Hedonic and Eudaimonic Job-Related Well-Being: Enjoyment of Job and Fulfillment of Job Purpose

The concept of job-related well-being is developed based on theories of the self and the life course, and well-being and meaning of work literatures. Job-related well-being is the contribution of the job to well-being through enjoyment of the job by the individual (hedonic job-related well-being) and fulfillment of the purposes of the job for the individual (eudaimonic job-related well-being). Although it is an individual attitude, extant conceptualizations of job satisfaction are limited within the boundaries of the workplace, essentially leaving out meaning of jobs, and therefore represent a partial conceptualization of hedonic job-related well-being. Fulfillment of job purpose comprises six facets: self-expression, development and growth, role in society, financial subsistence and thriving, impact on family as self-defined, and impact on life construction. Implications of job-related well-being for research related to general well-being, life satisfaction, job satisfaction, engagement, presenteeism, retention, and performance behaviors, as well as implications for practice, are discussed

Eudaimonic Job Satisfaction: Exploring Global and Facet Satisfaction with Fulfilled Job Purposes

Wellbeing comprises two distinct, related dimensions, labeled subjective wellbeing and psychological wellbeing, hedonia and eudaimonia, or happiness and purpose, respectively. Yet within the job domain, there is little explicit consideration of eudaimonic elements. In this article, eudaimonic job satisfaction is defined, and global and facet measures derived from theory are developed. These measures are then used in a field sample of 425 working adults to explore the potential contribution of eudaimonic job satisfaction toward explaining aspects of organizational behavior. Findings suggest that eudaimonic facet job satisfaction comprises six facets, which are satisfaction with the job’s impact on and facilitation of: expression of the self, development of the self, role in society, financial situation, family, and life. Each facet relates differently to different work, life, and work-life outcomes. Overall, findings reveal construct validity for eudaimonic job satisfaction as separate from commonly used job attitudes, and evidence that it has the potential to add to our ability understand and predict levels of work, life, and work-life outcomes such as engagement, inclusion, retention, work-family conflict, and life satisfaction, beyond hedonic job satisfaction. Hedonic and eudaimonic job satisfactions together may comprise a more holistic job-related wellbeing, needed now in the face of an increasing variety of workplace situations, diversity in workers, changes to careers and psychological contracts, jobs and facets of jobs in flux, and increasing interest in sustainable elements of motivation for workers. Implications for theory and research on job attitudes, and practical implications for organizations and societies, are discussed

What is the Meaning of This? Identity and Wellbeing in Sensemaking about Retention and Turnover

Explanations of turnover from extant management research focus on the what (content) and how (process) of turnover. This study explores the why (meaning) to employees of quitting or staying at an employing organization, in order to add a new layer to our understanding of retention and turnover. Analysis of data from in-depth interviews with leavers and stayers, both post hoc and in situ, using grounded theory methods, reveals identity and psychological wellbeing assessment sensemaking cycles, which occur periodically or when threat to core elements of identity and wellbeing across life domains is perceived. Core elements of identity and wellbeing include purpose, trajectory, relatedness, expression, acceptance, and differentiation (PTREAD). Perceived threat to PTREAD elements across life domains leads to coping, often with varying levels of psychophysiological strain, and re-assessments, often in repeated cycles. Successful coping and lack of threat to PTREAD elements result in retention. Unsuccessful coping with threat to PTREAD elements results in retention while repeated occur, and in voluntary turnover. Cycles of unsuccessful coping deplete resources over time, escalating strain and contributing to turnover. Overall, these findings suggest that from the perspective of the actors “being retained” or “turning over,” retention and turnover are part of a quest for positive, congruent identity and holistic psychological wellbeing. Implications for research on retention, turnover, identity, wellbeing, and psychophysiology in organizations, as well as practical implications, are discussed

Business Education for Nurse Leaders: A Case Study of Leadership Development in a Vital, Highly Gendered Industry

In the U.S. and globally, the current shortage of nurses could have crippling effects on health care systems, yet within healthcare nurses are the most underserved by developmental opportunities, especially in terms of organizational leadership and business-related education. To address this gap, we developed a program focused on the cultivation of executive mindset and enterprise-level organizational knowledge and skills in nurse leaders, under the auspices of the executive education division in a business school. Since inception, we have delivered the program three times, and feedback from participating nurse leaders and their organizations indicates that the program is successful as evidenced by post-program evaluation, demand for future program offerings, and discussions about creating additional versions of the program. In this chapter, we explore some of the issues that confront nurses moving into leadership in healthcare, summarize program curricula and delivery, and present evidence that the program results in participants becoming more effective in leading strategic initiatives and organizational change projects at system, organization, and team levels

Family-friendly backlash—Fact or fiction? The case of organizations\u27 on-site child care centers

Employer offerings of on-site child care benefits have grown tremendously in the past few decades; both beneficial and detrimental effects on worker attitudes and behaviors have been noted. Some research suggests that offering on-site child care benefits can cause resentment among childless workers and/or workers with children who do not use the center. In a field sample of 271 employees (mean age 34.5 yrs), current and past use of the on-site child care center, as well as anticipated future use of the on-site child care center, were related to more positive proximal reactions such as attitudes closely related to the on-site child care center, but not to more general attitudes or behaviors. Results indicate that any family-friendly backlash may be limited to proximal reactions. These findings are discussed in light of organizational justice theories

Making the impact of gender on business leadership visible: A tool for use in organizations and education

Women are underrepresented in business leadership and education. The issue is important to many organizations, but discussing causes and solutions can be difficult. A useful, fun, and informative exercise is presented as a tool to facilitate such discussions. The exercise can be used for training and development, kicking off a gender initiative, general planning, and executive education, as well as for working adult graduate students. It can be adapted for less experienced undergraduate and graduate students. The exercise illustrates the gender systems in which we work. An optional piece illustrates how work-family impacts this issue. Teaching aids are also presented