Positive psychological principles have become increasingly prevalent in the workplace in recent years. However the field still lacks a comprehensive and practice-based overview of this important trend. The present article focuses on reviewing recent research in positive psychology as it relates to the workplace including research regarding constructs such as resilience appreciative inquiry empowerment gratitude psychological capital work engagement supervisor and organizational support positive teamwork and co-worker relations and positive leadership. For each we synthesize research examining the nature of the construct itself its nomological network individual- and organizational- level outcomes and how organizations can enhance each within their employees for increased organizational success and enhanced employee experience. Finally we discuss gaps in the relevant literature and make specific recommendations regarding how to ameliorate such oversights in order to enhance the rigor of positive workplace research as well as the frequency and efficacy of relevant organizational interventions.
Citation:
The Journal of Positive Psychology , 2013 Vol. 8, No. 2, 153 – 164