Application of signature strengths at work: A dual-level analysis

ABSTRACT

Each individual possesses character strengths, the most significant of which are classified as signature strengths. With a sample of 164 individuals who were employed at least part-time in a variety of industries, we examined application of signature strengths and well-being both between-persons (global) and within-persons (daily). Global application of signature strengths was associated with global job satisfaction and strain; however, no significant mediation effects on intent to turnover were found. We also found that daily variations in application of signature strengths were related to daily job satisfaction and strain. Common method bias associated with trait positive and negative affect differed by level of analysis: At the between-person (global) level, trait affect produced substantial inflation of estimates, but at the within-person (daily) level, inflation was negligible. The results suggest the importance of daily opportunities to apply signature strengths and of accounting for variance attributable to trait affect in between-person analyses.

KEYWORDS:

• Character
• signature strengths
• well-being
• organizational behavior
• within-person
• between-person
• trait affect
• experience sampling

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their thanks to Therese Macan, John Meriac, Thomas Nguyen, Patsy Kasen, Ares Boira Lopez, McKayla Harder, and Louisa Werner for their help on this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. We thank an anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially supported by internal research funding from the University of Missouri – St. Louis Department of Psychological Sciences].