The happy-productive worker thesis (HPWT) assumes that happy employees perform better. Given the relevance of teams and work-units in organizations, our aim is to analyze the state of the art on happy-productive work-units (HPWU) through a systematic review and integrate existing research on different collective well-being constructs and collective performance. Research on HPWU (30 studies, 2001–2018) has developed through different constructs of well-being (hedonic: team satisfaction, group affect; and eudaimonic: team engagement) and diverse operationalizations of performance (self-rated team performance, leader-rated team performance, customers’ satisfaction, and objective indicators), thus creating a disintegrated body of knowledge about HPWU. The theoretical frameworks to explain the HPWU relationship are attitude–behavior models, broaden-and-build theory, and the job-demands-resources model. Research models include a variety of antecedents, mediators, and moderating third variables. Most studies are cross-sectional, all propose a causal happy–productive relationship (not the reverse), and generally find positive significant relationships. Scarce but interesting time-lagged evidence supports a causal chain in which collective well-being leads to team performance (organizational citizenship behavior or team creativity), which then leads to objective work-unit performance. To conclude, we identify common issues and challenges across the studies on HPWU, and set out an agenda for future research.

This study used a prospective design to examine the effects of telework satisfaction (time 1) on subjective wellbeing and self-reported performance (time 2) during the COVID-19 lockdown. Data were collected from 111 teleworkers through an online survey the first weeks of strict lockdown in Spain. Telework satisfaction showed positive direct effects on both subjective wellbeing and self-reported performance. Further, subjective wellbeing partially mediated the relationship between telework satisfaction and self-reported performance. Interestingly, employees with children felt less telework satisfaction but higher subjective wellbeing. The novelty of this study is that we evaluate the level of satisfaction with telework using a specific set of items that assess the employees’ contentment with diverse telework facets. Given the spreading of telework and the increasing competitiveness of organizations, we discuss practical implications in times of crisis, both present and future.

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Abstract. Emotion work, or the requirement to display certain emotions during service interactions, may produce burnout when these emotions are not truly felt – emotion rule dissonance. Building on the support-buffering model we hypothesized that a supportive climate should provide emotional resources to employees protecting them against strain from emotion work. We tested this multilevel prediction in a sample of 317 front-line employees nested in 99 work units at large Spanish hotels and restaurants. Our results showed that supportive climate protects employees against experiencing emotional exhaustion (main effect) and attenuates the negative effects of emotion rule dissonance on emotional exhaustion (moderating effects). These results provide empirical evidence for the important role of supportive climate as a buffer between emotion work and well-being.

The economic crisis has entailed a general increase in job demands and reduction in compensating factors, modifying the fairness of the employment relationship. In this longitudinal study, we analyze the effects of the moderating role of organizational justice on the job characteristics-job satisfaction relationship. A total of 593 employees working for 42 Spanish companies answered the questionnaires at two points in time. Results showed that the job and the social characteristics, as well as distributive justice, in time 1 predict job satisfaction in time 2. Additionally, interactional justice moderated the relationship between job characteristics and job satisfaction. In conclusion, work design, as well as fair interactions at work, may increase job satisfaction. Desenho do trabalho e satisfação: o papel moderador da justiça organizacional Resumo A crise econômica implicou em um aumento geral nas demandas de emprego e redução nas compensações, modificando a equidade nas relações de trabalho. Neste estudo longitudinal, analisamos os efeitos moderadores da justiça organizacional entre as características do trabalho e a satisfação laboral. Um total de 593 trabalhadores de 42 empresas espanholas responderam aos questionários em dois momentos temporais. Os resultados mostraram que as características da tarefa e as sociais assim como a justiça distributiva em tempo 1 prediz a satisfação laboral em tempo 2. Além disso, encontrou-se um efeito de interação entre as características da tarefa e a justiça interacional sobre a satisfação laboral. Conclui-se que além do desenho do trabalho é importante levar em consideração que interações justas no trabalho podem incrementar a satisfação laboral. Diseño del trabajo y satisfacción: el rol modulador de la justicia organizacional Resumen La crisis económica ha implicado un aumento general de las demandas laborales y una reducción de las compensaciones, modificando la equidad en las relaciones laborales. En este estudio longitudinal, analizamos los efectos moduladores de la justicia organizacional entre las características del trabajo y la satisfacción laboral. 593 empleados de 42 empresas españolas contestaron el cuestionario en dos momentos temporales distintos. Los resultados mostraron que las características de la tarea y las sociales, así como la justicia distributiva en tiempo 1 predicen la satisfacción laboral en tiempo 2. Además, se encontró un efecto de interacción entre las características de tarea y la justicia interaccional sobre la satisfacción laboral. En conclusión, además del diseño del puesto es importante tener en cuenta que interacciones justas en el trabajo pueden incrementar la satisfacción laboral.