Search results
1 – 10 of over 1000Zeeshan Hamid and Yasir Mansoor Kundi
This paper aims to explore the mechanisms by which employees’ happiness at work (HAW) can be promoted. Drawing on the social exchange theory (SET), this study examined the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the mechanisms by which employees’ happiness at work (HAW) can be promoted. Drawing on the social exchange theory (SET), this study examined the relationships among discretionary human resource (HR) practices, perceived organizational support (POS), meaning of work (MOW) and HAW.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-path mediation model was developed to test the proposed relationships. The data were collected from Pakistani business professionals (n = 361), and hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS macro for SPSS .
Findings
The results suggest that POS mediates the relationship between discretionary HR practices and HAW. Also, MOW mediated the relationship between discretionary HR practices and HAW. Hence, both POS and MOW were found to be independent mediators. Further, the data provided support for the serial mediation of POS and MOW in the relationship between discretionary HR practices and HAW.
Practical implications
This research provides insights to organizations and their management on how discretionary HR practices can enhance employees’ POS, MOW and HAW.
Originality/value
The findings show that discretionary HR practices are associated with employees’ HAW. In addition, two mediators (POS and MOW) were found to serially mediate the aforesaid relationships. These findings are novel, as no prior research has used this nascent methodological approach to deepen our understanding by examining the associations between discretionary HR practices, POS, MOW and employees’ HAW.
Details
Keywords
Puja Khatri, Preeti Kumari and Asha Thomas
The significant role of universities in generating and diffusing new knowledge in the interest of society has positioned faculty as knowledge creators. The present study…
Abstract
Purpose
The significant role of universities in generating and diffusing new knowledge in the interest of society has positioned faculty as knowledge creators. The present study contributes to the domain of positive psychology by heeding the happiness call in academia. The research intends to develop and validate a scale for measuring happiness at work (HAW) for knowledge creators.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is systematically designed across a series of four independent studies: (1) Dimensionality and item analysis, (2) scale purification, (3) scale refinement and nomological validation and (4) generalizability. Additionally, common method bias (CMB) was checked utilizing the marker variable technique.
Findings
HAW has been established as a second-order reflective-reflective construct with six factors, namely work satisfaction, self-directedness, self-love, positive thinking, positive social relationships and work-family balance. The nomological validity and generalizability of the scale have also been established.
Research limitations/implications
The study is an attempt to address an important topic of HAW among knowledge creators. By conceptualizing HAW as a combination of intraindividual and organizational factors, this study offers a comprehensive measure of HAW that was previously absent in the literature. The results of the study will assist management in making strategic decisions to ensure the HAW of knowledge creators.
Originality/value
Knowledge creators’ happiness is a major concern in academia and has received little attention till date. The primary contribution of this study is the conceptualization and development of a validated scale for measuring knowledge creators’ HAW. A valid and reliable scale for measuring HAW would enable researchers to gain fresh perspectives on the essence, attributes and quantification of this particularly noteworthy construct.
Details
Keywords
Foziya Farooq, Sheikh Sajid Mohammad, Nazir Ahmed Nazir and Parvez Ahmad Shah
This study aims to systematically review the literature on happiness at work (HAW) by analysing existing studies, identifying relevant themes in HAW research and evaluating the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to systematically review the literature on happiness at work (HAW) by analysing existing studies, identifying relevant themes in HAW research and evaluating the methodologies used in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a systematic review process, following the guidelines and principles outlined in the updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement 2020 and checklist. Articles were collected from six databases: Emerald insight, Taylor & Francis Online, Science Direct, Wiley Online Library, Springer and MDPI. Subsequently, systematic review was performed on 41 HAW articles published in 29 different journals between 2010 and 2022. The authors only considered articles that were either indexed by Scopus or in the Academic Journal Guide (AJG) list.
Findings
The study identified six major themes, assessed the operationalisation of HAW and analysed the research methodologies and statistical tools used in the sample studies. Majority of the articles discussed the antecedents of HAW followed by the HAW as a mediator. There is a high heterogeneity in the operationalisation of HAW in the reviewed articles. Moreover, majority of the studies have prioritised service sectors over the industrial sectors.
Originality/value
This study represents the first comprehensive review of the existing literature on HAW by using a systematic review methodology.
Details
Keywords
Indu Nath Jha, Durba Pal and Subhadip Sarkar
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Inclusive Leadership (IL) and Organizational Justice (OJ) on employees’ Happiness at Work (HAW). Utilizing a mediation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Inclusive Leadership (IL) and Organizational Justice (OJ) on employees’ Happiness at Work (HAW). Utilizing a mediation mechanism, the study additionally uncovers the mediating impact of Workplace Inclusion (WI).
Design/methodology/approach
The research involved a cross-sectional study with a quantitative methodology, collecting data from 311 employees working in IT sector firms in India by administering standardized questionnaires. Statistical analyses, including Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling using SmartPLS4.0, were conducted to examine the relationship between constructs.
Findings
The hypothesized mediation model was supported. WI mediated the relationship partially between OJ and HAW, whereas there is a full mediating effect of WI on the IL–HAW relationship. Overall, the study shows that by providing fair treatment, inclusive leaders promote inclusivity among employees, further enhancing HAW.
Research limitations/implications
The study’s implications suggest that leaders, with their inclusive behaviour and fair practices, can have a significant positive impact on employees’ workplace happiness when accompanied by a sense of inclusivity among employees.
Practical implications
Organizations and leaders can utilize this study’s findings to promote inclusiveness and HAW, which can be a key to organizational growth and development in a post-pandemic era.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the research literature by addressing the unexplored relationship between IL, OJ and HAW. The exclusive as well as inclusive focus on the mediating role of WI adds new insights and enriches the understanding of the intricate conceptualization of the variables under study.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this study is to analyze the properties of Happiness at Workplace (HAW) scale and investigate the validity of the scale in the Indian context using a sample of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze the properties of Happiness at Workplace (HAW) scale and investigate the validity of the scale in the Indian context using a sample of EdTech employees (knowledge-intensive population). This is consistent with encouraging the happiness literature as well as facilitating positive approaches at the working place in developing economies.
Design/methodology/approach
Responses were collected via Questionnaire from the employees of EdTech Companies, and a total of 500 responses were investigated. The factor structures, reliability and validity of the HAW scale were tested with the help of SPSS and Smart PLS Software Version 4.0.8.7.
Findings
The findings of this study showed that all the criteria of reliability and validity for validation of HAW scale were met when used in Indian culture, and the higher-order construct of HAW scale was retained.
Originality/value
Because of the differences in work cultures and societal structures among nations, the validation of HAW scale in the Indian context is needed, as the majority of the studies in the field of happiness were conducted in Western countries. So this study contributes significantly by validating the HAW scale in India by using a sample of EdTech employees.
Details
Keywords
Andrés Salas-Vallina, Manoli Pozo-Hidalgo and Pedro-Gil Monte
The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of high-involvement work systems (HIWS) on absorptive capacity. In addition, the mediating effect of happiness at work in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of high-involvement work systems (HIWS) on absorptive capacity. In addition, the mediating effect of happiness at work in the relationship between high-involvement work practices and absorptive capacity is analyzed.
Design/methodology/approach
A 2-1-2 bathtub multilevel mediation model was used to analyze a sample of 783 employees from 111 bank branches, gathering data at three different times.
Findings
The results reveal that HIWS positively affect absorptive capacity. In addition, they show that happiness at work partially mediates the relationship between HIWS and absorptive capacity.
Originality/value
Happiness at work is a fundamental element for knowledge absorption. The findings support the basic assumptions of the job demands-resources model, and demonstrate how HIWS, acting as a job resource, lead to positive attitudes (happiness at work) and, in turn, to positive outcomes (absorptive capacity). The proposed HIWS, based on the assumptions of the mutual gains model, reveal a positive employment relationship with effects on both HAW and organizational outcomes. If organizations expose their employees to management practices that have specific benefits for their HAW, employees are more likely to perform their jobs in ways that will promote their absorptive capacity.
Details
Keywords
Meerna Mroueh and André de Waal
Happiness at work (HAW) has been a hot item in both the academic and managerial literature, as HAW seems to have a positive effect on attractiveness of an organization on its…
Abstract
Purpose
Happiness at work (HAW) has been a hot item in both the academic and managerial literature, as HAW seems to have a positive effect on attractiveness of an organization on its current workforce and potential new employees. Many of the HAW models have been developed in a Western setting, while this research aims at evaluation of whether a previously validated HAW model in the Western context is also valid in a non-Western context; in this case at a Takaful insurance company in the United Arab Emirates.
Design/methodology/approach
Employees of the Takaful insurance company were asked to rate their organization on how high performance it was – using the validated high-performance organization (HPO) questionnaire – and how happy they were – using the previously validated HAW questionnaire. The collected data was subjected to confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling to arrive at a validated HAW model for this Takaful insurance company.
Findings
The study results show that if the Takaful insurance company transforms itself to an HPO, it will become more attractive to current and future employees, by raising the HAW of current employees. The results also show that HAW consists of three factors: work engagement, job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment.
Practical implications
The Takaful insurance company now has knowledge at its disposal about ways to promote happiness in its employees, thus raising its attractiveness to current and future employees. The developed HAW model for this company is potentially also useful for other Takaful insurance companies in the UAE.
Originality/value
This study was the first of its kind – using the HPO and HAW models developed in a Western context, to be validated for a Takaful insurance company – and as such, contributes to both the HPO and HAW literature.
Details
Keywords
Andrés Salas-Vallina, Álvaro López-Cabrales, Joaquin Alegre and Rafael Fernández
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership (TFL), organizational learning capability (OLC) and happiness at work (HAW), and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership (TFL), organizational learning capability (OLC) and happiness at work (HAW), and offers a new measure for HAW.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used confirmatory factor analysis to test the theoretical model in order to check the psychometric properties of HAW. They examined a sample of 167 medical staff working in allergy units, which represents a response rate of 25 per cent.
Findings
The research showed that HAW can be measured using the proposed new measurement scale, and that TFL predicts HAW through the mediating role of OLC.
Practical implications
The results suggest that hospital managers and heads of allergy services should consider the effects of TFL, under certain learning conditions, to enhance HAW.
Originality/value
This research is the first that examines the effects of TFL and OLC on HAW, a higher order construct that has been implemented closely following previous research.
Details
Keywords
Andres Salas-Vallina, Joaquín Alegre and Rafael Fernandez
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between happiness at work (HAW), organisational learning capability (OLC) and organisational citizenship behaviour.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between happiness at work (HAW), organisational learning capability (OLC) and organisational citizenship behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
Through structural equation models, a sample of 167 allergists of public health services was analysed.
Findings
Results suggest that the relationship between HAW and organisational citizenship behaviour is fully mediated by OLC. Hence, OLC has a critical role to describe how HAW improves organisational citizenship behaviour. Basically, HAW promotes motivation for learning, and a better quality of the interactions between employees, which results in pro-social behaviours.
Research limitations/implications
The sample is focussed in a knowledge-intensive context. Future research might consider other service sectors, such as a private business sector. In addition it would be interesting to examine a longitudinal perspective of the model.
Practical implications
The results confirm the direct and positive effect of HAW on organisational citizenship behaviour. Nevertheless, showing positive attitudes as HAW does not assure to achieve perceived service quality. It is needed to take into account certain conditions that promote learning.
Originality/value
Current attitudinal theories do not contemplate environments that promote learning to explain pro-social attitudes. The research offers a theoretical model and provides evidence that the attitudes-behaviours relationship needs to be explained bearing in mind OLC.
Details
Keywords
Andres Salas-Vallina and Rafael Fernandez
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between inspirational leadership, participative decision making (PDM) and happiness at work (HAW).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between inspirational leadership, participative decision making (PDM) and happiness at work (HAW).
Design/methodology/approach
The sampling frame consists of medical specialists in allergy of Spanish public hospitals (n=167). The authors used structural equation modelling to verify if the relationship between inspirational leadership and HAW is mediated by PDM.
Findings
Results suggest that PDM fully mediates the relationship between inspirational leadership and HAW. Thus, PDM plays an essential role in explaining how inspirational leader behaviours.
Research limitations/implications
The authors put forward a cross-sectional research, which does not guarantee similar results in the future. Future longitudinal studies may reveal further effects of inspirational motivation and PDM beyond HAW. Also the authors focussed on a specific population of medical specialists working in public allergy units. Future research might consider longitudinal analysis and other populations.
Practical implications
This research provides evidence of the direct and positive effect of inspirational leadership on HAW. However, fostering inspirational leadership is not sufficient on its own to foment HAW, and should be complemented by applying other organisational factors such as PDM.
Originality/value
In recent years, some studies have put forward different conceptual models to explain the gap in the relationship between human resource management and performance, considering the effect of mediating variables. This study proposes a theoretical model that attempts to develop this human resource “black box” by empirically validating a conceptual proposal that links inspirational leadership, PDM and HAW.
Details