From Happiness Orientations to Work Performance: The Mediating Role of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Experiences

José M. Peiró, Malgorzata W. Kozusznik and Aida Soriano
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José M. Peiró: IDOCAL, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain; IVIE, 46020 Valencia, Spain
Malgorzata W. Kozusznik: Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology Research Group, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Aida Soriano: IDOCAL, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-17

Abstract: In organizations, psychologists have often tried to promote employees’ well-being and performance, and this can be achieved through different pathways. The happy-productive worker thesis states that ‘happy’ workers perform better than ‘unhappy’ ones. However, most studies have focused on hedonic well-being at the expense of the person’s eudaimonic experience. This study examines whether orientations to happiness (i.e., life of pleasure/meaning) are related to hedonic (i.e., perception of comfort) and eudaimonic (i.e., activity worthwhileness) experiences that, in turn, improve performance. We applied multilevel structural equation modeling to diary data (68 office workers; n = 471 timepoints). We obtained significant effects of: life of pleasure on self-rated performance through activity worthwhileness, life of meaning on performance (self-rated, rated by the supervisor) through activity worthwhileness, and life of meaning on performance rated by the supervisor through perception of comfort. Results show more significant paths from/or through eudaimonia to performance than from/or through hedonia. The results suggest that the pursuit and/or experience of eudaimonic happiness is more beneficial for work performance than the pursuit and/or experience of hedonic happiness. Theoretical and practical implications for organizations are discussed.

Keywords: orientations to happiness; well-being; performance; hedonic; eudaimonic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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