More evidence on the value of Chinese workers' psychological capital: A potentially unlimited competitive resource?
07 May 2008-International Journal of Human Resource Management (Taylor & Francis Group)-Vol. 19, Iss: 5, pp 818-827
TL;DR: In this article, a positive approach to Chinese HRM that recognizes, develops and manages the psychological capital (PsyCap) of workers is proposed, and the results of a follow-up study provide further evidence that the PsyCap of Chinese workers is related to their performance.
Abstract: As China continues its unprecedented economic growth and emergence as a world power, new solutions must be forthcoming to meet the accompanying challenges. We propose a positive approach to Chinese HRM that recognizes, develops and manages the psychological capital (PsyCap) of workers. After providing a brief overview of hope, efficacy, optimism, resilience and overall PsyCap in today's Chinese context, the results of a follow-up study provide further evidence that the PsyCap of Chinese workers is related to their performance. The implications that this evidence-based value of Chinese workers' psychological capital has for China now and into the future concludes this study.
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01 Jan 2018
TL;DR: This study supports the modified PCQ12 as an improved instrument for measuring Psychological Capital in the Spanish context and shows good psychometric qualities.
Abstract: Background : Previous studies have found some limitations and inconsistencies in the functioning of the short Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ12), suggesting the need to improve it. The objective of the current study is to validate a modified version of the PCQ12 in Spain. Method : The sample consists of 792 employees from 42 Spanish organizations. A cross-validation was carried out to test the factorial validity of the modified scale. Reliability and convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity were also tested. Results : The modified PCQ12 showed good psychometric qualities. A four-factor structure showed a better fit to the data than the original second-order structure. Conclusions : Overall, our study supports the modified PCQ12 as an improved instrument for measuring Psychological Capital in the Spanish context.
6 citations
01 Jul 2019
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provided empirical evidence that HPWS positively influenced the service performance of employees and PsyCap mediates the relationship of high-performance work system and employee service performance, OCB among service sector employees of Pakistan.
Abstract: High-performance work system (HPWS) has been viewed as black-box over the last decade and there is a need for better understanding of the mechanism through which employee performance can be enhanced significantly. Based on the 371 samples collected from banking, insurance, airline, telecommunication, and hospitality, this study provides empirical evidence that HPWS positively influence the service performance of employees and PsyCap mediates the relationship of high-performance work system and employee service performance, OCB among service sector employees of Pakistan. The implications of this study conclude the findings in detail.
6 citations
Cites background or methods from "More evidence on the value of Chine..."
...Luthans et al. (2008) revealed that the relationship of supportive organizational climate and subsequent job performance is fully mediated by the PsyCap....
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...(Luthans & Youssef 2004; Luthans et al., 2007b). PsyCap is defined by Luthans et al. (2007b) as: “An individual’s positive psychological state of development that is characterized by: (1) having confidence (self-efficacy) to take on and put in the necessary effort to succeed at challenging tasks; (2) making a positive attribution (optimism) about succeeding now and in the future; (3) persevering toward goals and, when necessary, redirecting paths to goals (hope) in order to succeed; and (4) when beset by problems and adversity, sustaining and bouncing back and even beyond (resiliency) to attain success ”....
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...A 24-items (6 for each dimension) measuring instrument developed by Luthans et al. (2007) is used in this study....
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01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative interview with selected senior corporate executives is presented as a model representing the conclusions reached in this paper regarding the state of positive psychology applications in organizations, and the interviews also investigate corporate executives' attitudes regarding the practical use of academic research.
Abstract: This paper is intended to develop preliminary thoughts regarding implementation of positive psychology methods in organizations for the benefit of both the workforce and business. The first section examines the extension of positive psychology into scholarship for positive organizations. The second section reports informal qualitative interviews with selected senior corporate executives. The focus of investigation is the preliminary discovery regarding corporate awareness of, and interest in, positive psychology. The interviews will also investigate corporate executives’ attitudes regarding the practical use of academic research. The paper concludes by digging deeply into an advanced positive construct for organizations, psychological capital, substantiating that it is a greatly developed, well-studied topic acceptable for organizational application. Psychological capital will be presented as a model representing the conclusions reached in this paper regarding the state of positive psychology applications in organizations.
6 citations
DOI•
01 Jan 2018
TL;DR: Results indicate that functioning largely predicts an individual’s participation, and any mediating effect of personal factors, Positive Psychological Capital, did not mediate the relationship, and implications for future research are discussed.
Abstract: OF DISSERTATION USING THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONING, DISABILITY, AND HEALTH TO PREDICT PARTICIPATION IN ADULTS WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE: THE ROLE OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL Participation is generally considered the ultimate rehabilitation outcome and, for individuals with progressive illnesses, elucidating the factors that impact participation is critical. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic degenerative, neurological condition affecting nearly 1 million people in the United States, making PD the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. PD has a profound negative effect on functioning and activity, but limited literature exists assessing the relationship between PD and community participation. The purpose of this study was to use the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) as a framework for explaining how PD affects participation. Additionally, because the ICF explains the impact of chronic illness and disability as consisting of interactions between different contextual and disease-related factors, this investigation also addressed whether the personal factors, Positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap), mediated the relationship between functioning with PD and community participation. A total of 114 individuals were surveyed from peer-led PD support groups in a Midwestern state. The study examined the individual and collective contributions of demographic characteristics, activities/functioning, environmental factors, and personal factors on community participation. Results from the hierarchical regression analysis suggest that demographic characteristics account for only 15% of the variance in participation, but when functioning was added to the model, 65% of the variance was accounted for. The addition of environmental and personal covariates did not result in any significant change in overall variance in participation. These results, along with the strong, positive linear correlations between functioning and participation (r = .78), indicate that functioning largely predicts an individual’s participation. The study also sought to identify any mediating effect of personal factors (PsyCap) on the relationship between functioning and participation. The results indicated that the completely standardized indirect coefficient was not significant, b = .065, SE = .0617, 95% CI = -.213, .029, with 0 falling within the CI, which confirms no significant effect of the mediator PsyCap. The study contributes new knowledge to the association between the symptoms associated with PD and one’s community participation. Clearly, functioning is the primary predictor of participation. The lack of mediation of PsyCap, again, supports the strength of the relationship between functioning and participation. Although PsyCap did not mediate the relationship, implications for future research are discussed.
6 citations
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper investigated factors influencing the well-being of a Chinese factory's workers, and proposed interventions to improve workers' wellbeing in factories using diaries of production workers at a large assembly manufacturing site in China.
Abstract: Purpose: Businesses are under pressure to ensure social responsibility in their globalised supply chains However, conventional factory audits are not providing adequate data about production workers’ well-being Industry attempts to measure working conditions have shown bias and inconsistency and there is no consensus on what to measure, or how Well-being can be intangible and difficult to capture without appropriate theoretical and methodological frameworks This paper investigates factors influencing the well-being of a Chinese factory’s workers, tests an innovative research method, and proposes interventions to improve well-being in factories Design/methodology/approach: This is a longitudinal study using the diaries of production workers at a large assembly manufacturing site in China Workers left daily digital voice diaries about their day, which were analysed to identify factors related to their well-being at work Findings: The picture is more complex than the concerned Western narrative suggests Workers' personal and professional concerns extend beyond the criteria currently measured in audits, tending to be more relational, and less about their physical state Practical implications: The current approach of auditing management practices neglects workers' well-being This study offers a more comprehensive view of well-being and tests a new method of investigation Originality/value: This is the first study to use diary methods in a Chinese factory It addresses an issue supported by little empirical evidence It is the first longitudinal study to hear from the factory workers themselves about how they are and what impacts their well-being daily
6 citations
References
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01 Jan 1997TL;DR: SelfSelf-Efficacy (SE) as discussed by the authors is a well-known concept in human behavior, which is defined as "belief in one's capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments".
Abstract: Albert Bandura and the Exercise of Self-Efficacy Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control Albert Bandura. New York: W. H. Freeman (www.whfreeman.com). 1997, 604 pp., $46.00 (hardcover). Enter the term "self-efficacy" in the on-line PSYCLIT database and you will find over 2500 articles, all of which stem from the seminal contributions of Albert Bandura. It is difficult to do justice to the immense importance of this research for our theories, our practice, and indeed for human welfare. Self-efficacy (SE) has proven to be a fruitful construct in spheres ranging from phobias (Bandura, Jeffery, & Gajdos, 1975) and depression (Holahan & Holahan, 1987) to career choice behavior (Betz & Hackett, 1986) and managerial functioning (Jenkins, 1994). Bandura's Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control is the best attempt so far at organizing, summarizing, and distilling meaning from this vast and diverse literature. Self-Efficacy may prove to be Bandura's magnum opus. Dr. Bandura has done an impressive job of summarizing over 1800 studies and papers, integrating these results into a coherent framework, and detailing implications for theory and practice. While incorporating prior works such as Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977) and "Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency" (Bandura, 1982), Self-Efficacy extends these works by describing results of diverse new research, clarifying and extending social cognitive theory, and fleshing out implications of the theory for groups, organizations, political bodies, and societies. Along the way, Dr. Bandura masterfully contrasts social cognitive theory with many other theories of human behavior and helps chart a course for future research. Throughout, B andura' s clear, firm, and self-confident writing serves as the perfect vehicle for the theory he espouses. Self-Efficacy begins with the most detailed and clear explication of social cognitive theory that I have yet seen, and proceeds to delineate the nature and sources of SE, the well-known processes via which SE mediates human behavior, and the development of SE over the life span. After laying this theoretical groundwork, subsequent chapters delineate the relevance of SE to human endeavor in a variety of specific content areas including cognitive and intellectual functioning; health; clinical problems including anxiety, phobias, depression, eating disorders, alcohol problems, and drug abuse; athletics and exercise activity; organizations; politics; and societal change. In Bandura's words, "Perceived self-efficacy refers to beliefs in one's capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments" (p. 3). People's SE beliefs have a greater effect on their motivation, emotions, and actions than what is objectively true (e.g., actual skill level). Therefore, SE beliefs are immensely important in choice of behaviors (including occupations, social relationships, and a host of day-to-day behaviors), effort expenditure, perseverance in pursuit of goals, resilience to setbacks and problems, stress level and affect, and indeed in our ways of thinking about ourselves and others. Bandura affirms many times that humans are proactive and free as well as determined: They are "at least partial architects of their own destinies" (p. 8). Because SE beliefs powerfully affect human behaviors, they are a key factor in human purposive activity or agency; that is, in human freedom. Because humans shape their environment even as they are shaped by it, SE beliefs are also pivotal in the construction of our social and physical environments. Bandura details over two decades of research confirming that SE is modifiable via mastery experiences, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and interpretation of physiological states, and that modified SE strongly and consistently predicts outcomes. SE beliefs, then, are central to human self-determination. STRENGTHS One major strength of Self-Efficacy is Bandura's ability to deftly dance from forest to trees and back again to forest, using specific, human examples and concrete situations to highlight his major theoretical premises, to which he then returns. …
46,839 citations
"More evidence on the value of Chine..." refers background in this paper
...However, there is now considerable evidence, both conceptually (e.g., Bandura 1997; Snyder 2000, 2002; Luthans et al. 2007b) and empirically (Magaletta and Oliver 1999; Carifio and Rhodes 2002; Bryant and Cvengros 2004), that they are independent constructs....
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...Self-efficacy is the positive belief or confidence in one’s ability to perform specific tasks (Bandura 1997)....
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TL;DR: The authors outline a framework for a science of positive psychology, point to gaps in the authors' knowledge, and predict that the next century will see a science and profession that will come to understand and build the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish.
Abstract: A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless, The exclusive focus on pathology that has dominated so much of our discipline results in a model of the human being lacking the positive features that make life worth living. Hope, wisdom, creativity, future mindedness, courage, spirituality, responsibility, and perseverance are ignored or explained as transformations of more authentic negative impulses. The 15 articles in this millennial issue of the American Psychologist discuss such issues as what enables happiness, the effects of autonomy and self-regulation, how optimism and hope affect health, what constitutes wisdom, and how talent and creativity come to fruition. The authors outline a framework for a science of positive psychology, point to gaps in our knowledge, and predict that the next century will see a science and profession that will come to understand and build the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish.
12,650 citations
"More evidence on the value of Chine..." refers background in this paper
...Positive psychology (e.g., see Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi 2000; Synder and Lopez 2002), positive organizational behaviour (Luthans 2002; Luthans 2003; Wright 2003; Luthans and Youssef 2007; Nelson and Cooper 2007); positive organizational scholarship (Cameron, Dutton and Quinn 2003), and…...
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TL;DR: The authors investigated factors that affect translation quality and how equivalence between source and target versions can be evaluated through an analysis of variance design, and concluded that translation quality can be predicted, and that a functionally equivalent translation can be demonstrated when responses to the original and target translations are studied.
Abstract: Two aspects of translation were investigated: (1) factors that affect translation quality, and (2) how equivalence between source and target versions can be evaluated. The variables of language, content, and difficulty were studied through an analysis of variance design. Ninety-four bilinguals from the University of Guam, representing ten languages, translated or back-translated six essays incorporating three content areas and two levels of difficulty. The five criteria for equivalence were based on comparisons of meaning or predictions of similar responses to original or translated versions. The factors of content, difficulty, language and content-language interaction were significant, and the five equivalence criteria proved workable. Conclusions are that translation quality can be predicted, and that a functionally equivalent translation can be demonstrated when responses to the original and target versions are studied.
9,422 citations
"More evidence on the value of Chine..." refers methods in this paper
...All scales were translated into Mandarin Chinese using back translation methodology (Brislin 1970, 1980)....
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TL;DR: An examination of converging findings from variable-focused and person-focused investigations of resilience suggests that resilience is common and that it usually arises from the normative functions of human adaptational systems, with the greatest threats to human development being those that compromise these protective systems.
Abstract: The study of resilience in development has overturned many negative assumptions and deficit-focused models about children growing up under the threat of disadvantage and adversity. The most surprising conclusion emerging from studies of these children is the ordinariness of resilience. An examination of converging findings from variable-focused and person-focused investigations of these phenomena suggests that resilience is common and that it usually arises from the normative functions of human adaptational systems, with the greatest threats to human development being those that compromise these protective systems. The conclusion that resilience is made of ordinary rather than extraordinary processes offers a more positive outlook on human development and adaptation, as well as direction for policy and practice aimed at enhancing the development of children at risk for problems and psychopathology.
5,961 citations
"More evidence on the value of Chine..." refers background in this paper
...Resiliency is the capacity to bounce back from adverse or stressful situations (Masten, Best and Garmezy 1990; Masten 2001; Luthans 2002)....
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...At one time thought to be very rare and even ‘magical’, resiliency is now recognized to be a psychological capacity that all individuals possess (Masten 2001), but it needs to be developed and unleashed....
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TL;DR: A new model is advanced to describe the form and function of a subset of positive emotions, including joy, interest, contentment, and love, that serve to broaden an individual's momentary thought–action repertoire, which in turn has the effect of building that individual's physical, intellectual, and social resources.
Abstract: This article opens by noting that positive emotions do not fit existing models of emotions. Consequently, a new model is advanced to describe the form and function of a subset of positive emotions, including joy, interest, contentment, and love. This new model posits that these positive emotions serve to broaden an individual's momentary thought-action repertoire, which in turn has the effect of building that individual's physical, intellectual, and social resources. Empirical evidence to support this broadenand-build model of positive emotions is reviewed, and implications for emotion regulation and health promotion are discussed. Even though research on emotions has this new perspective are featured. My hope is flourished in recent years, investigations that that this article will unlock scientific curiosity expressly target positive emotions remain few and far between. Any review of the psychological literature on emotions will show that psychologists have typically favored negative emotions in theory building and hypothesis testing. In so doing, psychologists have inadvertently marginalized the emotions, such as joy, about positive emotions, not only to test the ideas presented here, but also to build other new models that might illuminate the nature and value of positive emotions. Psychology sorely needs more studies on positive emotions, not simply to level the uneven knowledge bases between negative and positive emotions, but interest, contentment, and love, that share a more critically, to guide applications and pleasant subjective feel. To date, then, psychology's knowledge base regarding positive emotions is so thin that satisfying answers to the question "What good are positive emotions?" have yet to be articulated. This is unfortunate. Experiences of positive emotion are central to human nature and contribute richly to the quality of people's lives (Diener & Larsen,
5,198 citations
"More evidence on the value of Chine..." refers background in this paper
...…Luthans and Youssef 2007; Nelson and Cooper 2007); positive organizational scholarship (Cameron, Dutton and Quinn 2003), and positive emotions (Fredrickson 1998, 2000) have all provided evidence that individuals flourish when the focus shifts from fixing what is wrong with people to…...
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