'Happy-performing managers' proposition

Few conundrums have intrigued organisational researchers and practitioners as has the 'happy-productive worker' thesis. Proponents of this idea are convinced 'a happy worker is a good worker'. Despite mixed empirical evidence from decades of research, there is support in the literature for the notion the 'happy-productive worker thesis'. An account is provided of a study on variation on the enduring debate of the happiness-productivity theme, the 'happy-performing managers' proposition. An empirical study is presented to establish which aspects of Australian managers' job happiness predict certain aspects of their performance. The emphasis was on investigating an aspect of human behaviour with the potential to enhance managerial performance. A contribution of this study was to provide qualified support for the 'happy-productive worker thesis' by linking managers' affective wellbeing, intrinsic job satisfaction with there contextual and task performance to propose the 'happy-performing managers' proposition. Managerial implications on these findings are considered

Implications of the 'happy-performing managers' proposition

A seminal question in industrial/organisational psychology and management is revisited in this paper - do happy managers perform better than their miserable counterparts? The 'happy-productive worker' thesis has intrigued organisational researchers and practitioners for decades. Despite mixed empirical evidence from research, there is support in the literature for the notion that 'a happy worker is a good worker'. A variation on the enduring debate of the happiness-productivity theme is presented - the 'happy-performing managers' proposition. A study of Australian managers is reported to illustrate how aspects of affective wellbeing are associated with their performance. The emphasis was on investigating an aspect of human behaviour with the potential to enhance managerial performance. A contribution of this study was to provide qualified support for the 'happy-performing managers' proposition by linking managers' affective wellbeing and intrinsic job satisfaction with their contextual and task performance. Implications of these findings are considered. In particular, it is argued that the capacity of managers to develop emotional intelligence, so that they are more aware of the importance of positive and negative leadership styles has the potential to increase organisational productivity

Dose-Adjusted Beta-Lactam Antibiotic-Induced Encephalopathy in a Patient with End-Stage Renal Impairment: A Case Report

Introduction: Despite adherence to current guidelines regarding dose adjustment and drug-level monitoring, beta-lactam-induced encephalopathy can still occur in the setting of chronic renal impairment. Case Report: We report what we believe is the first case of piperacillin- and tazobactam-induced encephalopathy in a patient with pre-existing cefepime-induced encephalopathy in the context of end-stage kidney disease despite adequate dose adjustment for renal impairment

Life-Saving Combined Heart–Kidney Transplantation in a Previous Sequential Heart and Kidney Transplant Recipient

Purpose: Solid organ re-transplantation in the context of allograft failure is a challenging clinical and ethical problem. Ideally, solid organ re-transplantation after initial allograft failure should be performed in all recipients, but this is often not clinically or logistically feasible. Methods: This report details what we believe is the first combined heart–kidney transplant in a recipient of a previous sequential heart and kidney transplant. Results: Eight years after a combined heart and kidney transplant after initially receiving a sequential heart and kidney transplant, a 31-year-old man is doing extremely well, with no rejection episodes or significant complications after transplantation. Summary: This case confirms that combined heart and kidney transplantation is a viable option for tackling the complex issue of graft failure in recipients of previous cardiac and renal grafts

Does the Happy-productive worker thesis apply to managers?

Hosie, PJ ORCiD: 0000-0003-2585-024XPurpose - The purpose of this paper is to emanate from an enduring stream of research into individual performance and organisational productivity where happy employees are believed to perform better. Decades of research have been unable to establish a strong link between workplace happiness and performance. A variation on the enduring employee happiness-productivity debate is evolving the "happy-performing managers" proposition. Design/methodology/ approach - An empirical investigation reports on the impact of two important aspects of job happiness - self-rated affective wellbeing and intrinsic job satisfaction - on superiors' ratings of managers' contextual and task performance. An ancillary methodological objective of the study is to establish the structure of managers' performance. Findings - A partial model of managers' affective wellbeing, intrinsic job satisfaction and performance contributed an understanding to how specific indicators of affective wellbeing and intrinsic job satisfaction predict certain dimensions of managers' performance. Practical implications - Changes in the workplace emphasises are needed to ensure managers can retain and improve their positive affective wellbeing by working smarter and faster, rather than harder and longer. Originality/value - A contribution of this paper is to provide qualified support for the "happy-performing managers" proposition by linking the conceptual bases relating to managers' affective wellbeing, intrinsic job satisfaction and to their performance. These findings progress the debate as to how work might be structured to improve managers' affective wellbeing and consequently their performance. Perhaps, it is timely to consider moving away from the negative forms of psychology and affirm managers' future by embracing the "happy-performing managers" proposition. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited

A framework for the assessment of multi-skilling in work units.

Multi-skilling, an organisational strategy aimed at increasing the skill repertoire of the worker with the intent of facilitating the role and task flexibility among organisational members, is investigated.A literature review on the subject identified a number of factors contributing towards the development of a multi-skilled workforce. These ranged from the abolition of demarcation restrictions between jobs and skill-based pay systems, to the modification of the supervisory role. However, the literature fails to consider the role of technology in such developments. It was suggested that this was central to the development of skills.A framework was proposed that hypothesized a relationship between technological uncertainty the extent to which task activities are varied and difficult and skill requirements. It was further hypothesized that technology influences the structuring of activities within organisational subsystems. It was suggested that these would act either to facilitate or inhibit multi-skilling development.The structuring of activities within a unit consist of specialisation (the number of different tasks assigned to the unit); standardisation (the degree to which policies, rules, and procedures are formalised and used to guide action); interchangeability (the extent to which A can perform Bs job at short notice, and vice versa); locus of authority (the source of decision-making authority within the unit, for example, the supervisor rather than the worker); and skill heterogeneity (the variability in skill composition among unit members).A preliminary evaluation of the framework was carried out in an organisation engaged in the processing of mineral ore, with a largely semi-skilled workforce (N=165), where a multi-skilling programme was in progress.Evidence was presented that suggested a relationship between the level of technological uncertainty and skill development. However, the results failed to confirm the pervasive influence of technology with regard to the structuring of activities within subsystems. Instead, technological uncertainty was significantly related to the design of jobs, and specifically to the degree of the standardisation of jobs of organisational members. Also, contrary to the anticipated direction, there was an association between perceived standardisation of activities within subsystems and job satisfaction

Are happy managers more productive?

Decades of research have failed to establish a strong link between managers' job satisfaction and performance. Despite support in the literature to suggest that a relationship exists between job satisfaction and managers' performance the empirical evidence to support this proposition is mixed. A seminal question in psychology and management is revisited the 'happy managers productive worker' thesis, by investigating the impact of job-related affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction on Australian managers performance. Survey items were derived from the literature and administered to managers from Western Australian organizations using self report on established affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction scales. An empirical methodology was used to test the hypotheses. Managers' contextual and task performance scales were developed through from the literature and confirmatory factor analysis. A measurement model of managers' performance using supervisory ratings was tested and confirmed to be multivariate and consist of eight-dimensional construct of performance. Canonical correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were used to analyze the linear combination of managers' affective well-being and job satisfaction with their performance. Indicators of affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction were found to predict dimensions of managers contextual and task performance

Job-related affective well-being and its relation to intrinsic job satisfaction.

This thesis investigates the structure of job-related well-being; the identification of variables that contribute to either psychological well-being or distress; and the causal connections among elements of job-related well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction.Two large samples (n=3,044 and 3,709) from a white-collar public sector organisation were used to test a four monopolar model of affective well-being, and the two bipolar model (enthusiasm-depression and anxiety-contentment) proposed by Warr (1990). Structural equation modelling (LISREL) was used to test both models, and results strongly supported a monopolar structure of affective well-being (enthusiasm, depression, anxiety and relaxation). Following the testing of the models, canonical correlation analyses related the set of the four affective variables and intrinsic job satisfaction to a set of predictors. The predictors were drawn from Wan's (1994) sub-categories of nine features of jobs that purport to enhance psychological well-being at work. Two dimensions were extracted from this analysis. The first dimension was mainly defined by intrinsic job satisfaction (from the dependent variable set) and supervisory support and skill utilisation (from the independent variable set). The second dimension was defined mainly by anxiety (dependent variable set) and job demands (independent variable set). From these results a model was developed based on the additive influences of the independent variables on the outcome variables (i.e., affective well-being and intrinsic job satisfaction) that helped explain psychological well-being and distress at work. Finally, a model was also developed that assumed a causal direction from intrinsic job satisfaction to affective well-being. Using a longitudinal sample (n=220) these causal relations were tested with USREL. Results supported the hypothesis that intrinsic job satisfaction leads to affective well-being, rather than the alternative model that had the causal connections in the opposite direction. It was also possible to demonstrate with the same data set that one objective organisational variable, namely tenure, affects intrinsic job satisfaction over time, thus arguing against the proposition that intrinsic job satisfaction is dispositional

A framework for conceiving of job-related affective wellbeing

Beginning with the nature of happiness, the philosophical roots of job-related affect are explored to inform contemporary understandings of the phenomenon. Various disciplines, theories, models and schools of thought are contextualised and related to job-related affective wellbeing. Seminal constructs of affective wellbeing are identified, along with issues involved in developing an integrated model of affective wellbeing in the workplace. A synthesis of the literature is given using a tripartite heuristic framework comprising categories of Dispositional, Activity and Telic. Each category explains the tenets of the most influential theories and debates their veracity. Finally, the key theoretical developments are integrated to provide linkages between the conceptual bases of these constructs

Does the "happy-productive worker" thesis apply to managers?

Hosie, PJ ORCiD: 0000-0003-2585-024XPurpose - The purpose of this paper is to emanate from an enduring stream of research into individual performance and organisational productivity where happy employees are believed to perform better. Decades of research have been unable to establish a strong link between workplace happiness and performance. A variation on the enduring employee happiness-productivity debate is evolving the "happy-performing managers" proposition. Design/methodology/ approach - An empirical investigation reports on the impact of two important aspects of job happiness - self-rated affective wellbeing and intrinsic job satisfaction - on superiors' ratings of managers' contextual and task performance. An ancillary methodological objective of the study is to establish the structure of managers' performance. Findings - A partial model of managers' affective wellbeing, intrinsic job satisfaction and performance contributed an understanding to how specific indicators of affective wellbeing and intrinsic job satisfaction predict certain dimensions of managers' performance. Practical implications - Changes in the workplace emphasises are needed to ensure managers can retain and improve their positive affective wellbeing by working smarter and faster, rather than harder and longer. Originality/value - A contribution of this paper is to provide qualified support for the "happy-performing managers" proposition by linking the conceptual bases relating to managers' affective wellbeing, intrinsic job satisfaction and to their performance. These findings progress the debate as to how work might be structured to improve managers' affective wellbeing and consequently their performance. Perhaps, it is timely to consider moving away from the negative forms of psychology and affirm managers' future by embracing the "happy-performing managers" proposition. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited