최근 심리학에 도입된 긍정심리학(Positive Psychology)의 흐름은 사람의 긍정적인 경험, 특성, 그리고 태도가 개인적인 삶의 과정뿐만 아니라 조직에도 영향을 줄 수 있음을 시사한다. 조직연구 분야에서도 그 응용이 시작된 긍정심리학은 전환기의 조직 운영과 관리에 대한 새로운 접근법으로서 이론 및 실천적으로 큰 활력과 시사점을 지닐 것으로 생각된다. 인사조직분야에서의 긍정심리학의 응용 및 적용에 기여하고자 하는 본 연구의 목적은 구체적으로 다음과 같다. 첫째, 긍정심리학과 이에 바탕을 둔 긍정조직행동 접근법을 소개하고 현재까지의 연구 성과를 개괄한다. 둘째, 조직 맥락에서 긍정심리학의 응용을 인사조직분야에서 이론적ㆍ실천적으로 심화ㆍ발전시킬 수 있는 방안에 대하여 제언한다.
The emerging positive psychology movement has attracted increasing attention and interest from a variety of related fields. Whereas traditional psychology has been focused excessively on negative aspects of people, positive psychology aims to contribute to more comprehensive understanding of human behavior by shifting research focus away from what is wrong with people to what is right with people. It recognizes the need for a more balanced approach that takes into consideration both the positive and the negative. On the basis of the notion that individuals’ positive experiences and attitudes are likely to have impact not only on their personal lives but also on their work lives, the field of organizational behavior started to embrace the positive psychology movement, developing a positive approach to organizational behavior：positive organizational behavior (POB).
Today’s work environment is typically characterized by the increased levels of economic uncertainty, task complexity, globalized competition, and technological challenges. We believe that POB can play a meaningful role in understanding organizational behavior in the face of such a turbulent environment, by paying more attention to people’s strengths and psychological capabilities (rather than to employee dysfunctions and managerial problems) and thus providing a proactive positive approach to employee motivation and behavior.
The purpose of this article is to introduce positive psychology and POB to researchers and practitioners in Korea, review key findings so far, and discuss the implications for future research. Specifically, the contribution of this article is threefold. First, we reviewed positive psychology literature, summarizing its emergence and development. We discussed the meaning of positive psychology, its differences from existing psychological tradition, its aim, and the recent movement in it.
Second, we reviewed POB as an application of positive psychology to the field of management and organizational behavior. POB is defined as “the study and application of positively oriented human resource strengths and psychological capacities that can be measured, developed, and effectively managed for performance improvement in today’s workplace” (Luthans, 2002b, p. 59). While POB is rooted in positively psychology, it has more specific inclusion criteria. To be included in POB, the construct of interest must not only be a positive psychological variable but also be grounded in sound theory and research, have valid measures, and be state-like and therefore open to development for performance improvement (Luthans, 2002a). To date, the positive psychological constructs best meeting these criteria include self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resiliency (Luthans & Youssef, 2007). We reviewed key research findings regarding each of these constructs in light of POB perspective.
Third, we discussed the implications and limitations of POB. On the basis of literature review, we identified several promising research areas to which the above mentioned POB variables can be applied directly or indirectly. For example, despite their face potentiality, POB variables have been largely ignored in leadership literature. However, we notice that trait approach of leadership considers self-confidence and tenacity to hardship key leadership traits. Also, Superleadership theory emphasizes that leaders should encourage their followers’ positive thinking pattern. We suggest that leader’s self-efficacy or inspiration of transformational leadership is likely to enhance followers’ positive psychological states as well as leadership effectiveness. As for research on decision-making, we expect some POB variables (e.g., optimism or hope) to moderate the occurrence and/or magnitude of decision-making bias such as self-fulfilling prophecy, escalation of commitment, and confirmation bias. In negotiation, there exists a long tradition to study individual characteristics as sources of bargaining power. Research has shown that people with high self-efficacy tend to accept cooperative negotiation strategy and that people with high optimism tend to produce better outcomes in distributive bargaining. In addition, we expect that resilience can be related to the success in overcoming deadlock negotiation. We suggest future study merit investigating the effects of POB variables on various negotiation outcomes. Finally, POB can be applied in many fields of human resource management (HRM) research. One promising research area is that of the relationship between HRM practices and firm performance. Recent studies on strategic HRM have tried to uncover the mechanism through which HRM practices influence firm performance. In addition to employee commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, or trust, POB variables too may play mediating roles in the relationship between the two. Also, with the natures and demands of job identified, the POB variables can be used to enhance the effectiveness of various HRM practices such as employee selection, person-organization fit, and training and development We conclude this article with some of the potential limitations of POB.
