What happiness at work is and how to use it

Abstract

Purpose–Change management, organizational, team and leadership development is often conducted through frameworks that do not meet expectations. This paper aims to look at how the science of happiness at work delivers strategic outcomes when used in a bottom-up and top-down approach.Design/methodology/approach–While the idea that happiness is an important concept outside work is now prevalent, there is little research or practice to show how it can be used to drive organizational success or deliver return on investment. The case study shows how to deploy the approach in an organization-wide strategic intervention.Findings–The science of happiness at work delivers return on investment and strategic outcomes when properly implemented.Practical implications–This new approach is a powerful methodology which offers traction at individual, team and organizational level: it opens up a different evaluation and development methodology that positively fast-tracks change and growth.Social implications–There is huge potential for making teams and organizations better places to work by using a simple, practical and aligned framework rooted in something that matters intuitively to everyone.Originality/value–This paper provides an understanding of the theory and application of the science of happiness at work. It shows how strategic issues can be addressed within a short space of time and highlights the benefit of an approach which encompasses personal, social and organizational issues simultaneously.