Positive organizational psychology, behavior, and scholarship: A review of the emerging literature and evidence base

This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. The positive psychology movement seems to have stimulated new research and applications well beyond the discipline of traditional psychology. Among the various areas of inquiry, research and scholarship about positive organizations have received considerable attention from both researchers and practitioners. The current review examined the scholarly literature published between 2001 and 2009 on positive organizational psychology to provide a detailed picture of the current state of the field. This review sought to discover the overall growth rate, trends, and prevalent topics in the literature. It also aspired to provide an understanding of the empirical evidence for each topic through in-depth reviews. The findings suggest that there is a growing body of scholarly literature and an emerging empirical evidence base on topics related to positive organizations. Strengths, limitations, and implications of building a practical knowledge base for making significant improvements in the quality of working life and organizational effectiveness are discussed. Introduction Since its formal introduction at the American Psychological Association convention in 1998, the positive psychology movement has blossomed, giving birth to a vibrant community of scholars and practitioners interested in improving various aspects of society (Donaldson, Csikszentmihalyi, & Nakamura, in press). The widely cited new millennium issue of The American Psychologist on Happiness, Excellence, and Optimal Functioning by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has arguably helped fuel the passion for and emergence of a broad range of positive-oriented activity across the social and human sciences (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Over this brief 10-year period of positive psychology's earliest development , a wealth of new scholarly books, research studies, peer review journal publications, grant funds from major foundations and the National Institutes of Health, national and international conferences, and generous prizes for exemplary work have emerged …