Week 1: Introduction to Positive Organizational Psychology
Survey: how many people are engaged in their work. Engagement means; people who are dedicated
and experience fun. Only 15% says they are engaged.
Harvard Business Review survey: 58% of people says they trust strangers more than their own boss.
Global studies reveal that 79% of people who quit their jobs cite 'lack of appreciation' as their reason
for leaving. they didn't quit due to underpayment or because they didn't like their job.
POP is about; do you have a great job? Do you get along with your boss? Can you use your strengths
in your job? Only 10-15% of people use their strengths in their job. Key: study and understand
human behavior at work.. And make it a better place.
POP based on two streams
Positive Organizational Behavior
o What psychological capacities can be measured, developed and effectively managed
for performance improvement?
Positive Organizational Scholarship
o Focus on the owkrplace. What is positive flourishing and life giving in organizations?
Work fields
Coaching, training and development
Employee selection
HR manager, career counselor, coach, assessor, consulant, mediator, teacher, scientist
Job design / Ergonomics
Performance Management
Organizational Development
7 steps in Problem Based Learning
1. Read the problem. Clarify unclear words/terms.
2. Identify and define the problem.
3. Brainstorm. Present ideas about the problem (what is already known).
4. Problem analyis. Elaborate on ideas.
5. Formulation of learning goals. What is there to learn about this topic?
6. Independent studying. Gather information from articles and book chapters.
7. Reporting phase. Report and discuss the learned materials.
6 Universal Emotions
1. Happiness
2. Surprise
3. Fear
4. Sadness
5. Anger
6. Disgust
Emotimeter APP (Artificial Intelligence)
, Emotion Circumplex
Some emotional states are high in energy. When people are calm/relaxed they are low in energy and
activation.
Affect, Emotions and Moods
Affect
o Defined as a broad range of feelings that people experience. Affect can be
experienced in the form of emotions or moods.
Emotions
o Caused by specific event
o Very brief in duration (seconds or minutes)
o Specific and numerous in nature (many specific emotions such as anger, fear,
sadness, happiness, disgust, surprise)
o Usually accompanied by distinct facial expressions
o Actoin oriented in nature
Moods
o Cause is often general and unclear
o Last longer than emotions (hours or days)
o More general (two main dimensions - positive affect and negative affect - that are
comprised of multiple specific emotions)
o Generally not indicated by distinct expressions
o Cognitive in nature
Nun study - Danner, Snowdon & Friezen, 2001)
1930s (M = 22 years)
Personal essays (N = 180)
60 years laer, essays were reviewed
Positive emotional content was scored (happiness, interst, love, hope).
Nuns wrote in diaries.
Question: how does positive life experience influence health?
Answer: More positive content nuns lived 10 years longer
''Bad'' is 'stronger' than ''good'' - (Baumeister et al., 2001)
Conclusion: bad/negative emotional states and moods have a stronger impacts on moods, thoughts
and behavior compared to good emotional states.
Survey: how many people are engaged in their work. Engagement means; people who are dedicated
and experience fun. Only 15% says they are engaged.
Harvard Business Review survey: 58% of people says they trust strangers more than their own boss.
Global studies reveal that 79% of people who quit their jobs cite 'lack of appreciation' as their reason
for leaving. they didn't quit due to underpayment or because they didn't like their job.
POP is about; do you have a great job? Do you get along with your boss? Can you use your strengths
in your job? Only 10-15% of people use their strengths in their job. Key: study and understand
human behavior at work.. And make it a better place.
POP based on two streams
Positive Organizational Behavior
o What psychological capacities can be measured, developed and effectively managed
for performance improvement?
Positive Organizational Scholarship
o Focus on the owkrplace. What is positive flourishing and life giving in organizations?
Work fields
Coaching, training and development
Employee selection
HR manager, career counselor, coach, assessor, consulant, mediator, teacher, scientist
Job design / Ergonomics
Performance Management
Organizational Development
7 steps in Problem Based Learning
1. Read the problem. Clarify unclear words/terms.
2. Identify and define the problem.
3. Brainstorm. Present ideas about the problem (what is already known).
4. Problem analyis. Elaborate on ideas.
5. Formulation of learning goals. What is there to learn about this topic?
6. Independent studying. Gather information from articles and book chapters.
7. Reporting phase. Report and discuss the learned materials.
6 Universal Emotions
1. Happiness
2. Surprise
3. Fear
4. Sadness
5. Anger
6. Disgust
Emotimeter APP (Artificial Intelligence)
, Emotion Circumplex
Some emotional states are high in energy. When people are calm/relaxed they are low in energy and
activation.
Affect, Emotions and Moods
Affect
o Defined as a broad range of feelings that people experience. Affect can be
experienced in the form of emotions or moods.
Emotions
o Caused by specific event
o Very brief in duration (seconds or minutes)
o Specific and numerous in nature (many specific emotions such as anger, fear,
sadness, happiness, disgust, surprise)
o Usually accompanied by distinct facial expressions
o Actoin oriented in nature
Moods
o Cause is often general and unclear
o Last longer than emotions (hours or days)
o More general (two main dimensions - positive affect and negative affect - that are
comprised of multiple specific emotions)
o Generally not indicated by distinct expressions
o Cognitive in nature
Nun study - Danner, Snowdon & Friezen, 2001)
1930s (M = 22 years)
Personal essays (N = 180)
60 years laer, essays were reviewed
Positive emotional content was scored (happiness, interst, love, hope).
Nuns wrote in diaries.
Question: how does positive life experience influence health?
Answer: More positive content nuns lived 10 years longer
''Bad'' is 'stronger' than ''good'' - (Baumeister et al., 2001)
Conclusion: bad/negative emotional states and moods have a stronger impacts on moods, thoughts
and behavior compared to good emotional states.
