex ideas and organizational practices
  • understand the main innovative technologies, theoretical approaches, best practices of organizational psychology on a team level
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Innovative technologies and people in software development.
  • Software development team building.
  • Motivation in software development team.
  • Decision making in software development team.
  • Change and innovation in software development.
  • Software development team types.
  • Software development team management: corporation vs startups.
  • Leadership in software development teamwork.
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Class participation and preparedness
    Students in small groups or individually (depends on the task) read/ watch new case or article, complete the task given by the lecturer and present the solution for it and answers to the questions to the class with a following discussion
  • non-blocking Homework № 1. An individual case study writing
    Every student writes a case study in English of not less than 10 000 signs. Topics of the case are developed by students individually, approved by the lecturer and address various issues or problems in modern organizational behavior with references to psychological and interdisciplinary theories
  • non-blocking Homework 2. A group project in collaboration with an organization
    A group project in collaboration with a company includes a solution of the given task and a final presentation of the project’s results. The class is divided in several groups. A lecturer tells in advance about the requirements for presenting the group project and its structure. A presentation should be sent to the lecturer and orally presented for defense at the seminar or in organization. A presentation of the project is evaluated as a contest of works by a jury from the company.
  • non-blocking Test
    The final exam. The final exam is held in the form of a test. Students are given 10-15 questions of closed and opened types. 10-point scale will be used in assessment of the results for the final exam. In the case of cheating the student will get 0.
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2022/2023 2nd module
    0.25 * Test + 0.262 * Homework № 1. An individual case study writing + 0.263 * Homework 2. A group project in collaboration with an organization + 0.225 * Class participation and preparedness
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Chiocchio F., Kelloway E.K., Hobbs B. The Psychology and Management of Project Teams: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, 2015. Oxford Scholarship Online (available: HSE Electronic Resources / Oxford Scholarship online).DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199861378.001.0001
  • Christensen, C. M. (2013). The Innovator’s Dilemma : When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=nlebk&AN=675240
  • Everett M. Rogers. (2010). Diffusion of Innovations, 4th Edition. [N.p.]: Free Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1976305
  • Goleman, D. (2019). The Emotionally Intelligent Leader. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2000691
  • Kahneman, D., Griffin, D. W., & Gilovich, T. (2002). Heuristics and Biases : The Psychology of Intuitive Judgement. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge eText. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=510941
  • KAHNEMAN, D., ROSENFIELD, A. M., GANDHI, L., & BLASER, T. (2016). NOISE: How to Overcome the High, Hidden Cost of Inconsistent Decision Making. (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 94(10), 38–46.
  • LIDEN, R. C., WAYNE, S. J., CHENWEI LIAO, & MEUSER, J. D. (2014). Servant Leadership and Serving Culture: Influence on Individual and Unit Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 57(5), 1434–1452. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.0034
  • Nydegger, R., & Nydegger, L. (2010). Challenges In Managing Virtual Teams. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.A0D434F7
  • Richard M. Ryan, & Edward L. Deci. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.8B9581CC
  • Richard M. Ryan, & Edward L. Deci. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.7E5231F3
  • Schwartz, B. (2007). The Paradox of Choice : Why More Is Less. HarperCollins.
  • Schwartz, B. (2015). Why We Work. New York: Simon & Schuster/ TED. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=nlebk&AN=1970298
  • Thaler, R. H. . (DE-588)124552080, (DE-576)168627329. (2009). Nudge : improving decisions about health, wealth and happiness / Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein. London [u.a.]: Penguin Books. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.306469715

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Hofstede, G.J. Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories and Synthetic Cultures / Gert Jan Hofstede, Paul B. Pedersen, Geert H. Hofstede. – Yarmouth: Intercultural Press Inc, 2002. – 234 p. – ISBN 9781877864902. - Текст: электронный // DB Books 24x7 [сайт]. – URL: https://library.books24x7.com/toc.aspx?bookid=6723
  • Reiter-Palmon R. Team Creativity and Innovation, 2017. Oxford Scholarship Online (available: HSE Electronic Resources / Oxford Scholarship online).DOI:10.1093/oso/9780190222093.001.0001