Publication Cover
The Journal of Positive Psychology
Dedicated to furthering research and promoting good practice
Volume 7, 2012 - Issue 5
7,445
Views
137
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

When the job is a calling: The role of applying one's signature strengths at work

&
Pages 362-371 | Received 15 Feb 2012, Accepted 06 Jun 2012, Published online: 11 Jul 2012

References

  • Andrews , FM and Withey , SB . 1976 . Social indicators of well-being , New York, NY : Plenum Press .
  • Arbuckle , JL . 2008 . IBM SPSS Amos 17 user's guide , Chicago, IL : SPSS .
  • Bellah , RN , Madsen , R , Sullivan , WM , Swidler , A and Tipton , SM . 1985 . Habits of the heart: Individualism and commitment in American life , Berkeley : University of California Press .
  • Bunderson , JS and Thompson , JA . 2009 . The call of the wild: Zookeepers, callings, and the double-edged sword of deeply meaningful work . Administrative Science Quarterly , 54 : 32 – 57 .
  • Butcher , JM and Pancheri , P . 1976 . A handbook of cross-national MMPI research , Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press .
  • Cohen , J . 1988 . Statistical power analysis for behavioral sciences , 2nd , Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates .
  • Coyne , I and Bartram , D . 2006 . ITC guidelines on computer-based and Internet-delivered testing [Special Issue] . International Journal of Testing , 6 : 115 – 194 .
  • Diener , E , Suh , EM , Lucas , RE and Smith , HL . 1999 . Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress . Psychological Bulletin , 125 : 276 – 302 .
  • Dobrow , SR . 2004 . Extreme subjective career success: A new integrated view of having a calling . In Best Paper Proceedings of the Academy of Management Conference . 2004 , New Orleans , LA . Retrieved from http://www.bnet.fordham.edu/dobrow/Papers.html
  • Dobrow , SR and Tosti-Kharas , J . 2011 . Calling: The development of a scale measure . Personnel Psychology , 64 : 1001 – 1049 .
  • Doty , DH and Glick , WH . 1998 . Common method bias: Does common methods variance really bias results? . Organizational Research Methods , 1 : 374 – 406 .
  • Dik , BJ and Duffy , RD . 2009 . Calling and vocation at work: Definitions and prospects for research and practice . The Counseling Psychologist , 37 : 424 – 450 .
  • Elangovan , AR , Pinder , CC and McLean , M . 2011 . Callings and organizational behavior . Journal of Vocational Behavior , 76 : 428 – 440 .
  • Fishbein , M and Ajzen , I . 2010 . Predicting and changing behavior: The reasoned action approach , New York, NY : Taylor & Francis .
  • Gosling , SD , Vazire , S , Srivastava , S and John , OP . 2004 . Should we trust web-based studies? A comparative analysis of six preconceptions about Internet questionnaires . American Psychologist , 59 : 93 – 104 .
  • Güsewell , A . & Ruch, W. (2012a). Are there multiple channels through which we connect with beauty and excellence? Manuscript submitted for publication
  • Güsewell , A . & Ruch, W. (2012b). Are only emotional strengths emotional? Character strengths and dispositions to positive emotions. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 4, 218–239
  • Harzer , C . (2012). Positive psychology at work: The role of character strengths for positive behavior and positive experiences at the workplace (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • Harzer , C . & Ruch, W. (in press). The application of signature character strengths and positive experiences at work. Journal of Happiness Studies, doi:10.1007/s10902-012-9364-0
  • Hodges , TD and Asplund , J . 2010 . “ Strengths development in the workplace ” . In Oxford handbook of positive psychology at work , Edited by: Linley , PA , Harrington , S and Garcea , N . 213 – 220 . New York, NY : Oxford University Press .
  • Horn , JL . 1965 . A rationale and test for the number of factors in factor analysis . Psychometrika , 30 : 179 – 185 .
  • Littman-Ovadia , H and Steger , MF . 2010 . Character strengths and well-being among volunteers and employees: Toward an integrative model . The Journal of Positive Psychology , 5 : 419 – 430 .
  • Karasek , R , Brisson , C , Kawakami , N , Houtman , I , Bongers , P and Amick , B . 1998 . The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ): An instrument for internationally comparative assessments of psychosocial job characteristics . Journal of Occupational Health Psychology , 3 : 322 – 355 .
  • Lyubomirsky , S , Sheldon , KM and Schkade , D . 2005 . Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change . Review of General Psychology , 9 : 111 – 131 .
  • Mathieu , JE and Hamel , K . 1989 . A causal model of the antecedents of organizational commitment among professionals and nonprofessionals . Journal of Vocational Behavior , 34 : 299 – 317 .
  • McGrath , RE , Rashid , T , Park , N and Peterson , C . 2010 . Is optimal functioning a distinct state? . The Humanistic Psychologist , 38 : 159 – 169 .
  • Morgenson , FP and Humphrey , SE . 2006 . The Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ): Developing and validating a comprehensive measure for assessing job design and the nature of work . Journal of Applied Psychology , 91 : 1321 – 1339 .
  • Müller , L and Ruch , W . 2011 . Humor and strengths of character . The Journal of Positive Psychology , 6 : 368 – 376 .
  • Novak , M . 1996 . Business as a calling: Work and the examined life , New York, NY : The Free Press .
  • Park , N and Peterson , C . 2007 . “ Methodological issues in positive psychology and the assessment of character strengths ” . In Handbook of methods in positive psychology , Edited by: Ong , AD and van Dulmen , MHM . 292 – 305 . New York : Oxford University Press .
  • Park , N , Peterson , C and Seligman , MEP . 2006 . Character strengths in fifty-four nations and the fifty US states . The Journal of Positive Psychology , 1 : 118 – 129 .
  • Peterson , C . 2006 . A primer in positive psychology , New York, NY : Oxford University Press .
  • Peterson , C , Park , N , Hall , N and Seligman , MEP . 2009 . Zest and work . Journal of Organizational Behavior , 30 : 161 – 172 .
  • Peterson , C , Park , N and Seligman , MEP . 2005a . “ Assessment of character strengths ” . In Psychologists’ desk reference , 2nd , Edited by: Koocher , GP , Norcross , JC and Hill , SS III . 93 – 98 . New York, NY : Oxford University Press .
  • Peterson , C , Park , N and Seligman , MEP . 2005b . Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: The full versus the empty life . Journal of Happiness Studies , 6 : 25 – 41 .
  • Peterson , C , Park , N and Seligman , MEP . 2006 . Greater strengths of character and recovery from illness . The Journal of Positive Psychology , 1 : 17 – 26 .
  • Peterson , C , Ruch , W , Beermann , U , Park , N and Seligman , MEP . 2007 . Strengths of character, orientation to happiness, and life satisfaction . The Journal of Positive Psychology , 2 : 149 – 156 .
  • Peterson , C and Seligman , MEP . 2004 . Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification , Washington, DC : American Psychological Association .
  • Rath , T . 2007 . StrengthsFinder 2.0 , New York, NY : Gallup Press .
  • Rentsch , JR and Steel , RP . 1992 . Construct and concurrent validation of the Andrews and Withey Job Satisfaction Questionnaire . Educational and Psychological Measurement , 52 : 357 – 367 .
  • Ruch , W . Furrer, G., & Huwyler, D. (2004). Work Context Questionnaire (WCQ). Unpublished instrument, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Ruch , W , Proyer , RT , Harzer , C , Park , N , Peterson , C and Seligman , MEP . 2010 . Values in action inventory of strengths (VIA-IS): Adaptation and validation of the German version and the development of a peer-rating form . Journal of Individual Differences , 31 : 138 – 149 .
  • Saucier , G , Bel-Bahar , T and Fernandez , C . 2007 . What modifies the expression of personality tendencies? Defining basic domains of situation variables . Journal of Personality , 75 : 479 – 503 .
  • Seligman , MEP . 2002 . Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment , New York, NY : The Free Press .
  • Seligman , MEP . 2011 . Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being , New York, NY : The Free Press .
  • Seligman , MEP , Steen , TA , Park , N and Peterson , C . 2005 . Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions . American Psychologist , 60 : 410 – 421 .
  • Ten Berge , MA and De Raad , B . 1999 . Taxonomies of situations from a trait psychological perspective. A review . European Journal of Personality , 13 : 337 – 360 .
  • Weiss , JW , Skelley , MF , Haughey , JC and Hall , DT . 2004 . “ Calling, new careers and spirituality: A reflective perspective for organizational leaders and professionals ” . In Spiritual intelligence at work: Meaning, metaphor, and morals , Edited by: Pava , ML and Primeaux , P . 175 – 201 . Amsterdam : Elsevier .
  • Wood , AM , Linley , PA , Maltby , J , Kashdan , TB and Hurling , R . 2011 . Using personal and psychological strengths leads to increases in well-being over time: A longitudinal study and the development of the strengths use questionnaire . Personality and Individual Differences , 50 : 15 – 19 .
  • Wrzesniewski , A , McCauley , CR , Rozin , P and Schwartz , B . 1997 . Jobs, careers, and callings: People's relations to their work . Journal of Research in Personality , 31 : 21 – 33 .

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.