Character Strengths in Pakistan: The Role of Signature Strengths Use for Employee Work Behaviors and Organizational Outcomes

Abstract

Character strengths are universally valued positive attributes, theorized to improve individuals’ functioning as well as of the organizations. Over the last two decades, the study of character strengths has attracted a large number of researchers across the globe. However, most of the existing research has been conducted in Western countries whereas research on character strengths is sparse in Pakistan and under-represented in international studies. Therefore, the prime aim of the present dissertation is twofold (a) to explore the relevance and prevalence of character strengths in Pakistan and (b) to get a further understanding of the role of character strengths and signature strengths use for workplace outcomes at the employee and organizational level. The present dissertation is organized into four studies. The first study examined the extent to which the 24 character strengths of the Values in Action (VIA) Classification were perceived as relevant in Pakistan. The Cultural Relevance of Character Strengths Survey (CRCSS) was developed to explore different aspects of the cultural relevance (e.g., existence, helpfulness, and importance) as well as gender and age-based practices of character strengths. Among 288 members of the Pakistani society, high rates of the agreement were found about nine aspects of the cultural relevance for all the 24 character strengths (perceived by ≥ 70 % of the participants). Spirituality, gratitude, and love were perceived as highly relevant character strengths. Moreover, at least 70% of the participants agreed that both gender and age groups (younger and elderly) practice all the 24 character strengths (except the practice of bravery by women). The second study aimed to assess the prevalence of character strengths in Pakistan and to make the results comparable with the global findings. A sample of 352 participants from the general population filled in the questionnaire measuring possession of character strengths. The results showed that the mean scores on possession of the 24 character strengths were above average for all the 24 character strengths (M ≥ 3.49). Honesty, fairness, kindness, teamwork, and leadership were the top five character strengths whereas modesty, humor, forgiveness, love of learning, and self-regulation were the bottom five character strengths. Further, ranks of the character strengths of the present Pakistani data showed considerable similarities with pre-existing Pakistani and US data (McGrath, 2015a). Women scored higher on character strengths of appreciation of beauty and excellence. Age positively correlated with gratitude and spirituality. The results supplemented the findings of the first study, corroborated the existing international literature regarding the prevalence of character strengths, and extended it by providing evidence from a relatively less studied population of Pakistan. Overall, the findings advocated that character strengths are not a culture-specific phenomenon and thus settled the ground for further study of the VIA Classification in specific settings (such as work) in Pakistan. The third study was the first-ever attempt in the work setting of Pakistan examining the role of character strengths and signature strengths use for productive (i.e., job performance and organizational citizenship behavior) and counterproductive work behaviors (i.e., deviant behavior and workplace procrastination). A sample of 227 employees from diverse occupational groups (e.g., sales, customer services, and academia) provided self- ratings for all the study variables along with supervisory ratings of job performance. In line with the expectation, findings indicated that character strengths and signature strengths use positively correlated with job performance and organizational citizenship behavior whereas negatively correlated with deviant behavior and workplace procrastination. Signature strengths use emerged as one of the prominent predictors of job performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Hope and modesty emerged as the most important predictors of supervisory ratings of job performance (e.g., emerged for seven and four dimensions respectively). Curiosity and love were the prominent predictors for organizational citizenship behavior. Forgiveness and fairness emerged as important negative predictors of deviant behavior and workplace procrastination respectively. The findings provided initial insight that character strengths and signature strengths use matter at work. However, there is a dire need for an overarching theoretical framework that explains how strengths-relevant behaviors are linked to various outcomes at work. The fourth study tested the motivational process of the Job Demands-Resources theory to explicate the role of signature strengths use as a personal resource and perceived organizational support for strengths use as job resource for different work outcomes. Further, it extended the role of resources to organizational outcomes (i.e., perceived and objective organizational performance, and actual turnover) through serial and parallel mediation of employee level variables (i.e., work engagement, job performance, and turnover intentions). The sample consisted of 202 top managers from 52 branches of a large bank in Pakistan. All the information was collected from participants except objective organizational performance and turnover. The findings divulged the mediational role of serial and parallel mediators between both kinds of resources and organizational outcomes. The effect of signature strengths use on turnover was fully mediated by work engagement, job performance, and turnover intentions whereas partially mediated on perceived and objective organizational performance by the same mediating variables. Moreover, the effect of organizational support for strength use on perceived and objective organizational performance was fully mediated by work engagement, job performance, and turnover intention. Overall, initial evidence about the relevance and prevalence of character strengths from Pakistani culture offers important implications for their widespread utility at the individual as well as societal level. The findings based on studies representing ‘character strengths at work’ also hold several practical implications for employees and employers. At the employee end, identification and use of signature strengths is the first step to reap the benefits. Employees can experience high work engagement leading to their improved performance by building on their strengths. Career counselors and coaches can customize and apply interventions to track changes in character strengths development through different career stages and transitions. At the organization level, specific intervention programs can also be designed to enable employees to identify and use their signature strengths (Dubreuil et al., 2016; Harzer & Ruch, 2016). In addition, the promotion of a strengths-based culture can help to engage employees to contribute more to their organizations (Dubreuil & Forest, 2017; Linley et al., 2011). Particularly, organizations can adopt strengths-based HRM practices to achieve high performance. Further, the strengths and limitations of the studies are discussed along with ideas for future research and practice.