Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Developing a Conceptual Framework of Employee Well-Being (EWB) by Applying Goal Concepts and Findings from Personality-Social Psychology

  • Published:
Applied Research in Quality of Life Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper reports an attempt to develop a foundation of a theory of employee well-being (EWB) by borrowing concepts and findings from research in personality-social psychology. The proposed conceptual framework has four central principles: The principle of goal selection based on valence, the principle of goal selection based on expectancy, the goal implementation principle, and the goal attainment principle. These principles have corollaries expanding the logic of the proposed theoretical relationships. Specifically, the principle of goal selection based on valence has nine corollaries: Approach versus avoidance goals, goal meaningfulness, high- versus low-level goals, goals related to cultural norms, goals related to deprived needs, goals related to basic versus growth needs, intrinsic versus extrinsic goals, goals producing flow, and autonomy in goal setting. The principle of goal selection based on expectancy has five corollaries: Goal-motive congruence, goal-cultural value congruence, goal-resources congruence, goal conflict, and adapting goals to changes in circumstances. The principle of goal implementation has two corollaries: Goal concreteness and goal commitment. Finally, the goal attainment principle has three corollaries: Recognition of goal attainment, intensity versus frequency of positive feedback, and progress reports.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramson PR, Inglehart R (1995) Value change in global perspective. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

    Google Scholar 

  • Adams D (1983) The psychological development of professional black women's lives and the consequences of career for their personal happiness. PhD dissertation, Wright Institute, Berkley, California

  • Affleck G, Tennen H, Urrows S, Higgins P, Abeles M, Hall C, Karoly P, Newton C (1998) Fibromyalgia and women's pursuit of personal goals: a daily process analysis. Health Psychol 17:40–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahuvia AC, Friedman DC (1998) Income, consumption, and subjective well-being: toward a composite macromarketing model. J Macromark 18(2):153–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Alliger GM, Williams KJ (1993) Using signal-contingent experience sampling methodology to study work in the field: a discussion and illustration examining task perception and mood. Pers Psychol 46:525–549

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews FW, Withey SB (1976) Social indicators of well-being: America's perception of life quality. Plenum, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Argyle M (1999) Causes and correlates of happiness. In: Kahneman D, Diener E, Schwartz N (eds) Well-being: the foundations of hedonic psychology. Russell Sage, New York, pp 353–373

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson J (1958) Towards experimental analysis of human motivation in terms of motives, expectancies, and incentives. In: Atkinson J (ed) Motives in fantasy and society. Van Nostrand, Princeton, New Jersey, pp 288–305

    Google Scholar 

  • Austin JJ, Vancouver JB (1996) Goal constructs in psychology: structure, process, and content. Psychol Bull 120(3):338–375

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker LA, Cesa IL, Gatz M, Grodsky A (1992) Genetic and environmental influences on positive and negative affect: support for a two-factor theory. Psychol Aging 7:158–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Baltes PB, Baltes MM (1990) Psychological perspectives on successful aging: the model of selective optimization with compensation. In: Baltes PB, Baltes MM (eds) Successful aging: perspectives from the behavioral sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 1–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A (1991) Self-regulation of motivation through anticipatory and self-reactive mechanisms. In: Dienstbier R (ed) Nebraska symposium on motivation, 1990: perspectives on motivation. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, pp 69–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Black AE, Deci EL (2000) The effects of instructors' autonomy support and students' autonomous motivation on learning organic chemistry: a self-determination theory perspective. Sci Educ 84:740–756

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunstein JC, Schultheiss OC, Grassman R (1998) Personal goals and emotional well being: the moderating role of motive disposition. J Pers Soc Psychol 75:494–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell A, Converse PE, Rogers WJ (1976) The quality of American life: perceptions, evaluations, and satisfaction. Russell Sage, New York, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantor N (1994) Life task problem solving: situational affordances and personal needs. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 20:235–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantor N, Fleeson W (1994) Social intelligence and intelligent goal pursuit: a cognitive slice of motivation. In: Spaulding W (ed) Nebraska symposium on motivation: integrative views of motivation, cognition, and emotion, vol. 41. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, pp 125–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantor N, Sanderson CA (1999) Life task participation and well being: the importance of taking part in daily life. In: Kahneman D, Diener E, Schwartz N (eds) Well-being: the foundations of hedonic psychology. Russell Sage, New York, pp 230–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver CS, Baird E (1998) The American dream revisited: is it what you want or why you want it that matters? Psychol Sci 9:289–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver CS, Scheier MG (1981) Attention and self-regulation: a control-theory approach to human behavior. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver CS, Scheier MG (1982) Control theory: a useful conceptual framework for personality-social, clinical, and health psychology. Psychol Bull 92:111–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver CS, Scheier MG (1990) Origins and functions of positive and negative affect: a control-process view. Psychol Rev 97:19–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver CS, Scheier MG (1998) On the self-regulation of behavior. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Carver CS, Scheier MG, Weintraub JK (1989) Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. J Pers Social Psychol 38:668–678

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa PT, McRae RR (1980) Influence of extraversion and neuroticism on subjective well-being: happy and unhappy people. J Pers Soc Psychol 38:668–678

    Google Scholar 

  • Crist-Houran M (1996) Efficacy of volunteerism. Psychol Rep 79:736

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi M (1975) Beyond boredom and anxiety. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi M (1982) Towards a psychology of optimal experience. In: Wheeler L (ed) Review of personality and social psychology, vol. 2. Sage, Beverly Hills, California

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi M (1990) Flow: the psychology of optimal experience. Harper Perennial, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi M, Csikszentmihalyi IS (1988) Optimal experience: psychological studies of flow in consciousness. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi M, Kubey R (1981) Television and the rest of life. Public Opin Q 45:317–328

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins RA (2000) Personal income and subjective well-being: a review. Journal of Happiness Studies 1(2):133–158

    Google Scholar 

  • deCharms R (1976) Enhancing motivation: change in the classroom. Irvington, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci EL, Ryan RM (1987) The support of autonomy and control of behavior. J Pers Soc Psychol 53:1024–1037

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci EL, Schwartz AJ, Sheinman L, Ryan RM (1981) An instrument to assess adults' orientations toward control versus autonomy with children: reflections on intrinsic motivation and perceived competence. J Educ Psychol 73:642–650

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci EL, Koestner R, Ryan RM (1999) A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychol Bull 25:627–668

    Google Scholar 

  • DeLongis A, Coyne JC, Dakof G, Folkman S, Lazarus RS (1982) Relationship of daily hassles, uplifts, and major life events to health status. Health Psychol 1:119–136

    Google Scholar 

  • DeLongis A, Folkman S, Lazarus RS (1988) The impact of daily stress on health and mood: psychological and social resources as mediators. J Pers Soc Psychol 54:486–495

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E (1984) Subjective well-being. Psychol Bull 75(3):542–575

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Fujita F (1995) Resources, personal strivings, and SWB: a nomothetic and idiographic approach. J Pers Soc Psychol 68:926–935

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Larsen RJ (1984) Temporal stability and cross-situational consistency of affective, behavioral, and cognitive responses. J Pers Soc Psychol 47:580–592

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Lucas RE (1999) Personality and subjective well being. In: Kahneman D, Diener E, Schwartz N (eds) Well-being: the foundations of hedonic psychology. Russell Sage, New York, pp 213–229

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Horwitz F, Emmons RA (1985) Happiness of the very wealthy. Soc Indic Res 16:263–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Larsen R, Levine S, Emmons R (1985) Intensity and frequency: dimensions underlying positive and negative affect. J Pers Soc Psychol 48:1253–1265

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Colvin CR, Pavot WG, Allman A (1991) The psychic costs of intense positive affect. J Pers Soc Psychol 61(3):492–503

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Sandvik E, Pavot W (1991) Happiness is frequency, not intensity, of positive versus negative affect. In: Strack F, Argyle M, Schwarz N (eds) Subjective well-being. Pergamon, Oxford, UK, pp 119–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener E, Suh E, Lucas R, Smith H (1999) Subjective well-being: three decades of research. Psychol Bull 125:276–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmons RA (1986) Personal strivings: an approach to personality and subjective well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol 51:1058–1068

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmons RA (1996) Striving and feeling: personal goals and subjective well-being. In: Gollwitzer PM, Bargh JA (eds) The Psychology of action. Guilford, New York, pp 313–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmons RA (1999) The psychology of ultimate concerns: motivation and spirituality in personality. Guilford, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmons RA, King LA (1988) Conflict among personal strivings: immediate and long-term implications for psychological and physical well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol 54:1040–1048

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmons RA, Shepherd NR, Kaiser HA (1994, August) Approach and avoidance strivings and psychological and physical well-being. Poster presented at the 102nd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles

  • Ford ME (1992) Motivating humans: goals, emotions, and personal agency beliefs. Sage, Newbury Park, California

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerson K (1993) No man's land: men's changing commitments to family and work. Basic, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gollwitzer PM (1990) Action phases and mind-sets. In: Higgins ET, Sorrentino RM (eds) Handbook of motivation and cognition, vol. 2. Guilford, New York, pp 53–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Gollwitzer PM (1993) Goal achievement: the role of intentions. In: Stroebe W, Hewstone M (eds) European review of social psychology, vol. 4. Wiley, New York, pp 141–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Gollwitzer PM (1996) The volitional benefits of planning. In: Gollwitzer PM, Bargh JA (eds) The psychology of action: linking cognition and motivation to behavior. Guilford, New York, pp 287–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Gollwitzer PM (1999) Implementation intentions: strong effects of simple plans. Am Psychol 54(7):493–503

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris C, Daniels K, Briner R (2003) A diary study of goals and affective well-being at work. J Occup Organ Psychol 76:401–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Headey B, Wearing A (1988) The sense of relative superiority: central to well-being. Soc Indic Res 20:497–516

    Google Scholar 

  • Heckhausen J (1999) Developmental regulation in adulthood: age-graded normative and socio-cultural constraints as adaptive challenge. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Henry C, Lovelace S (1995) Family resources and adolescent family satisfaction in remarried family households. J Fam Issues 16:765

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzberg F, Mausner B, Pederson R, Capwell D (1957) Job attitudes: review of research and opinion. Psychological Services, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins ET (1997) Beyond pleasure and pain. Am Psychol 52:1280–1300

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins ET (1998) Promotion and prevention: regulatory focus as a motivational principle. In: Zanna MP (ed) Advances in experimental social psychology, vol. 30. Academic, New York, pp 1–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins ET, Roney CJR, Crowe E, Hymes C (1994) Ideal versus ought predilections for approach and avoidance: distinct self-regulatory systems. J Pers Soc Psychol 66:276–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins ET, Shah J, Friedman R (1997) Emotional response to goal attainment: strength of regulatory focus as moderator. J Pers Soc Psychol 72:515–525

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsee CK, Abelson RP (1991) Velocity relations: satisfaction as a function of the first derivative of outcome over time. J Pers Soc Psychol 60:341–347

    Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart R (1977) The silent revolution: changing values and political styles among western publics. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart R (1990) Culture shift in advanced industrial society. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Inglis A, Greenglass ER (1989) Motivation for marriage among women and men. Psychol Rep 65:1035–1042

    Google Scholar 

  • Karoly P (1999) A goal systems – self-regulatory perspective on personality, psychopathology, and change. Review of General Psychology 3(4):264–291

    Google Scholar 

  • Karoly P, Ruehlman LS (1995) Goal cognition and its clinical implications: development and preliminary validation of four motivational assessment instruments. Assessment 2:113–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karoly P, Ruehlman LS (1996) Motivational implications of pain: chronicity, psychological distress, and work goal construal in a national sample of adults. Health Psychol 15:383–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasser T (1997) Two versions of the American dream: which goals and values make for a high quality of life? Paper presented at the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina, November 20–22, 1997

  • Kasser T, Ryan RM (1993) The dark side of the American dream: differential correlates of financial success as a central life aspiration. J Pers Soc Psychol 65:410–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasser T, Ryan RM (1996) Further examining the American dream: differential correlates of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 22:280–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasser T, Ryan RM (1998) Be careful what you wish for: optimal functioning and the relative attainment of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Working paper.

  • Kasser T, Ryan RM, Zax M, Sameroff AJ (1995) The relations of maternal and social environments to late adolescents' materialistic and prosocial values. Dev Psychol 31:907–914

    Google Scholar 

  • Krieger LS, Reynolds E, Neill L (1997) World history: perspectives on the past. McDougal Little, Evenston, Illinois

    Google Scholar 

  • Kruglanski AW (1996) Goals as knowledge structures. In: Gollwitzer PM, Bargh JA (eds) The psychology of action: linking cognition and motivation to behavior. Guilford, New York, pp 599–618

    Google Scholar 

  • Kubey R, Csikszentmihalyi M (1990) Television and the quality of life: how viewing shapes everyday experience. Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl J (1984) Volitional aspects of achievement motivation and learned helplessness: toward a comprehensive theory of action control. In: Maher BA, Maher WA (eds) Progress in experimental personality research, vol. 13. Academic, New York, pp 99–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl J, Beckmann J (1994) Volition and personality: action versus state orientation. Hogrefe & Huber, Göttingen, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • Latham GP, Yukl GA (1975) A review of research on the application of goal setting in organizations. Acad Manage J 18(4):824–845

    Google Scholar 

  • Lecci L, Karoly P, Ruehlman LS, Lanyon RI (1996) Goal-relevant dimensions of hypochondriacal tendencies and their relation to symptom manifestation and psychological distress. J Abnorm Psychology 105:42–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee GR, Seccombe K, Shehan CL (1991) Marital status and personal happiness: an analysis of trend data. J Marriage Fam 53:839–844

    Google Scholar 

  • Lepper H (1996) In pursuit of happiness and satisfaction in later life: a study of competing theories of subjective well-being. PhD dissertation, University of California, Riverside

  • Linderman M, Verkasalo M (1996) Meaning in life. J Soc Psychol 136:657

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke EA (1968) Toward a theory of task motivation and incentives. Organ Behav Hum Perform 3:157–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke EA, Latham GP (2002) Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: a 35-year odyssey. Am Psychol 57(9):705–717

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke EA, Shaw KN, Saari LM, Latham GP (1981) Goal setting and task performance: 1969–1980. Psychol Bull 90:125–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Malatesta CZ, Grigoryev P, Lamb C, Albin M, Culver C (1986) Emotion socialization and expressive development in preterm and full-term infants. Child Dev 57:316–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Massimini F, Csikszentmihalyi M, Carli M (1987) The monitoring of optimal experience: a tool for psychiatric rehabilitation. J Nerv Ment Dis 175(9):545–549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massimini F, Csikszentmihalyi M, Delle Fave A (1988) Flow and biocultural evolution. In: Csikszentmihalyi M, Csikszentmihalyi I (eds) Optimal experience: psychological studies of flow of consciousness. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • McGregor I, Little B (1998) Personal projects, happiness, and meaning: on doing well and being yourself. J Pers Soc Psychol 74:494

    Google Scholar 

  • Mento A, Locke EA, Klein H (1992) Relationship of goal level to valence and instrumentality. J Appl Psychol 77:395–405

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray HA (1938) Explorations in personality. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray C, Peacock MJ (1996) A model-free approach to the study of subjective well-being. In: mental health of black America. Sage, Thousand Oaks, California

  • Oishi S, Diener E, Suh E, Lucas RE (1999) The value as a moderator model in subjective well being. J Pers 67:157–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Omodei MM, Wearing AJ (1990) Need satisfaction and involvement in personal projects: toward an integrative model of subjective well being. J Pers Soc Psychol 59(4):762–769

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth S, Cohen LJ (1986) Approach, avoidance, and coping with stress. Am Psychol 41:813–819

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan RM, Connell JP (1989) Perceived locus of causality and internalization: examining reasons for acting in two domains. J Pers Soc Psychol 57:749–761

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan RM, Deci EL (2000) Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. Am Psychol 55:68–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Scitovsky T (1976) The joyless economy: the psychology of human satisfaction. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon KM, Kasser T (1995) Coherence and congruence: two aspects of personality integration. J Pers Soc Psychol 68:531–543

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon KM, Kasser T, Smith K, Shore T (2002) Personal goals and psychological growth: testing an intervention to enhance goal attainment and personality integration. J Pers 70:5–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Shostak AB (1987) Singlehood. In: Sussman MB, Steinmetz SK (eds) Handbook of marriage and the family. Plenum, New York, pp 355–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Simpson R (1990) Conflict styles and social network relations as predictors of marital happiness. PhD dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

  • Sirgy MJ (1998) Materialism and quality of life. Soc Indic Res 43:227–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy MJ (2001) Handbook of quality-of-life research. Kluwer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy MJ (2002) The psychology of quality of life. Kluwer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon RL (1980) The opponent-process theory of acquired motivation: the costs of pleasure and the benefits of pain. Am Psychol 35:691–712

    Google Scholar 

  • Steers RM, Porter LW (1974) The role of task-goal attributes in employee performance. Psychol Bull 81:434–452

    Google Scholar 

  • Tannen D (1994) Talking from 9 to 5: how women's and men's conversational styles affect who gets heard, who gets credit, and what gets done at work. William Morrow, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorne B (1992) Feminism and the family: two decades of thought. In: Thorne B, Yalom M (eds) Rethinking the family: some feminist questions. Northeastern University Press, Boston, pp 3–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Thurman C (1981) Personality correlates of the type A behavior pattern. PhD dissertation, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

  • Tubbs ME (1986) Goal setting: a meta-analytic examination of the empirical evidence. J Appl Psychol 71(3):474–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Tubbs ME, Dahl JG (1991) An empirical comparison of self-report and discrepancy measures of goal commitment. J Appl Psychol 76:708–716

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner C (1994) Follow through in conflict resolution as a factor in marital satisfaction and personal happiness. Master's thesis, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada

  • Vallacher RR, Wegner DM (1987) What do people think they're doing? Action identification and human behavior. Psychol Rev 94:3–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Vallacher RR, Wegner DM (1989) Levels of personal agency: individual variation in action identification. J Pers Soc Psychol 57:660–671

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson D, Pennebaker JW (1989) Health complaints, stress, and distress: exploring the central role of negative affectivity. Psychol Rev 96:234–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Wicklund RA, Gollwitzer PM (1982) Symbolic self-completion. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiese BS, Fruend AM (2005) Goal progress makes one happy, or does it? Longitudinal findings from the work domain. J Occup Organ Psychol 78:287–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams GC, Grow VM, Freedman ZR, Ryan RM, Deci EL (1996) Motivational predictors of weight loss and weight-loss maintenance. J Pers Soc Psychol 70:115–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson S, Henry C, Peterson G (1997) Life satisfaction among low-income rural youth in Appalachia. J Adolesc 20:443

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood W, Rhodes N, Whelan M (1989) Sex differences in positive well-being: a consideration of emotional style and marital status. Psychol Bull 106:249–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright RA, Brehm JW (1989) Energization and goal attractiveness. In: Pervin LA (ed) Goal concepts in personality and social psychology. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, pp 169–210

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Joseph Sirgy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sirgy, M.J. Developing a Conceptual Framework of Employee Well-Being (EWB) by Applying Goal Concepts and Findings from Personality-Social Psychology. Applied Research Quality Life 1, 7–38 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-006-9000-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-006-9000-4

Keywords

Navigation