Understanding Flow among Academicians
New Ways of Studying Emotions in Organizations
ISBN: 978-1-78560-221-4, eISBN: 978-1-78560-220-7
Publication date: 7 July 2015
Abstract
The chapter studies the flow experience among academicians and the determinants of flow initiation and development. The academicians’ studied, have both research and teaching duties. The data for the study is drawn from 12 interviews conducted with academicians in India, with science, social science, and statistics as their fields of study. The study finds that different psychological needs can lead to flow experiences. It is proposed that the relationship between flow and psychological needs is influenced by personality traits (openness to experience and conscientiousness), which are reflected in day-day behavior (spontaneity and structuring). Interaction between humans (either students or collaborators) induced and strengthened flow-like feelings and emotional well-being, subject to certain conditions. Problem solving was found to be the key determinant of flow. Overall flow was found to be higher among research-oriented people working in science.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgment
This study was done as part of a coursework in the first year of Doctoral program by the authors at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India. We thank the instructor of the course, Prof. Ernesto Noronha, for his valuable guidance.
Citation
Mendonca, A.J., Mishra, N. and Dash, S.S. (2015), "Understanding Flow among Academicians", New Ways of Studying Emotions in Organizations (Research on Emotion in Organizations, Vol. 11), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 397-421. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1746-979120150000011015
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015 Emerald Group Publishing Limited