From the desk of the Editor-in-Chief
Dear IPPA W&O Members,
I am very excited to announce the fourth issue of IPPA Work and Organizations Division newsletter, Positive Work and Organizations: Research and Practice (PWORP). We have a major development this year. We have transitioned our review process to a peer-reviewed system. We are thrilled to have several key scholars, practitioners, and student members of our division now serving as editorial board members and peer-reviewers.
In this issue, we are proud to present some exceptional briefs and book reviews of volumes that promise to be influential in the field. You will also have a chance to read an interview with Mandy O’Neill, a positive organizational scholar and executive of the Academy of Management.
Finally, Scott Donaldson (associate editor) and I would like to share our deepest gratitude to Serena Chapman, associate editor who completed her term with the newsletter. We will miss her very much. We are grateful for the many contributions of the authors and peer-reviewers.
The PWORP newsletter is a space for our member scholars and practitioners around the world to share knowledge, experience, and insights on a common platform, and develop opportunities for networking and growth. The PWORP, the first newsletter of its kind, publishes scientific empirical and conceptual scholarship as well as literature reviews, philosophical commentaries, and evidence-based thought-provoking discussions of issues on the ground. The web version of the PWORP newsletter is equipped to support discussion and comments. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on the articles. If you are interested in submitting a contribution to future issues, please email your submission to EditorWOD@ippanetwork.org. (See Submission Guidelines)
I hope you will find this issue inspiring and thought-provoking.
Thank you for your continued support and membership.
Happy reading,
Meg Warren
Editor-in-Chief
Past-President, Work & Organizations Division
International Positive Psychology Association
If you are interested in submitting a contribution for future issues please email submission to EditorWOD@ippanetwork.org.
See Submission Guidelines
In This Issue
PRACTICE BRIEFS
Getting from There to Here: Helping the Commissioner Move from a Desire for Something Different to Committing to Something Different, by Sarah Lewis
In this brief, Sarah Lewis shares her challenging journey of applying positive psychology in an organizational context. She walks through how she was able to gain buy-in for an appreciative inquiry intervention and successfully lead it despite skepticism.
Read Full Brief
Kindness Ambassadors Project: Application of Positive Organisational Psychology Principles at Imam Khomeini International Airport, by Dr. Zeynab Bahrami
Employees at the Imam Khomeini International Airport often face high levels of stress due to the large volume of international flights. Dr. Bahrami discusses an intervention applying positive organisational psychology principles to increase services to passengers, decrease employees’ stress, and improve the quality of interactions between personnel and passengers.
Read Full Brief
Turning Stress into Positive Energy: An Evaluation of a Workplace Intervention, by Dr. Jolanta Burke
Dr. Burke outlines a large workplace intervention focused on reframing stress into positive energy. Positive stress mindsets can have an impact on how employees deal with workplace stressors.
Read Full Brief
Constructive Journalism: A Solution Based Approach to the News Industry, by Julia Santella
In this essay, Julia Santella shares a review of ‘constructive journalism’ in the news industry, a positive psychology approach to presenting news and facts, which stands in contrast to mainstream news that is becoming increasingly biased and overwhelmingly divisive.
Read Full Brief
BOOK REVIEW
Positive Professionals: Creating High-Performing, Profitable Firms Through the Science of Engagement, review by Greg Hennessey
This review of Anne Brafford’s new book provides an innovative picture of how to transform the law profession via application of positive psychology principles. It is organized around three remedies: attorney engagement, the components of a “positive law firm,” and work engagement explained through six narratives. Readers across a wide range of organizations will find it insightful.
Read Full Review
Scientific Advances in Positive Psychology, review by Brandon Sorenson
Scientific Advances in Positive Psychology provides ready access to the frontiers of one of the most influential movements to come out of psychology within the last century. It provides in-depth reviews in each chapter, demonstrating the rigor of the science underpinning the field’s foundations, the challenges currently being faced, and the tremendous breadth of the exciting opportunities present. The book review highlights the insights from the chapter on positive work and organizations.
Read Full Review
INTERVIEW WITH Dr. Mandy O’Neill
In this interview, Dr. Mandy O’Neill, recipient of the 2017 Award for Outstanding Published Article in Positive Organizational Scholarship from the Center for Positive Organizations, shares managerial implications from her work. You will also find her vision for the IPPA Work and Organizations Division, and advice for students interested in careers in management and organization.
Read Full Interview
Announcements
The International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) is a global leader in promoting the science of positive psychology and its research-based applications, facilitating collaboration among positive psychology supporters and sharing the findings of positive psychology with the broadest possible audience.
The IPPA Work and Organizations Division is a forum for academics, researchers, practitioners, and organizations interested in the study and application of positive psychological concepts in organizational settings. For more information, visit www.ippanetwork.org/