Resilience isn’t enough: An investigation into the relationship between resilience and thriving at work — ASN Events
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  3. Resilience isn’t enough: An investigation into the relationship between resilience and thriving at work

Resilience isn’t enough: An investigation into the relationship between resilience and thriving at work (#682)

Rosie Hancock 1
  1. University of Herts, Harpenden, HERTS, United Kingdom

Background 

Resilience is often thought of as ‘bouncing back’ to a previous level of functioning when faced with adversity (Luthans, 2002). But what does it take to do better than that: to thrive? How does resilience relate to thriving? Are they different or part of the same spectrum? How can organizations support employees not just to survive, but to thrive? Very little research has been done on these questions for knowledge workers. 

Aims 

This research program explores the relationship between resilience and thriving at work. The ultimate goal is to identify evidence-based interventions that encourage thriving at work. 

Methods 

Several studies are in progress:  

  • A correlational study using validated scales of Wellbeing (ONS4, VanderWeele et al., 2020), Resilience (Brief Resilience Scale, Smith et al., 2008) and Thriving at work (Porath et al., 2012) International (mostly UK) sample N=243; Correlation/Regression analysis to explore relationships.
  • Identification of common antecedents and outcomes through examination of recent structured reviews and meta-analyses into resilience at work (e.g., Hartmann et al., 2020) and thriving at work (e.g., Goh et al., 2022; Kleine et al., 2019).
  • Another study using the above measures along with validated scales for identified common outcomes (Work Engagement, Career Satisfaction, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, Task performance, Psychological/Physical health). Correlation/Regression analysis to explore relationships between all concepts.
  • Interviews with participants in multiple countries (UK, US, Australia and NZ) to discuss their experiences of both resilience and thriving at work, using a Critical Incident approach. Themes resulting from qualitative analysis will add richness to the understanding of the relationship between resilience and thriving at work. 

Results 

Results so far show a moderate correlation (r=0.363, p<0.001) between resilience and thriving at work plus 16 common antecedents, 8 common outcomes and 4 factors that are both. Further results are expected by end 2022. 

Conclusion 

Better understanding the relationship between resilience and thriving at work will help identify/develop evidence-based interventions to help employees thrive, not just survive. 

  1. VanderWeele, T. J., Trudel-Fitzgerald, C., Allin, P., Farrelly, C., Fletcher, G., Frederick, D. E., ... & Kubzansky, L. D. (2020). Current recommendations on the selection of measures for well-being. Preventive Medicine, 133, 106004.
  2. Smith, B. W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008). The brief resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back. International journal of behavioral medicine, 15(3), 194-200.
  3. Porath, C., Spreitzer, G., Gibson, C., & Garnett, F. G. (2012). Thriving at work: Toward its measurement, construct validation, and theoretical refinement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(2), 250-275.
  4. Hartmann, S., Weiss, M., Newman, A., & Hoegl, M. (2020). Resilience in the workplace: A multilevel review and synthesis. Applied Psychology, 69(3), 913-959.
  5. Goh, Z., Eva, N., Kiazad, K., Jack, G. A., De Cieri, H., & Spreitzer, G. M. (2022). An integrative multilevel review of thriving at work: Assessing progress and promise. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43(2), 197-213.
  6. Kleine, A. K., Rudolph, C. W., & Zacher, H. (2019). Thriving at work: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 40(9-10), 973-999.
  • Please select up to 3 keywords from the following list to best describe your submission content: Business and Organizations, Career and Work, Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth
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