Research Article

Affect and favorable work outcomes: two longitudinal tests of the happy–productive worker thesis

  1. Thomas A. Wright1,
  2. Barry M. Staw2,*

Article first published online: 18 FEB 1999

DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(199901)20:1<1::AID-JOB885>3.0.CO;2-W

Issue

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Journal of Organizational Behavior

Volume 20, Issue 1, pages 1–23, January 1999

Additional Information

How to Cite

Wright, T. A. and Staw, B. M. (1999), Affect and favorable work outcomes: two longitudinal tests of the happy–productive worker thesis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20: 1–23. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(199901)20:1<1::AID-JOB885>3.0.CO;2-W

Author Information

  1. 1

    Managerial Sciences Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada 89557-0206, U.S.A.

  2. 2

    Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, U.S.A.

*Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, U.S.A., or to Thomas A. Wright, Managerial Sciences Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada 89557-0206, U.S.A.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 FEB 1999
  2. Article first published online: 18 FEB 1999
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 27 JAN 1997
  4. Manuscript Received: 7 MAR 1996

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

Get PDF (181K)

Abstract

This research examined relationships between alternative measures of affect and supervisory performance ratings. The first study showed that dispositional rather than state affect significantly predicted supervisory ratings of performance over time. Since the measures of affect differed on both content and temporal dimensions, a follow-up study was conducted to explicate the results. The second study found that a pleasantness-based measure of dispositional affect (Berkman, 1971a) again predicted rated performance over time, but activation-based measures of both dispositional and state affect (using PANAS scales) were not predictive of supervisory evaluations of performance. The implications of these findings in terms of research on affect and the longstanding pursuit of the happy–productive worker are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Get PDF (181K)