There is a wealth of literature on job satisfaction from both Western and Eastern experiences and perspectives, but the literature is limited when it comes to happiness at work, especially in the Arab region. This study is an attempt to encourage research studies in the field of happiness at work in the Middle East and specifically in the United Arab Emirates, the context of the present research, to influence planning in government organisations in implementing a strategy for long-term impacts on happiness levels. This research uses a mixed methods approach of both questionnaires and interviews to collect data. The analysis is conducted by using quantitative and qualitative tools to recognise the gaps and the factors that influence happiness at work and suggests recommendations in order to raise happiness across organisations over the long run. The findings of this study emphasise the necessity of correlating HRM practices, rules and systems with strategic planning that focuses on employee happiness as the greatest purpose of an organisation. The findings emphasise the power of three factors related to employees' feelings towards work which are: Leadership style, organisational culture and organisation structure and how reflecting them in an organisation will positively influence satisfaction and build a strong, positive and happy workplace. This research also discusses one of the controversial inquiries found in the literature about the relationship between job satisfaction and happiness. A conceptual framework is suggested to illustrate the connection between job satisfaction and happiness from a new perspective and clarify how these two concepts positively interact. It clarifies that organisations that indicate a high-level of happiness at work usually indicate a high-level of job satisfaction, and when an organisation achieves a high-level of job satisfaction, it can be deduced that people in the organisation are happy, even where happiness per se is not measured. The findings also show that the role of religion in raising happiness in general is clearer than its role in raising happiness at work and that employees from the sample group, who emphasise the importance of practicing religious rituals, still indicate low feelings towards work regardless of all the facilities that are provided to them to practice their religion.

Happiness has recently gained interest as an influential variable in managing the employment relationship, as studies have suggested benefits for productivity and performance. Knowledge on workplace happiness is, however, still relatively limited and more understanding is needed on employee perceptions and benefits of and expectations for happiness, as well as happiness responsibility. Qualitative approaches can provide new information on such a highly subjective and complex phenomenon as happiness, which has mainly been addressed with quantitative methods. 24 young professionals from various fields, based in Edinburgh, took part in this study. They were requested to take photos when experiencing work-­‐ related happiness during a two-­‐week period. Afterwards they were asked to talk through their photos. Narratives were supported by semi-­‐structured interviews. Data was analysed using thematic inductive coding, leaning on the framework from Fisher (2010), psychological contract (Rousseau, 1989) and interactionist perspective (Ahuvia et al., 2015). Collected data revealed insights into workplace happiness expectations, enablers, responsibility and happiness concepts. Participants emphasised the importance of workplace happiness and expectations to be happy at work. Happiness was seen to improve performance and social behaviour, but there was also a pressure to be happy at work. The five main happiness enablers were: having sense of control, work going well, doing something that matters, physical environment and working with friends. Participants highlighted their responsibility for their own happiness at work, however, shared responsibility was also proposed. The results suggest that young professionals want to be happy at work. If they are not, they are likely to leave. The happiness requirement is mainly based on expectations on authenticity, work-­‐life integration and being a good employee. The findings suggest that listening to the employees and enhancing conversations is the key in creating happier workplaces. This study also shows how happiness is better elucidated through empirical narratives than through intellectual abstractions and definitions. Theoretical contributions include four pathways into happiness responsibility, clarifying and reasoning the importance of the five main happiness enablers and providing suggestions to existing happiness models. On the practical side, this study contributes to the gaps of knowledge from the employees' point of view based on lived-­‐experiences. It deepens understanding of employee happiness, providing vital information for the HR/management personnel, policy makers and academics about the values and expectations of young professionals. Furthermore, it supplies new insights into elucidating employee happiness, by explaining the advantages and challenges of using narrative methods and visual data.

Studien syftar till att undersöka den upplevda arbetsglädjen hos anställda inom Piteå kommun samt om det finns förbättringsområden som kommunen kan arbeta med för att öka arbetsglädjen. Dessutom undersöks om det finns några skillnader i arbetsglädje mellan olika grupper inom Piteå kommun. Förutom detta undersöks om det finns något samband mellan den upplevda arbetsglädjen hos den anställde och den anställdes attityd till sjukfrånvaro. Även skillnader i attityder till sjukfrånvaro mellan olika grupper studeras. Data samlades in med en enkät. Totalt deltog 865 anställda.Arbetsglädjen inom Piteå kommun är överlag hög. Vissa skillnader finns i arbetsglädje mellan förvaltningar, yrken och befattningar. Även vissa skillnader i attityder till sjukfrånvaro finns mellan yrken, heltid respektive deltid och mellan befattningar. Inget samband mellan total arbetsglädje och attityd till sjukfrånvaro hittades. Däremot framkom en svag negativ korrelation mellan arbetsglädje och sjukanmälan vid nekad ledighet, vilket innebär att om arbetsglädjen ökar så anses det som mindre okej att sjukanmäla sig. Vidare, en svag positiv korrelation framkom mellan arbetsglädje och sjukanmälan vid förkylning och låg feber, detta betyder att om arbetsglädjen ökar så ökar även attityden att det är okej att sjukskriva sig. / This study aims at investigating employees of Piteå municipality’s perceived happiness at work and possible areas of improvement to help increase perceived happiness. In addition, it investigates whether there are any differences in perceived happiness between different groups within the municipality of Piteå. In addition to this, it investigates if there is any correlation between the experienced happiness of the employee and the employee’s attitude towards sickness absence. Additionally, it explores attitudes towards sickness absence between groups. Data was collected with a survey. A total of 865 employees participated. The perceived happiness at work within Piteå municipality is overall high. There are some differences in happiness between different administrations, occupations and positions. There are also some differences in attitudes towards sickness absence between occupations, part- and full-time employment and between positions. No relation was found between overall happiness at work and the total score for attitudes towards sickness absence.It did however show a weak negative correlation between happiness at work and reporting sick when denied leave, which means that if the perceived happiness at work increases, the attitude towards reporting sick decreases. Further, a weak positive correlation was found between happiness at work and reporting sick with a mild cold and low fever, which means that if perceived happiness at work increases so will the attitude towards reporting sick.

Analysis of Happiness Management in Organizations in the Czech Republic Bc. Marie Kotálová Abstract: The objective of this thesis is to analyse the forms of happiness management in the Czech republic, focusing on the activities and competencies of happiness managers. Firstly, the premises and psychological origins of happiness management in organisations are discussed. Then, the implementation of happiness management into a business setting is scrutinised, its goals and tools, with due attention given to happiness managers and the position they occupy within their respective organisations. The paper includes a qualitative study in select Czech organisations, which have introduced the position of a happiness manager. A semi-structured interview with these very managers was the method of choice. The aim of the study is the cataloguing and comparison of various happiness management forms; happiness manager activities and responsibilities, as well as their qualifications and competency profiles within the selected organisations. Key words: happiness, happiness at work, positive psychology, happiness management, happiness manager

El objetivo principal de esta tesis es desarrollar un plan de negocios para la creación de una empresa basada en una plataforma de venta de cursos online. Inicialmente, el público objetivo serán los líderes de la pequeña y mediana empresa local y a largo plazo la comunidad empresarial de habla hispana. En la actualidad el uso intensivo del Internet ha generado una revolución en diversas áreas, como el entretenimiento, la productividad, las transacciones comerciales, las capacitaciones entre muchas más. En nuestro caso las capacitaciones, o cursos en línea, han creado una verdadera democratización de la educación, cada día los precios bajan y la calidad mejora. En cualquier parte del mundo, una persona con un Smartphone y acceso a internet puede recibir un entrenamiento de calidad con muy baja inversión o gratis. Todas las instituciones educativas tradicionales de primer nivel, han iniciado en la última década sus procesos de transformación digital hacia esta tendencia. La investigación de la competencia, nos ayudó a desarrollar una estrategia de diferenciación para ingresar al mercado. Empresas exitosas orientadas a la capacitación como CREHANA y PLATZI buscaron en sus primeras etapas la especialización como diferenciación. CREHANA inició orientada al diseño digital y web, migrando al mediano plazo a todos los temas creativos. PLATZI inició especializándose en programación, diversificando su cartera a mediano plazo con temas como la tecnología en general, el emprendimiento, el marketing digital y el desarrollo personal. En nuestro caso, gracias a los estudios de mercado, entrevistas de profundidad e investigando las tendencias, la especialización será orientada a temas de habilidades blandas, mejora de clima laboral y la empatía, todo orientado a crear culturas organizacionales FELICES para que logren ser más PRODUCTIVAS. Por tal razón el nombre tentativo de esta plataforma seria PRODUCTIVIDADFELIZ.ORG / The main objective of this thesis is to develop a business plan for the creation of a company based on a platform for selling online courses. Initially, the target audience will be the leaders of the small and medium-sized local business and in the long term the Spanish-speaking business community. At present, the intensive use of the Internet has generated a revolution in several areas, such as entertainment, productivity, commercial transactions, training among others. In our case, the trainings, or online courses, have created a true democratization of education, every day, prices fall and quality improves. Anywhere in the world, a person with a Smartphone and Internet access can receive quality training with very low investment or free. All the traditional educational institutions of first level, have initiated in the last decade their processes of digital transformation towards this tendency. The competition research helped us to develop a differentiation strategy to enter the market. Successful companies oriented to training, such as CREHANA and PLATZI, sought in their early stages the specialization for differentiation. CREHANA started with digital and web design, migrating in the medium term to all creative themes. PLATZI started specializing in programming, diversifying its portfolio in the medium term with topics such as general technology, entrepreneurship, digital marketing and personal development. In our case, thanks to market studies, in-depth interviews and trends analysis. The specialization will be oriented to soft skills, work climate improvement and empathy, all aimed at creating HAPPY organizational cultures so that they can be MORE PRODUCTIVE. For this reason the tentative name of this platform would be PRODUCTIVIDADFELIZ.ORG / Tesis

This paper aims to examine further how and when the phenomenon of humour is used in the workplace and how it leads to inclusion and exclusion. Since the middle of the 20th century, research has repeatedly shown the positive impact of humour on individuals' health and performance at work. Humour has a dual function as both an including and excluding practice, and it has the potential to both maintain and challenge relationships and group cohesion. The findings suggest that humour has a central and essential role in the workplace. With the help of humour, one can approach challenging situations, whether it is about the first meeting with strangers or dealing with conflicts. The findings also suggest how humour can make social structures and norms visible that strive to preserve the group culture and the social order. This paper concludes that when group members become aware of those standards, they could re-evaluate if it appears offensive and exclusive. With this study, we want to make organizations in Sweden aware of the positive effects of humour on working life and its prominent place on the organizational management's agenda.