2013 MBAA/NAMS presentation, "Happiness and Productivity in the Workplace" Mansour Sharifzadeh, California Polytechnic University-Pomona

1. Happiness
and
Productivity
in
the
Workplace
Dr.
Mansour
Sharifzadeh
Department
of
Management
and
Human
Resources
California
State
Polytechnic
University,
Pomona

2. Questions
to
be
Answered
1. How
do
you
define
happiness?
2. What
makes
you
happy?
3. What
does
the
“pursuit
of
happiness”
mean?
4. Is
a
happy
employee
a
more
producLve
employee?
Survey
respondents:
850+
Cal
Poly
Pomona
students

3. De;initions
of
Happiness
45.0%
40.0%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
Student
definiLon:
“Happiness
is
being
saLsfied
with
all
aspects
of
your
life.
It
includes
economical,
physical,
emoLonal,
and
other
elements.
One
does
not
have
to
be
rich
to
be
happy,
but
financial
stability
is
a
key.
It
would
be
very
difficult
to
be
happy
if
you
constantly
have
to
worry
about
where
your
next
meal
is
coming
from.
Likewise,
the
other
aspects
of
your
life
need
not
to
be
perfect,
but
rather
saLsfactory.”
(Sean
Wiase,
MHR
301)

4. Contributing
Factors
• Money
and
saLsfacLon
• Age
• Candy?
Or
a
new
car?
• Time
• Short-­‐term
vs.
long-­‐term
• RelaLonships
• Friends,
spouses
• Effort
• Religion
• Islam:
inner
peace
• Making
others
happy
• Student
criteria:
fulfillment,
saLsfacLon,
independence,
contentment,
success,
love,
confidence

5. Happiness
Builds
• Self
creaLon
is
a
perfect
example
of
how
each
layer
has
its
purpose,
and
then
it
comes
out
as
a
whole
to
form
happiness:
I
want
a
car.
Why
do
you
want
that?
So
I
can
get
to
work.
Why
do
you
want
that?
So
I
can
earn
enough
money
for
a
house.
Why
do
you
want
that?
So
I
can
have
a
place
I
call
my
own.
Why
do
you
want
that?
So
I
can
feel
free
to
do
with
it
what
I
will.
Why
do
you
want
that?
Because
when
I
feel
free,
I
feel
happy.

6. What
Makes
you
happy?
•
• The
most
common
responses
(not
in
order):
•
• Accomplishments
• Family
• Wealth/Money
• Love
• Rest/sleep
• Food
• Entertainment
• Friends
• Hobby
• Music
• Health
• EducaLon/school/good
grades

7. What
makes
you
Happy?
• A
peaceful
place
• Car/driving
• Boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse
• Reward/recogniLon
• A
nice
day/good
weather
• Friendly
people
• Helping
others
• God/church
• Pets
• Sports/exercise
• Places
(beach,
mountains,
amusement
park,
Las
Vegas)
• Having
fun
• Children
• Solitude/peace/relaxaLon
• VacaLon/travel
• Job

8. What
Makes
you
Happy?
• Outdoors/nature
• Reading/wriLng
• Video
games
• Smile/laughter
• Free
will/independence
• Shopping
• Performing
(singing,
dancing)
• Freedom
from
worry
or
conflict
• Possessions
• Elevators/escalators
• Computers
• Surprises/gies
• Rain
• Team/group
• MeeLng
people
• Socializing/party
•
•
There
is
not
too
much
to
be
said
about
this
list
except
that
there
is
some
commonality,
perhaps
because
of
the
narrow
age
range
and
shared
experience
of
college
students.

9. Pursuit
of
Happiness
• QuesLon
3:
What
does
the
"Pursuit
of
Happiness"
mean?
•
•
Very
few
students
had
a
clear
idea
of
what
this
meant.
Most
interpreted
the
phrase
literally
as
the
process
of
ahaining
happiness,
which
makes
them
happy.
Some
related
it
to
equal
opportunity
or
the
American
Dream.
No
one
pointed
out
the
fact
that
this
phrase
comes,
not
from
the
Bill
of
Rights,
but
the
document
that
founded
our
naLon
-­‐
Jefferson's
DeclaraLon
of
Independence:
•
• "We
hold
these
truths
to
be
self-­‐evident,
that
all
men
are
created
equal,
that
they
are
endowed
by
their
Creator
with
certain
unalienable
Rights
that
among
these
are
Life,
Liberty
and
the
pursuit
of
Happiness.
-­‐-­‐That
to
secure
these
rights,
Governments
are
insLtuted
among
Men,
deriving
their
just
powers
from
the
consent
of
the
governed…"

10. Pursuit
of
Happiness
• The
original
drae
referred
to
the
"Pursuit
of
Property",
but
that
was
later
changed.
The
ConsLtuLon
was
wrihen
to
guarantee
that
these
rights
could
not
be
taken
away
from
its
ciLzens
except
by
due
process
of
law.

11. Pursuing
Happiness
• Realize
that
enduring
happiness
does
not
come
from
material
wealth
or
success
• Take
control
of
your
Lme
• Act
happy
• Seek
work
and
leisure
that
engages
your
skills
• Join
the
movement
• Get
plenty
of
rest
• Give
priority
to
close
relaLonships
• Focus
beyond
the
self
• Count
your
blessings
• Take
care
of
the
soul

12. Are
Happy
Employees
More
Productive
at
Work?
• Survey:
majority
agreed
(>90%
Yes)
• Work
happiness
depends
on:
• Fair
treatment
• Pay/benefits
compensaLon
• Hours
worked
• Enjoyable
work
environment
• 70%
of
responses
indicated
that
work
environment
is
more
significant
than
monetary
saLsfacLon
• RelaLonship
seems
to
be
linear
• DirecLon?
(Will
happiness
outside
work
contribute
to
greater
effort?)

13. Conclusions
• Happiness
is
difficult
to
define,
as
it
means
different
things
to
different
people
• Everyone
has
an
idea
of
what
would
make
them
happy
• QualitaLve
variable
rather
than
quanLtaLve
• But
subject
to
degrees
• Difficult
to
measure
• Scope
must
be
defined
• Factors
which
management
can
control
may
vary