Happiness around the world: A combined etic-emic approach across 63 countries.

What does it mean to be happy? The vast majority of cross-cultural studies on happiness have employed a Western-origin, or "WEIRD" measure of happiness that conceptualizes it as a self-centered (or "independent"), high-arousal emotion. However, research from Eastern cultures, particularly Japan, conceptualizes happiness as including an interpersonal aspect emphasizing harmony and connectedness to others. Following a combined emic-etic approach (Cheung, van de Vijver & Leong, 2011), we assessed the cross-cultural applicability of a measure of independent happiness developed in the US (Subjective Happiness Scale; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) and a measure of interdependent happiness developed in Japan (Interdependent Happiness Scale; Hitokoto & Uchida, 2015), with data from 63 countries representing 7 sociocultural regions. Results indicate that the schema of independent happiness was more coherent in more WEIRD countries. In contrast, the coherence of interdependent happiness was unrelated to a country's "WEIRD-ness." Reliabilities of both happiness measures were lowest in African and Middle Eastern countries, suggesting these two conceptualizations of happiness may not be globally comprehensive. Overall, while the two measures had many similar correlates and properties, the self-focused concept of independent happiness is "WEIRD-er" than interdependent happiness, suggesting cross-cultural researchers should attend to both conceptualizations

Job design agenda in the third millennium : identifying the critical job characteristics in the modern workplace'

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Job design agenda in the third millennium: Identifying the critical job characteristics in the modern workplace.

The review of the main job design approaches (JCM in particular) has led to the conclusion that development in job design theory has not kept pace with the changes that have occurred in the organisational landscape. The JCM was developed principally from studies conducted during the 1950s of male shop floor in large scale industrial manufacturing plants. Work context and the workforce itself have changed dramatically since that time. The developments of technology have had a huge impact on the way in which work is conducted (Zijlstra et al, 1996; Gottfredson, 1997). While this change is widely recognised, the JCM remains the dominant influence in job design research and is yet to be superseded. In addition, little is known about the effect of such change in perception of the work psychosocial variables or people's reaction towards these developments. Therefore, the aim of this research is to explore employees' opinion and reaction towards workplace developments in order to identify the critical job characteristics in contemporary jobs from the employee's perspective. The proposal was that allowing employees to decide what they like/dislike in their jobs would help in identifying the critical job characteristics in modem workplace. This was also expected to help in solving the narrow focus of the existing job design approaches' especially the lack of job contextual factors (e.g. social contact, work-life balance) that enhance employee' wellbeing and work performance. In light of this, three studies were conducted: the first two studies were designed to identify the critical job characteristics in the current workplace from the employee's perspective. By conducting a pilot study using qualitative techniques (interviews and content analysis) followed by a confirmatory study using quantitative techniques (checklist and factor analysis), 10 job characteristics were identified which were considered the critical dimensions for diagnosing the quality of modem jobs. Four of these characteristics were responsible for 'job content' design (intellectually challenging tasks, control, feedback, and training adequacy). The rest of the characteristics were factors responsible for 'job context' design (i.e. supportive supervision, supportive co-workers climate, work-life balance, financial rewards, recognition and physical environment). The third study was the formulation and empirical evaluation of a model for job redesign. The model was based partly on the critical job characteristics identified earlier and partly informed by psychological knowledge of job design and organisational behaviour research. Overall, each of the aims of the present research were achieved and some of the existing criticisms of job design approaches were addressed. The model dimensions attained significant results that were extracted from data collected from 667 employees working in various British organisations. A general conclusion that can be drawn from the present research is that job design is no longer a matter of job content (task) design (the tangible feature of the job itself such as control and feedback); it is also a matter of job context design (the features of the work environment where the tasks are delivered such as supervisors' practices and work-life balance). Both aspects were found to influence work performance and employees' wellbeing via cognitive and motivational mechanisms. The present research challenges the popular belief of the inapplicability of redesigning job context factors (e.g. the social aspect of the job) and provides initial recommendations for job context redesign interventions

POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ROOTS OF JORDAN’S ECONOMIC UNDERPERFORMANCE

This research delves into Jordan’s multifaceted economic challenges, highlighting the complex political and institutional factors contributing to its current predicament. The first chapter introduces the research and reviews the literature that attempts to answer a question fundamentally related to the study’s subject: Why are some countries more successful economically than others? The second chapter outlines Jordan’s most critical economic challenges: high unemployment, poverty, a trade deficit, and an ineffective tax system. The third chapter explores the impact of historical political choices on Jordanian economic growth and shows how the focus on political and security stability during state-building led to the nature of public institutions that did not promote sustainable economic growth. The last chapter concludes this thesis and proposes a set of comprehensive reforms addressing the economic crisis’s political and institutional roots. It emphasizes that the economic challenges that Jordan is facing stem mainly from political and institutional roots. Therefore, the path to revitalizing Jordan’s economy and ensuring long-term stability lies in a comprehensive approach encompassing institutional, economic, and political reforms.Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.Outstanding ThesisColonel, Jordanian Armed Force

The economic well-being of nations is associated with positive daily situational experiences

People in economically advantaged nations tend to evaluate their life as more positive overall and report greater well-being than people in less advantaged nations. But how does positivity manifest in the daily life experiences of individuals around the world? The present study asked 15,244 college students from 62 nations, in 42 languages, to describe a situation they experienced the previous day using the Riverside Situational Q-sort (RSQ). Using expert ratings, the overall positivity of each situation was calculated for both nations and individuals. The positivity of the average situation in each nation was strongly related to the economic development of the nation as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI). For individuals’ daily experiences, the economic status of their nation also predicted the positivity of their experience, even more than their family socioeconomic status. Further analyses revealed the specific characteristics of the average situations for higher HDI nations that make their experiences more positive. Higher HDI was associated with situational experiences involving humor, socializing with others, and the potential to express emotions and fantasies. Lower HDI was associated with an increase in the presence of threats, blame, and hostility, as well as situational experiences consisting of family, religion, and money. Despite the increase in a few negative situational characteristics in lower HDI countries, the overall average experience still ranged from neutral to slightly positive, rather than negative, suggesting that greater HDI may not necessarily increase positive experiences but rather decrease negative experiences. The results illustrate how national economic status influences the lives of individuals even within a single instance of daily life, with large and powerful consequences when accumulated across individuals within each nation