3.3 Happiness
Happiness can be defined as a positive consequence of
positive factors. People who enjoy frequent positive emotions experience few negative emotions, along with a
judgement that their life is satisfying, are considered happy.
If a person is happy at work, chances are that his or her
overall satisfaction with life will be higher. Happiness and
satisfaction factors may influence each other to produce a
sense of gainful employment. For example, performing well
at work accelerates the sense of satisfaction and sense of
satisfaction contributes to an employees’ better performance
in workplace.
3.4 Engagement and Involvement
Employees’ complete involvement within their work is
defined as engagement whereas satisfaction is employee
enthusiasm at work. Engagement occurs when employees
find that their needs are being met. Engagement reflects the
circumstances in which employees know what is expected of
them, “know what they need to do get their work done, have
opportunities to feel something significant with coworkers
whom they trust, and have chances to improve and develop”.
The concept of engagement and satisfaction is related to
commitment at work. Herrbach found that individuals
experiencing a more positive effect at work were more likely
to experience a higher level of effective commitment.
3.5 Safe Work Environments
Happiness at work is shared by a safe and healthy physical
work environment which proves that management cares
about the welfare of workers. Harter et al. (2002) perceived
that safety of the workplace was one of the most robust
predictors of employee satisfaction. Keeping workers physically safe and injury free leads to better physical health
elsewhere.
4 A Model for Studying the Relation
of Positive Psychology Factors
to Sustainable Positive Behavior
The positive consequences of positive factors expressed in
the previous section lead to positive environment in the
organization. In a positive organization, sensibility is
required to regulate and ensure sustainable development in
today’s uncertain and rapidly changing environment.
A managerial approach of sustainable leadership that
understands the importance of relationships and positive
organizational contexts is the key to promote sustainable
development and well-being of people in the organizations.
The relation of positive behaviors to the positive consequences is attempted to be established through the model
depicted in Fig. 1.
Positive psychology is an approach of explaining human
functioning rather than explaining why the behavior occurs.
Through this model an attempt is made to draw a relation of
positive psychological factors in the instigating positive
behavior for organization. This in turn can create organization well-being and a role toward sustainable development.
Positive psychology explains the positive aspects of
people’s personality and relates positive experiences to
positive behavior. The gap of relating sustainable behavior
and actions of humans to the positive stimulus in the
workplace requires a conceptual framework. Several models
are required to support this relation of positive psychology,
so that future studies can study these sustainable behavior
factors and the workplace can utilize these factors to enhance
well-being of employees.
As per the introductory nature of this paper, a sketch of
the model is presented in Fig. 1 to understand the relationship of positive psychology as compared to positive
behavior. The positive psychology behaviors of positive
emotions, sustainable leadership, and subjective well-being
support the positive behavior consequences of happiness,
job engagement, safe working environment, and psychological well-being in the workplace. This paper emphasizes
the need for positive reinforcement to create positive environment in the workplace by creating positive emotions and
emphasizing on sustainable leadership and subjective
well-being in the organization. The sustainable factors produce positive consequences of intrinsic (satisfaction,
self-esteem, belongingness) and extrinsic (material gains,
social reinforcement) motivation which leads to inner satisfaction of employees and psychological well-being. The
psychological benefits influence pro-environmental factors,
like extrinsic consequences of social recognition and monetary rewards stimulate sustainable practices, feelings of
happiness, well-being, and intrinsic consequences emerging
from sustainable behavior enhances the inner strength and
virtue toward pro-social and pro-environmental behaviors.
This is a “positive model” that depicts a simple relation
without emphasizing the interrelation of each factor. If
covariance of sequence flow is to be analyzed, both the
positive and negative factors affecting sustainable behavior will have to be emphasized. For further study, the relations could be drawn by keeping sub-factors as a part of
study.
160
D. Gaur
Happiness can be defined as a positive consequence of
positive factors. People who enjoy frequent positive emotions experience few negative emotions, along with a
judgement that their life is satisfying, are considered happy.
If a person is happy at work, chances are that his or her
overall satisfaction with life will be higher. Happiness and
satisfaction factors may influence each other to produce a
sense of gainful employment. For example, performing well
at work accelerates the sense of satisfaction and sense of
satisfaction contributes to an employees’ better performance
in workplace.
3.4 Engagement and Involvement
Employees’ complete involvement within their work is
defined as engagement whereas satisfaction is employee
enthusiasm at work. Engagement occurs when employees
find that their needs are being met. Engagement reflects the
circumstances in which employees know what is expected of
them, “know what they need to do get their work done, have
opportunities to feel something significant with coworkers
whom they trust, and have chances to improve and develop”.
The concept of engagement and satisfaction is related to
commitment at work. Herrbach found that individuals
experiencing a more positive effect at work were more likely
to experience a higher level of effective commitment.
3.5 Safe Work Environments
Happiness at work is shared by a safe and healthy physical
work environment which proves that management cares
about the welfare of workers. Harter et al. (2002) perceived
that safety of the workplace was one of the most robust
predictors of employee satisfaction. Keeping workers physically safe and injury free leads to better physical health
elsewhere.
4 A Model for Studying the Relation
of Positive Psychology Factors
to Sustainable Positive Behavior
The positive consequences of positive factors expressed in
the previous section lead to positive environment in the
organization. In a positive organization, sensibility is
required to regulate and ensure sustainable development in
today’s uncertain and rapidly changing environment.
A managerial approach of sustainable leadership that
understands the importance of relationships and positive
organizational contexts is the key to promote sustainable
development and well-being of people in the organizations.
The relation of positive behaviors to the positive consequences is attempted to be established through the model
depicted in Fig. 1.
Positive psychology is an approach of explaining human
functioning rather than explaining why the behavior occurs.
Through this model an attempt is made to draw a relation of
positive psychological factors in the instigating positive
behavior for organization. This in turn can create organization well-being and a role toward sustainable development.
Positive psychology explains the positive aspects of
people’s personality and relates positive experiences to
positive behavior. The gap of relating sustainable behavior
and actions of humans to the positive stimulus in the
workplace requires a conceptual framework. Several models
are required to support this relation of positive psychology,
so that future studies can study these sustainable behavior
factors and the workplace can utilize these factors to enhance
well-being of employees.
As per the introductory nature of this paper, a sketch of
the model is presented in Fig. 1 to understand the relationship of positive psychology as compared to positive
behavior. The positive psychology behaviors of positive
emotions, sustainable leadership, and subjective well-being
support the positive behavior consequences of happiness,
job engagement, safe working environment, and psychological well-being in the workplace. This paper emphasizes
the need for positive reinforcement to create positive environment in the workplace by creating positive emotions and
emphasizing on sustainable leadership and subjective
well-being in the organization. The sustainable factors produce positive consequences of intrinsic (satisfaction,
self-esteem, belongingness) and extrinsic (material gains,
social reinforcement) motivation which leads to inner satisfaction of employees and psychological well-being. The
psychological benefits influence pro-environmental factors,
like extrinsic consequences of social recognition and monetary rewards stimulate sustainable practices, feelings of
happiness, well-being, and intrinsic consequences emerging
from sustainable behavior enhances the inner strength and
virtue toward pro-social and pro-environmental behaviors.
This is a “positive model” that depicts a simple relation
without emphasizing the interrelation of each factor. If
covariance of sequence flow is to be analyzed, both the
positive and negative factors affecting sustainable behavior will have to be emphasized. For further study, the relations could be drawn by keeping sub-factors as a part of
study.
160
D. Gaur