Grateful Workers, Satisfied Workers? A Portuguese Study about Organizational Happiness during COVID-19 Quarantine
Although work satisfaction has been largely studied, gratitude is an emerging field within multiple sciences, including positive psychology, organizational behavior, and human resources marketing. This ex post facto study aims to characterize gratitude and understand its relations to job satisfactio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/2/81 |
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| author | Inês Ataíde Patrícia Araújo Alexandra M. Araújo Rosina Fernandes Emília Martins Francisco Mendes |
| author_facet | Inês Ataíde Patrícia Araújo Alexandra M. Araújo Rosina Fernandes Emília Martins Francisco Mendes |
| author_sort | Inês Ataíde |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although work satisfaction has been largely studied, gratitude is an emerging field within multiple sciences, including positive psychology, organizational behavior, and human resources marketing. This ex post facto study aims to characterize gratitude and understand its relations to job satisfaction in a non-probabilistic sample of 521 Portuguese workers (62.2% women), 30.90% and 69.10% in the public and private sector, respectively, mean ages of M = 43, SD = 12.6. Data were collected using anonymous questionnaires during the COVID-19 lockdown. Statistical analyses were performed in SPSS 26, and include Student’s <i>t</i>-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlations, and a hierarchical linear regression model. Results confirm that Portuguese workers are grateful and satisfied at work. There were statistically significant differences between groups in sociodemographic (<i>p</i> < 0.001 and <i>p</i> < 0.05), professional (<i>p</i> < 0.01 and <i>p</i> < 0.001), and perceived living conditions variables (<i>p</i> < 0.05) regarding gratitude. Gratitude, alone, explains 8% of job satisfaction. According to the regression model (32.4%), perceptions of satisfaction initiatives and greater job security are also associated with higher levels of job satisfaction (23.6%). Implementation of gratitude-promoting strategies may increase job satisfaction, especially in the post-pandemic period. The investment in workers’ organizational happiness, after the impacts of COVID-19 on work dynamics, is a differentiating organizations success dimension. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:09:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fd9256d5c4d34c18a12d2f1d99dead83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:09:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-fd9256d5c4d34c18a12d2f1d99dead832023-11-16T19:08:14ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2023-01-011328110.3390/bs13020081Grateful Workers, Satisfied Workers? A Portuguese Study about Organizational Happiness during COVID-19 QuarantineInês Ataíde0Patrícia Araújo1Alexandra M. Araújo2Rosina Fernandes3Emília Martins4Francisco Mendes5Portuguese Institute of Administration and Marketing of Porto, 4450-238 Matosinhos, PortugalTRIE Center-Transdisciplinary Research Center of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ecosystems, ISMAT—Instituto Superior Manuel Teixeira Gomes, 8500-656 Portimão, PortugalDepartment of Psychology and Education, Portucalense University, 4200-072 Porto, PortugalPolytechnic Institute of Viseu, School of Education, CI&DEI, 3504-501 Viseu, PortugalPolytechnic Institute of Viseu, School of Education, CI&DEI, 3504-501 Viseu, PortugalPolytechnic Institute of Viseu, School of Education, CI&DEI, 3504-501 Viseu, PortugalAlthough work satisfaction has been largely studied, gratitude is an emerging field within multiple sciences, including positive psychology, organizational behavior, and human resources marketing. This ex post facto study aims to characterize gratitude and understand its relations to job satisfaction in a non-probabilistic sample of 521 Portuguese workers (62.2% women), 30.90% and 69.10% in the public and private sector, respectively, mean ages of M = 43, SD = 12.6. Data were collected using anonymous questionnaires during the COVID-19 lockdown. Statistical analyses were performed in SPSS 26, and include Student’s <i>t</i>-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlations, and a hierarchical linear regression model. Results confirm that Portuguese workers are grateful and satisfied at work. There were statistically significant differences between groups in sociodemographic (<i>p</i> < 0.001 and <i>p</i> < 0.05), professional (<i>p</i> < 0.01 and <i>p</i> < 0.001), and perceived living conditions variables (<i>p</i> < 0.05) regarding gratitude. Gratitude, alone, explains 8% of job satisfaction. According to the regression model (32.4%), perceptions of satisfaction initiatives and greater job security are also associated with higher levels of job satisfaction (23.6%). Implementation of gratitude-promoting strategies may increase job satisfaction, especially in the post-pandemic period. The investment in workers’ organizational happiness, after the impacts of COVID-19 on work dynamics, is a differentiating organizations success dimension.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/2/81gratitudejob satisfactionorganizational happinessinternal marketinghuman resources marketing |
| spellingShingle | Inês Ataíde Patrícia Araújo Alexandra M. Araújo Rosina Fernandes Emília Martins Francisco Mendes Grateful Workers, Satisfied Workers? A Portuguese Study about Organizational Happiness during COVID-19 Quarantine Behavioral Sciences gratitude job satisfaction organizational happiness internal marketing human resources marketing |
| title | Grateful Workers, Satisfied Workers? A Portuguese Study about Organizational Happiness during COVID-19 Quarantine |
| title_full | Grateful Workers, Satisfied Workers? A Portuguese Study about Organizational Happiness during COVID-19 Quarantine |
| title_fullStr | Grateful Workers, Satisfied Workers? A Portuguese Study about Organizational Happiness during COVID-19 Quarantine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grateful Workers, Satisfied Workers? A Portuguese Study about Organizational Happiness during COVID-19 Quarantine |
| title_short | Grateful Workers, Satisfied Workers? A Portuguese Study about Organizational Happiness during COVID-19 Quarantine |
| title_sort | grateful workers satisfied workers a portuguese study about organizational happiness during covid 19 quarantine |
| topic | gratitude job satisfaction organizational happiness internal marketing human resources marketing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/2/81 |
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