Optimism at Work: Human Resource Management

The promotion of optimism at work, particularly, though not exclusively, in the United States, has in recent years featured prominently in the never-ending organisational quest to increase productivity and secure competitive advantage. The key agents of this are employers and managers, operating within the general area of what is now usually referred to as human resource management (HRM). Indeed, according to some analysts, the nurturing of an optimistic attitude within the workforce has now become central to the HRM function. Michelle Conlin, for example,

BusinessWeek’s

senior writer on working life and the labour market, noted in 2009 that:

Most human resource managers base their motivational policies on a simple psychological premise: that optimistic engaged employees are more productive and hence can help their employers grow and make more money. Put simply, workplace optimism, if nurtured properly, can be a competitive advantage.

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