Institutions as enablers of wellbeing: The Singapore Prison case study

Helliwell, John F.

doi:10.5502/ijw.v1i2.7

Cited by 42 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Moreover, and potentially more importantly, these findings also offer novel opportunities for practical leadership interventions to improve employee health (for reviews see Day et al, 2006;Avolio, Reichard, Hannah, Walumbwa, & Chan, 2009;Taylor, Russ-Eft, & Taylor, 2009). These would also differ from more conventional well-being and stress reduction programs (e.g., those involving relaxation classes, massage therapy, gym classes), whose focus is on the individual rather than the broader social context that affect individuals' sense of self (Helliwell, 2011;Sani et al, 2012). More particularly, the present findings make the case for leadership interventions that help to create work environments which allow employees to embrace and live out group memberships at various levels of abstraction (e.g., the workgroup, de-partment, organisation as a whole) and which, rather than focussing on leaders or on followers alone, are conducted with leaders and followers together (Kellerman, 2012;Küpers & Weibler, 2008).…”

Section: Theoretical and Practical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaders Enhance Group Members' Work Engagement and Reduce Their Burnout by Crafting Social Identity

Steffens¹,

Haslam²,

Kerschreiter³

et al. 2014

German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift für Pe

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Previous research has examined burnout and work engagement as a function of demands and resources at work. Yet we know little about the ways in which these are determined by people's social experience as a member of their workgroup as shaped, in particular, by leaders' management of shared identity. To address these issues, we propose a model in which leaders' identity entrepreneurship (the degree to which the leader promotes understanding of shared group identity) impacts on group performance through burnout and work engagement. We tested our model in a field study with 641 participants from the US working population who responded to their workgroup leader and indicated their health. Results indicated that when leaders acted as identity entrepreneurs, group members not only reported higher group performance but also experienced less burnout and were more engaged at work. Moreover, the relationship between identity entrepreneurship and group performance was mediated by an increase in work engagement and a reduction in burnout both of which in turn facilitated group performance. These findings suggest that what it means for healthprotective leaders to be 'transformational' is being capable of facilitating the development of a special sense of 'us' that they and group members share.

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Section: Theoretical and Practical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaders Enhance Group Members' Work Engagement and Reduce Their Burnout by Crafting Social Identity

Steffens¹,

Haslam²,

Kerschreiter³

et al. 2014

German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift für Pe

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“…A fine example on the application of subjective wellbeing for institution and society is seen in the change that has occurred in the Singapore Prison Service (Helliwell, 2011). Inmates and prison staff gather, work, play and live resulting in improved well-being.…”

Section: Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strengths of character, orientations to happiness, life satisfaction and purpose in Singapore

Lee

Foo

Adams

et al. 2015

Journal of Tropical Psychology

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Positive psychology has identified six virtues comprising 24 character strengths of humans. This study examines the relationships among these character strengths, including Happiness, Life Purpose and Life Satisfaction as valued by Singapore Chinese, Malays, Indians and Other Asians and Caucasians. A sample of Singapore adults (N = 304) completed an online survey in English comprising four measures, the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths, the Orientations to Happiness Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Life Engagement Test. Results show that Zest, Hope, Curiosity, Capacity to Love and Gratitude are the top five character strengths of the sampled Singaporeans. Happiness orientation through pursuing a Life of Meaning is preferred by all four ethnic groups. Ethnic differences are found for character strengths of Kindness, Humour, Gratitude, and Religiousness and Spirituality. Life of Meaning and Life of Engagement, Happiness orientations and character strengths of Curiosity and Perseverance are direct predictors of Life Purpose. In turn, Life Purpose and character strengths of Capacity to Love and Gratitude are found to be direct predictors of Life Satisfaction. Despite its other limitations, this study lays the groundwork for future studies using more robust sampling strategies and greater participation from the major ethnic groups in Singapore.

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“…To break the Einstellung effect sufficiently to convert ideas into practice may require experimental field trials of sufficient scale and realism as to force take-up of proven successes. 87 See Leong (2011) andHelliwell (2011). 88 These results are provided in more detail in Helliwell (2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%