Toward a More PERMA(nent) Conceptualization of Worker Well-Being?

Abstract

Abstract. We examined the factor structure of the recently developed worker well-being measure Workplace PERMA Profiler and relationships between PERMA dimensions (i.e., positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning, accomplishment) and job performance (viz., task performance, organizational citizenship behaviors benefiting individuals and the organization at large). The measure exhibited metric (i.e., weak) invariance across samples of participants from the United States ( N = 284) and China ( N = 420). Additionally, for participants who responded to both the Workplace PERMA Profiler and the performance measures, there was a general pattern of positive PERMA–performance relationships across both samples ( NUS = 147; NChina = 202). Overall, the Workplace PERMA Profiler may have problematic psychometric properties and item wordings and thus would benefit from further refinement.

Does Changing a Scale’s Context Impact Its Psychometric Properties? A Comparison Using the PERMA-Profiler and the Workplace PERMA-Profiler

“…However, without contextualizing with the parent scale's properties, it is unknown whether (1) the adaptation measures the intended construct in the same way as the parent scale (i.e., if the construct presents equivalently across contexts), and (2) whether the adaptation is statistically necessary (e.g., whether the inter-factor covariances and means are distinct). Previous meta-analyses have shown varying effects of interventions depending on whether a scale's adaptation or its parent was used [17,18], and there have been recent questions of the reliability of PERMA constructs measured with the WPP [11,12]. A such, continuing evaluation of the PERMA scales' psychometric properties are needed to establish empirical support for their use in wider contexts like the workplace.…”

“…A final future research direction would be to continue evaluating the psychometric properties of both scales. Recent research has suggested poorer reliability than is acceptable with the PP and WPP [11,12]. In the present study, I too found unacceptably low internal consistency for the engagement subscale of the PP, and the relationships subscale had non-invariant measurement properties, suggesting that (1) our results may not hold across replications, and (2) interpretations of relationships and the higher-order PERMA factor may not be comparable across general and workplace contexts, and consequently the use of either scale may not be recommendable to evaluate relationship-related health at work.…”

“…Additionally, the workplace adaptation has been translated and validated in other languages (e.g., Japanese [9] and Korean [10]), with studies identifying statistical distinctions between the WPP and PP (though without direct comparisons). Finally, more recent research has summarily evaluated the psychometric properties of PP and WPP across a number of samples, concluding that there may be problems with the WPP's item wordings [11,12]. Such issues pose a problem for utilization of the WPP in workplaces (its intended context), as leaders wanting to measure their employees' (or their own) flourishing at work may receive questionable data.…”

Structure and factorial invariance of the Grit-Original scale and convergent validity of the network with job satisfaction and happiness

“…In addition, other studies ( Goh et al, 2022 ; Shanmugam and Hidayat, 2022 ) suggest that workers with a higher level of Grit tend to be more motivated toward the tasks assigned to them, as they feel identified and perceive progress toward the established goals. This has been mentioned within the framework of Seligman’s PERMA model, which addresses the domain of achievement and involves moving toward goals with constant effort and active work ( Donaldson et al, 2021 ; Jimenez et al, 2022 ). According to these studies, workers who experience greater well-being and happiness tend to experience a greater sense of accomplishment, as they feel satisfied and motivated with the work they do.…”

The Potential and Peculiarities of PERMA

“…More recently, Garden et al (2018) discussed how PERMA facilitates a more holistic approach to studying worker well-being beyond narrow conceptualizations (e.g., job satisfaction, work engagement). Furthermore, whereas organizational research is dominated by the hedonic perspective on well-being (Jimenez et al, 2022), PERMA integrates well-being concepts from both hedonic (e.g., positive emotions) and eudaimonic (e.g., meaning) traditions (Goodman et al, 2018).…”