The module will comprise a single assessment consisting of two elements:
• An individual 30 minute presentation relating to a real world issue and a proposed & justified intervention plan to industry representatives addressing LO's 1&2 (50%)
• A Smart Thinking Development Plan which details the student’s own psychological approach to life and work along with a plan of action to facilitate individual performance and business culture. The total word limit for this completed case study is 1,000 words addressing LO's 3&4 (50%).

Learning

• Understand the concept of applied psychology in the context of Smart Thinking & Performance Psychology
• The value of self-regulation
• Understand techniques to deal with work-based pressure

Practice

• Exercise self-awareness & 'intelligence'
• Develop coping resources & skills
• Practice effective behaviours and responses
• Reflect on problem/practice based case examples

The high demands of sport performance is an ideal place to look at how individuals and teams deal with pressure. By transferring what we know about elite sport to the business setting, it is possible to better engage and motivate employees to both manage the stressors of working well as well as maximising and maintaining their own performance.
Successful performance in sport is largely about being able to perform well under pressure; the same can be said in business.
Successful sport performance involves the bringing together of complex skills and abilities directed towards achieving specific and meaningful goals and targets; the same can be said in business.
To reach the top, athletes must develop a resilient mindset that can withstand setbacks and can remain focused in the face of challenges; the same can be said of business professional. These are just some of the many similarities between sport and business from a psychological perspective.
This module gleans content and structure from the book What Business can Learn from Sport Psychology. Therefore, students will consider contemporary evidence-based psychology approaches and techniques to enhance individual and group performance (e.g. Smart Thinking).
Students will also be required to consider what psychological techniques are most appropriate and how they should best be applied to a range of business scenarios (e.g. enhancing confidence, helping a team deal with pressure).

Haslam, S. A. (2004). Psychology in organizations: The social identity approach. London: Sage.
Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., & Platow, M. J. (2011). The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence, and power. East Sussex: Psychology Press.
Thomas, P. (2014). Reinventing leadership. UK: Cambria Books.
Turner, M., & Barker, J. B. (2014). What business can learn from sport psychology. London: Bennion Kearny:

1. Critically outline the effectiveness of selected psychological techniques used by performance psychologists.
Knowledge & Understanding

2. Understand and be able to apply effective coping skills to a range of a business related-performance issues.
Problem Solving

3. Understand the strengths of 'Smart Thinking' for well-being and performance.
Application

4. Reflect on and demonstrate development of associated underpinning strategic agility and drive for results competencies to enhance employability and/or career advancement in positions of management & leadership.
Reflection

A combination of lecture & tutorial F2F sessions. Example case questions and scenarios to demonstrate key principles.


The learning strategy for the module requires students to commit a total of 150 learning hours (including assessment). There will be 36 hours of class support (12 seminar hours and 24 tutorial hours) and 114 hours of independent and self-directed study.
Learning support material will be identified and/or provided for independent /self-directed learning.
There will be participation in peer group discussion activities and directed reading of relevant texts and case studies where students will undertake their own (contemporary) research of relevant and related module topics.

This module can also be undertaken as part of the Blended Learning (BL) delivery pattern. BL is defined as the thoughtful integration of each of the following in order to maximise student flexibility:
- Independent study (student reading/research and assessment preparation);
- Guided independent study (homework, group tasks and e-support in Blackboard);
- Online scheduled contact time (at least 10% of total contact time is online lessons where the tutor is ‘present’) and
- Classroom contact time.
Learning activities may include (this list is not exclusive):
- Presentation activities;
- Structured discussion activities;
- Group work activities;
- Reflection activities;
- Formative and summative assessment activities;
- Problem-based learning activities.

• Module handbooks
• VLE resource
• Selected problem/practice based case examples
• Directed texts