A Socially Embedded Model of Thriving at Work

Gretchen Spreitzer (), Kathleen Sutcliffe (), Jane Dutton (), Scott Sonenshein () and Adam M. Grant ()
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Gretchen Spreitzer: Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Kathleen Sutcliffe: Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Jane Dutton: Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Scott Sonenshein: Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Adam M. Grant: Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109

Organization Science, 2005, vol. 16, issue 5, 537-549

Abstract: Thriving describes an individual’s experience of vitality and learning. The primary goal of this paper is to develop a model that illuminates the social embeddedness of employees’ thriving at work. First, we explain why thriving is a useful theoretical construct, define thriving, and compare it to related constructs, including resilience, flourishing, subjective well-being, flow, and self-actualization. Second, we describe how work contexts facilitate agentic work behaviors, which in turn produce resources in the doing of work and serve as the engine of thriving. Third, we describe how thriving serves as a gauge to facilitate self-adaptation at work. We conclude by highlighting key theoretical contributions of the model and suggesting directions for future research.

Keywords: thriving; energy; learning; positive growth; resources (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (96)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:16:y:2005:i:5:p:537-549

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