Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Misgivings In Measuring Happiness, Sudhanva Char

International Review of Business and Economics

According to a resolution of the UN General Assembly (Resolution 66/281), March 20^th is observed annually as International Day of Happiness. A nation’s overall success is measured by people’s happiness, the litmus test. The World Happiness Report (WHR) states there is consensus about measuring happiness, whereas, happiness is idiosyncratic and its connotation differs from culture to culture, language to language, and even person to person. Personal ‘space’ in all spheres matters, and so do democracy or dictatorship, all factors leading to mismeasures of happiness scores. And so, there are paradoxes in happiness rankings in WHR. Economists have yet to …

Subjective Well-Being, Happiness, And Fairness Of Marketing Systems In Brazil: Some Further Thoughts, Stefânia Ordovás De Almeida, Ely José De Mattos

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Subjective well-being is often popularly referred to as happiness. In this dialogue commentary, we point to these additional aspects of subjective well-being or happiness: (1) Some findings from another study of this type, in another region of Brazil; (2) Several macro-level observations, drawn from Brazil as well as globally, on the complex relationships between marketing practices, public policies, consumption styles and subjective well-being.

The Conundrums Of Happiness And Subjective Well-Being: Views From Brazil, Nikhilesh Dholakia, Deniz Atik

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Cultural Perceptions Of Well-Being And Resulting Sustainable Local Development Initiatives, Atifah Jatoi

Senior Theses

Views on and approaches to sustainable economic development can differ vastly depending on country and location. Historically, in the United States, sustainable development is primarily based on the four pillars of sustainability: social, human, environmental, and economic. On the other hand, in communities in relatively collectivist societies, sustainable development policies and organizations are influenced by collective interest, cooperation, and the well-being of the community. Local development initiatives centered around promoting the well-being of the community are a way to have a more equitable approach to sustainable development and are necessary to address ecological, economic, and social challenges. I will discuss …

Scandinavian Work-Life Balance Experience: Its Implementation In The United Arab Emirates (Uae) Happiness Context, Maktoom Al Mazrouei

Theses and Dissertations

Employee happiness and satisfaction are unanimously correlated to enhanced levels of productivity and efficiency, making them important for employees and employers. Scandinavian countries consistently rank highly on the world happiness index and correspondingly possess comparatively happier employees in their workplaces. Aside from the structural setting, internal components, and atmosphere of the workplace, it is primarily understood that the initiatives undertaken by Scandinavian countries in relation to the concept of work life balance are significantly important. The concept of work-life balance is cognizant of an employee’s struggle in maintaining equilibrium between work and personal life. This study could aid the United …

In Pursuit Of Happiness: Impact Of The Happiness Level Of A Destination Country On Chinese Tourists' Outbound Travel Choices, Ziyao Huang, Sam Huang, Yang Yang, Ziyan Tang, Yutao Yang, Yijun Zhou

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study examines the impact of the national happiness level of a country on Chinese tourists' travel choices using panel data of 113 countries from 2012 to 2017, controlling for other factors that contribute to Chinese outbound tourism. The results show that the happiness level of a destination country is positively and significantly associated with Chinese tourist arrivals in that country. Examination of the moderation effect reveals cultural distance plays an important role in the impact a destination's happiness level has on Chinese outbound tourism. The influence of a destination's happiness level decreases when the cultural distance increases.

Book Review: Seeds Of Greatness By Denis Waitley, Jennifer Maynard

Marriott Student Review

Book review of Seeds of Greatness by Denis Waitley, personal anecdotes and summaries of research on the secrets to success in life and in the business world.

Employee Perceptions Of Well-Being Programs, Alice V. Edwards, Susan Marcus

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Measuring the effectiveness of well-being programs in the workplace is important for optimizing the return on investment and selection of programs that meet organizational objectives. A pilot study was performed to assess employee well-being using the Happiness Mini-Survey and a one-sample pre–post study design intended to quickly allow employees to subjectively rate their well-being before and after participating in various classes as part of a well-being program. The findings demonstrated statistical significance in employee subjective ratings; they reported feeling better emotionally, physically, and mentally after participating in the classes. The employees’ self-rating for stress level also had statistically significant improvement …

The Power Of Happiness, Sarah R. Romney

Marriott Student Review

This article synthesizes research and psychological principles to explain the impact that one’s attitude can have oneself and others. A positive attitude is contagious and can help one perform better, be more motivated, and earn a higher wage. It can also increase team performance and help others be happy to receive the same benefits. By focusing on their expressions and attitude, people can greatly impact the organizations they are a part of.

Blue The Bee Learns To Be Happy, Connie Reimers-Hild, Deborah J. Weitzenkamp, Connie Reimers-Hild, Kim Wellsandt

Kimmel Education and Research Center: Faculty and Staff Publications

Do you sometimes feel sad or blue and don't know what to do? If so, this book was written just for you!

Join Blue the Bee as she travels through Happy Orchard meeting her friends (Flutter, Buzz, Bonita and Ernie) to learn the 7 Happiness Habits. When happiness is a habit, it comes without thinking. You can choose how to spend your day and use your time. You choose how to live your life and what is on your mind.

Each page was designed to enjoy at any age. People can become pollinators of happiness in any life stage!

This …

Exploring Economic And Social Factors That Increase Economic And Well-Being Measurements Of Developing And Developed Countries, Kofi D. Boadu

Undergraduate Economic Review

The historical growth paths of developed and developing countries reveal the challenges that developing countries face in traveling the road from poverty to prosperity. Based on economic development literature, economic theory, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression method, this research considers whether or not, and to what extent globalization characteristics, foreign direct investment levels (FDI), secondary school enrollment rates, information communication technology (ICT) as a percentage of trade imports, and happiness levels of 103 developing and developed countries, impact their GDP per capita levels. This paper will also take a look at alternative ways of viewing and measuring economic success.

The Happy Secret To Better Work: Ted Talk Annotated Resource List, Logan Secrest

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Happiness & Accounting/Finance Careers, Jacob Shrode

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

The research question I chose was "Do happiness levels vary among graduates with accounting majors who have chosen different career paths?" The method I used to get my data was a survey. Overall, the average happiness score from my survey was 4.72/6 (see table 4). The average happiness score in the U.S. is only 4.30. I did a t-test for this and got a p value of .00. With this, I can say that there is substantial evidence to suggest that people who graduate with accounting/finance majors tend to be significantly happier than the average U.S. person.

Stakeholder Theory, Value, And Firm Performance, Jeffrey S. Harrison, Andrew C. Wicks

Management Faculty Publications

This paper argues that the notion of value has been overly simplified and narrowed to focus on economic returns. Stakeholder theory provides an appropriate lens for considering a more complex perspective of the value that stakeholders seek as well as new ways to measure it. We develop a four-factor perspective for defining value that includes, but extends beyond, the economic value stakeholders seek. To highlight its distinctiveness, we compare this perspective to three other popular performance perspectives. Recommendations are made regarding performance measurement for both academic researchers and practitioners. The stakeholder perspective on value offered in this paper draws attention …

A Theory Of Happiness-Wealth Relationship With Status-Sensitive Communication, Amnon Levy

Amnon Livermore

Personal happiness might not solely depend on the individual's level of wealth but also on the individual's level of sincere social capital. This paper argues that if sincere interpersonal communication is sensitive to economic status disparities, the accumulation of personal wealth beyond the community's average erodes the individual's sincere social capital. A measure of sincere social capital that is based on such sensitivity is constructed. Its consideration leads to the depiction of the individual's happiness-wealth relationship as an inverted U-shaped curve that peaks at personal wealth that is greater than the community mean.

Money Buys Financial Security And Psychological Need Satisfaction: Testing Need Theory In Affluence, Ryan T. Howell, Mark Kurai, Wing Yin Leona Tam

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The most prominent theory to explain the curvilinear relationship between income and subjective well-being (SWB) is need theory, which proposes that increased income and wealth can lead to increased well-being in poverty because money is used to satisfy basic physiological needs. The present study tests the tenets of need theory by proposing that money can buy happiness beyond poverty if the money satisfies higher-order needs. Findings indicate that in older adults (n = 1,284), as economic standing rises, so do individual perceptions of financial security (a safety need), which in turn increases overall life satisfaction. Further, a path model tested …

Happiness At Work: Rules For Employee Satisfaction And Engagement, Femi Cadmus

Faculty Scholarship

The concept of employee satisfaction and engagement is not new. Quite recently, however, there appears to be renewed interest in positive psychology, tracking what makes for happiness in general, and how this translates in the workplace. Cultivating and maintaining a climate and culture which breeds happy, motivated, and productive employees in a library setting requires hard work. Happiness in the workplace is not unattainable, but it requires a concerted plan of action and consistent effort by managers. Managers also need to take steps to make sure that their own personal and work needs are being taken care off to avert …

A Theory Of Mental Credit, Jason Soll

CMC Senior Theses

Many philosophical subjects attempt to analyze the basis of human welfare. Theories of desert, distribution of property, and happiness tend to dominate philosophical discourse. Mental credit, which is the mental acquisition of credit for one’s accomplishments and the satisfaction one derives from this credit, is absent from this discourse despite its underlying role in the way people think about their lives. Mental credit is an eternal cognitive good that deserves thoughtful attention and pious decisions for implementation. The following theory of mental credit seeks to serve as a unifying theory for the mental calculations that guide life’s most imperative decisions, …

Rational Exercising: A Lifetime Choice With A Link Between Health And Happiness, Amnon Levy

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This paper deals with a widespread type of investment in personal health that is not adequately explained by the economic literature. The analysis of people’s choice of intensity of engagement in health enhancing activities is made within an integrative, stochastic, micro-dynamic optimisation framework in which people’s utility is accumulated along a health-dependent random lifespan with direct and indirect mutual effects among exercise, health, consumption, utility, happiness, productivity and survival. Distinction is made between exercise’s length and exercise’s vigour in analysing the effect of exercising on health and rest. A link between health and utility is introduced: health improves (declines) as …

Book Review 18 Make Room For Happiness By Steven Melemis, William C. Mcpeck

William C. McPeck

This is my review of Make Room for Happiness: 12 Ways to Improve Your Life By Letting Go of Tension. Better Health, Self-Esteem and Relationships by Steven Melemis, published by Modern Therapies in 2008.

Book Review 13 The Art Of Happiness: A Handbook For Living By The Dalai Lama And Howard C. Cutler, M.D., William C. Mcpeck

William C. McPeck

This is my personal review of The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. and published by Riverhead Hardcover in 1998.

Book Review 14 The Art Of Happiness At Work By The Dalai Lama And Howard C. Cutler, M.D., William C. Mcpeck

William C. McPeck

This is my personal review of The Art of Happiness at Work by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D., published by Riverhead Trade in 2004.

Book Review 12 Happy For No Reason: 7 Steps To Being Happy From The Inside Out By Marci Shimoff, William C. Mcpeck

William C. McPeck

This is my personal review of Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out by Marci Shimoff and published by Free Press in 2008.