Abstract
This study aimed to validate a scale that could be used to measure the effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing flourishing at work. A cross-sectional survey design was used, with a stratified random sample of 779 employees in a company in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. The Flourishing-at-Work Scale and Job Demands-Resources Scale were administered. The results supported a 10-factor model of flourishing at work, including a general flourishing factor. The 10 factors included positive affect, low negative affect, and job satisfaction (three factors that represent dimensions of emotional well-being), autonomy, competence, relatedness, engagement, meaningful work, and learning (which can be regarded as dimensions of psychological well-being), and social well-being. The reliabilities of the overall scale and the 10 subscales were acceptable. The results showed that specific types of flourishing (or the lack thereof) explained variance in covariates (overload, negative work-home interaction, and advancement) over and above the variance already explained by the global quantity of flourishing. The Flourishing-at-Work Scale can be used as a valid and reliable tool to measure the impact of interventions developing a flourishing workforce.
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Appendix 1: Dimensions of the Flourishing-at-Work Scale
Component | Work | Description |
|---|---|---|
Emotional well-being | Satisfaction with job | Liking or disliking the job |
Positive affect | Feeling happy, regularly cheerful, serene, and good-spirited | |
Negative affect | Feeling depressed, upset, and bored at work | |
Psychological well-being | Autonomy satisfaction | Satisfaction of the desire to (subjectively) experience freedom and choice when carrying out an activity |
Competence satisfaction | Satisfaction of the desire to feel effective in interacting with the environment | |
Relatedness satisfaction | Satisfaction of individuals’ needs to feel connected to others, to love and care for others, and to be loved and cared for | |
Engagement | Individuals expressing themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performance: Absorption: being alert at work and experiencing absorption and involvement Vitality: being physically involved in a task and showing vigor Dedication: being connected to the job/others while working and showing dedication and commitment | |
Learning | Perception that one is acquiring and can apply knowledge and skills to one’s work | |
Meaning | Experiencing work as meaningful, understanding how work contributes to the meaning of life, and sensing what makes a job worthwhile | |
Purpose | Feeling that the work the individual does makes a difference to the world, that his/her work serves a greater purpose, and that it helps him/her make sense of the world | |
Social well-being | Social acceptance | Being positive towards, and accepting of, diversity in people in the organization |
Social actualization (growth) | Believing in the potential of others (individuals, groups, and organizations) | |
Social contribution | Regarding own daily activities as adding value to the organization and others | |
Social coherence | Finding the organization and social life meaningful and comprehensible | |
Social integration | Experiencing a sense of relatedness, comfort, and support from the organization |
Appendix 2: Tabulated Examples of Evidence-Based Positive Psychological Flourishing-at-Work Intervention Strategies
Van Zyl and Stander (2013) collated and presented an array of evidence-based positive psychological intervention strategies structured around emotional (Table 7), psychological (Table 8), and social (Table 9) well-being components of flourishing at work. Based on their work, positive psychological intervention strategies, which could be employed to develop the various components of flourishing at work, are presented.
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Rothmann, S., Van Zyl, L.E., Rautenbach, C. (2019). Measuring Flourishing @ Work Interventions: The Development and Validation of the Flourishing-at-Work Scale. In: Van Zyl, L., Rothmann Sr., S. (eds) Positive Psychological Intervention Design and Protocols for Multi-Cultural Contexts. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20020-6_11
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