Dr. Jan Luca Pletzer

Teaching

My teaching is grounded in the principles of active learning. I create interactive learning environments where students are encouraged to discuss, question, and critically engage with the material. Through group work, thought-provoking assignments, and clear learning goals, I help students connect theory to practice and develop the skills to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Regular feedback and reflection support their learning progress, while collaborative activities strengthen both understanding and social connections. This approach is reflected in the diverse courses I teach, which combine theoretical foundations with interactive, practice-oriented learning experiences. For more details, see below:

Personnel Selection
This Master course examines how organizations can design evidence-based and fair selection systems. Students learn how to translate organizational needs into job requirements, conduct job analysis, evaluate recruitment strategies, choose and combine valid assessment methods, and make selection decisions. The course connects classic and contemporary selection research with practical questions about validity, fairness, candidate experience, and the use of technology and AI in personnel selection. Through lectures, applied assignments, and group work, students develop a complete selection system for a realistic organizational context.

From Problem to Solution: Evidence-Based Advice in Organizations
This Master practical trains students to move from an organizational problem to evidence-based advice. Students learn how to translate practical workplace challenges into research questions and hypotheses, design and conduct a quantitative study, analyze and interpret data, and communicate actionable recommendations to both scientific and practitioner audiences. The practical emphasizes the full research-to-advice cycle and combines theory, empirical analysis, teamwork, and professional communication.

A Multilevel Perspective on Employee Well-Being
This second-year Bachelor course examines workplace well-being from the individual to the societal level. Students explore its definition, measurement, and importance, and learn about individual strategies such as job crafting, team dynamics, leadership, organizational interventions, and broader cultural and public health influences. Learning takes place through lectures, tutorials, group work, and case-based assignments that bridge research and practice.

Thesis Supervision
I supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s theses in organizational psychology, guiding students through all stages of the research process, from developing a research question and designing the study to analyzing data and writing the final thesis. My supervision approach combines academic rigor with personalized support, encouraging students to develop independent research skills while contributing to the broader field.

Attitudes and Emotions in Organizations
I coordinated this Master course in the past, from 2021 to 2025. The course explored the nature, causes, and consequences of employees’ attitudes, such as job satisfaction, and emotions, such as joy and anger, at work. Students examined how these factors influence behavior, motivation, and organizational outcomes, and learned about emotional regulation, emotional labor, and emotional intelligence. The course integrated theory, empirical research, and practical implications, including collaborative group assignments that allowed students to apply concepts to realistic organizational scenarios.