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Positive Organizational Scholarship and Agents of Change
Abstract
In this chapter, we assume the following: (1) the root cause of most organizational problems is culture and leadership, (2) executives seldom want to deal with these root causes, (3) because life is uncertain, organizational change is an emergent process, (4) most change processes unfold by reconstructing social reality, (5) the change process is inherently relational, (6) effective change efforts are enhanced by increasing the virtue of the actors, (7) change is embedded in the learning that flows from high-quality relationships, and (8) change agents may have to transcend conventional, economic exchange norms in order to demonstrate integrity and to build trust and openness. Drawing on the field of positive organizational scholarship, we focus on the change agent. We review the literature on self-change and offer several paths for becoming a positive leader.
... Corporate culture is widely recognized as a critical factor influencing business performance, shaping employee behavior, strategic decision-making, and overall organizational outcomes. In today's increasingly dynamic and competitive environments, its role in driving performance has become even more pronounced (Quinn & Cameron, 2019). Corporate culture aligns internal processes with external market demands and equips organizations to respond effectively to emerging challenges and opportunities. ...
... Empirical evidence underscores the importance of corporate culture in driving long-term organizational effectiveness and success (Quinn & Cameron, 2019). Specifically, collaborative and innovative cultures are often associated with improved productivity and employee engagement. ...
... This result aligns with previous studies that emphasize the role of corporate culture as a critical driver of organizational success. For instance, Quinn and Cameron highlight that cohesive cultural frameworks, such as those fostering collaboration and innovation, directly contribute to improved performance outcomes (Quinn & Cameron, 2019). Similarly, Chatman et al. underline that organizations with well-aligned cultural practices are better positioned to adapt to market demands and achieve sustained competitive advantage (Chatman et al., 2014). ...
This study examines the impact of corporate culture, strategic orientation, and environmental uncertainty on firm performance, focusing on the moderating role of the Lever of Controls (LoC). Primary data were collected through a survey involving 203 respondents from both listed and unlisted companies in Indonesia on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. Firm performance was measured using customer satisfaction, revenue, profit growth, return on investment, and market share. The findings reveal that corporate culture and strategic orientation significantly enhance firm performance. However, environmental uncertainty was found to have no direct impact on business performance. Furthermore, the moderating role of the LoC was not validated, suggesting that the relationship between management control systems and performance is complex and requires further investigation, particularly in uncertain environments. This research provides valuable insights for practitioners, emphasizing that firm performance is strongly influenced by corporate culture, strategic orientation, and effective management of environmental uncertainty.
... In a similar way, at the organizational level, the concept of positive emotions is gaining importance since it is found to influence job performance (Diener et al., 2020). As an outcome, there are two complementary but parallel studies regarding a positive approach at the workplace-positive organizational behaviour (POB) and positive organizational scholarship (POS) (Quinn & Cameron, 2019;Youssef & Luthans, 2007). ...
... POS is considered to be a holistic concept that unifies the different approaches which signify any positive notion in the organizational context. The foundation of POS lies in bringing organizational change and development through a positive approach (Quinn & Cameron, 2019). POB, on the other hand, is measurable and a criterion that is open-to-development. ...
Is the psychological well-being (PWB) of employees essential to be considered by organizations? Does it have an impact on an organization in the long-run? This study attempts to provide a holistic view of literature on PWB and how it has become indispensable for employees and the organization. The study also proposes a framework consisting of precedents and outcomes of PWB of employees in organizations. A review of the literature of 142 studies was done using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework along with the main construct PWB and ten related organizational variables. PWB has been analysed from a eudaimonic perspective. Literature review reveals the scarcity of management literature on the eudaimonic sense of well-being of employees, and how well-being is not distinguished on the basis of its philosophical roots. Our research discusses the variables which have been studied comprehensively in juxtaposition with well-being, and also those variables which are yet to be explored with eudaimonia as the focus. The study is a novel attempt to systematize literature on the under-examined eudaimonic perspective of PWB of employees and its relationship with prominent organizational variables. The study intends to give practitioners and the managers value adding insights into the factors that affect the PWB of employees and also how these factors can be honed for better employee mental health leading to higher organizational returns.
... La estructura del bienestar subjetivo, como un factor relevante de la calidad de vida (Seligman et al., 2016), ha revelado un fuerte grado de equivalencia intercultural del trabajador en su comportamiento alimentario, condicionando estados de bienestar subjetivo y satisfacción de su actividad cotidiana y laboral. En culturas similares tienden a tener un mayor grado de equi-Determinantes Psicológicos en Alimentación valencia en las evaluaciones del bienestar y satisfacción personal dando la perspectiva de una determinada calidad de vida similar, de otra manera, la relación entre calidad de vida y los aspectos de la salud y de la enfermedad está vinculada ampliamente con la cultura organizacional (Quinn & Cameron, 2019). ...
... El énfasis en examinar las características de las "organizaciones saludables", aquellas que son económicamente exitosas y que poseen trabajadores sanos. Los modelos extensos de salud organizacional esperan el desarrollo, y un factor clave en ese desarrollo es probablemente la cultura organizacional (Quinn & Cameron, 2019). En el futuro, vincular variables de nivel macro como la cultura organizacional con la salud y el bienestar de los trabajadores probablemente se convierta en un foco principal de la literatura de salud de los trabajadores. ...
El fenómeno alimentario requiere de uno de los comportamientos más complejos e importantes que emiten los organismos para mantener la vida. Para ello, es necesario un sinnúmero de conductas orientadas al tiempo, esfuerzo, recursos y energía para planear, seleccionar, preparar, consumir el alimento, almacenar y establecer la siguiente estrategia para el siguiente periodo de alimentación. Aunado a toda esta serie de conductas es necesario considerar la calidad, cantidad y regularidad del acceso a los alimentos. La presencia o persistencia de irregularidades en alguno de los anteriores factores provocará el desarrollo de patologías, directamente relacionadas con la producción, transformación, almacenamiento, distribución e ingesta de alimentos. Entre estas patologías podemos mencionar, desnutrición obesidad, bulimia, anorexia, hipertensión, cáncer, diabetes, entre otras. La relación entre el desarrollo de enfermedades y un inadecuado comportamiento alimentario tiene una gran cantidad de evidencia científi
... POS is an established methodology that goads scholars-sensu lato-to examine, understand, and ultimately promote phenomena that is life-giving and flourishing, like experiences that generate positive emotion and/or bolster resilience [81]. Undergirded by critical theory [82], it is not pollyannish or ignorantly blissful-nor is its expressed intention to incite change. ...
... What makes positive organisational arts-based youth scholarship distinct from other methodologies is its capacity to purposely encourage scholars to examine constructive collective artistic efforts among young people. Although POS [81], arts-based research [97], and youth studies [100] are established scholarly approaches in their own right, positive organisational arts-based youth scholarship brings them together to explicitly recognise and learn from the creative brilliance of young people. Although previous research has considered young people's experiences using arts-based methods-like, photovoice, ecomaps, and body mapping [101,102]-such research typically considers their experiences of disquiet or distress-like, anxiety or psychosis. ...
This methodological article argues for the potential of positive organisational arts-based youth scholarship as a methodology to understand and promote positive experiences among young people. With reference to COVID-19, exemplars sourced from social media platforms and relevant organisations demonstrate the remarkable creative brilliance of young people. During these difficult times, young people used song, dance, storytelling, and art to express themselves, (re)connect with others, champion social change, and promote health and wellbeing. This article demonstrates the power of positive organisational arts-based youth scholarship to understand how young people use art to redress negativity via a positive lens of agency, peace, collectedness, and calm.
... Research by (Quinn & Cameron, 2019)shows that a strong organizational culture can increase alignment between organizational and employee goals, thereby facilitating the adoption of new technologies and more effective management practices. For example, in an organizational culture that supports innovation, employees will be more open to change and quicker to adopt new technology. ...
Digital transformation has become a crucial factor in enhancing the competitiveness of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the era of globalization. Digital technology enables MSMEs to innovate, improve efficiency, and expand markets. However, many MSMEs face challenges in adopting this technology, such as limited resources and resistance to change. Sharia-based human resource management (HRM), which emphasizes justice and welfare, can provide solutions in creating a productive and harmonious work environment. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature regarding the interaction between digital transformation and Sharia HRM on MSME performance, with the moderation of organizational culture. The research method uses a quantitative approach with a case study on MSMEs in Cileungsi, involving 100 randomly selected respondents. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using SEM-PLS. The SEM test results show that digital transformation and Sharia HRM have a significant effect on MSME performance. Organizational culture has a strong moderating role, strengthening the positive impact of digital transformation and Sharia HRM on MSME performance. The results indicate that the integration between digital transformation and Sharia HRM, supported by a strong organizational culture, can enhance productivity, operational efficiency, as well as employee satisfaction and motivation. This study emphasizes the importance of adopting digital technology and applying Sharia principles in HRM to improve MSME performance, with organizational culture as an essential supporting factor. These findings provide practical guidance for MSME actors in developing strategies that improve efficiency and employee welfare.
... Videos can combine audio, visuals, and movement to create a more engaging experience for the audience. This makes videos more memorable and more effective in attracting consumer attention (Quinn & Cameron, 2019). The development of the use of video in digital advertising strategies has increased rapidly. ...
This research aims to understand the latest trends in digital advertising and measure the effectiveness of video content and social media in increasing engagement, conversion, brand awareness, and customer loyalty. This research utilizes a quantitative study design with a cross-sectional survey to collect data from social media-active consumers exposed to video advertisements. Data analysis used descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to test the relationship between these variables. The findings showed that video content is highly effective in attracting attention and maintaining consumer interest longer than text or static images. The video also allows for more complex and emotional messaging. Social media facilitates two-way interaction between brands and consumers, strengthening relationships and increasing customer loyalty. Integrating video content with social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok significantly increases engagement and conversion. Personalization of ads through artificial intelligence (AI) technology has also been shown to increase campaign relevance and effectiveness. This research contributes to the digital advertising literature by demonstrating the importance of integrating video and social media content and using AI technology for personalization. The findings offer practical guidance for advertisers to improve the effectiveness of their campaigns. However, this study has limitations in sample coverage and quantitative analysis focus. Future research should expand the sample and incorporate qualitative approaches to gain more comprehensive insights.
... Research has shown that a strong culture of transformation contributes to improved organisational performance, enhanced employee engagement, and a sustained competitive advantage (Quinn & Cameron, 2019). Although culture was long underrated in sustainability concepts, today, it gains importance in implementing a sustainability mindset. ...
... In this regard, it is noteworthy that the lack of a coherent change management plan within the organisation may lead to a situation where changes are introduced in succession, which subsequently leads the company into a period of endless change, and staff lose confidence in the leaders and their belief in their effectiveness decreases. Quinn and Cameron (2019) accept that change driven by external factors is often forced, which becomes a reason for increasing the pace of change and the risk of resistance, which in turn affects its effectiveness. Identifying the sources and factors of change is important in terms of the need to identify the desirability of change and the metrics to assess its effectiveness, as well as to understand the entire process of carrying out the change. ...
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology is being used more and more often in small and medium enterprises. This tool is becoming increasingly important in relieving workers from time consuming and boring tasks. The aim of the research was to identify current problems encountered by enterprises when implementing RPA solutions, with particular attention paid to the aspect of change perceived by the employees and the management. As part of the empirical work, monographic research was conducted using the case study procedure in 10 selected small and medium-sized companies operating in Poland. During expert interviews, workers’ resistance against changes was noticed as the greatest obstacle in introducing RPA. Workers’ lack of knowledge about this technology and its tools and the lack of proper change management in organizations are the main factors which impede implementation of RPA. The core actions to success in implementation of software robots are: building awareness among workers, support of leaders, and monitoring of implementation progress.
... Calás and Smircich (2018) focused on the evolution of their collaboration in generating and applying insights from feminist theorizing and cultural studies to a wide variety of organization behavior and development topics and challenges. Quinn and Cameron (2019), while drawing on the field of positive organizational scholarship, focused on the change agent and advanced a few paths for becoming a positive leader. Taken together, while these authors chose to focus on the collaboration process, its context and evolution some of the award winners chose to focus on specific issues that they are currently researching and theorized about them. ...
... The meaning of the positive influence of Social Strategy on Strategic Change Management can run well and be able to bring changes to the performance of the Ministry of Defense, especially in the implementation of State Defence Awareness Management. The results of this study are supported by research that has been carried out Murtaza et al. (2019), Quinn and Cameron (2019). ...
State Defence awarenessis is the collective awareness of the Indonesian nation that is needed by the state to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national safety in the face of every threat. The aim of the research is to analyze influence variable social strategy and public policy in the State Defence Awareness Management of organization performance of the Ministry of Defense mediated by strategic change management. This study uses quantitative approach with study expanatory. Data analysis using Structural Equation Model (SEM) with using Smart PLS 3.0 for analyze connection or influence variable dependent with variable independent. Research results show that by general there is influence direct social strategy and public policy on organizational performance, as well as there is influence direct strategic change management towards organizational performance as well as there is influence non direct social strategy and public policy to organizational performance mediated by strategic change management. Implication theoretical from this study is strategic change management as mediating social strategic and public policy able for increase organizational performance Ministry of Defense in implementation coaching State Defence Awareness Management. While implication strategic from this study is the strategy, policy, and management changes in the State Defence Awareness Management is very influential to performance Ministry of Defense organization, so that need enhancement every dimension to increase trust public as well as faithfulness every source power involved in implementation coaching State Defence Awareness Management.
... Transformational leaders display purpose and conviction, articulate compelling possibilities for a new and better future, and encourage others to think outside the box (Bass, 2008). Quinn and Cameron (2019) suggest five dimensions to understand the roles of change agents. First, the change target has shifted from changing others to changing oneself. ...
Objective:
Scholars have conducted in-depth research on social change agents, but there are few collaborative studies in this realm between sociology and psychology. From the perspective of psychobiography, this before study uses Jung's Analytical Psychology as a theoretical framework to explore Jack Ma's influence on business change, thereby revealing the deep motivation behind Jack Ma's sudden retirement and choice to be a teacher.
Method:
This study has collected primary and secondary data about Jack Ma. QSR Nvivo 11.0 was used to encode the text based on video transcription, and then the data were analyzed. This study refers to the key factors of growth and follows the primary indicators of psychological saliency to sort out the data and find out what has special psychological significance, and then conducts three coding processes.
Results:
This study found that the teacher complex and the martial arts complex are the breakthrough points to understand the business innovator Jack Ma.
Conclusion:
Jack Ma shapes the image of ordinary teachers through his image management strategy, conceals his deep internal martial arts complex, and balances the displayed martial arts personality mask. He has achieved great success in business innovator, while drawing on his internal personality conflicts to his advantage.
... Generally, positive psychology at work aligns with an eudemonic view of wellbeing, development and positive affect (e.g., Quratulain, Khan, Sabharwal, & Javed, 2019;Wijewardena, Samaratunge, & Härtel, 2014;Black et al., 2019), and focuses on creating positive experiences for employees and addressing workplace challenges (Donaldson, Lee, & Donaldson, 2019;Forbes et al., 2015). While the specific behaviors involved in employee resilience are not unique to positive psychology (indeed, they are also studied by other areas of psychology and HRM), the ER concept contributes by combining extant positive psychology knowledge and distilling it into a constellation of practice-based abilities and behaviours with emphasis on maintaining growth (Quinn & Cameron, 2019;Luthans & Youssef-Morgan, 2017). ER is also conceptualized as part of the broad family of coping strategies that is defined as "cognitive and behavioral efforts made to master, tolerate, or reduce external and internal demands and conflicts among them" (Folkman & Lazarus 1980, p. 223;Tummers, Bekkers, Vink & Musheno, 2015). ...
This study discusses the concept of employee resilience (ER), defined as the capability to use resources to continually adapt and flourish at work, even when faced with challenging circumstances. The concept is grounded in positive psychology and conservation of resources (COR) theory and complements other concepts such as coping which describe employees and managers adapting to challenge and change. This study validates a scale of ER and examines attributes and job factors associated with heightened ER in public sector line managers. Study results show that heightened ER is associated with public service motivation (PSM), employees’ pro-social skills and constructive leadership by supervisors. ER is also associated with a climate for innovation. Theoretical and practical implications for strengthening employees’ resilience in public organizations are discussed.
... Generally, positive psychology emphasizes wellbeing and growth and focuses on creating positive experiences for employees at work (Donaldson et al., 2019;Forbes et al., 2015). Positive psychology contributes to the ER concept by emphasizing a constellation of capabilities, such as taking a light view of learning from change and mistakes, of regulating one's emotions and of positive experiences and contributions of working, all supporting performance and growth, even under challenging conditions (Luthans & Youssef-Morgan, 2017;Quinn & Cameron, 2019). These capabilities may add to positive work experiences of employees and managers alike, especially line managers who often need to promote a positive, constructive view of tasks that need to get done. ...
... Discovering the meaning of work and helping team members ind their callings are important roles of a leader [30]. In this sense, authentic leadership may bring psychological wellbeing through the positive process of making team members' lives more meaningful [31]. ...
... Finally, it is important to recognize that the body of knowledge of El is dynamic. The emergence of positive psychology (Seligman, 1998;Seligman & Csikszmentmihalyi, 2000) expedited the more recent emergence of the fields of positive organizational studies (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003), and positive organizational behavior (Luthans, 2002). The focus of these emerging areas on "psychological capital" reveals that El and effective leadership both benefit from the addition of an expanding array of leadership "states" (Luthans, Youssef, & Avolio, 2007 demands that efforts to develop these attributes in students will require considerable rethinking on the part of all faculty who hope to develop future leaders. ...
Educators are increasingly aware of the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in successful leadership. This paper details the implementation of a suite of EI training and assessment tools into a Ph.D.-level leadership class. The suite of EI training and assessment tools includes poetry-reading, an emotional intelligence test, a behavioral-assessment tool and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Students produce a personal leadership-development plan that incorporates knowledge obtained from the EI tools. The suite of tools is detailed and mapped to Goleman’s (2001) framework of emotional intelligence competencies. The paper provides lessons from the experience of the innovation.
... Positive organisational scholarship (POS) focuses on generative (i.e. capability-enhancing) dynamics in organisations and emphasises outcomes such as well-being, citizenship and health (Cameron, Dutton and Quinn, 2003). Positive organisational behaviour (POB), a subset of POS, focuses on positive individual-level states (e.g. ...
This study investigated the relationships between the personal psychological resources of optimism and self-efficacy, and their apparent effect on the ability of an individual to experience meaningful work (manifested in engagement with the task and commitment to the organisation), to assess their combined effect on employee subjective well-being (i.e. better psychological health and more work-life satisfaction). Drawing on Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory (1998), it was argued that, on their own and in conjunction with each other, these variables are rooted in a similar framework that might elicit positive emotions to establish and maintain durable, long-term, subjective well-being. A structural model of subjective well-being at work was conceptualised and tested. A cross-sectional dataset (N = 202), obtained from employees at three organisations in South Africa, was used to fit the structural model using structural equation modelling. The goodness-of-fit results for both the measurement and the structural models were satisfactory. The results suggested that optimism directly influences psychological health. The relationship between optimism and subjective well-being (i.e. psychological health and satisfaction with work-life) was further highlighted by means of an indirect effect, mediated by a combination of work engagement and organisational commitment (i.e. meaningfulness). The structural model results revealed that no significant paths were evident between self-efficacy and any of the other variables. Practically, the results highlight the vital role of optimism in experienced subjective well-being, and suggest that investing in interventions to increase optimism in employees might well be justified. _____________________________________________
World Class Manufacturing (WCM) is an innovative system for comprehensive management of manufacturing operations, characterized by the economic monetization of manufacturing activities and the determination of holistic impact on the organization. WCM enables prioritization of actions based on the economic needs of manufacturing operations, thus directing appropriate resources directly to these needs. This research aims to characterize the critical success factors of WCM and the achievement of objectives in organizations within the automotive sector in Mexico. The study was conducted in Mexico's automotive sector, identified as the country's most important manufacturing industry, representing nearly 4% of the National GDP and 20.5% of the manufacturing GDP. Through literature review and interviews with WCM system experts, six Critical Success Factors (CSFs) were identified, evaluated through 30 constructs. A data collection instrument was applied, subjected to reliability and validity tests through a pilot study. Empirical verification and validation of the instrument were conducted through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and structural equation modeling in a sample of 201valid surveys directed at experienced WCM professionals. The results indicate that managerial commitment, comprehensive competencies, leadership type, employee involvement, and organizational culture type directly influence the increased benefits of organizations implementing WCM. By understanding the various factors affecting WCM implementation, organizations can develop actions to mitigate risks and strategically plan the necessary short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes and resources.
The increasing cultural and linguistic variety in academic contexts needs higher cultural competence on the part of instructors, which necessitates a better knowledge of both teachers' levels of cultural competence and the experiences that develop cultural competence. Cross-cultural communication is critical for avoiding cross-cultural shocks and cross-cultural interaction, which promotes the formation of new elements and forms of cultural activity, as well as the adjustment of value orientations, behavioral models, and lifestyle (universal and culturally unique components). Cross-cultural competencies have become increasingly important in public management due to the rising globalization and diversity of societies. In the Balkans region, where different cultures and languages exist, the development of cross-cultural competencies is critical for effective public management. National schools have been identified as crucial institutions for developing these competencies. The method used in this study we have used empirical studies with specific variables in order to find out more about the cross-cultural competencies in public management. The literature review method involves a systematic and rigorous approach to identifying and analyzing relevant academic sources to comprehensively understand a research area. National schools in the Balkans have a critical role to play in developing cross-cultural competencies in public management. Teaching and learning must integrate global perspective education so that students may become responsible "active" global citizens. Global/international education must start with an attempt to comprehend globalization. Furthermore, cross-cultural experiences in teacher education may foster cultural competency, cooperation skills, and an understanding of global linkages, which can then be transferred to the classroom. Rethinking teaching and learning in these ways may give us the chance to gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation for people throughout the world, which is crucial to our duties and obligations as global citizens.
This research explores the impact of leadership style, employee motivation, and organizational culture on job performance in start-up companies. The study adopts a quantitative research design, collecting data from employees in various start-ups through a cross-sectional survey method. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and moderation analysis are employed to analyze the data. The results indicate that transformational leadership, intrinsic motivation, and a positive organizational culture significantly enhance job performance. Transactional leadership and extrinsic motivation also contribute positively but to a lesser extent. Organizational culture and employee motivation are identified as crucial moderators, amplifying the effects of leadership styles on job performance. These findings underscore the importance of effective leadership, motivational factors, and a supportive organizational culture in driving job performance within start-up environments.
This qualitative exploratory study examined the effectiveness of organizational resilience processes adopted by Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) during a global crisis. Study results showed that the DMOs’ organizational resilience engaged strategies fostered within a positive work climate (PWC) where dynamic processes of resilience capabilities emerged for Caribbean SIDS. These organizational resilience processes are complex and dynamic, with an interplay of both internal and external influences. The study offers practical and theoretical implications for public organizations in the service sector, where an integrated framework for engaging resilience strategies and capabilities processes emerges.
This qualitative exploratory study examined the effectiveness of organizational resilience processes adopted by Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) during a global crisis. Study results showed that the DMOs' organizational resilience engaged strategies fostered within a positive work climate (PWC) where dynamic processes of resilience capabilities emerged for Caribbean SIDS. These organizational resilience processes are complex and dynamic, with an interplay of both internal and external influences. The study offers practical and theoretical implications for public organizations in the service sector, where an integrated framework for engaging resilience strategies and capabilities processes emerges.
Coping with unexpected and unprecedented challenges, particularly in managing change, is part of a leader’s function. Change often presents problems and tensions between the parties involved, which can derail the achievement of their objectives. For change to be successful, leaders need to build morale, unify individual and departmental aspirations, and positively influence such change. This study explores positive communication models that can facilitate leaders in managing change. By reviewing the literature of positive communication in the areas of a positive organization, particularly involving the integrative approach and constructive interaction, this study found the certain ways of communication that can encourage effective change agents while reducing the resistance of the individual change target. This work reveals that the constructive and integrative dimension of positive communication may facilitate the change agent to be more internally directed and purpose oriented. On the other hand, questioning and discovery emphasize the affection aspects and will lessen the resistance and make change target those who are more open and eager to collaborate.
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Contemporary business world is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity and is popularly known as VUCA world. This uncontrollable negative spiral in today’s workplace requires organizational leaders to instil stability, safety, hope and meaning. Organizational experts believe that positive leadership of an organization can guide and show the right directions to its people for achieving organizational goals even in the face of trouble and adversity. Keeping this in view, the present paper purports to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework for examining the relationship between positive leadership and organizational effectiveness. This paper also attempts to establish the intervening role of organizational citizenship behaviour and emotional intelligence on the relationship between positive leadership and organizational effectiveness. Researchers undertook an in-depth and extensive literature survey in order to critically examine the impact of positive leadership on organizational effectiveness. The review provides a comprehensive framework to develop a conceptual model of positive leadership in the organizational context. The proposed conceptual framework would enable researchers and management experts gain a deeper and nuanced understanding of the role of positive leadership in producing improved organizational functioning and effectiveness. The paper offers multiple practical implications for HR practitioners and management experts which if properly utilized would prove to be useful in fostering positive leadership skills in the organizations through effective leadership development interventions and executive coaching programmes, leading to better performance of the employees. The study contributes to deeper and nuanced understanding of the construct of Positive Leadership and proposes a new conceptual model suited to the Indian context.KeywordsPositive leadershipOrganizational effectivenessOrganizational citizenship behaviourEmotional intelligence
Algorithms are increasingly making decisions in organizations that carry moral consequences and such decisions are considered to be ordinarily made by leaders. An important consideration to be made by organizations is therefore whether adopting algorithms in this domain will be accepted by employees and whether this practice will harm their reputation. Considering this emergent phenomenon, we set out to examine employees’ perceptions about (a) algorithmic decision-making systems employed to occupy leadership roles and make moral decisions in organizations, and (b) the reputation of organizations that employ such systems. Furthermore, we examine the extent to which the decision agent needs to be recognized as “merely” a human, or whether more information is needed about the decision agent’s moral values (in this case, whether it is known that the human leader is humble or not) to be preferred over an algorithm. Our results reveal that participants in the algorithmic leader condition—relative to those in the human leader and humble human leader conditions—perceive the decision made to be less fair, trustworthy, and legitimate, and this in turn produces lower acceptance rates of the decision and more negative perceptions of the organization’s reputation. The human leader and humble human leader conditions do not significantly differ across all main and indirect effects. This latter effect strongly suggests that people prefer human (vs. algorithmic) leadership primarily because they are human and not necessarily because they possess certain moral values. Implications for theory, practice, and directions for future research are discussed.
Rationale/Purpose
This study adopted the frameworks of human resource management and development to explore how forced adjustments to job designs influenced sport employees’ psychological well-being. Job design reflects the work environment and employee tasks as designed by managers. The pandemic context emphasized the prominence of job design within human resource management models and the need to proactively manage factors related to job design to enable employee well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 sport employees regarding their direct experience with job design, the resulting influences on their psychological well-being, and future job designs in the sport workplace.
Findings
The findings of the study included a discussion of how participants altered their job designs to realize improved psychological well-being. A significant factor in connecting job design with psychological well-being was increased autonomy.
Practical Implications
The agency to engage in positive alterations to job designs provided enhanced psychological well-being by helping participants grow personally and professionally. Improved psychological well-being could benefit sport employees and organizations.
Research Contribution
This study adds to the growing literature concerning strategic human resource management that can be used to provide improved experiences for sport employees and improve the functionality of sport organizations through enhanced job design.
The purpose of this study is to realize the legal, administrative and physical order of State Property in the State Intelligence Agency towards effective, efficient, optimal, and accountable management of State Property, as well as transparency, strategies and important steps are needed to realize change. In supporting the policy-making process related to State Property, it is necessary to fulfill basic information in the form of current and actual goods data by carrying out updates through periodic inventory of State Property.The research design and method used in this research is hypothesis testing. This research is a quantitative non-experimental, using a questionnaire given to 98 respondents. This research was conducted at the Logistics Bureau of the State Intelligence Agency. Data analysis using SPSS and PLS.3.20 software with multivariate Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis method.The results of this study indicate that: Strategic Planning and Organizational Culture on Strategic Change Management are positive and significant. The influence of Strategic Change Management on Organizational Performance is positive and significant. The influence of Strategic Change Management mediating Strategic Planning and Organizational Culture on Organizational Performance is positive and significant. It means that the higher/positive mediation of Strategic Change Management on Strategic Planning and Organizational Culture, the higher/positive Organizational Performance. The theoretical implication of Strategic Change Management as mediating to Strategic Planning and Organizational Culture able to improve Organizational Performance, by improving Strategic Change Management through increasing its dimensions will be able to improve the Organizational Performance of the State Intelligence Agency.
Coaching targeted at leaders, commonly known as ‘executive or leadership coaching’ has historically focused on a leader’s weaknesses. Increasingly, a more holistic approach to coaching, infused with positive psychology, fostering positive leadership behaviours and wellbeing, is becoming a core process of the coaching experience. While there is much from positive psychology to support positive leadership behaviours, this chapter will focus on coaching the four positive leadership strategies; positive climate, communication, relationships and positive meaning to support agile and humanistic decision making in disruptive workplace environments and crisis within the competing values framework. The authors’ propose that positive psychology coaching is the vehicle in which to coach for wellbeing and development in order to support positive leadership behaviours. A vignette is provided showcasing positive leadership practices, being an example of leadership courage under fire during a UK Royal Air Force Military operation in Kandahar Province. Additionally, a financial markets case study highlights cognitive behavioural and strengths coaching to facilitate cognitive agility and confidence of leaders.
This study investigated the dynamics of morality, positivity, and social entrepreneurial intention (SEI) of individuals. The ‘inconsistent mediation’ effects of morality and positivity were observed in relationship with SEI. The findings indicate that positive psychological capital (PsyCap) positively mediated the relationship between morality-as-cooperation (MAC) and SEI, β = .391, SE = .103, p < .001, while the direct effect of MAC on SEI was negative, β = −.174, SE = .092, p = .032. These findings can contribute to the literature on social entrepreneurial intention.
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between psychological capital and employee performance through the mediating role of job embeddedness. Psychological climate is used as moderator to intensify the link between psychological capital and job embeddedness. Using data from 350 nurses belonging to four public hospitals, partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the hypothesized model. Job embeddedness significantly mediates the link between psychological capital and employee performance. Psychological climate heightens the relationship between psychological capital and job embeddedness. The findings offer suggestions for researchers on the conservation of resources and concept of psychological capital, public hospitals, and practitioners on how to improve the performance of employees.
The benefits of working in a large company are better infrastructure, well-defined policies, training and learning opportunities, job security and gradual growth. Slow decision-making due to the bureaucratic structure is a major drawback. The unique character of small firms offers agile structure, quick response, family-like atmosphere, opportunity to wear many hats as advantages, and lower compensation and restricted growth as disincentives to joining. However, if employees get their human relationships to energize, the size of the firm will be inconsequential for their success. That is, small firms can only offer a congenial atmosphere as a big firm never. Therefore, understanding what gives us energy and how we utilize it is critical for the leaders in small firms. This case study focuses on the CEO of a small family-owned firm (Nishio Glass and Mirror) whose decision to usher in positive organizational scholarship with the help of consultants set the firm on a successful journey. Even though statistics show that most change efforts fail irrespective of the size of the firm, in this case, it succeeded. This case study informs us that workplaces can be a community for people to amplify positive energy unleashing virtuous circles of growth.
Research Questions: What is positive organizational scholarship? How can it be implemented in a small firm?
Theory: Positive organizational scholarship and agents of change.
Type of the Case: Study of a phenomenon.
Basis of the Case: Phenomenon.
Protagonist: Present, the CEO of the firm.
Findings for Phenomenon-based Research Case
An organization is not a machine to transform resources into material properties. It is a community where people share the agentic roles with one another to let them transform. In a trustful community, people can examine the experience of ‘pregnant void’ to open a virtuous mindset; moreover, people can give suffering for others as an agent to embody the meaning of virtues.
Discussions for Phenomenon-based Research Case
To manage a chaotic situation, which approach should be applied: crisis management or a proper management system? In this case, even a management system failed and dumped the CEO in psychological chaos. Which is that process that an external OD consultant can adopt to transform an organization by setting its employees on the path of self-transformation? If we apply hedonic happiness to the case, it seems to be fit for the past situation where people in the case wanted to have materialistic and short-term success. Discuss the alternative that can be applied.
The aim of this study was to investigate aspects of organizational virtuousnes in a military organization. Organizational virtuousnes has five components: optimism, forgiveness, trust, compassion and integrity. The population consisted of all law enforcement personnel staff in 1394 were North Khorasan. They were selected by cluster sampling method and sample table Morgan 175 as the sample size. Standard questionnaires were used to collect data from organizational virtuousnes Cameroon (2004) and evaluating the performance of moghimi and Ramazan (1390). They had good reliability and validity. After the reliability and construct validity, hypotheses using Pearson correlation and multiple standard regression tested. The results showed a correlation between employee performance and organizational virtuousnes. Also among the five dimensions of organizational virtuousnes (optimism, confidence, compassion, solidarity and forgiveness), solidarity and optimism explain the significance of their performance The findings emphasize the strengthening of the subscales of organizational virtuousnes in military organizations.
Positive organisational scholarship in healthcare - Volume 26 Special Issue - Ann Dadich, Ben Farr-Wharton
Literary writings have a significant space in the arena of academic disciplines. No doubt, while these writings are a common, ordinary reader’s delight, they also serve as beacons to a discerning scholar/researcher who wants to explore yet another horizon of truth. As such, with its wider dimensions and its implication in other related fields, literature serves as a powerful tool for academic exploration in other areas of study. The various theories of leadership and other scientific studies on modern management which are being practised in the modern times are deeply rooted in and influenced by all those creative writings of the past. This chapter intends to identify the literary texts as a reliable source of knowledge on positive leadership. It would be profitable venture, and academically trustworthy too, to excavate and re-examine the literature that was written thousands of years ago. It develops new criteria of learning various aspects of the positive, spiritual and servant leadership through literary texts like the Rāmāyanā and the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, and also enriches the field of leadership through the theoretical understanding of creative writings.
To date, numerous empirical studies have been conducted to investigate the link between organizational trust and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). However, it is surprising that the moderating role of positive psychological capital (PsyCap) on the relationship between organizational trust and OCBs has not been directly tested. Thus, this relationship is currently under-researched. Addressing this gap in the organization literature, the purpose of this study is to examine the potential moderating role of positive PsyCap on the relationship between organizational trust and OCBs. Given this context and purpose of the study, the data collected from a sample of 1,100 health care employees from seven hospitals in Istanbul provided good support for the hypothesis. The findings indicate that positive PsyCap moderates the relationship between organizational trust and OCBs in such a manner that the relationship is stronger when positive PsyCap is high. The research findings are discussed with a view to implications and suggestions for future research.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to value the role of organizational virtuousness in predicting employee performance through mediation of affective well-being and work engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through questionnaires from 487 banking employees from 60 branches of ten banks.
Findings
Analysis through structural equation modeling proves that virtuousness positively predicts employees’ well-being and engagement, which in turn influence their performance. Furthermore, both well-being and engagement proved to be partial mediation in the relation, where well-being had stronger explanatory role.
Originality/value
This study offers novel explanatory mechanism in the relationship of employee performance and organizational virtuousness, where in past studies such mediation mechanism has not received due attention.
Truth matters for organization studies, but it has been neglected as a topic of research. Positivist scholars do not tend to question assumptions about the relationship between knowledge and the world, while critical theorists tend to view ‘truth’ as an outdated, metaphysical way to describe it. However, the pragmatic philosophical tradition of inquiry into truth has not yet received enough attention within organization studies. This essay presents a genealogical account of that tradition by conducting a close reading of texts by C.S. Pierce, William James, Hilary Putnam and Richard Rorty. Following this reading, we identify pragmatic truths that pertain to the qualitative v. quantitative, rigor v. relevance, and positivist v. critical tensions that currently animate our field.
Positives Management ist die umsetzungsorientierte Sichtweise auf Fragestellungen des so genannten „Positive Organizational Scholarship“ (POS), das vor einigen Jahren seinen Ausgangspunkt in den Vereinigten Staaten hatte (Ringlstetter et al. 2007). Das Management von Personal und dessen Führung spielt in dieser auf den Menschen bezogenen Sichtweise naturgemäß eine besonders herausragende Rolle. Es ist folglich nahe liegend, Ideen eines Positiven Personalmanagements auf diejenige Branche zu übertragen, in der Mitarbeiter für die Generierung von Wettbewerbsvorteilen wesentlich und in sehr direkter Weise verantwortlich sind. Angesprochen ist hiermit die Branche der wissensintensiven, unternehmensbezogenen Dienstleistungen, zu der etwa Unternehmensberatungen, Wirtschaftsprüfer, Ingenieurdienstleistungsunternehmen oder Wirtschaftskanzleien zählen. In diesem Beitrag steht deshalb die Frage im Vordergrund, wie sich Konzepte des Positiven Personalmanagements in wissensintensiven Dienstleistungsunternehmen darstellen.
One of the functions of automatic stimulus evaluation is to direct attention toward events that may have undesirable consequences for the perceiver’s well-being. To test whether attentional resources are automatically directed away from an attended task to undesirable stimuli, Ss named the colors in which desirable and undesirable traits (e. g., honest, sadistic) appeared. Across 3 experiments, color-naming latencies were consistently longer for undesirable traits but did not differ within the desirable and undesirable categories. In Experiment 2, Ss also showed more incidental learning for undesirable traits, as predicted by the automatic vigilance (but not a perceptual defense) hypothesis. In Experiment 3, a diagnosticity (or base-rate) explanation of the vigilance effect was ruled out. The implications for deliberate processing in person perception and stereotyping are discussed.
Two studies used the self-concordance model of healthy goal striving (K. M. Sheldon & A. J. Elliot, 1999) to examine the motivational processes by which people can increase their level of well-being during a period of time and then maintain the gain or perhaps increase it even further during the next period of time. In Study I, entering freshmen with self-concordant motivation better attained their 1st-semester goals, which in turn predicted increased adjustment and greater self-concordance for the next semester's goals. Increased self-concordance in turn predicted even better goal attainment during the 2nd semester, which led to further increases in adjustment and to higher levels of ego development by the end of the year. Study 2 replicated the basic model in a 2-week study of short-term goals set in the laboratory. Limits of the model and implications for the question of how (and whether) happiness may be increased are discussed.
Uniting separate research streams on situational and dispositional goals, we investigated goal setting and goal orientation together in a complex business simulation. A specific learning goal led to higher performance than did either a specific performance goal or a vague goal. Goal orientation predicted performance when the goal was vague. The performance goal attenuated correlations between goal orientation and performance. The correlation between a learning goal orientation and performance was significant when a learning goal was set. Self-efficacy and information search mediated the effect of a learning goal on performance. Goal setting studies have their roots in organizational psychology, in contrast to research on goal orientation, which has roots in educational psychology. The focus of goal orientation studies is primarily on ability, whereas that of goal setting is on motivation. Consequently, the tasks used in goal setting research are typically straightforward for research participants, as the emphasis is primarily on effort and persistence. The tasks used in studies of goal orientation are usually complex, as the focus is on the acquisition of knowledge and skill. Performance is a function of both ability and motivation. Yet one research camp rarely takes into account findings by the other. The result is increasing confusion in the literature between a performance goal and a performance goal orientation; between the roles of situational as opposed to dis-positional goals as determinants of behavior; the circumstances in which a learning goal versus a learning goal orientation is likely to increase performance ; and whether goal orientation is a mod-erator of the goal-performance relationship. The purpose of the experiment reported here was to draw connections between these two related yet separate streams of work in organizational behavior , namely, goal setting and goal orientation.
An integrative model of the conative process, which has important ramifications for psychological need satisfaction and hence for individuals’ well-being, is presented. The self-concordance of goals (i.e., their consistency with the person’s developing interests and core values) plays a dual role in the model. First, those pursuing self-concordant goals put more sustained effort into achieving those goals and thus are more likely to attain them. Second, those who attain self-concordant goals reap greater well-being benefits from their attainment. Attainment-to-well-being effects are mediated by need satisfaction, i.e., daily activity-based experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness that accumulate during the period of striving. The model is shown to provide a satisfactory fit to 3 longitudinal data sets and to be independent of the effects of self-efficacy, implementation intentions, avoidance framing, and life skills.
Energy is emerging as a topic of importance to organizations, yet we have little understanding of how energy can be useful at an interpersonal level toward achieving workplace goals. We present the results of 4 studies aimed at developing, validating, and testing the relational energy construct. In Study 1, we report qualitative insights from 64 individuals about the experience and functioning of relational energy in the workplace. Study 2 draws from 3 employee samples to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on a measure of relational energy, differentiating relational energy from related constructs. To test the predictive validity of the new relational energy scale, Study 3 comprises data from employees rating the level of relational energy they experienced during interactions with their leaders in a health services context. Results showed that relational energy employees experienced with their leaders at Time 1 predicted job engagement at Time 2 (1 month later), while controlling for the competing construct of perceived social support. Study 4 shows further differentiation of relational energy from leader-member exchange (LMX), replicates the positive relationship between relational energy (Time 1) and job engagement (Time 2), and shows that relational energy is positively associated with employee job performance (Time 3) through the mechanism of job engagement. We discuss the theoretical implications of our findings and highlight areas for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record
(c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
How do individual actors institute changes in established ways of working? Longitudinal research is the basis for our theoretical model showing how actors legitimize new practices by accomplishing three interdependent, recursive, situated "microprocesses": (1) cultivating opportunities for change, (2) fitting a new role into prevailing systems, and (3) proving the value of the new role. These microprocesses are demarcated by an accumulating series of small wins that consolidate gains while facilitating continuing change efforts. Most accounts of institutional change focus on embeddedness as a constraint, yet our study shows how embeddedness can provide the foundation and opportunity for change.
In this article, the author describes a new theoretical perspective on positive emotions and situates this new perspective within the emerging field of positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory posits that experiences of positive emotions broaden people's momentary thought-action repertoires, which in turn serves to build their enduring personal resources, ranging from physical and intellectual resources to social and psychological resources. Preliminary empirical evidence supporting the broaden-and-build theory is reviewed, and open empirical questions that remain to be tested are identified. The theory and findings suggest that the capacity to experience positive emotions may be a fundamental human strength central to the study of human flourishing.
Organizational decline has not been adequately examined by organizational scientists, because they are preoccupied with organizational growth and its consequences. The emphasis on growth reflects actual organizational conditions and the prevailing ideology in our society. However, predictions of an emerging era of retrenchment imply a need to study the management of organizational decline. In this paper, I propose an agenda of research, teaching, and consulting activities to rectify our neglect of this topic.
Theorists debate whether organizations are inertial or adaptable, but mounting evidence shows they are both, provoking questions about how shifts occur between inertia and change. Research shows performance crises can trigger reactive change, but proactive revolutions in organizations are poorly understood. In project groups, temporal pacing triggers proactive change. This longitudinal study of a venture capital-backed start-up company explored whether temporal pacing could regulate momentum and change in an organization's strategy, as it does in groups. Two forms of pacing were discovered, one time-based, with reorientations initiated at temporal milestones, the other event-based, with actions initiated when the right event occurred. The two pacing types fostered systematically different patterns of momentum and change.
Can firms and coevolutionary groups suffer from too much interdependent complexity? Is complexity theory an alternative explanation to competitive selection for the emergent order apparent in coevolutionary industry groups? The biologist Stewart Kauffman suggests a theory of complexity catastrophe offering universal principles explaining phenomena normally attributed to Darwinian natural selection theory. Kauffman's complexity theory seems to apply equally well to firms in coevolutionary pockets. Based on complexity theory, four kinds of complexity are identified. Kauffman's "NK[C] model" is positioned "at the edge of chaos" between complexity driven by "Newtonian" simple rules and rule-driven deterministic chaos. Kauffman's insight, which is the basis of the findings in this paper, is that complexity is both a consequence and a cause. Multicoevolutionary complexity in firms is defined by moving natural selection processes inside firms and down to a "parts" level of analysis, in this instance Porter's value chain level, to focus on microstate activities by agents. The assumptions of stochastically idiosyncratic microstates and coevolution in firms are analyzed. Competitive advantage, as a dependent variable, is defined in terms of Nash equilibrium fitness levels. This allows a translation of Kauffman's theory to firms, paying particular attention to (1) how value chain landscapes might be modeled, (2) assumptions underlying Kauffman's models making them amenable to firms, and (3) a delineation of seven of Kauffman's computational experiments. As part of the translation, possible parallels between the application of complexity catastrophe theory to coevolutionary pockets and studies by institutional theorists and social network analysts are discussed. The models derive from spin-glass microstate models resulting in Boolean games. Kauffman's Boolean statistical mechanics is introduced in developing the logic underlying the somewhat simplified NKM[C] model. The model allows the use of computational experiments to better understand how the dependent variable-value chain fitness-is affected by changes in the number of internal interdependencies K, the number of coevolutionary links with opponents C, the size of the coevolutionary pocket S, and the number of simultaneous adaptive changes, among other things. Various computational experiments are presented that suggest strategic organizing approaches most likely to foster competitive advantage. High or low Nash equilibrium fitness levels are shown to result from internal and external coevolutionary densities as a function of links among value chain competencies within a firm and between a firm and an opponent. Complexity phenomena appear to suggest a number of expected (and thus validating) and surprising strategies with respect to complex organizational interdependencies. For example, moderate complexity fares best and external coevolutionary complexity sets an upper bound to advantages likely to be gained from internal complexity. Various complexity "lessons" are discussed. Models such as the NK[C] could offer insights into strategic organizing.
Aristotle proposed that to achieve happiness and success, people should cultivate virtues at mean or intermediate levels between deficiencies and excesses. In stark contrast to this assertion that virtues have costs at high levels, a wealth of psychological research has focused on demonstrating the well-being and performance benefits of positive traits, states, and experiences. This focus has obscured the prevalence and importance of nonmonotonic inverted-U-shaped effects, whereby positive phenomena reach inflection points at which their effects turn negative. We trace the evidence for nonmonotonic effects in psychology and provide recommendations for conceptual and empirical progress. We conclude that for psychology in general and positive psychology in particular, Aristotle's idea of the mean may serve as a useful guide for developing both a descriptive and a prescriptive account of happiness and success.
© The Author(s) 2011.
Although myths have been comprehensively examined at a cultural or macro level in organizational studies, they have received little attention at an individual level of analysis. This article uses Campbell's "hero's journey" as an analogy for understanding managerial performance myths. The article begins with a review of the literature on individual myths and the hero's journey and then turns to an empirical exploration of managerial high-performance myths. A typology of managerial high-performance myths is derived from data on high-performance experiences. Each of the four myths assumes a different meaning structure. The findings suggest a model for the construction of individual meaning systems in organizations. They also provide important insights on empowerment, leadership, and high performance.
We present a theory of how individuals compose their reflected best-self portrait, which we define as a changing self-knowledge structure about who one is at one's best. We posit that people compose their reflected best-self portrait through social experiences that draw on intrapsychic and interpersonal resources. By weaving to- gether microlevel theories of personal change and macrolevel theories of human resource development, our theory reveals an important means by which work orga- nizations affect people's capacity to realize their potential.
Emphasis on positivity in organizations in increasing, but the importance and credibility of a positive approach to change—exemplified by positive organizational scholarship—remains controversial. More empirical evidence is needed showing that positive practices in organizations produce desirable changes in organizational effectiveness. Two studies—one in financial services and one in the health care industry—are reported, which investigate the link between positive practices and indicators of organizational effectiveness. A positive practices instrument is developed, and evidence is found that positive practices do, in fact, predict organizational performance. More important, improvement in positive practices predicts improvements in certain indicators of effectiveness over time. The results are explained by the inherent amplifying, buffering, and heliotropic effects of positivity in human systems.
This paper presents and organizes the results of two decades of research on feedback-seeking behavior according to three motives: the instrumental motive to achieve a goal, the ego-based motive to protect one’s ego, and the image-based motive to enhance and protect one’s image in an organization. Each motive is discussed with reference to its impact on the frequency of feedback seeking, seeking method (whether by inquiry or monitoring), timing of feedback seeking, choice of the target of feedback seeking, and the topic on which feedback is sought. The role of context in influencing these patterns is also discussed. Issues in the literature are identified throughout, and the review ends by identifying five promising areas for future research.
Positive organizational change is a paradox. On one hand, natural human inclinations toward the positive and heliotropic tendencies foster a proclivity toward positive change in human systems. On the other hand, human beings react more strongly to negative than to positive stimuli, so the presence of negative events overshadows positive events. Paradoxically, both tendencies—toward the positive and in response to the negative— are important enablers of positive change, but because the negative usually dominates, positive factors have to be given extra emphasis for positive change to occur. The concept of “positive” has created a great deal of controversy and confusion in organizational studies, spawning critics as well as promoters. The major connotations of this concept in organizational scholarship are clarified, and a way to reconcile the paradox of positive change is proposed. New investigations of positive organizational change are introduced that address various aspects of the positive change paradox.
In this article, the authors explore compassion in work organizations. They discuss the prevalence and costs of pain in organizational life, and identify compassion as an important process that can occur in response to suffering. At the individual level, compassion takes place through three subprocesses: noticing another’s pain, experiencing an emotional reaction to the pain, and acting in response to the pain. The authors build on this framework to argue that organizational compassion exists when members of a system collectively notice, feel, and respond to pain experienced by members of that system. These processes become collective as features of an organization’s context legitimate them within the organization, propagate them among organizational members, and coordinate them across individuals.
hriving describes an individual's experience of vitality and learning. The primary goal of this paper is to develop a model that illuminates the social embeddedness of employees' thriving at work. First, we explain why thriving is a useful theoretical construct, define thriving, and compare it to related constructs, including resilience, flourishing, subjective well-being, flow, and self-actualization. Second, we describe how work contexts facilitate agentic work behaviors, which in turn produce resources in the doing of work and serve as the engine of thriving. Third, we describe how thriving serves as a gauge to facilitate self-adaptation at work. We conclude by highlighting key theoretical contributions of the model and suggesting directions for future research.
We develop a theory to explain how individual compassion in response to human pain in organizations becomes socially coordinated through a process we call compassion organizing. The theory specifies five mechanisms, including contextual enabling of attention, emotion, and trust, agents improvising structures, and symbolic enrichment, that show how the social architecture of an organization interacts with agency and emergent features to affect the extraction, generation, coordination, and calibration of resources. In doing so, our theory of compassion organizing suggests that the same structures designed for the normal work of organizations can be redirected to a new purpose to respond to members' pain. We discuss the implications of the theory for compassion organizing and for collective organizing more generally.
Values-based leadership is based upon honesty, respect, trust and dignity, and it regards every employee within a company as a valued human being. This book describes the characteristics of leaders who focus on positivity and virtues to create and sustain highly successful organizations such as Synovus Financial Corporation, HomeBanc Mortgage Company, and the United States Marine Corps. It also addresses leader mistakes and forgiveness, and how difficulties and challenges can be overcome to achieve spectacular results. This inspiring book offers practical advice that can be applied to individual leadership styles and roles. As society tries to rebound from the recent scandals involving fraud, financial improprieties, and unethical behavior among its leadership, the fundamental message of Leading with Values is clear: acting ethically and virtuously, and treating all stakeholders with respect and dignity, can create extraordinary outcomes without sacrificing performance and profits.
Aristotle proposed that to achieve happiness and success, people should cultivate virtues at mean or intermediate levels between deficiencies and excesses. In stark contrast to this assertion that virtues have costs at high levels, a wealth of psychological research has focused on demonstrating the well-being and performance benefits of positive traits, states, and experiences. This focus has obscured the prevalence and importance of nonmonotonic inverted-U-shaped effects, whereby positive phenomena reach inflection points at which their effects turn negative. We trace the evidence for nonmonotonic effects in psychology and provide recommendations for conceptual and empirical progress. We conclude that for psychology in general and positive psychology in particular, Aristotle’s idea of the mean may serve as a useful guide for developing both a descriptive and a prescriptive account of happiness and success.
The Collected Works of Ed Diener, in 3 volumes, present the major works of the leading research scientist studying happiness and well-being. Professor Diener has studied subjective well-being, people’s life satisfaction and positive emotions, for over a quarter of a century, and has published 200 works on the topic, many more than any other scholar. He has studied hundreds of thousands of people in over 140 nations of the world, and the Collected Works present the major findings from those studies. Diener has made many of the major discoveries about well-being, which are outlined in the chapters.
The first volume presents the major theory and review papers of Ed Diener. These publications give a broad overview of findings in the field, and the theories of well-being. As such, the first volume is an absolute must for beginning scholars in this area, and offers a clear tutorial to the history of the field and major findings. The second volume focuses on culture. This volume is most unique, and could sell on its own, as it should appeal to cultural psychologists and anthropologists. The findings in the culture area are mostly all derived from the Diener laboratory and his students. Thus, the papers in this volume represent most of the major publications on culture and well-being. Furthermore, this is the area that is least well-known by most scholars. The third volume on measurement is the most applied and practical one because it discusses all the measures used, and presents new measures. Even for those who do not want to study well-being per se, but want to use some well-being measures in their research, this volume will be of enormous help.
Volume 1: Gives a broad overview of findings and theories on subjective well-being.
Volume 2: Presents most of the major papers on well-being and culture, and the international differences in well-being
Volume 3: Presents discussions of measures of well-being and new measures of well-being, and is thus of great value to those who want to select measurement scales for their research
Endorsements
Over the past several decades Professor Diener has contributed more than any other psychologist to the rigorous research of subjective well-being. The collection of this work in this series is going to be of invaluable help to anyone interested in the study of happiness, life-satisfaction, and the emerging discipline of positive psychology. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Professor of Psychology And Management, Claremont Graduate University
Ed Diener, the Jedi Master of the world's happiness researchers, has inspired and informed all of us who have studied and written about happiness. His life's work epitomizes a humanly significant psychological science. How wonderful to have his pioneering writings collected and preserved for future students of human well-being, and for practitioners and social policy makers who are working to promote human flourishing. David G. Myers, Hope College, and author, The Pursuit of Happiness.
Ed Diener's work on life satisfaction -- theory and research -- has been ground-breaking. Having his collected works available will be a great boon to psychologists and policy-makers alike. Christopher Peterson, Professor of Psychology, Univ. of Michigan
By looking at happiness and well-being in many different cultures and societies, from East to West, from New York City to Calcutta slums, and beyond, Ed Diener has forever transformed the field of culture in psychology. Filled with bold theoretical insights and rigorous and, yet, imaginative empirical studies, this volume will be absolutely indispensable for all social and behavioral scientists interested in transformative power of culture on human psychology. Shinobu Kitayama, Professor and Director of the Culture and Cognition Program, Univ. of Michigan
Ed Diener is one of the most productive psychologists in the world working in the field of perceived quality of life or, as he prefers, subjective wellbeing. He has served the profession as a researcher, writer, teacher, officer in professional organizations, editor of leading journals, a member of the editorial board of still more journals as well as a member of the board of the Social Indicators Research Book Series. As an admirer of his work and a good friend, I have learned a lot from him, from his students, his relatives and collaborators. The idea of producing a collection of his works came to me as a result of spending a great deal of time trying to keep up with his work. What a wonderful public and professional service it would be, I thought, as well as a time-saver for me, if we could get a substantial number of his works assembled in one collection. In these three volumes we have not only a fine selection of past works but a good number of new ones as well. So, it is with considerable delight that I write these lines to thank Ed and to lend my support to this important publication. Alex C. Michalos, Ph.D., F.R.S.C., Chancellor, Director, Institute for Social Research and Evaluation, Professor Emeritus, Political Science, Univ. of Northern British Columbia
The Collected Works of Ed Diener, in 3 volumes, present the major works of the leading research scientist studying happiness and well-being. Professor Diener has studied subjective well-being, people’s life satisfaction and positive emotions, for over a quarter of a century, and has published 200 works on the topic, many more than any other scholar. He has studied hundreds of thousands of people in over 140 nations of the world, and the Collected Works present the major findings from those studies. Diener has made many of the major discoveries about well-being, which are outlined in the chapters.
The first volume presents the major theory and review papers of Ed Diener. These publications give a broad overview of findings in the field, and the theories of well-being. As such, the first volume is an absolute must for beginning scholars in this area, and offers a clear tutorial to the history of the field and major findings. The second volume focuses on culture. This volume is most unique, and could sell on its own, as it should appeal to cultural psychologists and anthropologists. The findings in the culture area are mostly all derived from the Diener laboratory and his students. Thus, the papers in this volume represent most of the major publications on culture and well-being. Furthermore, this is the area that is least well-known by most scholars. The third volume on measurement is the most applied and practical one because it discusses all the measures used, and presents new measures. Even for those who do not want to study well-being per se, but want to use some well-being measures in their research, this volume will be of enormous help.
Volume 1: Gives a broad overview of findings and theories on subjective well-being.
Volume 2: Presents most of the major papers on well-being and culture, and the international differences in well-being
Volume 3: Presents discussions of measures of well-being and new measures of well-being, and is thus of great value to those who want to select measurement scales for their research
Endorsements
Over the past several decades Professor Diener has contributed more than any other psychologist to the rigorous research of subjective well-being. The collection of this work in this series is going to be of invaluable help to anyone interested in the study of happiness, life-satisfaction, and the emerging discipline of positive psychology. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Professor of Psychology And Management, Claremont Graduate University
Ed Diener, the Jedi Master of the world's happiness researchers, has inspired and informed all of us who have studied and written about happiness. His life's work epitomizes a humanly significant psychological science. How wonderful to have his pioneering writings collected and preserved for future students of human well-being, and for practitioners and social policy makers who are working to promote human flourishing. David G. Myers, Hope College, and author, The Pursuit of Happiness.
Ed Diener's work on life satisfaction -- theory and research -- has been ground-breaking. Having his collected works available will be a great boon to psychologists and policy-makers alike. Christopher Peterson, Professor of Psychology, Univ. of Michigan
By looking at happiness and well-being in many different cultures and societies, from East to West, from New York City to Calcutta slums, and beyond, Ed Diener has forever transformed the field of culture in psychology. Filled with bold theoretical insights and rigorous and, yet, imaginative empirical studies, this volume will be absolutely indispensable for all social and behavioral scientists interested in transformative power of culture on human psychology. Shinobu Kitayama, Professor and Director of the Culture and Cognition Program, Univ. of Michigan
Ed Diener is one of the most productive psychologists in the world working in the field of perceived quality of life or, as he prefers, subjective wellbeing. He has served the profession as a researcher, writer, teacher, officer in professional organizations, editor of leading journals, a member of the editorial board of still more journals as well as a member of the board of the Social Indicators Research Book Series. As an admirer of his work and a good friend, I have learned a lot from him, from his students, his relatives and collaborators. The idea of producing a collection of his works came to me as a result of spending a great deal of time trying to keep up with his work. What a wonderful public and professional service it would be, I thought, as well as a time-saver for me, if we could get a substantial number of his works assembled in one collection. In these three volumes we have not only a fine selection of past works but a good number of new ones as well. So, it is with considerable delight that I write these lines to thank Ed and to lend my support to this important publication. Alex C. Michalos, Ph.D., F.R.S.C., Chancellor, Director, Institute for Social Research and Evaluation, Professor Emeritus, Political Science, Univ. of Northern British Columbia
Values-based leadership is based upon honesty, respect, trust and dignity, and it regards every employee within a company as a valued human being. This book describes the characteristics of leaders who focus on positivity and virtues to create and sustain highly successful organizations such as Synovus Financial Corporation, HomeBanc Mortgage Company, and the United States Marine Corps. It also addresses leader mistakes and forgiveness, and how difficulties and challenges can be overcome to achieve spectacular results. This inspiring book offers practical advice that can be applied to individual leadership styles and roles. As society tries to rebound from the recent scandals involving fraud, financial improprieties, and unethical behavior among its leadership, the fundamental message of Leading with Values is clear: acting ethically and virtuously, and treating all stakeholders with respect and dignity, can create extraordinary outcomes without sacrificing performance and profits.
Fineman raises concerns regarding the implications of positive scholarship for organizational theory and managerial practice. I suggest that illuminating positive states, dynamics, and outcomes enriches theoretical perspectives and invites new directions for empirical research. Gaining a deep understanding of generative mechanisms may ultimately enhance the quality of life for individuals who work within and are affected by work organizations.
I want to approach the issue of values by focusing on a set of organizations that strive to be high reliability organizations (HRO). Organizations such as nuclear power-generation plants, naval aircraft carriers, wildland firefighting crews, and emergency departments in hospitals aspire to produce high reliability performance under trying conditions with fewer than their fair share of accidents. Usually their aspirations succeed; occasionally they fail. For our purpose what is important is that the fate of these organizations often can be traced to the strength of their attachment to values or general principles concerning patterns of behavior that they hold in high regard. But what is crucial to this strength of attachment is the way in which it was achieved. In organizing for high reliability, values are the last thing to be crystallized, not the first. And it is this departure from conventional treatments of value driven behavior that has the potential to help us understand the mechanisms by which values-based leadership gains its legitimacy and effectiveness.
I present a complex theoretical explanation that draws on multiple bodies of literature to present an academically rigorous version of a simple argument: good deeds earn chits. I advance/defend three core assertions: (1) corporate philanthropy can generate positive moral capital among communities and stakeholders, (2) moral capital can provide shareholders with insurance-like protection for a firm's relationship-based intangible assets, and (3) this protection contributes to shareholder wealth. I highlight several managerial implications of these core assertions.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, affected the U.S. airline industry more than almost any other industry. Certain airlines emerged successful and demonstrated remarkable resilience while others languished. This investigation identifies reasons why some airline companies recovered successfully after the attacks while others struggled. Evidence is provided that layoffs after the crisis, although intended to foster recovery, instead inhibited recovery throughout the 4 years after the crisis. But, layoffs after the crisis were strongly correlated with lack of financial reserves and lack of a viable business model prior to the crisis. Digging deeper, the authors find that having a viable business model itself depended on the development and preservation of relational reserves over time. Our model shows that the maintenance of adequate financial reserves enables the preservation of relational reserves and vice versa, contributing to organizational resilience in times of crisis.
Our aim was to construct an experimental situation with which we could explore relationships between the looking behavior of the eye and recall of pictures differing in threatening content. Seventeen Ss individually were shown 10 pictures for 10 sec. each with concurrent eye fixation photography (Mackworth eye camera) and GSR recording. The main analysis consisted of breaking high and low GSR “Peak” (i.e., the high point of GSR deflection during the ten seconds of looking) against “mean duration of each fixation,” inspection time of “ground” of each picture (rather than “figure”), recall duration, instances of forgetting the picture, and postponement in recall order. Significant differences were found in most of these measures in a direction which seemed consistent with a concept of avoidance—under conditions of high GSR responsivity more than under low GSR responsivity, Ss tended to show avoidance tendencies in both looking and recalling behavior.
The manner in which the concept of reciprocity is implicated in functional theory is explored, enabling a reanalysis of the concepts of "survival" and "exploitation." The need to distinguish between the concepts of complementarity and reciprocity is stressed. Distinctions are also drawn between (1) reciprocity as a pattern of mutually contingent exchange of gratifications, (2) the existential or folk belief in reciprocity, and (3) the generalized moral norm of reciprocity. Reciprocity as a moral norm is analyzed; it is hypothesized that it is one of the universal "principal components" of moral codes. As Westermarck states, "To requite a benefit, or to be grateful to him who bestows it, is probably everywhere, at least under certain circumstances, regarded as a duty. This is a subject which in the present connection calls for special consideration." Ways in which the norm of reciprocity is implicated in the maintenance of stable social systems are examined.
This article reports on the nature of control in 78 retail department store companies. It argues that control and structure have not been clearly distinguished in the literature on organizations. Control is not the same thing as structure. Control can be conceptualized as an evaluation process which is based on the monitoring and evaluation of behavior or of outputs. Another study (Ouchi and Maguire, 1975) has established that approximately 25 percent of the variance in these control mechanisms can be explained by task characteristics and other variables at the individual level of analysis. Using the organization as the unit of analysis it seeks to uncover the relationship between structure and control. The results show that approximately 33 percent of the variance in control can be accounted for by structural characteristics, as well as by a characteristic of the environment-namely, the nature of the clientele served.
A virtue is defined as any psychological process that enables a person to think and act so as to benefit both him- or herself and society. Character is a higher-order construct reflecting the possession of several of the component virtues. The process by which the topics of virtue and character fell out of favor in psychology is reviewed, with a call for a rebirth of interest in these concepts in the interface of clinical, counseling, social, and personality psychology.
This paper identifies a newly emerging function for the behavioral scientist and exemplifies its activities by describing and analyzing some recent work in the organizational change area. First, some traditional strategies of change are discussed, followed by a description and analysis of some of the newer change programs associated with the National Training Laboratories, Tavistock Institute, R. R. Blake, C. Argyris, and others. Finally, the "role strains" which inhere in this new action role are discussed.
Thirty Ss were allowed to inspect a set of slides varying in content for an unlimited time. Looking time was found to be dependent upon stimulus variables: content of the slides, position in the series, level of complexity, and affect level of the figures. Tests of personality traits and factors failed to account for individual differences in inspection time.
This study examines the Nemeth (1986) model of minority influence in a field study of natural work-groups. Confederates (who were also permanent members of the ongoing, interacting groups) served as designated minority influence agents during the 10-week study. Results demonstrated that experimental groups engaged in more divergent thinking and developed more original products than control groups. Minority influence groups did not experience more social conflict than control groups. Contrary to expectations, minority influence agents received higher peer ratings than other group members. Exploratory analysis of qualitative data, however, indicates that the role of a minority influence agent is stressful. Results are discussed in terms of managing the minority influence process in organizations in order to facilitate divergent thinking and originality while protecting agents from excessive personal strain.
Using a systematic item-development framework as a guide (i.e., item development, questionnaire administration, item reduction, scale evaluation, and replication), this article discusses the development and evaluation of an instrument that can be used to gauge readiness for organizational change at an individual level. In all, more than 900 organizational members from the public and private sector participated in the different phases of study, with the questionnaire being tested in two separate organizations. The results suggest that readiness for change is a multidimensional construct influenced by beliefs among employees that (a) they are capable of implementing a proposed change (i.e., change-specific efficacy), (b) the proposed change is appropriate for the organization (i.e., appropriateness), (c) the leaders are committed to the proposed change (i.e., management support), and (d) the proposed change is beneficial to organizational members (i.e., personal valence).
This paper examines how organizations heal after major trauma. We introduce the concept of organizational healing, which is different from resilience, adaptation, and hardiness. It refers to the actual work of repairing and mending the collective social fabric of an organization after some threat or shock to its system. Using a qualitative research method, we uncover four themes of organizational healing that reflect an organizations capacity for virtuousness: reinforcing the priority of the individual, fostering high quality connections, strengthening a family culture, and initiating ceremonies and rituals. These themes are supported from narrative accounts of a shooting incident in a mid-western university. Our paper suggests that organizational healing is mediated through virtues such as compassion, care, mutual support, courage, and faith.
Connectivity, the control parameter in a nonlinear dynamics model of team performance is mathematically linked to the ratio of positivity to negativity (P/N) in team interaction. By knowing the P/N ratio it is possible to run the nonlinear dynamics model that will portray what types of dynamics are possible for a team. These dynamics are of three types: point attractor, limit cycle, and complexor (complex order, or “chaotic” in the mathematical sense). Low performance teams end up in point attractor dynamics, medium perfomance teams in limit cycle dynamics, and high performance teams in complexor dynamics.
This introduction sets the context for a discussion of the place of virtue ethics in the behavioral sciences. We outline how virtue ethics provide an illuminating account of human action that can expand social science and professional practice in ways that are unavailable in standard accounts. The authors in this issue of the American Behavioral Scientist provide a more systematic and comprehensive account of virtue than is currently available in the social science literature. This account focuses on virtues as character strengths that make it possible for individuals to seek the best kind of life. We present virtue ethics as a framework that makes it possible to break down the standard dichotomies between facts and values, individuals and society, and behavioral tendencies and a complete life. We take Aristotle’s original account of virtue as a point of departure, which reduces our reliance on particular contemporary religious or political doctrines.
Abstract—Recent studies have documented that performance in a domain is hindered when individuals feel that a sociocultural group to which they belong is negatively stereotyped in that domain. We report that implicit activation of a social identity can facilitate as well as impede performance on a quantitative task. When a particular social identity was made salient at an implicit level, performance was altered in the direction predicted by the stereotype associated with the identity. Common cultural stereotypes hold that Asians have superior quantitative skills compared with other ethnic groups and that women have inferior quantitative skills compared with men. We found that Asian-American women performed better on a mathematics test when their ethnic identity was activated, but worse when their gender identity was activated, compared with a control group who had neither identity activated. Cross-cultural investigation indicated that it was the stereotype, and not the identity per se, that influenced performance.
Based on the values-as-truisms hypothesis (Maio & Olson, 1998), two experiments tested whether the salience of reasons for a value increases provalue behavior over and above the effect of making the value salient. In the first experiment, we predicted and found that participants who contemplated their reasons regarding the value of equality subsequently behaved in a more egalitarian manner in a minimal group paradigm than participants whose value of equality was primed. In the second experiment, participants who contemplated their reasons regarding the value of helpfulness subsequently behaved in a more helpful manner than participants who had rated their positive feelings about the value. Overall, these results support a novel explanation for the value–behavior discrepancies that have been revealed in classic research (e.g., Darley & Batson, 1973).
Subjects in a positive, neutral, or negative mood were presented with behaviour descriptions exemplifying different categories to investigate mood effects on the organization of person information. Subjects were instructed either to form an impression about the person performing the behaviours (impression set) or to memorize the behaviours (memory set). Neutral mood subjects showed higher recall and more clustering under impression instructions than under memory instructions, replicating previous findings. Regardless of instructions, subjects in both positive and negative mood showed recall as high as that shown by those in a neutral mood under impression set. Subjects in a positive mood showed considerable clustering regardless of instruction set, whereas subjects in a negative mood showed little clustering regardless of instructional set. Thus, recall appeared to be mediated by different processes in the positive and negative mood conditions. Results are consistent with the interpretation that different affective states influence processing styles which in turn mediate recall.
If the defining goal of modern-day business can be isolated to just one item, it would be the search for competitive advantage. Competition is more intense than ever-technological innovation, consumer expectations, and government deregulation all combine to create more opportunities for new competitors to change the basic rules of the game. At the same time, most of the old reliable sources of competitive advantage are drying up: the strategies employed by GM, IBM, and AT&T to maintain their positions of dominance in the 1960s and 70s are now obsolete. The authors of this book argue that the last remaining source of truly sustainable competitive advantage lies in "organizational capabilities": the unique ways each organization structures its work and motivates its people to achieve clearly articulated strategic objectives. The book argues that managers must understand the concepts and learn the skills involved in designing their organization to exploit their inherent strengths. All the reengineering, restructuring, and downsizing in the world will merely destabilize a company if the change doesn't address the fundamental patterns of performance-and if the change doesn't recognize the unique core competencies of that company. The authors draw upon specific cases to illustrate the design process in practice, and they provide a set of tools for using strategic organization design to gain competitive advantage. They present a design process, explore key decisions managers face, and list the guiding principles for incorporating the design function as a continuing and integral process.
Knowledge work, which consists of goal-oriented activities that require high levels of competency to complete, comprises a large and increasing amount of work in modern organizations. Because knowledge work seldom has single correct results or methods for completion, externally specified, quantified measures of performance may not always be the most appropriate means for managing the performance of knowledge workers. Two competing models of flow, a type of subjective performance, are proposed and tested in a sample of work experiences from engineers, scientists, managers, and technicians who study and design national defense technologies at Sandia National Laboratories. Results support the definition and model that conceives of flow as the experience of merging situation awareness with the automatic application of activity-relevant knowledge and skills. Ways in which this definition and model of flow can be incorporated into theories of knowledge, performance, and social networks are explored.
Companies are increasingly asked to provide innovative solutions to deep-seated problems of human misery, even as economic theory instructs managers to focus on maximizing their shareholders' wealth. In this paper, we assess how organization theory and empirical research have thus far responded to this tension over corporate involvement in wider social life. Organizational scholarship has typically sought to reconcile corporate social initiatives with seemingly inhospitable economic logic. Depicting the hold that economics has had on how the relationship between the firm and society is conceived, we examine the consequences for organizational research and theory by appraising both the 30-year quest for an empirical relationship between a corporation's social initiatives and its financial performance, as well as the development of stakeholder theory. We propose an alternative approach, embracing the tension between economic and broader social objectives as a starting point for systematic organizational inquiry. Adopting a pragmatic stance, we introduce a series of research questions whose answers will reveal the descriptive and normative dimensions of organizational responses to misery.
The authors extend the metaphor of wound healing in medicine to organizations and propose a model of organizational healing. Organizational healing differs from resilience, hardiness, and recovery and refers to the actual work of repairing and mending the collective social fabric of an organization after crisis. Using a qualitative research study based on interview data gathered after a shooting incident in a Midwestern university, the authors propose a model of organizational healing that includes three stages of healing and six key enablers: inflammation—prioritizing individual in need of urgent care and minimizing the potential for recriminations; proliferation—fostering high-quality connections and improvising on routines; and remodeling—strengthening a family organizational culture and initiating ceremonies and rituals. The authors offer implications for how organizations manage these enablers after crisis and suggest that organizations adopting these are more likely to experience healing.