[4] Nowadays, happiness is viewed by a growing number of scholars and senior executives as one of the major sources of positive outcomes in the workplace.
[8] Happiness is not fundamentally rooted in obtaining sensual pleasures and money, but those factors can influence the well-being of an individual at the workplace.
[9] However, extensive research has revealed that freedom and autonomy at a workplace have the most effect on the employee's level of happiness,[9] and other important factors are gaining knowledge and the ability to influence the self's working hours.
[10] Watson et al. claims that the most important approach to explain an individual's experience is in a hedonic tone,[11] which is concerned with the subject's pleasant feelings, satisfying judgments, self-validation and self-actualization.
[13] Thus, in order for one to live a happy life one must be concerned with doing virtuous, moral and meaningful things while utilising personal talents and skills.
Jarow concludes that an employee feels satisfied not through comparisons with other peers, but through his/her own happiness and awareness of being in harmony with their colleagues.
[16] He uses a term called "carrier" to represent lack of happiness, life in constant tension and never-ending struggle for status.
Locke, Feren, McCaleb Shaw and Denny argued that no other incentive or motivational technique comes even close to money with respect to its instrumental value.
[19] Some have suggested that income and happiness at work are positively correlated, and the relationship is stronger for individuals with extrinsic value orientations.
By contrast, if an organisation does not provide any potential for higher status position in the future, the employee's effectiveness in work will decrease.
Hackman and Oldham developed the Job Characteristics Model, a framework that focused attention on autonomy and four other key factors involved in designing enriched work.
[33] This complexity is further illustrated by the findings of Preenen et al., who noted that job autonomy's effects on performance indicators such as motivation to learn and commitment are moderated by the maturity of the company.
[34] Work–life balance is a state of equilibrium, characterised by a high level of satisfaction, functionality, and effectiveness while successfully performing several tasks simultaneously.
[36] Studies suggest[37] that there is a clear connection between the increase in work related stress to the constant advancements in digital and telecommunications technology.
The immediate effect is a decrease in general well- being as the individual is unable to properly allocate the appropriate amount of time necessary to maintain a balance between the two spheres.
[39] Some of the physiological effects of stress include cognitive problems (forgetfulness, lack of creativity, inefficient decision making), emotional reactions (mood swings, irritability, depression, lack of motivation), behavioural issues (withdrawal from relationships and social situations, neglecting responsibilities, abuse of drugs and alcohol) and physical symptoms (tiredness, aches and pain, loss of libido).
[40] The condition in which work performance is negatively affected by a high level of stress is termed 'burnout', in which the employee experiences a significant reduction in motivation.
According to Vroom's Expectancy Theory, when the outcomes of work performance are offset by the negative impacts on the individual's general well-being, or, are not valued enough by the employee, levels of motivation are low.
[42] The reality of constant increase in competition and economic uncertainty frequently forces the employee to compromise the balance for the sake of financial and job security.
Therefore, work–life balance policies are created by many businesses and are largely implemented and dealt by line managers and supervisors, rather than at the organizational level[43] as the employee's well-being can be more carefully observed and monitored.
[51] Kurt Lewin argued that there are 3 main styles of leaderships: Management plays an important role in an employee's job satisfaction and happiness.
Ineffective communication at work is not uncommon, as leaders tend to focus on their own matters and give less attention to employees at a lower rank.
[55] Research shows that employees who are happiest at work are considered to be the most efficient and display the highest levels of performance.
[59] As people spend a considerable amount of time in the workplace, factors such as employee relationship, organizational culture and job performance can have a significant impact on work happiness.
[61] Additionally, other researchers have pointed out that the relationship between work happiness and turnover intention is generally low, even if a dissatisfied employee is more likely to quit his/her job than the satisfied one.
It covers twenty facets including activity, independence, variety, social status, supervision (human relations), supervision (technical), moral values, security, social service, authority, ability utilization, company policies and practices, compensation, advancement, responsibility, creativity, working conditions, coworkers, recognition and achievement.
[67] Doctor, dentist, armed forces, teacher, leisure/tourism and journalist are the 6 happiest graduate jobs while social worker, civil servant, estate agent, secretary and administrator are the 5 least happy.