Profound understanding of the interactions of people within groups is paramount for any business to be able to operate effectively and efficiently. The article entitled Positive Organizational Behavior in the Workplace, written by Carolyn Youssef and Fred Luthans, is dedicated to the emerging field of positive organizational behavior. The authors discuss the effect such positive psychological capacities as hope, optimism, and resilience exhibited by an organizations’ employees can have on job performance, satisfaction, organizational commitments, and work happiness (Youssef & Luthans, 2007). This review will focus on discussing the article’s central premise and arguments used to support it, the description of organizational behavior provided by the authors, and concepts referred to in the article.
The article is based on the premise that positive organizational behavior differs from other positive approaches and the assumption that it can be appropriately measured using both performance and attitudinal outcomes. An additional supporting point raised in the article concerns hope, optimism, and resilience as positive psychological capacities of employees being distinctive in the workplace. The authors rely on two research studies to conclude that positive psychological capacities are positively linked with job satisfaction, happiness, and organizational commitment and, to a lesser extent, with job performance (Youssef & Luthans, 2007). Overall, it is shown that hope, optimism, and resilience substantially impact organizational outcomes and, therefore, require further examination and development of practices to enhance them.
The authors of the article also briefly discuss positive organizational behavior as a separate field from organizational behavior. According to Youssef and Luthans (2007), the former is the study of “positively oriented human resource strengths and psychological capacities that can be measured, developed, and effectively managed for performance improvement” (p. 775). Meanwhile, organizational behavior in a more general sense refers to both positive and negative attitudes and feelings exhibited by the workers and their impact on the organization that employs them (Youssef & Luthans, 2007). Both the fields of organizational behavior and positive organizational behavior are of substantial importance as they allow to gain valuable insights into how people behave and interact with each other in the workplace. Youssef and Luthans (2007) note that a better understanding and practical methods of improving certain aspects related to organizational behavior, such as employees’ positive psychological capacities, can translate into more efficient organizational performance. Overall, the study of organizational behavior can contribute to business ventures establishing strong relationships with the employees resulting in better organizational outcomes.
Furthermore, several business concepts were raised in the article under consideration. The concept of organizational behavior is central, as the article is dedicated to positive behavior in the workplace. In addition, such concepts as job performance, satisfaction with one’s work, organizational outcomes, and commitments are discussed in relation to organizational behavior (Youssef & Luthans, 2007). Some psychological concepts are also utilized in the article as it is closely connected with the field of psychology. For example, such concepts as behavioral perspective, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral adaptational process are used to strengthen the authors’ point of view (Youssef & Luthans, 2007). Thus, the article is well-supported both by business-related and psychological concepts.
In summary, the article under review is dedicated to positive organizational behavior and the relation of positive psychological capacities to business outcomes. The authors conclude that the workers’ capacity for hope, resilience, and optimism is positively correlated with job performance, commitment to the workplace, employee satisfaction, and happiness. Overall, the article utilizes psychology and business concepts and relies on empirical evidence to demonstrate the relevance of positive organizational behaviors in the workplace.
Reference
Youssef, C. M., & Luthans, F. (2007). Positive organizational behavior in the workplace. Journal of Management, 33(5), 774-800. Web.