pos psych quiz 4/18

employee engagement

• positive, work-related state of mind

• energy, involvement and efficacy (opposite of job burnout elements of exhaustion, cynicism, inefficacy)

• differs from job satisfaction (both involve positive focus, but engagement goes beyond with involvement, absorption and dedication)

what promoted engagement

• positive emotionality disposition

• high, more enthusiastic energetic, excited about job

• zest or approach to life with anticipation, energy, excitement, form of positive emotionality

• positive emotions: enhance problem-solving and decision making, contributes to positive spontaneous behavior

• enhance workplace achievements: positive moods, more likely to engage in OCBs (organizational compensational behaviors)

Positive emotions linked with approach-oriented behaviors

More likely to enter novel situations, interact with others, pursue new goals

More engaged with work

Less burnout, less emotional exhaustion, less absenteeism, less turnover

Frequency of positive emotions more important than the intensity, because

• bursts (e.g., motivational seminar) are short lived, so need more frequent

• Create work environments that induce positive emotions more consistently

Positive Affect Predicts Goal-Setting and Intensity of Job Search

• Which Predicts Job Interviews and Offers

• positive affect has a significant effect on motivation control which has an effect on job search intensity, # of first interviews, # of second interviews and # of job offers

happiness prospectively predicts job outcomes

• Positive affect at age 14 predicted job satisfaction and self-reported job competence at age 25

• Participant rated cheerfulness at age 19 associated with income at age 37

• Moderated by parental income at age 19: association strongest at “high” parental income

job

• way to make money

• means to an end

• enjoyment of life outside of work prioritized

career

• potential for advancement at work

• gains and promotions are personally meaningful

• opportunities to gain prestige, power and prove oneself

calling

• work is inseparable from the person

• work reflects values, passion and meaning

• can be in any type of work

When Work is a Calling

• Perceiving a calling – having the experience that you are “meant” to do a certain type of work

• person-environment fit

• meaning and commitment

• Living a calling – finding or creating an opportunity within one’s work to access purpose or meaning or contribute to the greater good

• Perceiving a calling and living a calling correlated about r = .50

Features of calling

• Action-orientation: an emphasis on doing rather than simply being. Specifically, a calling refers to a course of action, an activity to be done.

• Sense of clarity of purpose, direction, meaning, and personal mission.

• Prosocial intention, that is, a desire to make the world a better place.

People who regard their work as calling reap benefits

• Focused career decision making

• Higher motivation

• Increased job satisfaction

• Lower stress and frustration

• Stronger organizational commitment

• Better organizational citizenship behavior

potential downside:

• challenge to balance passion for work with family, social, and leisure activities

prosocial behaviors

• organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs): voluntary behaviors that determine a worker’s commitment and loyalty that fall outside of contractual obligations

• OCBs overlap with but are not redundant with prosocial behaviors at work

  • mentoring - prosocial but not OCB

  • loyal to company - OCB not prosocial

  • helping co-worker with work task - prosocial and OCB

prosocial impact

• perception that your work has a positive impact on others

• acknowledge that ways in which your work makes the lives of other people better

Employees can make the job better: Job Crafting

• Focus on making the perfect job instead of finding the perfect job

• Making job fit with one’s skills, goals, and values

• Job Crafting associated with:

  • Job satisfaction, More meaning in work, Perception that job requires skillful behavior

• Can involve:

  • Changing boundaries of position – add/subtract tasks, Changing relational aspects of work, thinking about job differently

Employees can make the job better: Make Social Connections

• having friends at work is associated with:

  • More engagement at work

  • More positive and negative experiences at work

  • More risks that could lead to innovation

  • Higher retention

  • Occupational self-esteem

  • Life and job satisfaction

  • Positive affect

core job characteristics: skill variety, task identity, task significance

• critical psychological states: meaningfulness of work

• outcomes: high internal work motivation, high growth satisfaction, high general job satisfaction, high work effectiveness

core job characteristics: atonomy

• critical psychological states: responsibility for outcomes

• outcomes: high internal work motivation, high growth satisfaction, high general job satisfaction, high work effectiveness

core job characteristics: feedback

• critical psychological states: knowledge for outcomes

• outcomes: high internal work motivation, high growth satisfaction, high general job satisfaction, high work effectiveness

moderators

• knowledge and skill

• growth need strength

• context satisfaction

Transformational Leadership

• Leaders posses a vision that is discrepant from the status quo, resonates with followers

• Leaders have optimism and excitement about future

• Leaders value individuals for unique talents and seek to maximize their self-actualization

• High in dedication and hard work

• High integrity

• Provide clear directives and specific feedback

• Possess charisma