Gallery Presentation International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

Designing workplaces where people flourish: from wellbeing to optimal positive functioning. (#174)

Stewart Donaldson 1
  1. Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, United States

Positive Organizational Psychology strives to design workplaces that facilitate employee wellbeing, optimal positive functioning and organizational performance (Donaldson & Ko, 2010; Warren, Donaldson, & Luthans, 2018).  Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that multicomponent positive psychology interventions can improve wellbeing, positive functioning, and performance (see Donaldson, Lee, & Donaldson, 2019). The aim of this presentation is to present a new multicompent framework and measurement tool that can be used to facilitate optimal positive functioning at work, and to demonstrate how well it predicts work performance.  The Positive Functioning at Work Scale expands upon the PERMA Profiler wellbeing scale (with 5 dimensions) to include positive mindset, positive physical heath, positive work environment, and positive economic security (a total of nine positive functioning dimensions). Co-worker pairs (N=200) completed the Positive Functioning at Work Scale and a variety wellbeing and work performance measures about themselves and about their co-worker.  This multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) measurement design and analysis strategy was used in a effort to control for the flaw of self-report and mono-method bias prevelant in many workplace studies. The empirical findings from this investigation suggest that overall positive functioning strongly predicts lower levels of job stress and higher levels of proactivity, adaptability, proficiency, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment after correcting for self-report and mono-method bias.These findings suggest that workplaces that facilitate optimal positive functioning help workers flourish and succeed at work.  This is the kind I workplace I want to work and live in.

  • Keywords: Achievement, Business and Organizations, Coaching, Leadership/Management, Motivation