Positive Organizational Behavior and Wellbeing at Work (POWELL)

The purpose of the research group is to explore and develop frameworks and approaches that integrate effective organizational resources to cultivate healthier work environments and enhance employee wellbeing.  

Key Information

Introduction

Understanding the antecedents and outcomes of human behavior and employee wellbeing in work settings has become increasingly important in today’s rapidly changing work environment. The emergence of hybrid and remote work models, the integration of advanced technologies and AI, and the growing concerns surrounding contemporary anxieties and changing work demands have all contributed to critical challenges like work-life conflict, workplace loneliness, stress, and feelings of alienation. These factors highlight the urgent need for effective leadership and organizational interventions to support employee wellbeing.

In this context, assuring employee wellbeing is both a challenge and a necessity. Addressing these issues requires a multilevel and multidisciplinary approach that incorporates insights from positive organizational psychology, leadership studies, and human resources management (HRM). Positive organizational behavior, as a subfield of organizational psychology, focuses on enhancing employee engagement, flourishing, wellbeing, and organizational effectiveness through the promotion of positive psychological capacities such as optimism, resilience, hope, and self-efficacy, alongside effective leadership and organizational practices. Leadership studies, in general, examine how leadership practices, styles, and behaviors are associated with organizational and employee wellbeing outcomes. HRM primarily focuses on the practical implementation of effective human resource practices. This research group integrates theory and research in HRM practices, leadership studies and positive organizational behavior to investigate the antecedents, boundary conditions, and outcomes of employee wellbeing in contemporary work settings.

Aim

The purpose of the research group is to explore and develop frameworks and approaches that integrate effective organizational resources, such as leadership, high-commitment human resource practices, and positive organizational behavior to cultivate healthier work environments and enhance employee wellbeing. The group aims to generate scientific knowledge and evidence-based insights to inform policies and interventions that improve employee wellbeing, quality of work life, mental health, and overall engagement and performance.

Research topics:

Emerging employee wellbeing threats and consequences

Investigate emerging and intensified risks and employee mental health issues in modern work life, such as alienation, workplace loneliness, work-life conflict, climate anxiety, AI-induced job insecurity, stress and burnout to understand their antecedents and consequences.

Leadership and employee wellbeing in contemporary work settings

Investigate the link between emerging leadership styles and employee wellbeing in contemporary work models (such as virtual, remote and hybrid work) and emerging wellbeing risk through offering wellbeing-centered leadership models.

Positive Organizational Behavior interventions for wellbeing

Designing, implementing, and evaluating strategies, policies, and interventions to promote employee wellbeing at different levels (individual, group, leader, and organizational) via positive organizational behavior practices.

How our work links to sustainable development goals:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The research group contributes to promoting employee health and wellbeing aligning with the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

By providing knowledge and policy recommendations for effective leadership and positive organizational behavior, the group aims to support fair and healthy work conditions, which in turn lead to decent work, and increased productivity and economic growth.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

By focusing on ethical and inclusive leadership, the research group aims to provide insights that promote equal opportunities and reduce workplace discrimination, both of which are essential for enhancing employee wellbeing.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Effective leadership practices and integration of positive organizational behavior practices contribute to building stronger and fair institutions, fostering justice and structure within organizations.

Research development/activities and dissemination

The research group will participate in different national and international congresses, such as the Conference on Environmental, Social, Community and Organizational Psychology (CESCOP), the European Association of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP), the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP), The European Conference on Positive Psychology (ECPP).

The research group aims to publish in prestigious, high-impact factor journals within the field to ensure significant dissemination of our findings.

The group will also apply for internal and external fundings for projects related to the research topics and lead bimonthly (online and physical) seminars to disseminate and share research scientific knowledge. The research projects and dissemination activities will be carried out in collaboration with other related research groups from the Department/School, and a growing network of researchers from other universities, such as University of Oslo (UiO), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), BI Norwegian Business School, Karolinska Institute in Sweden, University of Sheffield in England, University of Bologna in Italy, University Jaume I in Spain, among others.

The research members will also include Ph.D. and assistant researchers contributing to the different research projects.