Happiness, Achievement or Money: Testing a Multidimensional Model of Success among Bulgarian Social Media Users

Abstract

Some of the biggest challenges in one’s life include self-actualization and achieving success. Feeling successful in turbulent times has become more and more challenging. The goal of this paper is to introduce a multidimensional model of success and test it among a non-representative sample (N = 1063) of digital users in Bulgaria. According to the model, success beliefs are culturally specific and comprise four dimensions: happiness, achievement, material well-being, and social capital. The research method includes non-representative snowball sampling among Bulgarian social media users on Facebook and LinkedIn. A descriptive statistical analysis was used for the validation of data. The results show that participants consider themselves to be moderately successful. Respondents positively associate success with most factors, except for public influence (social capital) and material property (well-being). Digital users associate success the most with happiness and the least with social capital. They perceive success as an intangible and emotional concept, rather than a material one. The participants who feel moderately or completely unsuccessful associate success primarily with material possessions (well-being) and connections (social capital). It is suggested to continue researching this topic in a representative study among Bulgarian and even foreign citizens. The multidimensional model of success is an applicable research tool for future research in business and organizational management.