«Happiness at Work: Experiences of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Thailand».
I started a new column on the blog: to make a brief review of the most interesting articles and research on employee happiness because this is my scientific interest too. In recent years, the number of scientific publications on this topic worldwide has increased 8 (eight!) times. And I will tell readers of my blog about the most interesting ones.
Today I want to tell you about an exciting study, «Happiness at Work of Employees in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Thailand». It was conducted by Kemakorn Chaiprasit, Orapin Santidhirakul, Faculty of Business Administration, Chiang Mai University. They studied the happiness level of employees in small and medium-sized companies and the factors influencing it.
Research Methodology
They based the study on the following model of five factors (based on Fapinyo research) that influence the happiness of employees:
1) Job inspiration: employees are satisfied with their assigned job and can achieve goals.
2) Organization’s shared value: collective behaviours and culture of the organisation.
3) Relationship: interactions, group bonding and acceptance among co-workers.
4) Quality of work life: the relationship between three elements, namely work environment, employee participation, and humanisation of work. The balance among the three elements results in collective satisfaction and the highest efficiency.
5) Leadership: executives or heads of the organisation promote and create happiness for personnel by creating motivation, awareness, and dedication.
Leaders also engage in 2-way, transparent communication with their staff and they are dedicated to creating a good atmosphere for their team as well.
Key findings of the study
The survey showed high happiness among employees of small and medium-sized companies in Thailand and their high evaluation of each of the five factors.
The three most crucial factors stood out: relationships, quality of work life, and leadership. They have the most significant influence on the level of happiness.
Element 1: Relationship. Good relationship results in effective communication, altruism among employees, and unity, all of which lead to happiness at work. Therefore organisations should provide fairness to every level of employee. Heads or supervisors should create a friendly work environment, promote sharing of opinions, and encourage employees to help one another. A good relationship starts with trust, honesty, friendship, and altruism based on understanding and fairness.
Element 2: Quality of work life. Excellent work environment brings both physical and mental health. Comfort and benefits satisfy employees and create a good attitude towards work, which decreases problems. Superior quality of work life increases happiness at work.
Element 3: Leadership. Leaders must pay close attention to employees, especially in SMEs are smaller organisations. The important things are communication and information. Employees about their performance, giving advice and listening to their opinions. Promoting happiness at work for employees means creating motivation, offering support, creating the desire to work constantly, and promoting 2-way, transparent communication. Moreover, leaders must be dedicated to the organisation’s good to make employees feel good.
More interesting facts
Ongkana (2006) found that the happiness of nurses from private hospitals in Bangkok was at the elevated level. Regarding the relationship between personal factors and happiness at work, she found that educational level positively correlated with satisfaction at work at a low level and self-value awareness and work environment are positively associated with happiness at work. At the medium level. Age, marital status, and work experience had no relation to satisfaction at work.
Poopanit (2008) found that opinion towards happiness at work, which was ranked at the highest level, was social relationship within the organisation; and that which was rated at. The lowest level was the benefits provided by the organisation. He also found that personnel. Aged 20-34 were happier at work than those aged 35-49, and female personnel were happier than males.
