Happiness management is not a new trend, and it continues to acquire more and more population worldwide. If several years ago, one of the most important human resources (HR) functions was the motivation of employees, today, it is evident that, apart from the financial component, the overall well-being influences the results of people’s work. Al Maktoum (2017) distinguishes between personal happiness and that of society as a whole that can be accomplished through public services.
The concept of happiness may be defined as feeling safe, secure, and comfortable in the workplace. If a company assists employees in maintaining their well-being, the involvement of the latter grows. Happiness at the workplace is also referred to as spirituality – “a search for meaning, deeper self-knowledge or transcendence to a higher level” (Petchsawang & Duchon, 2009, p. 460). The sense of one’s purpose and meaning motivates employees to work and feel better simultaneously.
Importance and Application of the Topic
Caused by the increased competition and economic uncertainty, the role of workplace happiness raised significantly. Today, the core importance of the identified concept lies in its capability to ensure positive outcomes through higher productivity and employee satisfaction (Dimitrov, 2012). In particular, a happy employee understands that he or she works in a relevant position and actively participates in the processes taking place within the company, feeling responsibility and involvement. The latter is expected to inspire employees to new achievements since they are interested in performing emerging tasks and solving problems. A happy employee should be motivated both financially and non-materially and see perspectives in further career and personality development.
The concept of workplace happiness may be applied to diverse settings, beginning with managers, and ending with the first-line workers. In their study, Bader, Hashim, and Zaharim (2013) explored friendship as a construct of happiness among banking employees. It is considered that positive interpersonal relationships are beneficial for any organization, yet the opportunities to create them may depend on employees’ age, gender, education level, et cetera.
For example, the study demonstrated that males are more likely to be friends at the workplace compared to women, while people after 40 are more prone to friendships rather than their younger colleagues (Bader et al., 2013).
As for education, one may emphasize that people with secondary education have better opportunities in terms of friendship compared to those who have higher education diplomas. The mentioned results allow an understanding of how people of different demographic characteristics behave with regard to others (Bader et al., 2013). They also are useful in preparing and implementing strategies that aim at improving workplace happiness since leaders would take into account their employees’ preferences and expectations.
The importance of happiness in the workplace is also associated with the difficulties HR specialists encounter while hiring, retaining, and developing employees. In today’s’ rapidly developing environment, companies struggle to attract the most qualified and creative employees, who need not only appropriate remuneration but also good workplace relationships and attitudes (Dimitrov, 2012). The need to focus on more intrinsic factors that motivate employees forces HRs to be flexible in applying one or another strategy.
For example, Dimitrov (2012) mentions Patagonia, a company “whose management is not influenced by the market pressure for achieving greater profit, but maintains its soul by being a human-friendly and environmentally conscious organization” (p. 352). In other words, workplace happiness implies non-monetary values and self-actualization techniques when applied to a particular company.
The participation of management also has a certain weight and importance in shaping the atmosphere of happiness. According to Hosie and Sevastos (2009), the steps towards the individualization of the so-called portions of happiness are essential. In addition, the more talented an employee is, the more valuable and refined is his or her way to happiness. Employers, as a rule, try to maneuver between benefits for employees and profit for a company, not always understanding what and how to choose at a particular moment (Hosie & Sevastos, 2009). In general, one of the focal criteria for discomfort at work is an imbalance; some are stressed because of rigidity and over control, while others – due to excessive sensitivity and connivance, which leads to an unpredictable change of priorities and constant stress.
The task of every employee is to find a way to work in harmony with their personal values ​​and build successful relationships with colleagues and managers. The task of a leader is to create an atmosphere in which people can develop, paying attention to a shared vision, a link between the contribution of each employee, and the ultimate goal of the company (Hosie & Sevastos, 2009). Career aspects of well-being include clear and transparent prospects for development and growth, the ability to develop not only professionally but also personally, passion for their work, and the possibility of self-realization.
Impact of Happiness at Work
A review of employee welfare and its potential impact on labor productivity shows that increased well-being leads to improved performance: the financial performance of the business, productivity, and quality of goods and services. Therefore, many employers implement programs for employee well-being, which can be measured in psychological capital (PsyCap) and perceived organizational support (POS) (Joo & Lee, 2017).
There are several major factors affecting a person’s well-being in terms of a career, including social and financial factors, physical condition, and contribution that a person makes to society. For an employee who has health problems or family issues, it seems to be much more difficult to be involved and give maximum energy to work.
While several studies reflect the direct correlation between workplace happiness and employee productivity, there is little information on how various positions and professions affect this link. Joo and Lee (2017) found that POS and PsyCap were considerably higher in more engaged and committed employees. It should also be stressed that work engagement acted as a mediator between career satisfaction and PsyCap, and the latter directly impacted subjective well-being.
The practical role of these findings is that they clarify how organizational performance can be improved in a long-term period. The provision of opportunities for growth, assistance in developing personal competences, and addressing family and other individual issues – all this positively impact workplace satisfaction. In turn, happy employees are likely to value their workplaces more since they feel their own importance for a company and its well-being.
At the same time, employee productivity increases due to the positive attitudes of managers and leaders towards them. As stated by Al Maktoum (2017), positivity and happiness are related directly to likewise introduction and conclusion, which makes it evident that organizations should adopt happiness as a way of life and thinking. In other words, optimism with which employers and employees consider work-related issues compose the core of happiness. Happy employees work and produce more, thus boosting economic development at a larger scale (Al Maktoum, 2017). By pursuing happiness, companies and governments set the directions to be achieved in the future, and employees understand that they contribute to something important to turn the world for the better.
Advantages
The evidence shows that there are various benefits of workplace happiness, including social and physical issues. First of all, one of the key advantages is “a person’s perspective on matters” that appears to be positive towards the processes in a company (Al Maktoum, 2017, p. 23). In other words, employees who are happy in their working environment are more inspired to adopt changes and act in accordance with their responsibilities.
Well-being in the social sphere means that a company created an atmosphere of trust and respect, people work in a team of like-minded people, while they are valued, and their opinions are listened to. A friendly environment, the possibility of socialization, and high-quality communication at work compose an extremely important advantage. In addition, companies also pay attention to staff compliance with the balance of work and privacy. This refers to considering options for those who want to go to distant or part-time work, creating the opportunity for people to relax, and spending more time with their families.
The second advantage of introducing and strengthening corporate spiritual values should be noted in terms of an organization-focused approach. Pawar (2008) states that employees’ spiritual experiences at the workplace allow establishing connectedness as well as alignment with colleagues. More to the point, the author claims that such an approach promotes “superior performance on business operations parameters as well as profitability and low employee turnover” (Pawar, 2008, p. 558).
As for the latter, one may note that it occurs due to a sense of purpose. People want to feel the relevance of their work and understand how their contribution allows for achieving important goals (Liu & Robertson, 2011). However, with the exception of those who are at the top management, shareholders’ profit is not a meaningful goal that enthralls and inspires. People would like to be aware that they and their organizations are doing something important for others. Employees tend to become happy to work in companies whose corporate projects are aimed at solving critical social problems.
From a physical point of view, a sense of security, proper nutrition, physical activity, a sufficient amount of sleep, and access to quality health care is regarded as significant. All of the mentioned issues are included in the programs that strive to ensure workplace happiness. Constant stress at work, high workload, and multitasking often cause poor health; therefore, one more benefit is associated with proper planning of tasks and deadlines. Some companies already have special corporate doctors and nurses, who help care for the health of staff. The promotion of healthy and nutritious meals, weight loss programs, and encouragement to quit smoking – all this will help employees make a choice in favor of a healthy lifestyle and, thus, happiness at the workplace.
Consistent with the abovementioned advantages, one of the latest studies conducted by Petchsawang and Duchon (2009) suggested that there are four concepts of workplace spirituality: mindfulness, compassion, transcendence, and meaningful work. However, this research also adds new prospects such as transcendence, the definition of which may be specified as follows: the connection with the higher power – in this case, with the whole organization.
In particular, the study Petchsawang and Duchon (2009) conducted in an Asian context and Buddhism-centred workplaces indicates that a significant number of employees connect themselves with the higher power, which allows them to feel safe and confident during work. Thus, workplace happiness may also act as a mediator between a person and spirituality.
Disadvantages
Separate employee welfare programs are a good initiative, but they cannot provide the desired effect. Instead, it is critical to follow a systematic approach to introducing employee happiness initiatives and assessing their results.
It will not only allow adjusting the process of working with employees but also to monitor the effectiveness of initiatives and business benefits. In order not to turn well-being management into an excessively tense HR activity, interviews with employees seem to be helpful to determine priorities and expected benefits. Since many companies fail to properly plan and introduce workplace happiness programs, the identified issue can be considered a disadvantage. It is recommended to develop a comprehensive program and involve the company’s top management in its implementation.
The second disadvantage may be determined as a lack of attention paid to taking care of the financial well-being of employees. It is significant to keep in mind that although happiness is not about money, employees should be able to cover their basic needs, pay for housing, relax, have desired leisure activities, and take care of their health (Samnani & Singh, 2014). It seems essential to point out the fact that in an attempt to ensure that employees have non-monetary compensation, many companies fail to pay fair and competitive remuneration. Therefore, it is critical to provide people with decent wages, educate them on financial literacy, and form a fund to help those who are in a difficult financial situation.
Another potential disadvantage refers to the fact that productivity is a relatively subjective phenomenon that can vary depending on the particular skills, knowledge, and competences of employees. Thompson and Goodale (2006) discussed the available literature and concluded that the underestimation of employees with lower productivity leads to errors in scheduling. Accordingly, happiness planning also should take into account the fact that every employee has individual strengths and weaknesses, and the standard programs may not be suitable for all of them (Thompson & Goodale, 2006).
Moreover, the analysis of disadvantages shows that there is insufficient literature on the correlation between workplace happiness and its limitation since the majority of studies point to the need for further practical studies in order to make more relevant conclusions.
Conclusion
To conclude, it should be emphasized that workplace happiness presents a great opportunity for managers and leaders to empower their employees for better work. While happiness at work is composed of several constructs such as compassion, communication, friendship, and others, it may be individual for every employee.
Nevertheless, some general trends also exist – for full involvement in the work, people need a vision of the future, an awareness of the significance and purpose of the work as well as fruitful relationships. Among the key advantages, one may enumerate employee satisfaction and increased productivity, engagement in work-related processes, and willingness to actively participate in communication with colleagues. The disadvantages are the need for comprehensive programs to build consistent workplace happiness and limitedness of the available research.
References
Al Maktoum, M. B. R. (2017). Reflections on happiness & positivity. Dubai, UAE: Explorer Publishing.
Bader, H. A., Hashim, I. H., & Zaharim, N. M. (2013). Workplace friendships among bank employees in Eastern Libya. Digest of Middle East Studies, 22(1), 94-116.
Dimitrov, D. (2012). Sources of meaningfulness in the workplace: A study in the US hospitality sector. European Journal of Training and Development, 36(2/3), 351-371.
Hosie, P. J., & Sevastos, P. (2009). Does the “happy-productive worker” thesis apply to managers? International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 2(2), 131-160.
Joo, B. K., & Lee, I. (2017). Workplace happiness: Work engagement, career satisfaction, and subjective well-being. Evidence-based HRM: A Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, 5(2), 206-221.
Liu, C. H., & Robertson, P. J. (2011). Spirituality in the workplace: Theory and measurement. Journal of Management Inquiry, 20(1), 35-50.
Pawar, S. B. (2008). Two approaches to workplace spirituality facilitation: A comparison and implications. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 29(6), 544-567.
Petchsawang, P., & Duchon, D. (2009). Measuring workplace spirituality in an Asian context. Human Resource Development International, 12(4), 459-468.
Samnani, A. K., & Singh, P. (2014). Performance-enhancing compensation practices and employee productivity: The role of workplace bullying. Human Resource Management Review, 24(1), 5-16.
Thompson, G. M., & Goodale, J. C. (2006). Variable employee productivity in workforce scheduling. European Journal of Operational Research, 170(2), 376-390.