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The Thrill of Creative Effort at Work: An Empirical Study on Work, Creative Effort and Well-Being

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  • Arie Sherman

    (Ruppin Academic Center)

  • Tal Shavit

    (The College of Management Academic Studies)

Abstract

The connections between creative effort at work and four measures of subjective well-being are studied using data on a sample of 922 Jewish Israeli adults who are salaried employees. The paper finds that self-reported creative effort aimed at making work more enjoyable is positively associated with global evaluation of life; with purpose and meaning in life, and with positive emotions. No significant link with negative emotions was found. This study also finds significant associations with three additional intrinsic features of work-creative tasks; independence at work and intellectual work-and various measures of subjective well-being, even when controlling for age, gender, marital status, having children, education, time worked, financial satisfaction, subjective health and religiosity. The robustness of the links between intrinsic features of work and subjective well-being demonstrate that work serves not only as a means to material ends, but also as a direct source of personal happiness, meaning and satisfaction.

Suggested Citation

  • Arie Sherman & Tal Shavit, 2018. "The Thrill of Creative Effort at Work: An Empirical Study on Work, Creative Effort and Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(7), pages 2049-2069, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:19:y:2018:i:7:d:10.1007_s10902-017-9910-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-017-9910-x
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    Cited by:

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    2. Olga Bogolyubova & Polina Panicheva & Yanina Ledovaya & Roman Tikhonov & Bulat Yaminov, 2020. "The Language of Positive Mental Health: Findings From a Sample of Russian Facebook Users," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, May.
    3. Barokas, Guy & Ling, Hila Hindy & Sherman, Arie & Shavit, Tal, 2024. "To change or not to change? – Status quo bias and happiness," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 656-671.
    4. Shay Tsaban & Tal Shavit, 2024. "The Agency Problem of the Modern Era – The Conflict Between Shareholders’ and Managers’ Motives to Invest in Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 1-18, October.

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