Workplace Happiness: A Research on the Effects of Workplace  Environment and Psychological Capital

AbstractHappiness and well-being at work has been an increasingly popular topic in the past two decades in academic and business contexts alike, along with positive psychology, through which organizations aim to find out, what makes working environments engaging and motivating. Few studies have focused on education, however, especially from a solution-focused perspective, even though it is a sector where employees are highly exposed to stress and burnout. Accordingly, the purpose of his study was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ psychological resources through the concept of psychological capital, workplace well-being and perceived workplace happiness. We used both qualitative (open-ended question) and quantitative (test battery) methods to examine the relation between the various factors. Content analysis of responses in our qualitative research suggests that the main pillars of teachers’ workplace happiness were realization of goals, feedback, finding meaning in work and social relationships. The results of our quantitative study indicated that workplace well-being and happiness correlated with inner psychological resources, hope and optimism in particular. We conclude that the future focus on employee well-being must take into account positive contributing factors and adopt a positively-oriented approach to promoting well-being. Suggestions for practical implications are also discussed.

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In pursuit of happiness at work: exploring the role of psychological capital and coping in managing COVID-19 stress among Indian employees

Journal of Asia Business Studies ◽

10.1108/jabs-03-2021-0097 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Rabindra Kumar Pradhan ◽

Kailash Jandu ◽

Madhusmita Panda ◽

Lopamudra Hati ◽

Manolina Mallick

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation ◽

Service Sector ◽

Psychological Capital ◽

Study Data ◽

Conservation Of Resources ◽

Content Type ◽

Workplace Happiness ◽

The Relationship ◽

Employee Happiness

Purpose Employee happiness is crucial in any organization as happy employees are said to be more committed in their work. However, COVID-19 stress in the current situation is a major problem for employees and it can negatively influence their happiness level. Therefore, it is critical to understand how the stressful nature of the current pandemic threatens workplace happiness. Based on conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989), this study aims to examine the resources to be protected (i.e. psychological capital) and resource investment (i.e. coping) to ensure the happiness of the employees amidst a bio-psycho-socioeconomic crisis like COVID-19 pandemic. The study explores the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effect of coping on the relationship between COVID-19 stress and employee happiness. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from the Indian working population by means of purposive sampling (N = 336). Standardized instruments were used to measure the variables under study. Data analysis were done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 20.0 and Analysis of Moment Structure 20.0 software tools and PROCESS macro was used for mediation and moderation analysis. Findings Structural equation modelling analysis showed that COVID-19 stress negatively influenced employee happiness; whereas psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between these two variables. Further, coping was found to buffer against the harmful implications of COVID-19 stress on employee happiness. Originality/value In an effort to respond timely to the present pandemic scenario, the current study provides an account of the harmful effects of COVID-19-related stress on the workplace happiness of the Indian service sector employees. The study also offers insights into the possible mediating and moderating mechanisms in this relationship.

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Workplace Ostracism and Its Negative Outcomes

Journal of Personnel Psychology ◽

10.1027/1866-5888/a000147 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 143-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Xiaoming Zheng ◽

Jun Yang ◽

Hang-Yue Ngo ◽

Xiao-Yu Liu ◽

Wengjuan Jiao

Keyword(s):

Affective Commitment ◽

Psychological Capital ◽

Intention To Leave ◽

Future Research ◽

Conservation Of Resources ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Negative Outcomes ◽

Workplace Ostracism ◽

Using Data ◽

The Relationship

Abstract. Workplace ostracism, conceived as to being ignored or excluded by others, has attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. One essential topic in this area is how to reduce or even eliminate the negative consequences of workplace ostracism. Based on conservation of resources (COR) theory, the current study assesses the relationship between workplace ostracism and its negative outcomes, as well as the moderating role played by psychological capital, using data collected from 256 employees in three companies in the northern part of China. The study yields two important findings: (1) workplace ostracism is positively related to intention to leave and (2) psychological capital moderates the effect of workplace ostracism on affective commitment and intention to leave. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for organizations and employees, along with recommendations for future research.

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