Happy businesses are more profitable

The reasoning is both simple and powerful: the most important and profitable asset of any company is its employees. So what could be better than keeping the organisation’s most important asset in its natural state, where its full potential manifests itself?

 

However, this reasoning does not apply exclusively to the workplace. Its connotations are paramount, since all people are workers, at least potentially, whether in active work, post-work, academia, or any other situation. It is evident, then, that happiness transcends any of these reasoning, to go to the common denominator: the human being.

 

Scientific research into happiness

Talking about happiness is nothing new, Aristotle was already making profound dissertations in the 4th century B.C. However, in recent years, the concept of positive psychology, which is a current of psychology that studies the bases of psychological well-being and happiness, as well as human strengths and virtues, has gained momentum. It differs from other psychology currents and its historical precedents in that it is based on the scientific method. Psychologist Martin Seligman laid its foundations at the end of the 1990s, and other authors, such as Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, have added to it with their contributions.

At first glance, the purpose of positive psychology may sound too arrogant: ‘now science wants to tell us what happiness is? But there are many dissenting voices who believe that happiness goes far beyond the processing of a simple set of measurable values in the realm of psychology.

Debates aside, we all know, without needing to learn it, when we feel good and, above all, when we feel bad. It is innate. The fact is that our organism goes smoothly with wellbeing, while it starts to give warning signals when we experience discomfort.

 

What do the experts say?

Given that companies are above all groups of people, it may seem basic to ensure the well-being and satisfaction of workers at work. However, in the business logic linked to the Industrial Revolution (still very present everywhere), the general paradigm has been quite the opposite: to make them work to the maximum in order to obtain higher profits. A vision in which their personal well-being is far from the company’s concern.

Studies on the subject conclude that the experience of workers who feel at ease in their organisation is far more precious than even the material goods they may receive as gratification. This is because this experience has no shelf life; it can always be recalled and enjoyed again.

Employee happiness as a barometer of business health

So now it is no longer just about focusing on the famous customer experience (CX), but the employee experience also plays a key role in the success of the organisation. Both from the company’s point of view, because a happy, creative or empathetic employee is synonymous with a more productive worker, and from the worker’s point of view, because we spend almost a third of our lives at work.

A good sign of the consolidation of this trend is the emergence of several indices, such as the Global Workplace Happiness Index, which measure happiness in the workplace. Likewise, the figure known as Chief Happiness Officer or director of well-being is consolidating in those organisations that are committed to the value of people and the profitability of a happy employee.

What a strange mix and, at the same time, what a fruitful synergy when the focus of the organisation is on people!

At 11Onze we have believed in this fundamental value from the beginning, which is shared by all the people who make up our community. And it works!

If you want your business to take a big leap forward, use 11Onze Business. Our business and freelance account is now available, find out more!

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Equip Editorial Equip Editorial
  1. Francesc Estafanell PujolFrancesc Estafanell Pujol says:
    Francesc de Borja

    La felicitat en el treball no s’assoleix apujant el sou tot i que pot ajudar-hi

  2. Jordi MorenoJordi Moreno says:
    Jordi

    Ens tocarà comprar unes ulleres contra la llum blava!moltes mercès👌

  3. Daniela SimónDaniela Simón says:
  4. Santiago AlcoverroSantiago Alcoverro says:
    Santiago

    La felicitat dels treballadors repercuteix directament en els resultats de l’empresa, no en tinc el menor dubte.

    • AlbertAlbert says:
      Albert

      Esperem, doncs, que al col·lectiu empresarial també se’ls esvaeixin els dubtes en aquest sentit. Gràcies pel teu comentari, Santiago!

      3 years ago
  5. Marc PadrósMarc Padrós says:
    • Lara de Castro says:

      D’això es tracta, me n’alegro que t’hagi servit. Gràcies per ser-hi! Seguim!

      4 years ago
  6. Manel LopezManel Lopez says:
    Manel

    tota la raó. La felicitat depén de tot això

  7. Jaume RossellóJaume Rosselló says:
    Jaume

    El benestar emocional dels treballadors/ores no només té una influència directa sobre el rendiment/productivitat de les persones. Un treballador “feliç” també té més salut (biomèdica, psíquica i social) la qual cosa, al seu torn, reverteix també en la productivitat (i en molts altres beneficis, empresarials i personals). Llàstima que la majoria dels empresaris siguin miops.

    • Pere Saus Marin says:

      Esperem que amb el temps se n’adonin. Pel seu bé i dels seus treballadors.

      4 years ago
  8. Jaume RossellóJaume Rosselló says:
    Jaume

    El benestar emocional a la feina, certament, és cabdal: per al rendiment/productivitat, però també per a la salut integral del treballador, que al seu torn reverteix en la productivitat. I malgrat pugui semblar de sentit comú, cal fer-ne estudis científics, perquè, a vegades, allò que ara ens sembla evident, no ho és pas tant. Hi va haver un temps en què a la majoria de gent li semblava evident que el que funcionava era el pal i la pastanaga. I vés per on, a certs àmbits (com ara el laboral) pot ser una estratègia nefasta. Això ho vam saber, almenys de forma fefaent, per mor dels estudis “científics”. Llavors, es va posar l’accent en la perspectiva dels “incentius” (de la motivació per incentius). Semblava de sentit comú, aquesta nova panacea. Doncs la ciència ha demostrat (i la pràctica en el món laboral, tot i que encara hi ha molts empresaris ancorats en la prehistòria) que no sempre és bo i convenient, motivar una feina amb incentius, sobretot si són materials. Un bon exemple n’és l’èxit de la wikipèdia en front del fracàs “sorprenent” d’alternatives “remunerades” que han fracassat estrepitosament. Per a la gent que li pugui interessar, aquí hi ha un bon article, sobre el tema https://hbr.org/1993/09/why-incentive-plans-cannot-work. I aquí un vídeo que ho explica prou bé, fet per un autor de renom que posa en valor la motivació intrínseca: https://youtu.be/rrkrvAUbU9Y

    4 years ago
    moderated
  9. Josep RuaixJosep Ruaix says:
  10. Francesc Estafanell PujolFrancesc Estafanell Pujol says:
    Francesc de Borja

    Çom a treballador he procurat fer les tasques de la manera que m’ha semblat millor, he defensat els motius i si el punt de vista de l’empresari si se m’ha srgumentst l’he acceptat. ,

  11. Joan Santacruz CarlúsJoan Santacruz Carlús says:
  12. Mercè ComasMercè Comas says:
    Mercè

    Hi ha coses tan evidents que sembla mentida que se n´hagi de fer estudis científics. Son bons per saber com funciona el cervell, però no necessaris per aplicar-los a la vida. Com ara que no es pot estar tot l´any 5 dies a la setmana de mal humor o simplement a disgust pensant en el cap de setmana i les vacances . No es bo ni pel treballador ni per l´empresari. Alguna cosa falla.

    • Mireia Cano says:

      Al final els estudis científics no fan més que constatar allò que per alguns pot semblar evident, però que per altres no seria una qüestió prioritària. Tota informació és benvinguda!

      4 years ago
  13. Laura CarlúsLaura Carlús says:
    Laura

    Per sort, va canviant el paradigma mica en mica, o almenys és coneix els beneficis que produeix a la millora de la productivitat.

  14. alicia Coiduras Charlesalicia Coiduras Charles says:
    Alicia

    Certament gaudir de la feina i anar-hi content fa que es produeixi més i millor

    • Mireia Cano says:

      Són dos conceptes que sens dubte van de la mà, i el més important, on les dues parts poden guanyar!

      4 years ago
  15. Anonymous says:

    Crec que ting la obligació de fer arribar aquet article al meu cap.

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