Improving Performance and Well-being in the Workplace

Psychological research to improve performance and well-being in the workplace

The field of Psychology has continuously had an invested attention towards the advancement of wellbeing within the workplace. Occupational Psychology is predominately concerned with the performance of people at work, and with the evolving understanding of how organisations work and how individuals and groups behave in these settings. Psychological wellbeing is further distinctly acknowledged in regards to the overall effectiveness of an individual’s psychological functioning. (Gechman & Weiner, 1975). Psychological research applied to improve human performance in regards to the workplace, has provided statistics about wellbeing amongst workers. According to (Athanasiades & Winthrop, 2007), figures demonstrate 35% of the European workforce strongly believe that work has a significant effect on their wellbeing (EFILWC, 2006). Furthermore, The Bristol Stress and Health at Work Study presents additional support (Smith et al, 2000 as cited by Athanasiades & Winthrop, 2007) as research established roughly 20% of the reviewed British employees experienced high occupational stress. High work-related stress was related to medical problems such as fatigue, depression and anxiety alongside family issues (Smith et al, 2000 as cited by Athanasiades & Winthrop, 2007). This research provides the basis for improving the workplace environment, to ensure that human performance and psychological well-being serves as predominant feature of the workplace.

Extensive research has been carried out to assess and improve human performance in the workplace. According to (Froman, 2009), Three Levels of Organisational Behaviour are involved in the workplace environment. Behaviour within organisations is characteristically comprehended and observed through three levels: the individual, the group, and the general organisational system (Froman, 2009). While these levels are unifying classifications, pragmatic realties propose they ought to be viewed as co-dependent entities. (Froman, 2009), uses subsequent examples of shared connection across the three levels: An individual employee described as optimistic, supportive, and intrinsically motivated, can trigger agreeable connections among their colleagues therefore motivating a profound feeling of importance in the work that is to be carried out. Individuals like this increase what is established to be working well to higher level of achievement, which is a prime example of individual-to-team connection. This elevation of positivity impacts and can signal a positive effect on other colleagues, individuals who prior to group introduction had been less positive, motivated, and productive, a case of team-to-individual causality. A last illustration develops out of the organisation itself; through structure, strategies, and initiative practices reflect traits of excellence. Benefits at the organisational level that effect groups and individuals are as follows: Fundamental values that support progressive human resource polices, investment in workforce training and development, encouraging employees by providing a platform for them in decision-making, and developing authentic leaders (May et al. 2003, as cited in Froman, 2009) who are truthful, dependable and guided by moral compass. It appears that organisations bring out the best in their workforce by concentrating on positive psychologic ideas as qualities, expectation, idealism, self-assurance, self-inspiration, flexibility, euphoria, and appreciation (Froman, 2009). Organisations endeavour to do good by doing well. They ensure to create conditions for their employees to flourish in the workplace and human development. However, the premise of research is to find out the facts about the sector that is studied. Stress at the workplace is common and affects human performance and psychological well-being. According to (Athanasiades & Winthrop, 2007), stress was essentially connected with the amount of sick leave, GP visits and accidents at work (Smith et al, 2000 as cited by Athanasiades & Winthrop, 2007). Mental health charity Mind reported stress as the most noteworthy reason for absence amongst non-manual employees which is related with 12.8 million working days lost in Britain between 2003-04 whereas mental health issues amount in the cost of 91 million working days every year (Athanasiades & Winthrop, 2007). Likewise, the 2005 Employer Survey of the Health and Safety Executive (Clarke et al, 2005 as cited by Athanasiades & Winthrop, 2007) disclosed work-related injuries provoked a predicted 18,000 days of work per 100,000 employees whereas work-related ill-health had a cost of 14,000 days off work per 100,000 employees. Furthermore, work-related stress was the third most commonly reported health and safety risk (Clarke, et al, 2005 as cited by Athanasiades & Winthrop, 2007). With these facts improving human performance in the workplace can be carried out effectively. Positive psychology has been applied to improve psychological well-being in the workplace environment. It highlights individuals over workload and work-related skills, and exerts managers to consider employees as individuals with interests and abilities outside of their job. When employees feel valued, they give a greater amount of attention to their jobs, this happens subconsciously. Vast research has been conducted on worker quality of life and performance (Isen, 1987; Warr, 1999). Those who advocate for the well-being perspective resist that positive emotional states and positive appraisals of the worker and their relationships within the workplace emphasise worker performance and quality of life. Some workers often seek challenging tasks, individuals who put themselves in situations are likely to have what (Brim, 1992 as cited in Gold, 1999) acknowledges to be manageable difficulties. When these demands level or can even to some extent exceed resources, positive emotional states (e.g., pleasure, joy, energy) take affect and thus they distinguish themselves as industrious (Waterman, 1993). The well-being perspective assets that, a strong work force provides the presence of positive feelings in the worker that should result in a more productive worker. Therefore, this research supports the notion of the importance of positive psychology in the workplace environment, improving human performance and psychological well-being is accounted for and what is regarded as important above workload related stressors.

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A factor to improve psychological well-being is stress management. This is becoming increasingly significant as workload is steadily on the increase (Morris and Raabe, 2002). The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates a steady rise in the amount of people who will experience mental health difficulties in the workplace to the year 2020 (Kalia, 2002). It is expected that the accountability for providing mental health services to any worker who requires it will be shifted to the employer (Arthur, 2000). Further estimates suggest, an expected employment of more people with mental health problems because of the Equality Act 2010, this legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. Policies add extra pressure on employers to offer mental health programmes exclusively to all employees may require such essential services (McDaid et al, 2005). This promotes the well-being of workers so not only are they psychologically well, but they also can perform to the best of their ability in the workplace environment. In addition, (Cooper and Cartwright, 1997) ways in which occupational stress can be avoided. Primary prevention includes education on stress and training to understand and recognise stress symptoms. Secondary prevention can include a focus on easy ways of dealing with stress such as relaxation, ways of altering stress-inducing thinking and ways to improve the lifestyle of workers. Tertiary prevention can include psychological support such as counselling. Furthermore, (Cooper and Cartwright, 1997) proposition that psychological support in the workplace, has an imperative part in the preservation and promotion of employee wellbeing. These interventions are safeguarding, as that they serve the purpose of providing support to ensure employee well-being. Increasing demands within the workplace, plus greater need for knowledge work, and innovation, organisations will essentially need to find ways to enable their employees perform to their optimum potential. Positive psychology’s unique focus on flourishing, contributes to solid foundation of organisational performance, it is a pivotal contributor a successful workplace environment. Whether providing management with the tools on how to develop and use guiding organisational strategy, otherwise empowering workers to make their contributions is the way in making the workplace a better environment. Positive psychology has and will endure to be, a benefit to the workplace environment.

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References

Athanasiades, C., & Winthrop, A. (n.d.). ONLINE-ONLY ARTICLE: The importance of employee wellbeing. Retrieved March 9, 2017, from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-20/edition-12/online-only-article-importance-employee-wellbeing

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Froman, L. J Adult Dev (2010) 17: 59. doi:10.1007/s10804-009-9080-0

Isen, A. M. (1987). Positive affect, cognitive processes, and social behavior. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 20, pp. 203-253). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Warr, P. (1999). Well-being and the workplace. In D. Kahneman, E. Deiner, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 392-412). New York: Russell Sage.

Waterman, A. S. (1993). Two conceptions of happiness: Contrasts of personal expressiveness (eudaimonia) and hedonic enjoyment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 678-691.

Gold, J. (1993). American Journal of Sociology, 99(2), 554-556. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2781728

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Gechman, A., & Wiener, Y. (1975). Job involvement and satisfaction as related to mental health and personal time devoted to work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 521-523.

Morris, N., & Raabe, B. (2002). Some legal implications of CBT stress counselling in the workplace. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 30 (1), 55-62.

Arthur, A. R. (2000). Employee assistance programmes: The emperor’s new clothes of stress management? British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 28 (4), 549-559.

McDaid, D. Curran, C., & Knapp, M. (2005). Promoting mental well-being in the workplace: A European policy perspective. International Review of Psychiatry, 17 (5), 365-373.

Kalia, M. (2002). Assessing the economic impact of stress [mdash] The modern day hidden epidemic. Metabolism, 51(6).

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Cooper, C. L., & Cartwright, S. (1997). An intervention strategy for workplace stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 43 (1), 7-16.