their enduring personal resources, ranging from physical and
intellectual resources to social and psychological resources”
(Fredrickson, 2001b). Positive emotion enhances resilience,
giving a person ability to bounce back from a stressful situation and give a sense of well-being. Myers (1992) also
noted that negative emotions and unhappiness cause a person to be self-absorbed, self-centered, and focused on his
own preoccupations, where happiness leads to more
expansive view of the world. So, creating positive emotions
in organizations enriches the environment of the organization and give it a complementary effect.
2.2 Positive and Sustainable Leadership
The psychology of sustainability to initiate organizational
well-being requires the emphasis on positive and sustainable
leadership along with positive emotions and subjective
well-being. The supervisors providing clear job definitions
and duties and support to employees foster job satisfaction
and production. The managerial styles and leadership giving
recognition and respect to relationships in organizations and
well-being of workers are in demand from the psychology of
sustainability and sustainable development (Di Fabio, 2017a,
2017b). Managers and leaders focusing on employee’s
strength can clearly communicate companies’ goals and
concisely give feedback as improvement areas leading to
positive experiences for employees. Concerned and authentic supervisors encourage trust and positive emotions in the
employees along with high engagement and motivation to
reach shared goals. The authentic boss (Synder et al., 2011,
p. 433) gives high standards and depicts integrity and honesty to employees. Modeling the behavior from the leader
motivates the employees for positive teamwork and brings a
variety of positive outcomes in the workplace. The positive
outcomes in an organization depend a lot on the leadership
being practiced within the organization. The feeling of being
valued in the workplace by employers gives employees a
sense of satisfaction and happiness at work. The sense of
engagement, productivity, and satisfaction all seem to go
together in a positive workplace. As per several works, the
supervisor providing positive and sustainable leadership
plays a crucial role in making positive outcomes happen.
2.3 Subjective Well-Being
Diener (2000) is a prominent researcher who studied subjective well-being (SWB). SWB states a person’s level of
happiness and life satisfaction. The researchers who studied
SWB assessed the good life of people with the component of
how much do they like their life. These measures focused on
a person’s cognitive and affective judgement of the
satisfaction of the events around them. Studies done on
happiness (Diener, 2000) clarified that material success does
not impact happiness to a greater extent. Even after winning a
multimillion-dollar lottery, lottery winners return to their
pre-lottery level of happiness (Baumgardner & Crothers,
2015; Diener, 2000). The focus from an organization’s point
of view, out of many traits considered in positive psychology
of SWB, one of the traits is work situation which accounts for
the happiness of employees in the workplace. Hence, positive
psychology is dealing with the positive experiences involved
in subjective well-being as these experiences give rewarding
life (Diener, Lucas, & Oishi, 2002).
3 The Benefits of Positive Variables
of Positive Psychology
People behave the way they do largely because they associate positive consequences with their actions. Sustainable
behaviors produce significant psychological benefits to
individuals who practice it (Verdugo, 2012). The positive
factors mentioned in the previous section instigate positive
behavior in employees as it reinforces positive consequences. These positive behaviors give rise to two positive
consequences, namely, extrinsic and intrinsic benefits.
3.1 Extrinsic and Intrinsic Consequences
Extrinsic benefits are characterized as material resources
gained due to the result of some desirable action performed.
External benefits, in turn, reinforce positive behavior and
create a positive environment at the time it is attained.
Intrinsic consequences are the factors that instigate inner
satisfaction and motivation. This has a long-lasting effect as
it gives inherent gratification rather than some consequences
which is subjective to end after a period. From a positive
psychology of sustainability point of view, intrinsic gratification is more important, which arose from the environment
of positive emotions, sustainable leadership, and subjective
well-being. This is not dependent on external factors and
prevents sustainable behavior from disappearing.
3.2 Job Satisfaction
It is important to consider job satisfaction and job design for
sustainable organization. Job satisfaction is a consequence of
positive emotional state arising due to employees’ job
experience, in reference to their relationship with supervisors
and fellow colleagues and quality of working condition. Job
satisfaction is arising due to intrinsic and extrinsic consequences of positive psychology factors.
Psychology of Organizational Sustainability
159
intellectual resources to social and psychological resources”
(Fredrickson, 2001b). Positive emotion enhances resilience,
giving a person ability to bounce back from a stressful situation and give a sense of well-being. Myers (1992) also
noted that negative emotions and unhappiness cause a person to be self-absorbed, self-centered, and focused on his
own preoccupations, where happiness leads to more
expansive view of the world. So, creating positive emotions
in organizations enriches the environment of the organization and give it a complementary effect.
2.2 Positive and Sustainable Leadership
The psychology of sustainability to initiate organizational
well-being requires the emphasis on positive and sustainable
leadership along with positive emotions and subjective
well-being. The supervisors providing clear job definitions
and duties and support to employees foster job satisfaction
and production. The managerial styles and leadership giving
recognition and respect to relationships in organizations and
well-being of workers are in demand from the psychology of
sustainability and sustainable development (Di Fabio, 2017a,
2017b). Managers and leaders focusing on employee’s
strength can clearly communicate companies’ goals and
concisely give feedback as improvement areas leading to
positive experiences for employees. Concerned and authentic supervisors encourage trust and positive emotions in the
employees along with high engagement and motivation to
reach shared goals. The authentic boss (Synder et al., 2011,
p. 433) gives high standards and depicts integrity and honesty to employees. Modeling the behavior from the leader
motivates the employees for positive teamwork and brings a
variety of positive outcomes in the workplace. The positive
outcomes in an organization depend a lot on the leadership
being practiced within the organization. The feeling of being
valued in the workplace by employers gives employees a
sense of satisfaction and happiness at work. The sense of
engagement, productivity, and satisfaction all seem to go
together in a positive workplace. As per several works, the
supervisor providing positive and sustainable leadership
plays a crucial role in making positive outcomes happen.
2.3 Subjective Well-Being
Diener (2000) is a prominent researcher who studied subjective well-being (SWB). SWB states a person’s level of
happiness and life satisfaction. The researchers who studied
SWB assessed the good life of people with the component of
how much do they like their life. These measures focused on
a person’s cognitive and affective judgement of the
satisfaction of the events around them. Studies done on
happiness (Diener, 2000) clarified that material success does
not impact happiness to a greater extent. Even after winning a
multimillion-dollar lottery, lottery winners return to their
pre-lottery level of happiness (Baumgardner & Crothers,
2015; Diener, 2000). The focus from an organization’s point
of view, out of many traits considered in positive psychology
of SWB, one of the traits is work situation which accounts for
the happiness of employees in the workplace. Hence, positive
psychology is dealing with the positive experiences involved
in subjective well-being as these experiences give rewarding
life (Diener, Lucas, & Oishi, 2002).
3 The Benefits of Positive Variables
of Positive Psychology
People behave the way they do largely because they associate positive consequences with their actions. Sustainable
behaviors produce significant psychological benefits to
individuals who practice it (Verdugo, 2012). The positive
factors mentioned in the previous section instigate positive
behavior in employees as it reinforces positive consequences. These positive behaviors give rise to two positive
consequences, namely, extrinsic and intrinsic benefits.
3.1 Extrinsic and Intrinsic Consequences
Extrinsic benefits are characterized as material resources
gained due to the result of some desirable action performed.
External benefits, in turn, reinforce positive behavior and
create a positive environment at the time it is attained.
Intrinsic consequences are the factors that instigate inner
satisfaction and motivation. This has a long-lasting effect as
it gives inherent gratification rather than some consequences
which is subjective to end after a period. From a positive
psychology of sustainability point of view, intrinsic gratification is more important, which arose from the environment
of positive emotions, sustainable leadership, and subjective
well-being. This is not dependent on external factors and
prevents sustainable behavior from disappearing.
3.2 Job Satisfaction
It is important to consider job satisfaction and job design for
sustainable organization. Job satisfaction is a consequence of
positive emotional state arising due to employees’ job
experience, in reference to their relationship with supervisors
and fellow colleagues and quality of working condition. Job
satisfaction is arising due to intrinsic and extrinsic consequences of positive psychology factors.
Psychology of Organizational Sustainability
159