Psychological capital of individuals: what contributions for organizations?

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Published: Dec 21, 2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2014.n1.v5.701
Keywords:
Psychological capital organizations employees

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Hugo Manuel de Oliveira Lucas
Leiria
Lisete dos Santos Mendes Monico
Universidad de Coimbra
Florencio Vicente Castro
UNEX

Abstract

The research about positive psychology establishes a link between high levels of optimism and hope with the physiological state and psychological well-being of individuals. The present article analyses the Psychological Capital and its pertinence in the current contextualization of organizations. The following are considered POB (Positive Organizational Behaviour) states: hope, resilience, trust and optimism. The sample is composed by 301 employees from Portuguese organizations, aged between 18 and 67 and with diverse academic qualifications and organizational functions. We applied the PsyCap Questionnaire (Luthans, Youssef, and Avolio, 2007), comprising four factors: Hope, Resilience, Optimism, and Self efficiency. The results indicate that the highest score corresponds to Self-efficiency, followed by Hope, Resilience and, lastly, Optimism. The psychological capital is analyzed according to personal data (gender, age, and academic qualifications), information concerning professional status (professional situation, time of work in the organization, managerial duties performance, and liquid monthly salary), and the organizational variables (size of the organization). The results are discussed taking into account the contributions of positive psychological capital, and the impact of current crisis scenario in lower levels of optimism.

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How to Cite
de Oliveira Lucas, H. M., dos Santos Mendes Monico, L., & Vicente Castro, F. (2014). Psychological capital of individuals: what contributions for organizations?. International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology. Revista INFAD De Psicología., 5(1), 417–426. https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2014.n1.v5.701
Issue
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2014): THE POWER OF EMOTIONS: POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Section
Articles
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