Character Strengths: Person–Environment Fit and Relationships With Job and Life Satisfaction

Abstract

Several studies demonstrated the relevance of character strengths in the workplace. For example, it has been shown that they positively relate to performance and are strong predictors of job satisfaction. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that occupational groups differ in their average levels of character strengths. However, little is known about the effects of the congruence between a person's strengths profile with the average profile within an occupational group (environmental congruence) on well-being. In a nationally representative sample (N = 870) of employed adults, we analyzed data on character strengths (t1), and measures of job and life satisfaction at three different time points (t1-t3; separated by 1 year). We studied (1) whether employees in different occupational groups differ with regard to their levels and configurations of character strengths, (2) how levels and configurations of character strengths relate to concurrent and predictive job and life satisfaction, and (3) whether a fit between strengths of a person and the environment goes along with current and future job and life satisfaction. Results confirmed previous findings that small, but meaningful, differences in character strengths among employees in different occupational groups can be found and that character strengths positively relate to current and prospective job and life satisfaction. Furthermore, results suggested that a better person-environment fit goes along with higher job and life satisfaction. These results suggest character strengths and could play an important role in vocational and career counseling.

Character Strengths in the Life Domains of Work, Education, Leisure, and Relationships and Their Associations With Flourishing

“…Qual. Life 15, 307-328. doi: 10.1007/s11482-018-9695-z Wagner, L., Holenstein, M., Wepf, H., and Ruch, W. (2020b). Character strengths are related to students' achievement, flow experiences, and enjoyment in teacher-centered learning, individual, and group work beyond cognitive ability.…”

“…While the character strengths associated most strongly with job satisfaction overlap with those most strongly associated with life satisfaction (i.e., zest, hope, curiosity, love, and gratitude), differential relationships were also found for different occupational subgroups (Peterson et al, 2010;Heintz and Ruch, 2020). Gander et al (2020b) recently showed in a sample that was nationally representative for Switzerland that work satisfaction is not only concurrently but also predictively related to character strengths (i.e., zest, love, kindness, social intelligence, leadership, forgiveness, gratitude, and hope showed positive relationships at all time points). Underlining the role of the work context, a fit with the typical character strengths' configuration in the occupational group is also relevant for job satisfaction (Peterson et al, 2010;Gander et al, 2020b).…”

“…Gander et al (2020b) recently showed in a sample that was nationally representative for Switzerland that work satisfaction is not only concurrently but also predictively related to character strengths (i.e., zest, love, kindness, social intelligence, leadership, forgiveness, gratitude, and hope showed positive relationships at all time points). Underlining the role of the work context, a fit with the typical character strengths' configuration in the occupational group is also relevant for job satisfaction (Peterson et al, 2010;Gander et al, 2020b). Gander et al (2012) found that character strengths explained 35% of the variance in satisfaction with work results (as compared with 53% of the variance in life satisfaction), with the character strengths of hope, perseverance, zest, curiosity, perspective, and bravery yielding the highest correlations.…”

The Relationships of Team Role- and Character Strengths-Balance With Individual and Team-Level Satisfaction and Performance

“…The present study had six main aims: first, we aimed at examining the relationships between current and ideal team roles and character strengths with work-related outcomes. Thereby, we intended to corroborate earlier findings on positive relationships of team roles (Gander et al, 2018;Ruch et al, 2018) and character strengths (e.g., Harzer and Ruch, 2014;Gander et al, 2020;Heintz and Ruch, 2020;Huber et al, 2020) with work-related outcomes and extending these findings by analyzing hitherto not studied outcomes, such as team performance and teamwork quality, and by additionally considering the team-level perspective. In line with previous findings, we expected positive relationships of all current team roles with work satisfaction, teamwork quality, and performance because enactment of these roles is considered conducive to achieving work tasks as well as to being satisfied with one's work.…”

Life Satisfaction of Young Female Factory Workers in Developing Countries: A Grounded Theory Approach to Develop a Model

“…Previous researches on life satisfaction can also be classified into two categories according to its' focusses, which are specific domains of life include, for instance, research on marriage and subjective well-being [11, 12,13]; Job satisfaction and life satisfaction [14,15,16] and research on health and subjective well-being [17,18,19]. Thus, the focus on research on life satisfaction can be subjective as well as objective too.…”