Positive Psychological Capacities Research Articles

Authentic Leadership-A Concept Analysis.

To report an analysis of the concept of authentic leadership. Concept analysis. Data sources included core databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, ProQuest, APA PsycINFO, ERIC, ABI/Inform and Tomlinson's Nursing Core Collection (2010). Walker and Avant's method was used to identify descriptions, antecedents, consequences and empirical referents of the concept. Model, related and contrary cases were developed. Defining attributes were identified as self-awareness, transparency, balanced processing, internalised moral perspective, caring, shared decision making and moral/ethical courage. Antecedents were authenticity, positive psychological capacities, life experiences, leadership development programme, supportive organisational climate and an ethical climate. Consequences are employee well-being and satisfaction, positive work environment and enhanced performance and safety. While authentic leadership is an emerging and popular leadership approach, there are gaps in relation to agreed definitions. Moreover, core textbooks within the subject area also fail to provide these definitions. This concept analysis represents the first comprehensive and robust analysis of the concept of authentic leadership that will serve to reliably inform research, education and practice. This analysis reveals that authentic leadership can have a positive effect on staff well-being and satisfaction, their work environment, performance and ultimately safety. This has potential for a positive impact on patient care and patient outcomes by fostering an ethical and supportive work environment. This study revealed a new comprehensive understanding of authentic leadership that provides conceptual clarity that will guide research and practice in the field, which refines the existing understanding, highlighting essential attributes and their relevance in nursing practice. No patient or public contribution.

Conceptualisation, measurement, and prediction of foreign language learning psychological capital among Chinese EFL students

ABSTRACT Psychological capital (PsyCap), the resource that responds to developing an individual’s positive psychological capacities, is positively related to academic behaviours, achievement emotions, and academic resource. However, the domain-specificity of the PsyCap scale and the prediction of PsyCap resources have not been examined in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, especially in China. This study aims to conceptualise EFL PsyCap, develops its corresponding measurement, and explore how EFL PsyCap resources were associated with EFL-related achievement emotions, academic engagement, and EFL performance. Item-level analyses, internal consistency analyses, and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the EFL PsyCap scale in a sample of 1,396 Chinese EFL learners. Furthermore, structural equation modelling analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between EFL PsyCap resources, achievement emotions, academic engagement, and EFL performance after controlling for gender and age. Results showed that the 16-item EFL PsyCap scale retains excellent psychometric properties and EFL PsyCap is a hierarchical construct underpinned by its four first-order components of optimism, hope, resilience, and self-efficacy. Additionally, EFL PsyCap resources positively predicted academic enjoyment, behavioural engagement, and EFL performance and negatively predicted academic boredom and anxiety.

Positive faultlines: an unconventional perspective on team compositional dynamics

PurposeFaultline literature has been extensively examined for its effect on various outcomes. Barring a few exceptions, this research has primarily inferred the adverse impact of such splits. The purpose of this theoretical paper is to assert that these divisions can also be formed based on positive psychological capacities, which will cause a divide, but eventually help increase performance.Design/methodology/approachThis paper offers a conceptual model that links employee psychological capital with the faultline literature and suggests its impact on team performance. It also explores the positive moderating effect of time and team goal orientation.FindingsThe study asserts that there will be an initial divide, but the positive faultlines will improve team performance. Several propositions are formulated that provide the opportunity for further examination.OriginalityThis paper makes a contemporary and important conceptual contribution to the faultline literature by proposing a new notion: “positive faultlines.” To view the effect of faultlines from a positive perspective, a pioneering endeavor is made to explore the impact of employees’ psychological capital in teams. By integrating the faultline literature with positive organizational behavior, this study offers an alternative line of thinking on team compositional dynamics.

Participation in decision-making and work outcomes: evidence from a developing economy

PurposeAlthough there is general agreement that employee participation in decision-making (PDM) has individual and organizational benefits, an important question remains about the possibility that it may also have certain individual and organizational costs as well. This article presents an “episodic process model” that accounts for both the bright and possible dark sides of participation. The model explains how PDM might boost employee hope and self-efficacy, which in turn may lead to two distinct work outcomes–job satisfaction and behavior.Design/methodology/approachIn order to test the model, data (n = 269) were collected from bank employees in two waves. A variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to analyze the data.FindingsResults from variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) show that employee PDM indeed exerts a positive impact on positive psychological resource capacities: hope, self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Hope, in turn, has a positive influence on job satisfaction and a negative influence on job-search behavior. Bias-corrected bootstrapping analysis demonstrated that the relationship between employee PDM and job satisfaction is mediated by hope.Originality/valueInsights for practitioners in a developing economy and possible areas of future research are highlighted.

Deconstructing work meaningfulness: sources and mechanisms

This study aims to examine how authentic leadership (a source external to the individual) and self-efficacy (an internal resource) shape experiences of meaning in work. In addition to examining the individual impact of the above factors on work meaningfulness, the study examines the role of self-efficacy as a mediator and a moderator of the relationship between authentic leadership and work meaningfulness. The sample comprised 350 employees from public and private sector manufacturing firms in India. Process (Hayes 2013) was used to test the hypotheses with the aid of SPSS 24. Self-efficacy and authentic leadership proved to be important predictors of employees’ perceived sense of meaningfulness in work. In addition to the direct pathway, authentic leadership was found to infuse meaning in work indirectly through self-efficacy. Further, self-efficacy moderated the influence of authentic leadership on work meaningfulness in a way that the effect strengthened with decreasing values of self-efficacy. By accommodating multiple sources and mechanisms, representing both situational and personal factors, the study contributes to comprehensive understanding of how and under what conditions work meaningfulness can be increased. Identifying, selecting, and developing employees with authentic leadership qualities is likely to benefit organizations in terms of fostering positive psychological capacities of employees and improving perceived meaningfulness of work. However, leadership goes unnoticed for the employees with high self-efficacy.

Effects of Servant Leadership on Psychological Capitals and Productivities of Employees

Focusing on human strength and flourishing, positive organizational behavior opened a new era in organizational behavior studies and reshaped scholars’ and practitioners’ demands from leadership. More human focused leaders have become acceptable and popular including servant leadership, one of the main points we have focused in this study. In our research model, being inspired from positive organizational behavior and one of its famous constructs, positive psychological capacities; the developable, measurable and managable psychological powers of individuals, we designed a model testing effects of servant leadership on psychological capacities of individuals in organizational settings and psychological capitals effect on employee productivity. We tested our model on white collar workers in İstanbul region of Turkey, by applying face to face and online surveys. Later, we analyzed our data in SPSS 20.0 program and we found that as we have supposed servant leadership behavior of leaders has a positive effect on positive psychological capacities of individuals which in turn effects positively their productivities.

Effects of Servant Leadership on Psychological Capitals and Productivities of Employees

Focusing on human strength and flourishing, positive organizational behavior opened a new era in organizational behavior studies and reshaped scholars’ and practitioners’ demands from leadership. More human focused leaders have become acceptable and popular including servant leadership, one of the main points we have focused in this study. In our research model, being inspired from positive organizational behavior and one of its famous constructs, positive psychological capacities; the developable, measurable and managable psychological powers of individuals, we designed a model testing effects of servant leadership on psychological capacities of individuals in organizational settings and psychological capitals effect on employee productivity. We tested our model on white collar workers in Istanbul region of Turkey, by applying face to face and online surveys. Later, we analyzed our data in SPSS 20.0 program and we found that as we have supposed servant leadership behavior of leaders has a positive effect on positive psychological capacities of individuals which in turn effects positively their productivities.

Managers’ Resources for Authentic Leadership – a Multi‐study Exploration of Positive Psychological Capacities and Ethical Organizational Climates

AbstractWhile authentic leadership is highly valued in today's business world, managers do not necessarily have the resources to attain it. Building on conservation of resources theory, we propose a conceptual model to address how personal and contextual resources predict authentic leadership. Study 1 analyses the day‐to‐day variability in managers’ positive psychological capacities as personal resources in relation to changes in authentic leadership. In addition, it tests ethical organizational climates as stable, contextual resources for authentic leadership. In Study 2, we replicate our results on the between‐person level and extend the research model by exploring promotion focus as a link in the relationship between personal resources and authentic leadership. Evidence from an experience sampling study with 89 managers surveyed daily on 10 consecutive working days (Study 1) and a field survey of 130 managers at two points in time (Study 2) supports the hypothesized role of personal resources and promotion focus for authentic leadership. In both studies, only principled but not benevolent ethical organizational climates emerged as a contextual resource for authentic leadership. We discuss the implications for current management research and practice.

FURTHER EXAMINATION OF YOUTH LEADERSHIP SKILLS PREDICTORS

Considering the substantial upcoming transfer of leadership to younger generations, it is critical to study the unique trait, skill, and behavioral associations of youth leaders. The purpose of this two-phase study was to quantitatively examine the relationship between positive psychological capacities (PsyCap), personality, and empathy with leadership skills in youth. Regression results from both phases revealed cognitive empathy and academic PsyCap as significant predictors of youth leadership life skills. These results follow earlier research that identified trait-based emotional intelligence as a significant predictor of leadership skills in youth. The combined results offer important considerations as leadership scholars and practitioners attempt to accurately predict and plan for the leadership transfer landscape over the next two decades. These combined results also serve as helpful considerations for youth leadership practitioners as program outcomes, learning objectives, and activities targeting the development of cognitive empathy and PsyCap will perhaps allow for more productive youth leadership development efforts and better documentation of their impact.

Psychological Capital: The Role of Attachment (Case Study: Tehran Children’s Hospital)

One of the most important issues in the field of organizational behavior studies is the identification of positive psychological resources and capacities, which considerably affect individuals’ job performance. Therefore, the present research aims to study and identify the effects of attachment on psychological capital. With regard to the purpose, this research is applied and in regard to data collection method, it is descriptive/analytic and of correlational type. The analysis is carried out based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study was done at Tehran Children’s Hospital, in which a sample of 176 personnel filled out the questionnaire. In this research, the validity of attachment and psychological capital measurement models was evaluated by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Also, the results of the structural model suggested the significant effect of attachment on the dimensions of psychological capital. It is noteworthy that between the two dimensions of attachment, i.e. avoidance and anxiety, avoidance is more explanatory. Finally, it is notable that attachment theory is one of the most important theories in OB/HR; this has critical consequences for variables like psychological capital.

Resistance to change, work engagement and psychological capital of academics in an open distance learning work environment

Orientation: In the present knowledge economy, the external environment is rapidly evolving and organisations are increasingly demanding much more from their employees. Psychological capital (PsyCap) and work engagement (WE), seen as positive human resource strengths and psychological capacities, can be developed and effectively managed for enhanced work performance. Employees’ resistance to change (RTC) is a key barrier to organisational change.Research purpose: To investigate the interrelationships between PsyCap, WE and RTC of open distance learning (ODL) academics.Motivation for the study: Little empirical research has investigated the application of positive work and organisational psychological functioning of ODL academics. Universities can use the study results to develop strategies which may enable institutions and individuals to flourish through positive well-being despite change.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative survey including a probability sample of 208 (N = 208) academics was utilised. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.Main findings: The results reveal a meaningful positive relationship between the positive psychological constructs of PsyCap and WE, and a meaningful negative relationship between the psychodynamic construct RTC, and the positive psychological constructs of PsyCap and WE. Structural equation modelling indicated an adequate fit of conceptual structural model.Practical/managerial implications: Results suggest that reduced RTC and increased positive psychological behaviour could contribute to a positive organisation and individual well-being in a changing work environment.Contribution/value-add: This study adds to the body of knowledge and insights into positive work and organisational functioning of academics in a changing ODL work environment.

Validity evidences regarding the Authentic Leadership Inventory

Abstract Authentic leadership consists of a pattern of behavior based on positive psychological capacities and on an ethical and moral climate. The study evaluated the internal structure and convergent validity of the Authentic Leadership Inventory. The sample consisted of 548 workers from public and private organizations of both genders, who responded to the initial version of the scale, containing 14 items, distributed among four factors: self-knowledge, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing. The confi rmatory factor analyses showed that the best fi t model was the four fi rst order factors with a second order factor, which fully confi rmed the original scale model. Authentic leadership had positive correlations with transformational leadership, job satisfaction, work engagement, and affective organizational commitment. The evidences of validity obtained recommend the use of instrument in future research situations.

Positive psychological capacities: the mystery ingredient in successful service recoveries?

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the influence of frontline employees’ (FLEs’) positive psychological capacities (PPCs) (optimism, hope, resilience and self-efficacy) on service recovery.Design/methodology/approachA model of FLE PPCs is tested using two studies: a field study (Nretail = 205; Nrestaurant = 160) and between-subject experimental design (Neducation = 206) in three service settings.FindingsResults show that positive emotions mediate the relationship between PPCs and problem-solving adaptability, and that authenticity of positive emotions moderates the relationship between positive emotions and interactional justice. Surprisingly, problem-solving adaptability positively influences perceptions of distributive justice and interactional justice. A small interaction effect between positive emotions and problem-solving adaptability also was found.Research limitations/implicationsThe dependent variable (problem-solving adaptability) was measured using an open-ended question evaluated by objective, independent raters rather than a self-reported structured metric, to minimize social desirability bias.Practical implicationsGiven that the customer complaints to the Better Business Bureau in 2016 were close to one million, most of them occurring in the service sector, service firms need continuous research into improving service recovery. This study argues that firms can improve FLEs’ problem-solving adaptability behavior by training existing FLEs to strengthen PPCs, hiring FLEs that have strong PPCs and fostering positive emotions.Originality/valueThis is the first study that examines the effect of PPCs on service recovery outcomes. By incorporating PPCs as antecedents of positive emotions, this paper explains how FLEs can offer a better recovery rather than dictating what they ought to display and say. An explanation of how FLE PPCs influence customer outcomes via the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions and emotion contagion theory is offered, highlighting a novel path/relationship between FLE positive emotions and problem-solving abilities, and extending emotion contagion to service recovery.

Authentic leadership outcomes in detail-oriented occupations: Commitment, role-stress, and intentions to leave

AbstractIn recent years there has been a growing scholarly interest in authentic leadership, a leadership style that fosters positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate. This study focuses on the Certified Public Accounting profession, which is known as a detail-oriented occupation. We examined if Certified Public Accounting managers exhibiting an authentic leadership style were capable of strengthening the commitment of their subordinates and, at the same time, reducing role-stress and intentions to leave. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 512 Certified Public Accountings in Israel using structural equation modeling. Results revealed that perceived authentic leadership was negatively related to role-conflicts and role-ambiguity, directly and through the mediation of affective commitment. In addition, the negative correlation between authentic leadership and intention to leave was fully mediated by affective commitment. Limitation and applications for organizations are discussed.

Building organisational resilience: role of cherishing at work

The present day organisational needs are more centred on exploring positive behavioural approaches and psychological capacities ensuring sustained high performance, a resilient workforce, and new ideas for engagement. This has paved the way for maximising the social and intellectual potential of the workforce through strategic behavioural concepts and techniques. The creative synergy of capitalising on behavioural potentials helps a company thrive amidst several adversities and become resilient. Based on the urge to develop a new substantial way to maximise organisational resilience, the present study conceptualises organisational resilience with cherishing. Theoretical implications and future research possibilities of the paper are discussed.

Revitalizing the HERO within Teachers: An Analysis of the Effects of the PsyCap Development Training

The purpose of the study was to investigate middle school teachers’ perceptions of the effects of a teacher-targeted intervention, that is, Psychological Capital Development Training Intervention (PCDTI), aiming at enhancing positive psychological capacities of teachers. The PCDTI was prepared and implemented by the researchers at a state university in a large city in Turkey during the academic year of 2014-2015. The implementation of the PCDTI lasted for 2 months, once in a week, and after completing the training intervention, interviews were conducted with twelve teachers who were the participants in the experimental group. Data were gathered through one-on-one interviews and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The participants stated that the PCDTI had some positive effects in terms of their personal and professional awareness and development. Raising awareness about some key issues in teachers’ lives, experiencing positive emotions, cognitions, and attitudes, and experiencing changes in their attitudes towards students and teaching profession were the perceived effects of the training intervention. The participants also made suggestions to enhance the effectiveness of the intervention. Some implications are offered for the benefits of enhancing teachers’ psychological capital in schools.

Authentic leadership in illness blogs: What we can learn from jaw surgery bloggers

AbstractThis paper argues that authentic leadership theory provides a useful model for explaining the communication of orthognathic or jaw surgery bloggers. Previous studies concluded that illness blogs can empower patients, but no research considered any leadership theory as a model for blogging. For this study, 24 publicly available blogs were analyzed to find expressions that demonstrated each of the four components of authentic leadership, which are self-awareness, relational transparency, communication based upon an internalized moral perspective, and balanced processing of information. The research also analyzed blog comments to find expressions that demonstrated followers’ development of the positive psychological capacities of confidence, hope, optimism and resilience. The research points towards a new model of how this group of bloggers helps themselves and their community transit a time of change and uncertainty. The bloggers appear to be delivering positive socio-emotional leadership to similar...

A positive approach to management education

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the positive psychological strengths of undergraduate business students, collectively known as positive psychological capital (PsyCap), and their levels of engagement.Design/methodology/approachThis study has a cross-sectional design in which students from two Midwestern universities were surveyed regarding their levels of PsyCap and levels of engagement in educationally sound activities. Item response theory (IRT) and hierarchical regression were used to test study hypotheses. The authors assessed measurement validity using confirmatory factor analyses in MPLUS 7.0 using four-category 2PL graded response models with a weighted least squares means and variance adjusted estimator. Hierarchical regression was used to control for alternative explanations of variance in assessing the effects of PsyCap on student engagement.FindingsUsing measures of student engagement drawn from the National Survey of Student Engagement, the analysis indicated significant positive relationships between the academic PsyCap of 323 undergraduate business students and their levels of student-faculty engagement (SFE;r=0.30,p<0.01), community-based activities (CBA;r=0.28,p<0.01), and transformational learning opportunities (TLO;r=0.19,p<0.01). A series of hierarchical regressions also indicated that PsyCap is a significant predictor of student engagement as assessed against SFE, CBA, and TLO.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings from this study suggest that further research examining the relationship between PsyCap development and student engagement could have significant implications for management educators. The positive associations found between these key variables could be utilized by management educators to implement novel and effective teaching interventions for developing the PsyCap of their students and, ultimately, increase their students’ levels of engagement.Originality/valueAlthough extant research has demonstrated connections between positive psychological constructs (i.e. hope, self-efficacy, resilience, optimism) and student engagement, this is the first study to take a holistic view of developable, positive psychological capacities, collectively assessed as PsyCap, and examine the potential impact on three recognized dimensions of student engagement.

Authentic Leadership Affecting Subordinate Job Attitudes and Intentions:The case of CPA Profession

In recent years there has been a growing scholarly interest in authentic leadership, a leadership style that fosters positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate (Walumbwa, Avol...

Development of psychological capital in an academic-based leadership education program

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of an academic-based, leadership education program on the development of psychological capital (PsyCap). Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from students at the entry-point (Time 1), mid-point (Time 2) and end-point (Time 3) of the leadership program, across all modes of delivery. Statistical analysis was performed to determine changes in psychological capacity. Findings – Results indicated PsyCap capacities (self-efficacy, optimism, hope and resiliency) may be impacted through leadership training and that online delivery appeared to have the greatest impact on student PsyCap development. Research limitations/implications – The paper concludes with a discussion of limitations and future directions of research that are needed. Limitations include non-individual tracking, and a somewhat small sample size in one of the samples. Implications include further research into a potential response shift bias among participants, research regarding the impact of educational modality and student maturity and self-awareness. Practical implications – The paper describes implications for practitioners in higher education, as well as more broadly for educators who are attempting to develop positive psychological capacities in their students. Originality/value – This paper expands upon a developing field in positive organizational psychology by focussing on development within leadership education.