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  • 2019
  • Chapter
  • Global Happiness and Wellbeing Policy Report

Employee Well-being, Productivity, and Firm Performance: Evidence and Case Studies

By: Christian Krekel, George Ward, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, and Council Members: J. Harter, A. Blankson, A. Clark, C. Cooper, J. Lim, P. Litchfield, J. Moss, M. I. Norton, A.V. Whillans and D. Cooperrider, and D. Mendelwicz
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Abstract

The well-being of employees is a good in itself. But an important question frequently arises as to whether there are any objective benefits to making the subjective well-being of workers a priority. Clearly, implementing policies that promote worker well-being can be resource-intensive. And in times of limited budgets and competing priorities, the issue often boils down to the question: is it worth it? Ultimately, businesses and policy-makers alike want to know: are there any objective returns to – or, more generally, is there a compelling business case for – spending scarce resources to ensure and enhance well-being in the workplace?

Keywords

Wellbeing; Employees; Welfare; Happiness; Policy; Performance Productivity

Citation

Krekel, Christian, George Ward, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, and Council Members: J. Harter, A. Blankson, A. Clark, C. Cooper, J. Lim, P. Litchfield, J. Moss, M. I. Norton, A.V. Whillans, and D. Cooperrider, and D. Mendelwicz. "Employee Well-being, Productivity, and Firm Performance: Evidence and Case Studies." Chap. 5 in Global Happiness and Wellbeing Policy Report, by Global Council for Happiness and Wellbeing, 72–94. New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network, 2019.
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About The Authors

Michael I. Norton

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

Ashley V. Whillans

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

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More from the Authors
  • The Developmental Origins and Behavioral Consequences of Attributions for Inequality By: Antonya Marie Gonzalez, Lucia Macchia and Ashley V. Whillans
  • When Alterations Are Violations: Moral Outrage and Punishment in Response to (Even Minor) Alterations to Rituals By: Daniel H. Stein, Juliana Schroeder, Nicholas M. Hobson, Francesca Gino and Michael I. Norton
  • Policy Stringency and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis of Data from 15 Countries By: Lara B. Aknin, Bernardo Andretti, Rafael Goldszmidt, John F. Helliwell, Anna Petherick, Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Elizabeth W. Dunn, Daisy Fancourt, Elkhonon Goldberg, Sarah P. Jones, Ozge Karadag, Elie Karam, Richard Layard, Shekhar Saxena, Emily Thornton, Ashley Whillans and Jamil Zaki
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