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Happy-Productive Teams and Work Units: A Systematic Review of the ‘Happy-Productive Worker Thesis’

Author

Listed:
  • M. Esther García-Buades

    (Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain)

  • José M. Peiró

    (IDOCAL (Institut d’Investigació en Psicologia del RRHH, del Desenvolupament Organitzacional i de la Qualitat de Vida Laboral), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
    IVIE (Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas), 46020 Valencia, Spain)

  • María Isabel Montañez-Juan

    (Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain)

  • Malgorzata W. Kozusznik

    (Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology Research Group (WOPP), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Silvia Ortiz-Bonnín

    (Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain)

Abstract

The happy-productive worker thesis (HPWT) assumes that happy employees perform better. Given the relevance of teams and work-units in organizations, our aim is to analyze the state of the art on happy-productive work-units (HPWU) through a systematic review and integrate existing research on different collective well-being constructs and collective performance. Research on HPWU (30 studies, 2001–2018) has developed through different constructs of well-being (hedonic: team satisfaction, group affect; and eudaimonic: team engagement) and diverse operationalizations of performance (self-rated team performance, leader-rated team performance, customers’ satisfaction, and objective indicators), thus creating a disintegrated body of knowledge about HPWU. The theoretical frameworks to explain the HPWU relationship are attitude–behavior models, broaden-and-build theory, and the job-demands-resources model. Research models include a variety of antecedents, mediators, and moderating third variables. Most studies are cross-sectional, all propose a causal happy–productive relationship (not the reverse), and generally find positive significant relationships. Scarce but interesting time-lagged evidence supports a causal chain in which collective well-being leads to team performance (organizational citizenship behavior or team creativity), which then leads to objective work-unit performance. To conclude, we identify common issues and challenges across the studies on HPWU, and set out an agenda for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Esther García-Buades & José M. Peiró & María Isabel Montañez-Juan & Malgorzata W. Kozusznik & Silvia Ortiz-Bonnín, 2019. "Happy-Productive Teams and Work Units: A Systematic Review of the ‘Happy-Productive Worker Thesis’," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-39, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2019:i:1:p:69-:d:300134
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. José M. Peiró & Malgorzata W. Kozusznik & Isabel Rodríguez-Molina & Núria Tordera, 2019. "The Happy-Productive Worker Model and Beyond: Patterns of Wellbeing and Performance at Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, February.
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