PSY201 Organisational Psychology Tutor-Marked Assignment 01 – July 2026 Presentation

This TMA01 is worth 20% of the final mark for PSY201 Organisational Psychology.

Due date: 11 October 2026 (Sunday), 11:55 pm. Submit your essay together with your cover page in a single MS Word file to the submission link titled TMA01.

Course Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Discuss key theories, models and findings in organisational psychology.
• Examine key trends, issues and challenges faced by companies and I/O psychologists.
• Explain how to motivate and lead employees to be productive and satisfied with their work.
• Show different strategies for employees to cope with stress and engage in positive work attitudes and behaviours.

Marks Allocation at a Glance

Question 1: Case Study (95 marks)

DEFINE is a three-year-old startup specialising in gym apparel and activewear. Founded by Marco, the company initially gained attention for its strong brand identity, fast-paced culture and ambitious growth strategy. In three years, the company grew from a 5-person team to over 60 employees, following a successful funding round. As DEFINE expanded its operations and workforce, Marco continued to maintain close control over key organisational decisions.

Despite hiring experienced professionals to strengthen the company’s branding and operations, Marco’s leadership approach remained largely unchanged. He continued to personally approve all marketing content, rarely delegated important responsibilities to managers, frequently overruled team decisions, and redirected discussions toward his own preferred solutions.

Over time, several senior managers who were hired left the company within their first year. Exit interviews revealed recurring concerns regarding limited autonomy, lack of involvement in decision-making, and a disconnect between the collaborative culture promoted publicly by Marco and employees’ actual workplace experiences.

An internal employee engagement survey further revealed that only 38% of employees felt their contributions were meaningfully recognised, while annual employee turnover reached 20%. Although Marco acknowledged these issues during team discussions, he attributed the turnover primarily to the “natural growing pains of a fast-moving company” and expressed confidence that financial incentives, with bonuses tied to individual performance, would improve motivation and performance. However, senior employees suggested that declining morale was more strongly linked to employees feeling undervalued and lacking autonomy.

Essay Question (1500 words)

Using relevant organisational psychology theories and concepts, critically analyse the leadership and motivational challenges currently faced by DEFINE. Address the following aspects woven into one holistic, coherent essay instead of addressing them as separate sections:

1. Identify and critically evaluate the leadership style demonstrated by Marco, using one established leadership theory taught in the PSY201 lecture class or textbook.
2. Using one relevant motivational theory, critically analyse how Marco’s leadership approach affects employee motivation, attitudes and work behaviours, and evaluate the organisational consequences arising from these.
3. Recommend a more effective leadership approach for DEFINE as the organisation continues to grow.

References (5 marks)

In-text citations and the reference list must be presented accurately in APA format, with a minimum of 5 valid academic sources. Valid sources include peer-reviewed journal articles, academic books and book chapters. The iSmartGuide, student theses, websites, blog posts and videos are not considered valid academic sources.

English Competency (deduct up to 5 marks)

• 1–2 mark penalty: minor errors such as typos, spelling or punctuation mistakes.
• 3–5 mark penalty: major errors, a fair number of minor errors, or a colloquial or non-academic writing style.