Despite continuing interest in employees' well‐being, there are still large gaps in our understanding of the mediating role this concept plays in the human resource management (HRM)–performance relationship. In addition, more insights as to how HRM is implemented by leaders are required, as studies largely center either on leadership or on HRM, with little research addressing how HRM and leadership jointly determine employees' well‐being and performance. This study examines the link between well‐being‐oriented human resource management (WBHRM) and performance in a sample of very large organizations, based on the job demands–resource model and social exchange theory. In addition, we explore the moderating role of middle managers' leadership in the relationship between WBHRM and employees' well‐being. The results reveal that engaging leadership behavior fosters genuine implementation of WBHRM and has a direct impact on employees' performance.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between happiness at work (HAW), organisational learning capability (OLC) and organisational citizenship behaviour. Design/methodology/approach Through structural equation models, a sample of 167 allergists of public health services was analysed. Findings Results suggest that the relationship between HAW and organisational citizenship behaviour is fully mediated by OLC. Hence, OLC has a critical role to describe how HAW improves organisational citizenship behaviour. Basically, HAW promotes motivation for learning, and a better quality of the interactions between employees, which results in pro-social behaviours. Research limitations/implications The sample is focussed in a knowledge-intensive context. Future research might consider other service sectors, such as a private business sector. In addition it would be interesting to examine a longitudinal perspective of the model. Practical implications The results confirm the direct and positive effect of HAW on organisational citizenship behaviour. Nevertheless, showing positive attitudes as HAW does not assure to achieve perceived service quality. It is needed to take into account certain conditions that promote learning. Originality/value Current attitudinal theories do not contemplate environments that promote learning to explain pro-social attitudes. The research offers a theoretical model and provides evidence that the attitudes-behaviours relationship needs to be explained bearing in mind OLC.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership (TFL), organizational learning capability (OLC) and happiness at work (HAW), and offers a new measure for HAW. Design/methodology/approach The authors used confirmatory factor analysis to test the theoretical model in order to check the psychometric properties of HAW. They examined a sample of 167 medical staff working in allergy units, which represents a response rate of 25 per cent. Findings The research showed that HAW can be measured using the proposed new measurement scale, and that TFL predicts HAW through the mediating role of OLC. Practical implications The results suggest that hospital managers and heads of allergy services should consider the effects of TFL, under certain learning conditions, to enhance HAW. Originality/value This research is the first that examines the effects of TFL and OLC on HAW, a higher order construct that has been implemented closely following previous research.

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The notion of happiness at work is becoming increasingly important for human resource management research. Despite the widespread existence of different constructs that capture positive attitudes, a comprehensive measure of individual-level happiness is necessary. Starting from Fisher’s conceptualisation of happiness at work, Salas-Vallina, Alegre, and Fernández developed a 31-item scale to measure happiness at work. This scale accurately captures the different dimensions of happiness in the workplace context. However, it is a long scale. Shorter scales provide major improvements in efficiency and efficacy. Our study, conducted with two diversified samples, conceptualises and measures happiness at work. Following the steps suggested by Stanton, Sinar, Balzer, and Smith and Kacmar, Crawford, Carlson, Ferguson, and Whitten, we provide a shortened version of the happiness at work scale, while maintaining its psychometric properties. We argue that this new measurement scale presents a high statistical potential to widely capture positive attitudes at work and opens undeveloped research possibilities.

Leadership has received significant attention over the past years. Now is the time to refine how leaders impact on followers and their attitudes. This study examines how inspirational leaders influence follower characteristics (FC), and in turn, their happiness at work. In this study, the mediating effect of follower characteristics in the relationship between inspirational leadership and happiness at work was specifically examined. Data was gathered from 389 frontline banking employees working in Italian and Spanish banks. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a positive partial mediating role of follower characteristics in the relationship between inspirational leadership and happiness at work. Results showed that inspirational leadership exerts a more positive influence on followers' happiness at work when follower characteristics are more positive. Our discussion highlights the importance of understanding the role of the follower characteristics that are involved in the effectiveness of inspirational leadership.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine to what extent altruistic leadership (AL) contribute to happiness at work (HAW). In addition, the authors analyze the mediating role of those conditions that facilitate learning in the relationship between AL and HAW. Design/methodology/approach Confirmatory factor analysis by means of structural equation models was performed to check the proposed theoretical model, using a sample of 122 frontline bank employees. Findings Results show that, although specific leadership styles might contribute to employee well-being, it seems the shared characteristic of altruism what significantly impact employees HAW, by means of organizational learning capability. Originality/value Scarce research examines altruism as a leadership behavior. The authors provide to the leadership literature a theoretical model, and empirical evidence that altruism is an essential leadership behavior to promote learning and HAW.

Health professionals managing patients with COVID-19 disease are at high risk of contagion. All medical personnel involved in caring for patients need coordination, knowledge and trust. Empirical work on human resources has tended to focus on the effects of human resource practices on performance, whereas leadership and social interactions have been overlooked. Based upon interviews with medical staff working in specialised medical units, this study uses the social capital theory to examine relationships among shared leadership, social capital, and contagion rates. First, shared leadership was found to positively affect COVID-19 contagion among health professionals. Second, by sharing information and a common language, and showing high levels of trust, namely social capital, medical units seem to reduce contagion rates of COVID-19. In other words, shared leadership plays a fundamental role in improving performance in healthcare by means of social capital.