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‘Choose a Job You Love, and You Will Never Have to Work a Day in your Life’: A Strengths‐based Leadership Approach to Optimal Functioning at Work
... In the identification phase, participants are then asked to identify their strengths, usually through the completion of a strengths assessment such as the VIA Survey (McGrath, 2017), the Clifton Strengthsfinder (Asplund, Agrawal, Hodges, Harter, & Lopez, 2014), or the Strengths Profile (CAPP, 2019). Once the assessments are completed, some authors also suggest to give participants additional time and specific questions to help them further reflect on their results, gain a deeper appreciation of their strengths, and prepare for the following step (Dubreuil & Forest, 2017;Dubreuil et al., 2016;Harzer & Ruch, 2016;Meyers, van Woerkom, de Reuver, Bakk, & Oberski, 2015). At this stage, participants are usually eager to know each other's results. ...
... Organizations that want to provide strengths use support to their employees can do so by (re)focusing common human resource (HR) practices on individual strengths (Dubreuil & Forest, 2017). This includes, but is not limited to HR practices to attract, select, socialize, develop, motivate, and retain employees. ...
... This phase is critical for the employee to be able to appreciate the value of the approach, to understand the steps involved in the process, and to be actively and genuinely involved in the intervention (Clifton and Harter 2003). The approach's origins, advantages and limitations, as well as the overall process, must therefore be presented, and all questions must be answered (Dubreuil and Forest 2017). This step helps reduce negativity bias, the natural tendency of humans to give more attention to negative than positive information (Ito et al. 1998), and fully engage participants in the intervention from the start. ...
... Different methods can be used according to the particular demands of the situation, and the resources available. Although each method can provide very useful information on its own, a combination of different methods (e.g., psychometric instrument and feedback from peers) can yield a more accurate and complete picture of an individual's strengths (see Dubreuil and Forest 2017, for a thorough discussion of these methods). The third step is the integration of strengths in the individual's identity (3). ...
The objective of the present article is to review the literature on strengths use and development in the workplace. This review (1) presents a summary of the outcomes of strengths use in organizations, and (2) proposes a general intervention model facilitating strengths development in the workplace. A systematic review was used to summarize the outcomes of studies on strengths use at work, whereas a narrative review was employed to examine the main strengths development interventions available, and to propose an integrative model. Results indicate that strengths use is associated with job satisfaction, work engagement, well-being, and work performance. Furthermore, scholars and professionals use similar intervention strategies that can be summarized in a five-step integrative model to promote strengths development in organizations. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications, as well as avenues for future research.
... On the other hand, perceived organizational support for strengths use (POSSU) is reported when employees believe that the organization is actively supporting them to use and apply their strengths at work (Keenan & Mostert, 2013). For example, organizations might help employees identify their strengths, develop them, and use them, especially by matching work tasks and strengths (Dubreuil & Forest, 2017;Linley et al., 2006). ...
This study sheds light on the strengths-based approach and the deficit correction approach regarding training and development at work. The former is operationalized by perceived organizational support for strength use (POSSU) and strengths use behaviors (SUB), and the latter through perceived organizational support for deficit correction (POSDC) and deficit correction behaviors (DCB). Using self-determination theory (SDT), we argue that both approaches might enhance employees’ optimal functioning (i.e., task performance, contextual performance, and psychological well-being), by increasing autonomous motivation through need satisfaction and decreasing controlled motivation through need frustration. More precisely, this study tends to identify which approach has the most impact on performance and well-being within the workplace. Two independent samples were collected to test the proposed model: the first one explored the implication of POSSU and POSDC as antecedents of basic psychological needs, while the second examines SUB and DCB. In the first sample (N = 341), structural equation modeling (SEM) shows that POSSU increases autonomous motivation through need satisfaction and reduces controlled motivation by diminishing need frustration. While POSDC favors controlled motivation through need frustration. In the second sample (N = 454), SEM demonstrates that SUB increases autonomous motivation through need satisfaction and reduces controlled motivation by diminishing need frustration. While DCB favors controlled motivation through need frustration. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
... On the other hand, perceived organizational support for strengths use (POSSU) is reported when employees believe that the organization is actively supporting them to use and apply their strengths at work (Keenan & Mostert, 2013). For example, organizations might help employees identify their strengths, develop them, and use them, especially by matching work tasks and strengths (Dubreuil & Forest, 2017;Linley et al., 2006). ...
This study sheds light on the strengths-based approach and the deficit correction approach regarding training and development at work. The former is operationalized by
perceived organizational support for strength use (POSSU) and strengths use
behaviors (SUB), and the latter through perceived organizational support for deficit
correction (POSDC) and deficit correction behaviors (DCB). Using self-determination
theory (SDT), we argue that both approaches might enhance employees’ optimal
functioning (i.e., task performance, contextual performance, and psychological wellbeing),
by increasing autonomous motivation through need satisfaction and decreasing
controlled motivation through need frustration. More precisely, this study tends to
identify which approach has the most impact on performance and well-being within the
workplace. Two independent samples were collected to test the proposed model: the
first one explored the implication of POSSU and POSDC as antecedents of basic
psychological needs, while the second examines SUB and DCB. In the first sample (N
= 341), structural equation modeling (SEM) shows that POSSU increases autonomous
motivation through need satisfaction and reduces controlled motivation by diminishing
need frustration. While POSDC favors controlled motivation through need frustration. In
the second sample (N = 454), SEM demonstrates that SUB increases autonomous
motivation through need satisfaction and reduces controlled motivation by diminishing
need frustration. While DCB favors controlled motivation through need frustration.
Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
... Still others view their work as a vocation, an expression of what is most meaningful to them. These are the people who are most likely to say that they do not view their gainful employment as 'work' and that they would do the same even if unsalaried (Dubreuil, 2017). They also often express a sense of privilege for having the opportunity to do what they do (Duffy, Autin & Douglass, 2015) and say that what they do plays to their strengths (Harzer & Ruch, 2012), it is an extension of what they are naturally good at, it is a good personenvironment fit (Litman-Ovadia and Davidovitch, 2010), they have the experience that they were somehow meant to do this kind of work. ...
... Perceived organizational support for strengths use may be established through human resource management practices (Dubreuil and Forest 2017). For example, during the recruitment process, individuals can be placed in specific roles within the company based on the fit between their individual signature strengths and the expected job roles, functions, or tasks. ...
Character strengths are positively valued personality traits that find expression in individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Most adults develop up to seven core character strengths (i.e., “signature strengths”) which are central to their identity. According to fundamental theoretical assumptions about signature strengths, Person-Environment Fit Theory, Job Demands-Resources Theory and prior empirical research, employing one’s signature strengths leads to a number of favorable general and work outcomes. Strategies on the individual, team, and organizational level fostering signature strengths use in the workplace are summarized.
... Similarly, organizational leaders should consider creating additional opportunities for employees to recognize, acknowledge, and use their strengths at work (e.g., Asplund & Blacksmith, 2012;Clifton & Harter, 2003;Harter, Schmidt & Hayes, 2002) and thus benefiting the organization. At the organizational level, promotion of a strengthsbased culture (which encompasses recruitment, selection, training, and performance management processes) can help motivate employees to contribute more in their work teams and draw satisfaction from work (Dubreuil & Forest, 2017;Linley, Garcea, Harrington, Trenier & Minhas, 2011). Specific strengths intervention programs can also be developed and tailored in organizations to teach employees how they can recognize and use their signature strengths (Dubreuil et al., 2016;Harzer & Ruch, 2016). ...
This study investigates the relationship between organizational career management and career satisfaction, as well as three mediating resources based on the social cognitive career theory. Using an employee survey, 165 employees of a municipal utility company were questioned. In line with the theory, bootstrap confidence interval results show that the positive relationship between organizational career management and career satisfaction is mediated by individual career planning and perceived organizational support. Occupational self-efficacy was partly confirmed as a mediator. Findings illustrate the importance of organizational career management and provide practical implications regarding its implementation.
The teaching profession is characterized by high demands and teachers who thrive are better able to navigate their demanding context than teachers who survive. Based on theories on strengths use we propose that strengths interventions which help teachers to identify, use, and develop their strengths can enhance their thriving (vitality and learning) which enables them to perform better. In addition, based on the socioemotional selective theory we propose that strengths interventions are especially beneficial for older teachers because it fits their goals and skills. We conducted a quasi-experimental study, in which 152 teachers and their team leaders participated in a strengths intervention. Longitudinal survey data indicated that the strengths intervention contributed to older teachers’ (≥ 46 years old) vitality, which in turn, contributed to their performance. No significant effects were found for younger teachers. We discuss the implications of our study for older teachers.
Háttér: A pozitív pszichológiai irányzat egyik központi témája az erősségek vizsgálata. Az erősségek a jóllét és a jó teljesítmény fontos építőkövei, emiatt a munkahelyeken és a szer vezeti hatékonyság szempontjából különösen fontos, hogy felismerjük, alkalmazzuk és fejlesszük azokat.
Célkitűzések: A tanulmány célja, hogy egy elméleti áttekintő tanulmány keretében az erőségek általános ismertetésén túl bemutassa, hogy a munkahelyi környezetben miért fontosak és hogyan működnek az erősségek. Az írás rámutat, hogy hogyan lehet optimálisan használ ni az erősségeket szervezeti környezetben, mi jellemzi az erősségekkel való pszichológiai munkát, valamint összegzi az erősségek fejlesztésére irányuló munkahelyi törekvéseket és szervezeti intervenciókat. Módszer: A szakirodalmi áttekintés Niemiec (2018) összefoglaló könyve mellett négy átfogó elméleti összefoglalást nyújtó tanulmányt vesz alapul a szervezeti erősséghasználat alap fogalmainak és meghatározó kérdéseinek leírására. Ezen túl pedig számos, elsősorban 2010 utáni empirikus eredményt ismertet, melyek a különböző erősségek és a munkahelyi jóllét vagy teljesítmény összefüggéseit vizsgálják.
Eredmények: Az erősségek szakirodalmi tanulmányozása alapján megfogalmazhatjuk, hogy az erősségek azonosítása és felismerése mellett érdemes azok optimális használatára és fejlesztési lehetőségeire is fókuszálni, hogy az egyéni erősségek mellett érdemes a csoportos vagy kollektív erősséghasználatra is figyelmet fordítani, valamint, hogy az intervenciók során az általános fejlesztési folyamatok mellett figyelembe kell venni a célcsoport és a kontextus speciális jellemzőit is.
Következtetések: A munkahelyi jóllét és teljesítmény szempontjából kiemelt jelentőségű lehet az egyéni és csoportos erősségek felismerése, használata és fejlesztése.
Les mutations et transformations du travail s’accélèrent, impliquant souvent la dégradation des conditions de travail des salariés. Pour y faire face, les entreprises adoptent de plus en plus fréquemment des politiques de Qualité de Vie au Travail qui ont pour principal objectif l’amélioration du bien-être et de la performance des salariés. Depuis quatre ans, un établissement de l’entreprise SNCF cherche à répondre à ses enjeux en développant l’autonomie et la responsabilisation de ses salariés. Dans ce contexte, notre recherche s’est tout d’abord intéressée à identifier les conditions dans lesquelles il est possible de développer l’empowerment psychologique des salariés (Spreitzer, 1995). Dans un deuxième temps, notre objectif ambitionnait de promouvoir l’empowerment psychologique par une intervention. Une première étude utilisant une méthodologie qualitative a cherché à identifier les conditions de travail perçues, en termes d’exigences et de ressources (Bakker et Demerouti, 2007), qui peuvent influencer l’empowerment psychologique des salariés de l’établissement. Par la suite, une autre étude a été réalisée afin de confirmer, par une méthodologie quantitative, les premiers résultats obtenus. Deux échelles de mesure ont été traduites puis validées pour les besoins de cette recherche (leadership d’empowerment et job crafting). Enfin, une dernière étude portait l’objectif d’expérimenter, par l’intervention, une technique d’augmentation des ressources socio-organisationnelles en contexte écologique pour développer l’empowerment psychologique des salariés. Cette recherche met en évidence le rôle central des ressources socio-organisationnelles telles que la reconnaissance, la justice organisationnelle et le leadership d’empowerment, pour favoriser le développement de l’empowerment psychologique des salariés. Mais elle souligne aussi l’effet rétroactif des comportements de job crafting pour développer les ressources des salariés favorables au développement de leur empowerment psychologique. Enfin, les résultats de l’étude quasi expérimentale mettent en lumière l’aspect prometteur des interventions job crafting pour atteindre cet objectif.
Aim: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between character strengths, person-job fit and job involvement with organizational well-being in west Tehran social security employees. Methods: The research method was correlation and statistical population was 1400 employees of west Tehran Social Security Organization and its branches. The sample size was 312 employees which were selected by random cluster sampling. Tools used for this study were Kanungo's job involvement questionnaire (1982), workplace Perma profiler by Kern (2014), via character strengths questionnaire by Peterson and Seligman (2004) and person job fit questionnaire by Ahmadi (2015). Data from 312 questionnaires were analysed using structural equations with partial least squares method in Smart Pls software. Findings: Calculation and analysis of fitness indicators using Smart-PLS software, confirmed adaptation of conceptual framework and empirical data. The conceptual model was validated by Goodness of Fit index (GOF=0.733). The results also showed that character strengths, person job fit, job involvement and organizational well-being are related and job involvement played a mediating role in the relationship(p=0.001 , t= 3.137, t=3.543). Conclusion: Fostering and encouraging using of character strengths by employees alongside with applying person job fit concept in hiring and task assigning in organization, can lead to higher organizational well-being and positive outcomes for both organization and employees.
Strength-Based leadership coaching has demonstrated significant efficacy in the development of individual agency-based leadership capability, (MacKie, 2014). Unlike many coaching methodologies, this effect has been demonstrated beyond the level of self-report and in addition, there is convincing evidence that is the specific strength-based methodology rather than the generic coaching approach that is responsible for the observed enhancements in transformational leadership effectiveness. Despite a consensus emerging around leadership as being a key dependent variable in the evaluation of coaching effectiveness, the construct of contemporary leadership has recently been criticised for containing within in several unsustainable assumptions that if unchecked, can lead to poorer outcomes at the societal and planetary level. Sustainability leadership offers the opportunity to redress that imbalance by aligning strength-based coaching with sustainable outcomes beyond individual, shareholder and organisational value. This chapter explores the core elements of a strength-based approach to leadership development and how they can be repurposed towards the development and enhancement of sustainability leadership within organisations.
en Positive psychology suggests relying on workers' strengths to maintain balance between personal fulfillment and organizational goals. This article assesses whether the use of strengths in the workplace are associated with proactive behaviours and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) through the mediating role of well‐being. Data were collected from 142 French‐speaking Canadian professionals working in various non‐profit organizations. Results show that the use of strengths can predict some OCBs (notably mutual aid and civic virtue) as well as proactivity. Only the affective dimension of well‐being shows a mediation effect for mutual aid and proactivity. Theoretical contributions, implications for practitioners, limitations, and future research directions are also discussed.
Résumé
fr La psychologie positive propose de miser sur les forces des travailleurs pour maintenir un équilibre entre leur épanouissement et les objectifs organisationnels. Le présent article évalue si l'utilisation des forces au travail est associée aux comportements de citoyenneté organisationnelle (CCO) et de proactivité (CP) via le rôle médiateur du bien‐être subjectif. Les données ont été recueillies auprès de 142 Canadiens francophones œuvrant dans des organismes communautaires. Les résultats montrent que l'utilisation des forces est associée à certains CCO (entraide et vertus civiques) ainsi qu'aux CP. Seule la dimension affective du bien‐être a montré un effet de médiation pour l'entraide et la proactivité. Finalement, les contributions scientifiques, les implications pratiques, les limites et les pistes pour les recherches futures sont présentées.
Based on 7,939 business units in 36 companies, this study used meta-analysis to examine the relationship at the business-unit level between employee satisfaction–engagement and the business-unit outcomes of customer satisfaction, productivity, profit, employee turnover, and accidents. Generalizable relationships large enough to have substantial practical value were found between unit-level employee satisfaction–engagement and these business-unit outcomes. One implication is that changes in management practices that increase employee satisfaction may increase business-unit outcomes, including profit.
The goal of the present study was to test the efficacy of a strengths-based intervention program delivered in the workplace and assess its impact on well-being, performance, harmonious passion, vitality and concentration of workers. The intervention program was conducted on a sample of 78 participants working in a physical readaptation center and comprised three main steps: (1) Discovery, (2) Integration and (3) Action. Results from series or paired sample t-tests revealed a significant increase in participants’ strengths knowledge, strengths use and well-being after the intervention. However, no difference was found regarding work performance, harmonious passion, vitality and concentration. Further analyses revealed that participants who reported high increases in strengths use also showed significant increases in harmonious passion and work performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Although most managers can recognize an off-kilter leader (consider the highly supportive boss who cuts people too much slack), it's quite difficult to see overkill in yourself. Unfortunately, that's where leadership development tools such as 360-degree surveys fail to deliver, say Kaplan and Kaiser. Dividing qualities into "strengths" and "weaknesses" and rating them on a five-point scale will not account for strengths overplayed. The authors suggest several strategies, based on their years of consulting experience and research, for figuring out which attributes you've employed to excess and adjusting your behavior accordingly. Strengths taken too far have two consequences: First, they become weaknesses. For instance, quick-wittedness can turn into impatience with others. Second, you're at risk of becoming extremely lopsided-that is, diminishing your capacity on the opposite pole. A leader who is very good at building consensus, for example, may take too long to move into action. To strike a balance between two key leadership dualities-forceful versus enabling, and strategic versus operational-you need to see your actions and motivations clearly. That's no easy task since most leadership development tools don't spell out that you're overdoing your strengths. But there are other ways to bring that information to light. You can start with a review of the highest ratings on your most recent 360 report. Ask yourself: Is this too much of a good thing? Another technique is to make a list of the traits you most want to have as a leader. Are you going to extremes with any of them? To check for lopsidedness, you can prompt feedback from other people with a list of qualities you've composed or one you've gleaned from other sources. Once you know which attributes you're overdoing, you can recalibrate.
Organisations are frequently confronted with the issue of how to enhance employee mental health. Based on self-determination theory, a model is proposed that examines the relationships between job crafting, the satisfaction of the intrinsic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness at work, and employee well-being—defined here as both subjective well-being and psychological well-being. A sample of 253 working adults completed a battery of questionnaires including the Job Crafting Questionnaire, the Intrinsic Need Satisfaction Scale, and the Mental Health Continuum. Using structural equation modelling methods, it was determined that job crafting predicted intrinsic need satisfaction, which, in turn, predicted employee well-being. The results suggest that job crafting may be an important underpinning upon which to base an employee well-being intervention.
This chapter describes a preliminary study of the Values in Action (VIA) strengths of character and their relationship to work satisfaction across a variety of occupations. Relying on a large Internet sample (N = 7348) of adults from the United States, we found that across occupations, character strengths of curiosity, zest, hope, gratitude, and spirituality were associated with work satisfaction. We also found interpretable differences across occupations for several strengths of character, although these were small in magnitude. Good character is not the province of workers in any given occupation, despite obvious differences across jobs in educational requirements, status, and salary. Our data provided some support for the notion of complementary fit between strengths of character and work satisfaction. If a worker in a given occupation scored higher on a less typical strength of character within that occupation, then he or she was more likely to be satisfied with work. The chapter concludes with directions for research and implications for practice.
The article examines the role of proactive personality in predicting work engagement and job performance. On the basis of the literature on proactive personality and the job demands–resources model, we hypothesized that employees with a proactive personality would be most likely to craft their own jobs, in order to stay engaged and perform well. Data were collected among 95 dyads of employees (N = 190), who were working in various organizations. The results of structural equation modeling analyses offered strong support for the proposed model. Employees who were characterized by a proactive personality were most likely to craft their jobs (increase their structural and social job resources, and increase their job challenges); job crafting, in turn, was predictive of work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption) and colleague-ratings of in-role performance. These findings suggest that, to the extent that employees proactively adjust their work environment, they manage to stay engaged and perform well.
Riding the growth of positive psychology, strengths-based development has become a popular approach to helping managers become better leaders. This school of thought advises managers to maximize their natural talents rather than try to correct weaknesses. This article takes issue with this advice and considers how it can, ironically, lead managers to turn their strengths into weaknesses through overuse as well as cause them to neglect shortcomings that can degrade the performance of employees, teams, and organizations. Hypotheses are developed about the relationship between specific personal strengths and leadership behaviors as well as the joint tendencies to overdo behaviors related to one's strengths while underdoing opposing but complementary behaviors. Strong support was found for the tendency of managers to do too much of the behaviors related to their strengths and more modest support was found for the tendency of managers to do too little of opposing but complementary behaviors. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of future research needs and how to apply the strengths approach in a way that minimizes downside risk in developmental applications.
It was hypothesized that character strengths relate to job performance. Both constructs were
investigated with respect to their currently known dimensions (i.e., 24 character strengths; job performance: task performance, job dedication, interpersonal facilitation, organizational support) to get a comprehensive overview of their co-occurrence. Two samples, 318 and 108 employees, respectively, filled in measures assessing character strengths as traits and their usefulness at work, and the job performance dimensions. For sample 2, also supervisors judged the employees’ job performance. Based on this set of two samples we show replicable associations between character strengths and job performance (self-reports and supervisory ratings). Furthermore, the number of individual strengths beneficial at work was related to job performance. These promising findings open a new field for research on human performance.
This study provides a preliminary examination of the efficacy of the Reflected Best Self Exercise. We conducted a field quasi-experiment with 108 adolescent leaders assigned to a 2 × 2 design: (1) valence of feedback (i.e., strengths-only versus strengths and improvement-oriented) and (2) source of feedback (i.e., professional (e.g., teachers, coaches, bosses) only versus professional and personal (e.g., friends and family)). By ANOVA, support was found for the hypothesis that feedback from the combination of professional and personal sources is associated with more positive emotional, agentic, and relational resources than feedback from only professional sources. Little support was found for the hypothesis that strengths-based feedback generates more positive emotional, agentic, or relational resources. Limitations, implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.
We hypothesized that the amount of positive experiences at work (job satisfaction, pleasure, engagement, meaning) is a function of the extent to which the situational circumstances at the workplace allow for the application of an individual’s signature character strengths. For the description of the individual a reliable and valid instrument already exists, but not for the environment. Hence, the newly developed Applicability of Character Strengths Rating Scales (ACS-RS) with information on its reliability and validity were also presented. A sample of 1,111 adults filled in the ACS-RS and measures for possession of character strengths and positive experiences at work. The ACS-RS was reliable by means of internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. It proved to be valid in several ways being sensitive to: (a) the differences in the applicability of trait-relevant behavior in formal versus informal situations by showing higher applicability of the character strengths in the latter; (b) the differences between traits regarding their applicability across situations; (c) people’s disposition to choose situations fitting their dispositions by showing positive relationships between the degree of possession and applicability. Moreover, correlations between applicability of strengths and positive experiences increased with the individual centrality of the strengths. The more signature strengths were applied at the workplace, the higher the positive experiences at work. This study showed that character strengths matter in vocational environments irrespective of their content. Strengths-congruent activities at the workplace are important for positive experiences at work like job satisfaction and experiencing pleasure, engagement, and meaning fostered by one’s job.
Many practitioners working with clients from a strengths perspective largely rely on ad hoc interventions and employ a simplistic ‘identify and use’ approach. In this article, we suggest that clients can extract greater benefits when practitioners adopt more sophisticated approaches to strengths intervention. We introduce an alternative approach that we call ‘strengths development’. This approach is distinguished by the view that strengths are not fixed traits across settings and time (the dominant, contemporary approach to personality). Instead, we adopt dynamic, within-person approaches from personality science to research, assessment, and interventions on strengths. Specifically, strengths are highly contextual phenomena that emerge in distinctive patterns alongside particular goals, interests, values, and situational factors. Strengths are potentials for excellence that can be cultivated through enhanced awareness, accessibility, and effort. Finally, we outline potential psychological risks associated with the strengths perspective that are worthy of explicit discussion with clients.
Many organizations are struggling to define a "healthy" workplace, to assess both the "healthy" and "unhealthy" aspects of their own environment, and to implement initiatives to improve the quality of their work and workplace. There is a huge body of literature documenting the direct and indirect costs of work stress. Research conducted primarily since the 1960s has identified the principal characteristics of jobs that affect well-being. There is a clear parallel between the literature addressing job design as a means of increasing motivation and organizational effectiveness and job design as a means of improving individual well-being. These observations and the supporting literature suggest three principal foundation blocks for a national strategy to address issues of work and mental health. We advocate a focus on the assessment of leading indicators of mental and physical health in the workplace. On the issue of job stress, the organizational research suggests a dual focus, not only on these types of stress management intervention, but also on changing the job stressors through activities such as job design and leadership training. Third, implementation of these first two points requires education and training at two levels: in the workplace and among mental-health professionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
By way of introduction to this Special Issue of the
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, we hope to achieve three interrelated goals. First, we define what we mean by a "healthy workplace," and we delineate the ways in which work is associated with mental health. We argue that work is both a causal factor in mental and physical ill-health as well as a potential health resource that both may protect us and assist in our recovery from psychological ill-health. Second, we review the individual, organizational, and societal costs of unhealthy work and workplaces, and, consequently, of poor mental and physical health. Our argument is simply that we are incurring horrific economic and social costs when we have unhealthy workplaces. Finally, we provide a framework in terms of a healthy workplace model to help summarize this literature, and to present the articles in this Special Issue. Throughout this introduction, we emphasize that these goals are highly compatible with organizations' traditional focus on enhancing productivity and profitability. Put simply, what is good for Canadian workers is good for Canadian industry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Positive psychology needs an agreed-upon way of classifying positive traits as a backbone for research, diagnosis, and intervention. As a 1st step toward classification, the authors examined philosophical and religious traditions in China (Confucianism and Taoism), South Asia (Buddhism and Hinduism), and the West (Athenian philosophy, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) for the answers each provided to questions of moral behavior and the good life. The authors found that 6 core virtues recurred in these writings: courage, justice, humanity, temperance, wisdom, and transcendence. This convergence suggests a nonarbitrary foundation for the classification of human strengths and virtues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
For decades, organizational scientists and practitioners alike have been fascinated by the happy productive worker thesis. According to this hypothesis, happy employees exhibit higher levels of job-related performance behaviors than do unhappy employees. However, despite years of research, support for the happy productive worker thesis remains equivocal. These ambiguous findings result from the variety of ways in which happiness has been operationalized. Researchers have operationalized happiness as job satisfaction, as the presence of positive affect, as the absence of negative affect, as the lack of emotional exhaustion, and as psychological well-being. Some of these measures exhibit appreciable associations with job performance; others do not. The circumplex framework is offered as a potentially useful taxonomy for researchers interested in better understanding and promoting a happy and productive workforce. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Using signature strengths at work has been shown to influence workers' optimal functioning and well-being. However, little is known about the processes through which signature strengths lead to positive outcomes. The present research thus aimed at exploring the role of having a harmonious passion in the relation between using signature strengths and well-being. For this purpose, an intervention was developed where participants (n = 186) completed three activities aiming at developing their knowledge and use of their signature strengths at work. The results showed (1) that the intervention successfully increased participants' use of their signature strengths, (2) that participants from the experimental group reported a higher use of their signature strengths at the end of the study than participants from the control group, and (3) that increases in the use of signature strengths reported by participants from the experimental group were related to increases in harmonious passion, which in turn led to higher levels of well-being.
There is a growing body of research devoted to the examination of character strengths as conceptualized by Values-In-Action
(VIA) strengths classification system. However, there remains a dearth of research examining generic strengths use and its
relationship with well-being, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and VIA character strengths. In this crosssectional
study, 135 undergraduate university students completed measures of strengths use, subjective well-being (SWB), self-esteem,
self-efficacy, and HRQOL, and endorsed five top VIA strengths. Results revealed strengths use is a unique predictor of SWB,
but not HRQOL. The VIA strengths of hope and zest were significant positive predictors of life satisfaction. The most commonly-endorsed
VIA strengths were: love, humor, kindness, social intelligence, and open-mindedness. The least-endorsed VIA strengths were:
leadership, perseverance, wisdom, spirituality, and self-control. Overall, results suggest an important link between generic
strengths use and specific VIA strengths and their impact on SWB.
KeywordsStrengths use–Subjective well-being–Life satisfaction–Health-related quality of life
We propose that employees craft their jobs by changing cognitive, task, and/or relational boundaries to shape interactions and relationships with others at work. These altered task and relational configurations change the design and social environment of the job, which, in turn, alters work meanings and work identity. We offer a model of job crafting that specifies (1) the individual motivations that spark this activity. (2) how opportunities to job craft and how individual work orientations determine the forms job crafting takes, and (3) its likely individual and organizational effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Academy of Management Review is the property of Academy of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
The U.S. Army Master Resilience Trainer (MRT) course, which provides face-to-face resilience training, is one of the foundational pillars of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program. The 10-day MRT course is the foundation for training resilience skills to sergeants and for teaching sergeants how to teach these skills to their soldiers. The curriculum is based on materials developed by the University of Pennsylvania, the Penn Resilience Program (PRP), and other empirically validated work in the field of positive psychology. This "train the trainer model" is the main vehicle for the dissemination of MRT concepts to the entire force.
Psychology has neglected the study of variation across cities. An urban psychology is needed that takes seriously such variation and focuses on strengths and assets contributing to the good life as much as on problems of urbanization. To illustrate the value of an urban psychology, we describe studies of character strengths among residents in the 50 largest U.S. cities (N = 47,369). Differences in character strengths were found to exist across cities, were robustly related to important city-level outcomes such as entrepreneurship and 2008 presidential election voting, and were associated in theoretically predicted ways with city-level features. We propose a framework that distinguishes between strengths of the "head," which are intellectual and self-oriented, and strengths of the "heart," which are emotional and interpersonal. Cities whose residents had higher levels of head strengths were those rated as creative and innovative. Head strengths predicted the likelihood of a city voting for Barack Obama, whereas heart strengths predicted voting for John McCain. More than half of the world's population now resides in cities, and urban psychology deserves greater attention.
Four hundred and fiftynine students from 20 different high school classrooms in Michigan participated in focus group discussions about the character strengths included in the Values in Action Classification. Students were interested in the subject of good character and able to discuss with candor and sophistication instances of each strength. They were especially drawn to the positive traits of leadership, practical intelligence, wisdom, social intelligence, love of learning, spirituality, and the capacity to love and be loved. Students believed that strengths were largely acquired rather than innate and that these strengths developed through ongoing life experience as opposed to formal instruction. They cited an almost complete lack of contemporary role models exemplifying different strengths of character. Implications of these findings for the quantitative assessment of positive traits were discussed, as were implications for designing character education programs for adolescents. We suggest that peers can be an especially important force in encouraging the development and display of good character among youth. Peer Reviewed http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45293/1/10964_2004_Article_379439.pdf
Recently, psychologists have begun to shift their research attention to positive topics historically overlooked by the profession.
The study of character strengths is a major research interest of positive psychologists. A classification of 24 character
strengths, called the Values in Action (VIA) Classification, has recently been developed, and the current study evaluates
these character strengths across cultures. Among 123 members of the Kenyan Maasai, 71 Inughuit in Northern Greenland, and
519 University of Illinois students, we found high rates of agreement about the existence, desirability, and development of
these strengths of character. Despite these strong similarities, there were differences between and within cultures in terms
of gender, the perceived importance of specific strengths (such as modesty), and the existence of cultural institutions that
promote each strength.
A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless. The exclusive focus on pathology that has dominated so much of our discipline results in a model of the human being lacking the positive features that make life worth living. Hope, wisdom, creativity, future mindedness, courage, spirituality, responsibility, and perseverance are ignored or explained as transformations of more authentic negative impulses. The 15 articles in this millennial issue of the American Psychologist discuss such issues as what enables happiness, the effects of autonomy and self-regulation, how optimism and hope affect health, what constitutes wisdom, and how talent and creativity come to fruition. The authors outline a framework for a science of positive psychology, point to gaps in our knowledge, and predict that the next century will see a science and profession that will come to understand and build the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish.
Positive psychology has flourished in the last 5 years. The authors review recent developments in the field, including books, meetings, courses, and conferences. They also discuss the newly created classification of character strengths and virtues, a positive complement to the various editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (e. g., American Psychiatric Association, 1994), and present some cross-cultural findings that suggest a surprising ubiquity of strengths and virtues. Finally, the authors focus on psychological interventions that increase individual happiness. In a 6-group, random-assignment, placebo-controlled Internet study, the authors tested 5 purported happiness interventions and 1 plausible control exercise. They found that 3 of the interventions lastingly increased happiness and decreased depressive symptoms. Positive interventions can supplement traditional interventions that relieve suffering and may someday be the practical legacy of positive psychology.
Objectives: Many coaching psychologists use strengths approaches in their practice. The current study set out to develop a conceptualisation of what is meant by strengthspotting, as well as to identify different domains of strengthspotting. The aim was to develop and validate a Strengthspotting Scale that could be used by researchers for future inquiry, and by practitioners for the self-assessment of their own strengthspotting preferences and capabilities.
Design: A Strengthspotting Scale item pool of 50 items was developed by six strengths experts and used for initial data collection. An online survey was used to collect data on the newly-developed Strengthspotting Scale, together with measures of personality, optimism, positive and negative affect, and strengths knowledge for concurrent validation.
Method: Data were collected from 456 respondents. Analyses used included exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation, correlation analysis and multivariate analysis of variance.
Results: A 20-item Strengthspotting Scale with five subscales assessing the Ability, Emotional, Frequency, Application and Motivation domains of strengthspotting was developed and validated. All subscales demonstrated very good internal consistency reliability and concurrent validity with extraversion, agreeableness, optimism, positive affect and strengths knowledge. There were no gender differences, but small positive associations between strengthspotting and age.
Conclusions: A reliable and valid Strengthspotting Scale was developed, which will now be able to support future research in this area. It will also enable coaching practitioners to assess more readily their own preferences and capabilities in relation to strengthspotting.
Discover proven strategies for applying positive psychology within your coaching practice. Written by Robert Biswas-Diener, a respected researcher, psychologist, life and organizational coach, and expert in positive psychology, Practicing Positive Psychology Coaching presents a wide range of practical interventions and tools you can put to use right away in your coaching practice. Each intervention is clearly outlined and, where appropriate, illustrated by case studies from organizational and life coaching. Providing unique assessments that can be used to evaluate client resources and goals, this practical guide introduces tools unique to this book that every professional can use in their practice, including: Findings from new research on goal commitment strategies, motivation, growth-mindset theory, and goal revision. A decision tree for working specifically with Snyder's Hope Theory in the coaching context. An easy-to-use assessment of "positive diagnosis," which measures client strengths, values, positive orientation toward the future, and satisfaction. Measures of self-esteem, optimism, happiness, personal strengths, motivation, and creativity. Guidance for leading clients through organizational and common life transitions including layoffs, leadership changes, university graduation, middle age, and retirement.
Individuals engage in job crafting to create a better fit between their job and their preferences, skills, and abilities. However, the individual focus may overlook the impact of job crafting on the job context or well-being of colleagues. Therefore, an important question that is addressed in this study is whether the crafting of one person is related to the job characteristics and well-being of a colleague. This study explores the potential negative effects of a seemingly positive strategy for the individual on a colleague. Namely, we predict that when employees decrease their hindering job demands, their colleagues will be more likely to report a higher workload and more conflict. In turn, we hypothesise that colleague reports of workload and conflict are related to colleague burnout. Data were collected among 103 dyads and analyzed with the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model. The results largely supported the hypothesised relationships: Decreasing hindering job demands was positively related to colleague workload and conflict, which, in turn, related positively to colleague burnout. These findings suggest that proactively decreasing hindering job demands not only relates to personal job experiences, but also to colleague job characteristics and well-being.
Research has shown that strengths use and development can foster individual performance and well-being at work. However, to date little is known about the underlying psychological processes that might be operating in this relation. The purpose of this study was first to confirm the strengths use to work performance association and, second, to assess theoretical models of strengths use by testing a path model from strengths use to work performance, through harmonious passion, subjective vitality, and concentration. This study was conducted on a sample of 404 French-speaking Canadian workers and structural equation modeling analyses were performed in order to test the proposed model. Results show an
association between strengths use and work performance. Further, this relation is completely mediated by the proposed variables. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.
The focus of job design has shifted from the manager-initiated approach to the employee-initiated approach. Although scholars and managers have recognized the pivotal role of job crafting in the job design domain, certain unknown questions remain. We fill this void by examining the relationships among job crafting, person-job fit, and job engagement. Data were gathered from full-time frontline hotel employees in Taiwan. The findings show that both individual crafting and collaborative crafting are related to job engagement. Person-job fit mediates such relationships. Individual crafting is a better predictor of job engagement than collaborative crafting. The implications for theoretical and managerial job crafting research are provided.
The impact of nine strengths-based positive interventions on well-being and depression was examined in an Internet-based randomized placebo-controlled study. The aims of the study were to: (1) replicate findings on the effectiveness of the gratitude visit, three good things, and using character strengths interventions; (2) test variants of interventions (noting three good things for 2 weeks; combining the gratitude visit and three good things interventions; and noting three funny things for a week); and (3) test the effectiveness of the counting kindness, gift of time, and another door opens-interventions in an online setting. A total of 622 adults subjected themselves to one of the nine interventions or to a placebo control exercise (early memories) and thereafter estimated their degrees of happiness and depression at five times (pre- and post-test, 1-, 3-,
and 6 months follow-up). Eight of the nine interventions increased happiness; depression was decreased in all groups, including the placebo control group. We conclude that happiness can be enhanced through some “strengths-based” interventions. Possible mechanisms for the effectiveness of the interventions are discussed.
We investigated the relationship between various character strengths and life satisfaction among 5,299 adults from three Internet samples using the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths. Consistently and robustly associated with life satisfaction were hope, zest, gratitude, love, and curiosity. Only weakly associated with life satisfaction, in contrast, were modesty and the intellectual strengths of appreciation of beauty, creativity, judgment, and love of learning. In general, the relationship between character strengths and life satisfaction was monotonic, indicating that excess on any one character strength does not diminish life satisfaction.
In a web-based study of 117,676 adults from 54 nations and all 50 US states, we investigated the relative prevalence of 24 different strengths of character. The most commonly-endorsed strengths in the USA were kindness, fairness, honesty, gratitude, and judgment, and the lesser strengths included prudence, modesty, and self-regulation. The profile of character strengths in the USA converged with profiles based on respondents from each of the other nations. Except for religiousness, comparisons within the US sample showed no differences as a function of state or geographical region. Our results may reveal something about universal human nature and/or the character requirements minimally needed for a viable society.
An emphasis of the coaching psychology and positive psychology movements has been strengths and well- being. This study examined two generic aspects of strengths - strengths knowledge and strengths use, together with organismic valuing, and their relations with subjective well-being, psychological well-being, and subjective vitality. Theory suggests that people who know their strengths, use their strengths, and follow the directions that are right for them (i.e. organismically valuing) will be happier. Participants (N=214) completed measures of these variables, as well as measures of self-esteem and self-efficacy. Analyses showed that strengths knowledge, strengths use, and organismic valuing were all significantly associated with well- being and vitality. Regression analyses showed that self-esteem, organismic valuing, and strengths use all predicted unique variance in subjective well-being and psychological well-being, but only self-esteem significantly predicted unique variance in subjective vitality. The discussion locates the findings in relation to strengths coaching, and suggests directions for future research and coaching psychology applications.
a b s t r a c t Positive psychology focuses on the benefits of both possessing and using personal strengths, however existing research has focused exclusively on having rather than using strengths. This study validates the Strengths Use Scale and presents the first test of whether strength use leads to improved well-being. A community sample (N = 207) completed measures at baseline and three and six month follow-up. The scale had a clear one-factor structure, high internal consistency (a = .94–.97), and impressive three-and six-month stability (r = .84). Strengths use led to less stress, and greater self-esteem, vitality and positive affect over both longitudinal assessment periods. Strengths use is an important longitudinal predictor of well-being, and the new scale is a reliable and valid measurement tool.
The Theory and Practice of Strengths-based DevelopmentOutcomes of Strengths-based DevelopmentThe Road AheadConclusion
This essay draws from the emerging positive psychology movement and the author's recent articles on the need for and meaning of a positive approach to organizational behavior. Specifically, the argument is made that at this time, the OB field needs a proactive, positive approach emphasizing strengths, rather than continuing in the downward spiral of negativity trying to fix weaknesses. However, to avoid the surface positivity represented by the non-sustainable best-sellers, the case is made for positive organizational behavior (POB) to take advantage of the OB field's strength of being theory and research driven. Additional criteria for this version of POB are to identify unique, state-like psychological capacities that can not only be validly measured, but also be open to development and performance management. Confidence, hope, and resiliency are offered as meeting such POB inclusion criteria. The overall intent of the essay is to generate some positive thinking and excitement for the OB field and ‘hopefully’ stimulate some new theory building, research, and effective application. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The development of a classification of strengths, the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths, has done much to advance research into strengths of character. Using an Internet sample of 17,056 UK respondents, we present data on the character strengths of a large UK sample. Women typically scored higher on strengths than did men. However, four of the top five “signature strengths” of the UK men and women overall were the same (open-mindedness, fairness, curiosity, and love of learning). Strengths typically showed small but significant positive associations with age, with the strongest associations with age between curiosity and love of learning (strengths of wisdom and knowledge), fairness (a strength of justice), and forgiveness and self-regulation (strengths of temperance). The discussion addresses potential limitations and suggests pertinent directions for future research.
Most feedback accentuates the negative. During formal employee evaluations, discussions invariably focus on "opportunities for improvement," even if the overall evaluation is laudatory. No wonder most executives--and their direct reports--dread them. Traditional, corrective feedback has its place, of course; every organization must filter out failing employees and ensure that everyone performs at an expected level of competence. But too much emphasis on problem areas prevents companies from reaping the best from their people. After all, it's a rare baseball player who is equally good at every position. Why should a natural third baseman labor to develop his skills as a right fielder? This article presents a tool to help you understand and leverage your strengths. Called the Reflected Best Self (RBS) exercise, it offers a unique feedback experience that counterbalances negative input. It allows you to tap into talents you may or may not be aware of and so increase your career potential. To begin the RBS exercise, you first need to solicit comments from family, friends, colleagues, and teachers, asking them to give specific examples of times in which those strengths were particularly beneficial. Next, you need to search for common themes in the feedback, organizing them in a table to develop a clear picture of your strong suits. Third, you must write a self-portrait--a description of yourself that summarizes and distills the accumulated information. And finally, you need to redesign your personal job description to build on what you're good at. The RBS exercise will help you discover who you are at the top of your game. Once you're aware of your best self, you can shape the positions you choose to play--both now and in the next phase of your career.
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