The challenge of personal happiness
Class 11
Managing in the 21st century-Changing paradigms for a globalizing world
Agenda Housekeeping General remarks Take away and managerial implications Relevance Survey of happiness research Life plan
Knowing thyself Asking the right questions
Housekeeping Late assignments
feedback Missing Assignments
Make sure you submit all assignments to drop box
Send email to John and me, when you do so.
Final assignment Special session: when?
Final AssignmentBenchmarking report
Section 1: presentation of framework (5-7 pages) Describe the organization of your choice and your relationship with it. Choose two challenges you want to look at and provide a rationale of
why you chose those 2. Present one or two frameworks that allow you to evaluate and
analyze how the organization of your choice is doing and provide recommendations to the organizational leadership.
Section 2:: (5-10 pages) Application of framework Evaluation how your organization is currently dealing with the
challenges chosen Analyze information on potential for improvement Provide recommendations that are strategic as well as practical.
Learning journey reflection
General Remarks
Challenges System Level
Environmental sustainability Social inequity
Organizational level Declining Stakeholder trust Low employee commitment Starfish challenges
Individual Level Personal ambitions /understanding people
Take away and managerial implications
Groups of 3
Relevance of happiness challenge Assumptions of business as usual vs. new paradigm
Relevance Complexities increasing Increased questions about the meaning of it
all Most people rank happiness and leading a
meaningful life above pursuing wealth power and status (Diener & Ouchi, 2005)
Conflict of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation Problem with materialism and happiness
(Hedonic treadmill) => Managers need to understand intrinsic
motivations better.
Relevance To understand others better, need to
understand themselves better Know thyself (Oracle of Delphi)
Leadership necessary to deal with challenges
Entrepreneurial mindset crucial Authenticity (George, 2003) Developing authenticity through self
reflection
Relevance Self-reflection about:
The question of questions How can we help ourselves and others—individuals, communities,
and society—become happier? (Tal Ben Shahar)
The ultimate currency
Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” (Aristotle)
“If we were to ask the question: ‘What is human life's chief concern?’ one of the answers we should receive would be: ‘It is happiness.’ How to gain, how to keep, how to recover happiness, is in fact for most men at all times the secret motive of all they do, and of all they are willing to endure.” (William James)
“Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, the very purpose of our life is happiness, the very motion of our life is towards happiness. (Dalai Lama)
Survey of happiness research
Historical BackgroundHappiness a policy objective:Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (Declaration of Independence)
Current Policy Objective:GDP = consumption + investment +
government spending + (exports − imports) Main policy objective increase in GDP Main organizational objective increase in profit
Means have become an end (Diener& Seligman)
Survey of happiness research
Historical BackgroundLife, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (Declaration of Independence)
Current Policy Objective:GDP = consumption + investment +
government spending + (exports − imports) Main policy objective increase in GDP Main organizational objective increase in profit
Means have become an end (Diener& Seligman)
Survey of happiness research
Industrial revolution focus on economic prosperity a good proxy for well being
Now, many people rank happiness and satisfaction ahead of money as a life goal
GDP or money as a proxy for well being is flawed
‚well-being‘ instead should become the policy focus
(Diener Seligman, 2004)
Societal conditions related to well being
Social capital (low divorce rates, high rates of membership in voluntary organizations, high levels of trust)
Democratic institutions Governmental effectiveness Stability Wealth Religious belief
(Diener & Seligman 2004)
National wealth and well being
Substantial correlation (.5/.7)(Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2002) Drop if controlled for quality of government
Above a moderate level (GDP > 10.000USD) of income there are only small increases in well being (Frey and Stutzer, 2000)
Unclear findings about correlation between rise in wealth and rise in well being (Zigzag)
rises in well being have not been remotely commensurate with increasing wealth
Same income in the US adjusted for inflation bought more happiness in 1973 than in 1995 (escalating material desires-“frustrated achievers“)
GDP as a measure of well-being very inaccurate
Money and Well Being Average well being higher in wealthy nations
than in poorer nations Within nations small positive r between income
and well being Individual well-being higher when income
higher than that of peer group, effect is cancelled out when all get higher income
Rising aspirations seem to nullify 70% of the income increase effect on well being
Productivity and Well-Being Job satisfaction and job performance r=.3
(Judge, Thoreson, Bono, And Patton, 2001) positive mood contributes to higher levels
of productivity Happy employees change jobs less, shirk
less, are more cooperative and are more productive
Well being of employees predicts customer satisfaction and loyalty
Cost of unhappy workers to the economic productivity is enormous
Social Relations and Well Being Life satisfaction best predicted by quality of
social relationships Fully functioning adults do not only need to
be loved but need to love also (Fromm, 1956)
Receiving support but also giving support is found to increase well being highly. (Brown, Nesse, Vinokur, and Smith, 2003)
Importance of marriage GDP does not include value of social
relationships unless they are manifested by consumption
What makes people happy? Living in a democratic and stable society that provides
material resources to meet needs Having supportive friends and family Having rewarding and engaging work and an
adequate income Being reasonably healthy and have treatment
available in case of mental problems Having important goals related to one’s values Having a philosophy or religion that provides
guidance, purpose and meaning to one’s life
(Diener and Seligman, 2004)
What makes people happy?
A balance of 1) The pleasant life2) The engaged life3) The meaningful life
4) When survival and growth needs are met.
( Seligman, 2002)
Idea of a Life plan Having important goals related to one’s values Having a philosophy or religion that provides
guidance, purpose and meaning to one’s life Self concordant goals
Aligned with personal interests and values Freely chosen goals ‘Want to’ vs. ‘Have to’ “What do you really, really want to do?”
Idea of Life Plan Vision /Mission Goals What are my passions What are my skills Where are my passions and skills needed How can I balance my survival and growth
needs How does my current job help/stand in the
way Next Steps
Something to consider... “People seeking greater well-being would be well advised to focus on the pursuit of (a)
goals involving growth, connection, and contribution rather than goals involving money, beauty, and popularity and (b) goals that are interesting and personally important to them rather than goals they feel forced or pressured to pursue.”
Sheldon et al. (2004)
“Contemporary researchers emphasize that it is the process of striving after goals—rather than goal attainment per se—that is crucial for happiness and positive affectivity.”
David Watson
Happiness is not about making it to the peak of the mountain, nor is it about climbing aimlessly around the mountain; happiness is the experience of climbing toward the peak.
“Happiness grows less from the passive experience of desirable circumstances than from involvement in valued activities and progress toward one’s goals.”
Myers & Diener
Becoming self concordant..
“is a difficult skill, requiring both accurate self-perceptual abilities and the ability to resist social pressures that may sometimes push one in inappropriate directions.”
Sheldon & Houser-Marco (2001)
Clear sense of direction
Written plan (Claypool & Cangemi, 1983) Specific goals (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1982) Setting lifelines (Tami, 1999)
goals in-spire goals are life-enhancing
Not too easy… The need for challenge (Bexton et al., 1954) Stretch goals (Locke, 2002) “The best moments usually occur when a
person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile” (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)
Big, hairy, audacious goals (Collins & Porras, 1994)