Positive psychology is defined as a method of building on what is good and what is already working instead of attempting to stimulate improvement by focusing on the weak links in an individual, a group, or in this case, a company.
[1] Implementing positive psychology in the workplace means creating an environment that is more enjoyable, productive, and values individual employees.
Positive psychology in the workplace focuses on shifting attention away from negative aspects such as workplace violence, stress, burnout, and job insecurity; it shifts attention to positive and hopeful attributes, resilience, confidence, and a productive work culture that emphasizes professional success and human success.
[5] Recent research on job satisfaction[6] and employee retention have created a great need to focus on implementing positive psychology in the workplace.
Therefore, employers must do their best to create a low stress and inspiring work environment to yield greater productivity.
Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi are noted frontrunners in the area of positive psychology as a field of study.
This model is based on the assumption that “workers with active jobs are more likely to seek challenging situations that promote mastery, thereby encouraging skill and knowledge acquisition”.
Some feel that the DCM is somewhat unhelpful in that it may prompt people who do not need a diagnosis to be diagnosed anyway; thus making it a potential H.R problem.
[24] Another difference between these two theories is that the JD-R postulates that resources can be predictors of motivation and learning related outcomes.
Enjoyment and commitment were high when employees were confronted with challenging and stimulating tasks, and simultaneously had sufficient resources at their disposal”.
[24] The job characteristics model (JCM) is “an influential theory of work design developed by Hackman and Oldham.
[18] This model argues that employees with a personal need for growth and development, as well as knowledge and skill, will display more positive work outcomes.
This model is based upon an idea that high task control and feedback are two essential elements for maximizing work potential.
In contrast, burnout represents a negative employee possessing elements of anxiety, depression, and work-related stress.
[29] Due to the social nature of the interactions of the employees, emotional intelligence is essential in order to work well with co-workers.
When employees work well together by coordinating their efforts, their task performance improves and as a result the business benefits.
Making the workplace fun promotes positive, happy moods in employees that in turn increase job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Social-oriented activities create social events that are organizational-based (i.e. company barbecue or Christmas office party).
The research found in this study hopes to encourage implementing other work fun activities in other various industries in order to engage and retain positive employees.
Flow is achieved when there is a proper balance between the person's skill level and the challenge of the task they are engaging in.
In order to create this optimal level of flow, there needs to be a balance between challenge, skill, workload, and the capacity to work.
In such contexts such as a workplace, researchers often hope to examine and measure variable levels of such factors such as productivity and organization.
There are often a plethora of special research teams that go into looking at certain workplaces in order to help report to employers the status of their employees.
Furthermore, the three psychological states often measured and examined are: meaningfulness of performed work, responsibility of outcomes, and results knowledge.
In addition, each score details the differing degrees of autonomy and necessary feedback as it relates to ensuring high quality work.
Additionally, the act and process of specifically looking into certain factors of productivity in the workplace can also go on to influence workers negatively due to the added pressure that it may place on those under review.
[44] The multitudes of research and new, developing information detailing the possibility of positive psychology at work often deals with reporting workplace safety, the engagement of the employees, productivity, and overall happiness.