Positive emotions boost employee engagement : Making work fun brings individual and organizational success

Purpose – Highlights the power of positive emotions in helping to build individual and organizational success. Design/methodology/approach – Explores the meaning of positive emotions, how they can be promoted at individual and organizational level and the benefits they can bring to the individual and organization. Findings – Advances the view that positive emotions can benefit physical health, mental well-being and the ability to flourish, creativity, resilience, the mood of others, positive memories and relationships. Practical implications – Argues that the positive emotions of the workforce can improve the organizational culture and improve organizational performance. Social implications – Demonstrates that around three positive emotions are needed to balance out each negative emotion and shows that positive emotions can be stimulated through having new experiences and through acts of kindness and gratitude. Originality/value – Extends psychological thinking on positive emotions to the workforce and workplace.