University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

The happiness design: an innovation study

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The happiness design: an innovation study

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Content Running head: HAPPINESS DESIGN 1

The Happiness Design: An Innovation Study

by

Sheba Ehteshami

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2018

Copyright 2018 Sheba Ehteshami
HAPPINESS DESIGN 2
Acknowledgements
“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
Dylan Thomas (1953) inspired me twelve years ago. Thanks Dylan, I’ll keep raging.

My population of study AKA my fantastic co-happinessers, co-workers, and
co-everythingers, thanks for sharing your POVs with me. Because there’s no ‘I’ in data.

And to Dr. Picus, for walking with me on this journey.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 3
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 2
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 9
Chapter One: Introduction of the Problem Practice 10
Organizational Context and Mission 10
Related Literature 11
Importance of the Organizational Innovation 15
Organizational Performance Goal 15
Description of Stakeholder Groups 16
Stakeholder Group for the Study 17
Purpose of the Project and Questions 19
Methodological Framework 20
Definition of Terms 20
Organization of the Dissertation 21
Chapter Two: Literature Review 22
Framework Overview 22
Conceptual Framework 22
Knowledge and Skills 24
Motivation 29
Organizational Influences 34
Cultural Models and Cultural Settings 34
Summary 39
Chapter Three: Methods 41
Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Stakeholders’ Knowledge, Motivation,
and the Organizational Context 42
Participating Stakeholders 46
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale 46
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale 46
Interview and/or Focus Group Sampling Criteria and Rationale 47
Interview Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale 47
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale 47
Observation Sampling (Access) Strategy and Rationale 48
Data Collection and Instrumentation 48
Surveys 49
Interviews 50
Observations 51
Data Analysis 52
Credibility and Trustworthiness 52
Validity and Reliability 53
Ethics 53
Limitations and Delimitations 55
Chapter Four: Results and Findings 56
Participating Stakeholders 56
HAPPINESS DESIGN 4
Data Collection and Validity 57
Results 58
Interview Demographics 58
Observation Demographics 58
Survey Demographics 58
Knowledge Results 59
Motivation Results 68
Organizational Results 72
Findings 77
Does Employee Happiness Relate to Individual Performance at Mark 78
Finding #1 79
Finding #2 80
Finding #3 81
Finding #4 82
Does Creativity and Happiness Play into Optimizing People’s Capabilities at
Mark 82
Finding #5 83
Finding #6 84
Finding #7 84
Finding #8 85
Synthesis 86
Chapter Five: Solutions and Implementation 87
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences 88
Knowledge Recommendations 88
Motivation Recommendations 91
Organization Recommendations 94
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 96
Implementation and Evaluation Framework 96
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations 96
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators 97
Level 3: Behavior 98
Level 2: Learning 101
Level 1: Reaction 107
Evaluation Tools 108
Data Analysis and Reporting 110
Summary 111
Limitations of Study 112
Recommendations for Future Research 113
Chapter Six: Outlining the Journey 114
Approach 114
Wave 0: Confirm 117
Wave 1: Frame 119
Wave 2: Act 122
Wave 3: Measure and Refine 124
Wave 4: Scale 126
References 127
HAPPINESS DESIGN 5
Appendices 134
Appendix A: Survey Items 134
Appendix B: Interview Protocol 138
Appendix C: Observation Protocol 140
Appendix D: Informed Consent/Information Sheet 141
Appendix E: Recruitment Letter 144

HAPPINESS DESIGN 6
List of Tables
Table 1: Organization and Stakeholder Goals and Knowledge Influences 29
Table 2: Organization and Stakeholder Goals and Motivation Influences 33
Table 3: Organizational Influences 39
Table 4: Validation of Assumed Knowledge Causes 60
Table 5: Validation of Assumed Motivation Causes 68
Table 6: Validation of Assumed Organization Causes 73
Table 7: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 88
Table 8: Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 91
Table 9: Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations 94
Table 10: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 98
Table 11: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Employees 99
Table 12: Required Drivers to Support New Reviewers’ Critical Behaviors 100
Table 13: Training Program Framework 103
Table 14: Course Module Sample Agenda – Design-Thinking Principles 105
Table 15: Components of Learning for the Program 107
Table 16: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 108
Table 17: Key Performance Indicators for Program Success 121

HAPPINESS DESIGN 7
List of Figures
Figure 1: Study Methodology 42
Figure 2: Relationship between Organization and Staff 44
Figure 3: Overall Impact of Happiness on Performance at Work 63
Figure 4: Net Promoter Score of Happiness on Performance at Work 64
Figure 5: Top Primary Drivers of Optimal Performance at Mark 65
Figure 6: Impact of Happiness at Work on Performing Work Responsibilities 66
Figure 7: Importance of Creative Freedom to the Individual and Mark 67
Figure 8: Impact of Happiness at Work on Commitment and Purpose at Mark 70
Figure 9: Organizational Measurement Mechanisms for Capturing Employee
Experience 71
Figure 10: Tangible and Intangible Organizational Enablers of Creativity 72
Figure 11: Overall Ability to be Freely Authentic at Work 74
Figure 12: Net Promoter Score of Ability to be Freely Authentic at Work 74
Figure 13: Perspectives on Things that Inspire People in Life and at Work 76
Figure 14: Perspectives on the Impact of Happiness at Work 77
Figure 15: Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences Diagram 78
Figure 16: Visualized data analytics dashboard 111
Figure 17: Programmatic Approach for Implementing the Happiness Design at Mark 116
Figure 18: Timeline of Activities 116
Figure 19: Activities and Outputs Expected for Wave 0 119
Figure 20: Activities and Outputs Expected for Wave 1 122
Figure 21: Activities and Outputs Expected for Wave 2 124
HAPPINESS DESIGN 8
Figure 22: Activities and Outputs Expected for Wave 3 125
Figure 23: Activities and Outputs Expected for Wave 4 126
HAPPINESS DESIGN 9
Abstract

This study investigated the knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements
necessary for understanding the implications of happiness on performance in the
workplace. Using the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis, a set of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational assumed influences were documented based on the
support of literature and generated hypotheses. Subsequently, data was collected through
interviews and surveys and triangulated via observations. A subset of the assumed
influences were validated based on collected data, indicating that while happiness is not a
clear indicator of performance, it does have a direct correlation with an individual’s
desire to go above and beyond expected responsibilities, particularly as it relates to
embedding creativity in assignments.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 10
Chapter One:

Introduction of the Problem of Practice

Today’s corporate cultural challenges, including social, ethnic, gender, and
economic awareness, must be addressed by agile leadership who encompass a diverse set
of perspectives in guiding better performance outcomes (Foster, 2000). Leaders can
encourage the use of qualitative metrics such as happiness, joy, and a lens of diversity as
key catalysts of optimal performance in the workplace; there may be a relationship
between gender, happiness, and professional performance. Additionally, tangential
dimensions of variability in performance may be a result of tension, negativity, and
suffering (Wright, 2010). Adults in the United States lose an average of 3.4 “mentally
unhealthy” days over a 30-day time period, (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[CDC], 2011). Further research performed by the CDC indicates that adults with
depression lose an average of 4.8 workdays and exemplify a loss in productivity for
approximately 11.5 days (CDC, 2013). Corporate environments that are not directly
addressing qualitative indicators such as diversity and happiness may adversely influence
organizational performance.
Organizational Context and Mission
Mark (pseudonym) is an international firm providing an array of services
concentrating in its three iron arms – tax, audit, and consulting. Albeit currently having a
global footprint, the prime focus of this paper was centered on its local offices based in
the United States. Mark, although headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, has established
offices in almost every major city spanning from the East to the West coast in an effort to
meet the needs of its clients who also are located across the country. The mission of
HAPPINESS DESIGN 11
Mark is to serve its clients and provide services tailored to meeting particular business
needs. The ambiguity of this mission is due to the variability in the services that are
provided by Mark, and thus must fit the mold of all aspects of the firm. While this
organization may be a large-scale endeavor to undertake, the concentration for this study
was placed within the realm of innovation services within the consulting arm.
The innovation services department of Mark is a national practice tailored to
consulting with multiple industries (e.g., healthcare, consumer and industrial products,
energy and oil) on a multitude of projects ranging from process improvement, cost
reduction, and strategic planning. Throughout the fruition of this project, there were
approximately 120 total consultants in the practice, ranging from associate (lowest level)
to partnership (highest level) (Mark, 2016). Across these 120, there were a total of 20 in
senior leadership who vary by race, ethnicity, and gender. The remaining consultants
consisted of a relatively equitable spread of men and women, ranging in ages from 22 to
50; however, there was only one African-American, and few individuals of other ethnic
minorities (e.g., Asian, Hispanic). The primary breakdown of roles between staff and
leadership was highly dependent on the project and business request. On some projects,
staff would serve in leadership capacities given the smaller nature of the project. On
other projects, staff would serve as analytical support resources for performing
quantitative analytics to support findings and recommendations for the project.
Related Literature
Performance improvement and revenue growth are foundational pillars for
organizational success (Schulte & Vainio, 2010). As such, organizations use many
different methods for measuring, driving, and manipulating influential variables that
HAPPINESS DESIGN 12
ultimately control the outcomes of both constructs. Commonly used measures such as
improved revenue margin and cash acceleration assess financial trends; quantitative
variables are currently used by organizations to measure resources on performance
outcomes and tie these outcomes to general productivity over a period (Schulte & Vainio,
2010). While financial drivers are an important component of maintaining the overall
structural viability of an organization, qualitative variables may be a significant driver of
structural health. The Happy Planet Index, a global index that measures sustainable well-
being, ranks the United States as 105 out of 151 using its methodology for assessing
components of human well-being, life expectancy, and ecological footprint (Abdallah,
Michaelson, Shah, Stoll, & Marks, 2012). In addition, it is important to note that the
United States was ranked as having the seventh densest ecological footprint per capita of
7.2 across the world (Abdallah et al., 2012). The world average ecological footprint per
capita was 2.7 (Abdallah et al., 2012). While there are limited data available conveying
correlations of happiness to organizational improvement, data at the aggregate national
level may be used to suggest relative correlations at the organizational level. For
example, in an IBM study, qualitative data were gathered through interviews with
employees across various geographies and synthesized at the national level (Hofstede,
Neuijen, Ohayv & Sanders, 1990). Subsequently, researchers conveyed several national
idiosyncrasies and nuances that applied to each of the countries, but used the data at the
national level to provide context on corporate culture at the organizational level
(Hofstede et al., 1990). Tying elements of well-being may indicate an opportunity for
organizational growth.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 13
Without the inclusion of measurable soft factors such as resource happiness,
personal perspective and gender diversity, the long-term utility associated with
quantitative indicators (e.g., revenue and margin) may become diminished (Schulte &
Vainio, 2010). Furthermore, while income is important to measure, non-fiscal factors
that influence individual happiness, such as health and marital status, can have a greater
impact on human growth by upwards of 88% (Ball & Chernova, 2008). Potential
predictions of organizational performance can also be supported by viewing elements of
employee well-being as a contributor to downstream fiscal outcomes (Harter, Schmidt,
Asplund, Killham, & Agrawal, 2010). The utility of economical progression (e.g.,
money) is closely related to happiness, but is not absolute; the importance of money is
closely related to an individual’s perception of his or her own overall happiness (Adler &
Posner, 2008). Structural usage of qualitative indicators, such as happiness, may be an
important factor to consider for long-term organizational sustainability. Furthermore,
factors such as history, experience, and socioeconomic factors influence individual
happiness.
Organizations are discouraged from using qualitative factors to drive
sustainability due to conflicting definitions and general fluidity of specific qualitative
terms. As happiness has not been consistently defined in research, organizations may not
be able to leverage this variable in determining productivity and performance for its
employees (Fordyce, 1988). An inability to normalize happiness as a methodology or
approach lends itself to significant criticism. A critical weakness in strengthening
happiness research beyond the anthropological and sociological realms is its inherent bias
(Ferrer-i-Carbonell & Frijters, 2004). However, there are research studies that propose a
HAPPINESS DESIGN 14
set of variables that determine an individual’s happiness. Martin Seligman (2002)
indicates that an individual’s happiness level is defined by an equation: H (happiness) =
S (happiness set point as determined at birth) + C (life circumstances influenced by an
individual’s singular temperament and character such as depression) + V (intentional and
voluntary activities).
Bias, or subjectivity, also varies each individual’s perception and subsequently
limits the ability to standardize the approach to including happiness as a performance
indicator (Fordyce, 1988). As a result, there are limitations in available data for
adequately determining variation in defining happiness and the application of subjectivity
to its definition (Wish, 1986). Happiness’ elasticity has also resulted in much scrutiny
and discrepancy in its definition and subsequent use. For example, when organizations
attempt to improve a singular factor of an individual’s happiness, another factor of their
happiness or psychological well-being may be adversely impacted (Grant, Christianson,
& Price, 2007). In addition, happiness is perceived at the individual level and is defined
in questionnaires and surveys inconsistently; for example, using an integer scale for
measuring one’s satisfaction with life may not be a consistent interpretation of one’s
happiness (White, 2013). As a result, happiness, as a performance metric, may be
analyzed at the individual resource level. Human behavior conveys itself in discrete
episodes, which makes it difficult to consolidate organization-wide (Dalal, Lam, Weiss,
Welch, & Hulin, 2009). Although each individual’s perspective and drivers of happiness
varies, the correlation of variables influencing happiness is direct up to a specific point
(Leslie, Aaker, & Robin, 2010).

HAPPINESS DESIGN 15
Importance of the Organizational Innovation
It is important for the organization to implement an integrated methodology for
assessing productivity and driving performance improvement for a variety of reasons.
With the onset of global business, corporate organizations must maximize opportunities
regarding growth and development for their resources in order to adequately compete in
the marketplace (Rosenwald, 2011). Organizations need to ensure that the right resources
are positioned in the right layers of management in order to effectively instill and manage
change (Foster, 2000). Beyond ensuring resource adequacy, organizations must
recognize continued employee effectiveness outside of quantitative measures; qualitative
measures of happiness, which have long-term implications in the workplace for
employees, are catalysts for deploying greater success within the workplace (Dalal et al.,
2009). In an effort to promote performance, it is important to understand each
individual’s perception of workplace satisfaction as a singular measure of happiness
(Oswald, Proto, & Sgroi, 2015). The consequences of this problem, without creating a
framework that addresses both diversity and happiness as organizational drivers of
performance, include the potential for the organization to financially plateau, lose their
competitive edge in the global marketplace, and potentially decrease resource retention.
Organizational Performance Goal
As previously discussed, Mark’s mission statement is vague and subject to the
high variability in services rendered by the organization. In an effort to recognize a
performance goal that can be achieved and maintained by the organization, the
performance goal that is discussed is centered on achieving a specific outcome based on
the recognized problem at hand. By June 2019, Mark’s innovation services department
HAPPINESS DESIGN 16
can implement a methodology for assessing qualitative indicators of employee happiness
on a continual basis, and track the indicators alongside a baseline of individual
performance. Qualitative indicators of happiness, satisfaction, and well-being can
tracked and trended for each individual, and measured against a set of goals established
by the individual. Individual performance can be defined as the measurement of
reduction in errors in completed deliverables and documents, delays in timelines and set
expectations, and overall cadence in the continuity of communication (Dalal et al., 2009).
The goal of this methodology involved maintaining, at minimum, a 70%
compliance rate by each individual, which was driven by ensuring feedback is gathered in
a timely fashion by the employee’s supervisor. Furthermore, the goal was to create an
innovative infrastructure for sustaining a direct, positive correlation between the
qualitative indicator trends and the performance outputs. This goal was established by a
group of industry leaders, both internal and external to Mark, who understand the
nuances of the organizational construct and services provided. While this type of
innovation is not common in the industry, it may be the first of its kind and subsequently
will serve as its own benchmark and means of comparison. A toolkit can be used to track
and trend the measures and outputs, in an effort to address whether the performance goal
will be achieved or not.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
The stakeholders associated with a professional services firm vary based on the
specific department. As it pertains to the innovation consulting unit, the stakeholders
includes all staff and management within the practice; each individual who was directly
employed by the practice contributes to the overarching performance and outcomes of the
HAPPINESS DESIGN 17
practice. Furthermore, employees were parsed into groups by defined titles (e.g.,
consultant, senior consultant, manager). In addition to the individuals directly employed
by the organization, clients were direct stakeholders of the organization, as they receive
benefits from services that are rendered. For the purposes of this study, only direct
employees of Mark have been addressed. In the role of a senior leader, employees are
responsible for the overarching success of procuring new clients and ensuring a
continuous revenue stream. By demonstrating a sustained relationship with clients, value
is provided to Mark as it continues to receive revenue. As such, it is implied that projects
are successful. In turn, employees perceive a sense of value when clients return to them
seeking additional help. This cyclical relationship is the basis for success at Mark. These
individuals also are responsible for coaching and mentoring junior staff, and assuming
overall responsibility for the success of each project (subsequently leading to additional
projects for the practice). In the role of a junior staff members, individuals are
responsible for ensuring completion of all project-related activities. Furthermore, junior
staff members are positioned to communicate to leadership if they are unable to meet
their expectations within a specific time period. Overall performance for both leadership
and junior staff are highly dependent on each other, predominantly as the department
works within a team-based structure. As such, it is important to understand leading
contributors of performance at both levels of the organization and department.
Stakeholder Group for the Study
Stakeholders play a critical role in determining areas of strengths and
opportunities for an organization. As described above, each internal stakeholder
understands the intricacies of the organization; the external stakeholder, as an individual
HAPPINESS DESIGN 18
impacted by the organization and the recipient of outputs, provides a different perception.
It is imperative to address both internal and external stakeholders as they are the sources
of knowledge for addressing organizational awareness. However, due to ethical
considerations, this study only encompassed internal stakeholders, specifically managers
and staff level resources. In considering the development of a model that will alleviate
organizational barriers, engaging stakeholders early on may achieve buy-in and thus
achieve anticipated outcomes in a more quickly. In the realm of professional services,
stakeholders and human capital are the primary assets of the organization. This notion is
the foundation for recognizing the importance of engaging stakeholders. Some of the
potential consequences of not engaging organizational leadership and clients of the
organization include an inability to implement pilot programs and innovative models for
the addressed topic, an inability to truly gain insight into the day-to-day operations of the
organization and perspectives of the addressed topic, and an inability to have a holistic
view of the addressed topic.
A core component of fact-finding for the innovation model would be to gather
information from stakeholders across the internal and external spectrums, and particularly
cross various staffing levels of the organization. Given conflicts of interest, external
stakeholders have been excluded from this research study. However, there may have
been different outputs given experiences by staffing level, mainly as it relates to the
ability to guide others and to be in positions for decision-making and change, as well as
tenure within the organization. Furthermore, there may have been an opportunity to
assess the impact of ancillary perspectives – indicating, individuals who may not be in
direct positions of power, or may not be in direct positions of influence by the
HAPPINESS DESIGN 19
organization, but may indirectly impact the organization overall (e.g., human resources
and talent management). Prior to engaging the stakeholders, all parties that should be
surveyed and interviewed in an effort to retrieve an equitable amount of data from the
population of interest has been documented. Also, the survey and interview questions
have been expanded upon to include free text and static responses.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project was to perform an assessment of the innovation
services department of Mark pertaining to perspectives of performance, current
organizational structures in place regarding happiness, and organizational culture and
awareness. The results of this assessment have subsequently guided the development of a
thought framework to be used to advance organizational performance and outputs by
leveraging happiness as a core variable. A thought framework has hinged upon
qualitative and quantitative data gathered through an examination of publicly available
data and survey responses from critical stakeholders, in an effort to accurately and
extensively address current barriers to enhancing organizational performance. While the
assessment considers feedback gathered from a plethora of stakeholders, the key
stakeholder to be focused on for the purposes of this project is employees aligned to the
innovation services department, including staff individuals and individuals in positions of
decision-making and power as it relates to organizational talent management. In an effort
to ensure that the stakeholders provided adequate information regarding the
aforementioned focal and tangential topics, specific questions have been developed and
used during in-person and electronically-driven interviews.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 20
As such, the questions that have been used as primary objectives for this
examination are the following:
1. Does employee happiness relate to individual performance at Mark?
2. Does creativity and happiness play into optimizing people’s capabilities at Mark?
Methodological Framework
The Clark and Estes (2008) framework for performance improvement has been
used as a conceptual foundation for performing a gap analysis and has served as a
tangential foundation for this innovation study. The approach for this study, an
innovation model, was to determine the stakeholder groups’ needs in order to address
methods for achieving the respective performance goal. Determinants of the performance
goals have be validated through surveys, in-person individual interviews, and literature
review. Assumed causes of performance needs were generated based on context gained
from literature review. Based on the aforementioned review and information gathering
performed, an innovative model has been created and recommended.
Definition of Terms
Consulting (or Client Service, or Professional Service) – The provision of expert
knowledge from a third party entity regarding a myriad of business decisions for a
professional fee (Business Dictionary, 2017).
Happiness – H (happiness) = S (happiness set point as determined at birth) + C (life
circumstances influenced by an individual’s singular temperament and character such as
depression) + V (intentional and voluntary activities) (Seligman, 2002).
Management (or Management Level Individuals) – Employees of Mark that serve in a
managerial capacity, including oversight of staff, budget, and projects.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 21
Staff (or Staff Level Individuals) – Employees of Mark that report to management, and
serve as support for projects.
Organization of the Dissertation
This dissertation has been organized into six chapters. Chapter One discusses the
purpose of the research study and provides a background of the organizational problem,
including corporate context related to the importance of performance at work. Chapter
One also outlines the organizational goal and mission, in addition to a broad introduction
of key stakeholders and study participants. Chapter Two provides a current review of
literature foundational to understanding happiness and individual performance, and
organized into the knowledge, skills, and motivational elements that influence the topic
of study. Chapter Three details the overarching methodology for the study including
choice of participants, data collection and instruments, data analysis, and concerning
issues related to ethics. Chapter Four provides results from data collection
methodologies and associated findings for validated hypotheses. Chapter Five
subsequently ties solutions to each of the validated hypotheses, as well as identified
learning goals for the stakeholder population. The final chapter discusses tactical
methods for an implementation plan.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 22
Chapter Two:
Literature Review
This chapter provides a review of the literature which addresses qualitative
variables, such as happiness, their correlating influence on financial outcomes, and the
overarching long-term utility associated with using soft variables to drive organizational
growth at Mark. Without the inclusion of measurable soft factors such as resource
happiness, the long-term utility of quantitative indicators such as revenue growth may
become diminished (Schulte & Vainio, 2010). As such, this chapter is divided into
several major sections tied to literary support for implementing happiness as a significant
performance variable. The first section will provide a review of indicators and
definitions regarding happiness and well-being, particularly as it relates to organizational
efficacy. The second section will discuss the relationship between financial utility and
happiness. Finally, the third section will provide a review of organizational and societal
perceptions of happiness, as well as the influence of diversity on happiness. Each section
of Chapter Two serves as a supportive pillar for understanding a complete and holistic
view on happiness and its influence on organizational growth.
Framework Overview
Conceptual Framework
The Clark and Estes (2008) framework for performance improvement suggests
three core components to be addressed – knowledge, motivation, and organization. It is
critical for individuals working within the confines of a professional environment to
possess skills, knowledge, competencies, and specific organizational awareness to exceed
in the workplace, especially if individuals are measured on their performance over a
HAPPINESS DESIGN 23
period of time (Clark & Estes, 2008). Knowledge and learning are distinct and
foundational to performance, and provide insight to specific, discrete competencies in
which individuals should possess (e.g., awareness of technique or models) (Clark &
Estes, 2008). According to Clark and Estes (2008), there are three core components to
the notion of motivation in the workplace, particularly as it relates to pursuing methods
towards achieving a goal – active choice, persistence, and mental effort. Active choice is
commonly described as an individual’s mindful intent to accomplish a goal, keenly and
willingly (Clark & Estes, 2008). Persistence is defined as how an individual may balance
and prioritize multiple goals, especially as it pertains to accomplishing goals that may be
weighed greater than lower prioritized goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Last, mental effort
conveys an individual’s direct investment to a goal, and provides insight into allocation
of time and effort to a goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). The third component of the Clark and
Estes (2008) framework is with regards to an overarching organizational awareness,
specifically as it pertains to cultural models and cultural settings that exist within the
organization. Cultural models concentrate on the values, beliefs, and attitudes that are
embedded within an organization’s invisible culture (e.g., dishonesty, pessimism,
helplessness) (Clark & Estes, 2008). Cultural settings are different than models whereby
it provides insight to visible manifestations of the cultural model that exists (e.g., lack of
communication, high employee turnover) (Clark & Estes, 2008). The framework that has
been established is important to understand, particularly as there are synergies that exist
between the elements of knowledge, motivation, and organization.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 24
Knowledge and Skills
Organizational practices within the corporate professional services environment
surrounding knowledge and learning influence an employee’s ability to be successful in
the workplace. These practices have the capacity to shape individuals, transform
individual areas of opportunity, and provide great insight into the intellectual strength of
an organization (Hetzner, Heid, & Gruber, 2012). However, if not managed or executed
appropriately, tactical learning activities can manifest into valuable time that is taken
away from other organizational priorities and movement away from the core business
priority of Mark – client service delivery. As such, it is critical for individuals working
within the confines of this professional environment to possess knowledge and technical
skills essential for succeeding in the workplace, particularly since individuals are
measured on their performance over a period of time (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Furthermore, most industries experience constant change over time, thus requesting
services from professional services organizations. Individuals must be prepared to toggle
between different projects, be nimble in their ability to adapt to various client
environments, and engage with the client knowledgeably. This serves as an example of
agility in knowledge, particularly in understanding that learning may transpire in both
direct and unanticipated forms (Alexander, Schallert, & Reynolds, 2009). Without an
awareness of knowledge needs in the workplace, organizational practices focused on
performance improvement may not be implemented and sustained.
It is important to recognize the overarching mission of the organization – to be the
standard of excellence in professional services and an undisputed leader. The opacity of
this mission statement is due to the variability in services rendered by the organization.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 25
However, regardless of the mission statement, it is clear that ensuring that the services
delivered by the company’s resources are strong and well-executed is critical to the
organization. The intent of this knowledge analysis is to address the knowledge and
skills necessary for staff to achieve a goal of 10% improved performance outcomes as
compared to organizational competitors outside of Mark by the performance year end
2019. The forthcoming review of literature targets knowledge influences regarding
matters of an individual’s happiness, self-driven creativity, and self-reflection within the
workplace, as key influences of achieving the stakeholder goal.
Knowledge influences. This section provides an overview of literature analyzed
for the purposes of determining knowledge types essential for stakeholder goal
achievement. Each knowledge type falls into a taxonomic category that provides insight
into how the individual may comprehend and synthesize learning in the workplace.
These four taxonomic categories, as revised and defined by Krathwohl (2002), classify
statements of knowledge into factual knowledge, conceptual knowledge, procedural
knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge. This knowledge analysis will consider
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge types to support stakeholder
learning needs. It is important to categorize the stakeholder learning influences into these
categories as each knowledge dimension provides distinct foundations and structures
unique to that knowledge type. Krathwohl (2002) describes the knowledge dimensions
as follows: (a) conceptual knowledge: knowledge as parts of a whole (e.g., principles,
theories, models); (b) procedural knowledge: policies and methods for completing a
particular task (e.g., technique, procedures); and (c): metacognitive knowledge: self-
cognitive awareness (e.g., reflective activities). Each learning requirement identified for
HAPPINESS DESIGN 26
stakeholders within this analysis fall into each discussed dimension, in order to fully
capture tactful and appropriate mechanisms for successful implementation.
Happiness at work. Staff level resources need knowledge of different levers that
drive happiness at work. This conceptual knowledge considers an individual’s ability to
determine how happiness in the workplace may be defined, what activities contribute to a
sense of happiness, and the relationship between happiness and performance.
Organizations have previously circumvented including happiness as part of resource
indicators due to its multi-dimensional nature (White, 2013). As happiness has not been
consistently defined in research, it is important to recognize that organizations may not be
able to leverage this variable in determining productivity and performance for its
employees (Fordyce, 1988). Albeit the difficulty in using a consistent definition for
happiness at the organizational level, research suggests leveraging measures of happiness
in the workplace such as employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment
(Hung, Rundall, Cohen, Tallia, & Crabtree, 2006). Hung et al. (2006) found that
employee engagement directly correlated with improved productivity, increased staff
retention, and a feeling of fulfillment by the job. Harter et al. (2006) has also indicated
that there are positive and predictive relationships between employee perspective and
business outcomes. Furthermore, employees are influenced by their attitude, particularly
in actively applying themselves, positively interacting with peers, and improving their
overall performance (Harter et al., 2010).
Connecting self-reflective activities to overall performance. Staff level
resources need to know how to connect self-reflective activities to overall performance.
Self-reflection, as a component to overall learning, may serve as a lever for improved job
HAPPINESS DESIGN 27
retention within an organization. As a procedural knowledge type, staff level resources
need to know how to apply methods and approaches to bridge knowledge gaps
discovered through self-reflection on an ongoing basis within the workplace.
Organizations that foster a strong organizational identity through self-reflective activities
had reduced turnover as a result of increased job satisfaction (Valentine, Godkin,
Fleischman, & Kidwell, 2010). There is a meaningful relationship between performance,
self-reflection, quality improvement, and job satisfaction (Selby et al., 2010). It is
important to discuss measures of happiness in the workplace as an input for performance.
The correlation across these performance variables is driven by organizational inputs
such as social desirability, corporate ethical values, and turnover intention (Valentine et
al., 2010). Staff level resources must learn different mechanisms for performing self-
reflective activities in the workplace in order to promote both goal achievement and
improvement in quality of outputs. This must further be supported by the organization by
establishing self-reflection as a pillar to overall goal achievement.
Self-assessment for knowledge of creativity. Staff level individuals need to
self-assess their knowledge of inspiring creativity through idea generation. Self-
assessments and personal reflection, as a metacognitive knowledge type, are essential for
not only scaling employee satisfaction, but also creating an environment in which
individuals can view themselves as self-efficacious and overcome barriers to productivity
(Mulki, Lassk, & Jaramillo, 2008). Metacognition, as a reference to an individual’s
ability to evaluate and infer on their own knowledge, is a significant component of an
employee’s perception of workload and sense of value (Bandura, 2005). This is based on
social cognitive theory, where individuals form self-perceptions regarding their
HAPPINESS DESIGN 28
capabilities, subsequent stress, and workload; the outcome has an impact on each
individual’s confidence in the workplace (Bandura, 2005). Qualitative indicators such as
comfort and open dialogue drive creativity in the workplace; when individuals are
encouraged and have a sense of acceptance, it fosters creativity.
Employees that feel a sense of value and self-efficacy adapt better to job
challenges and are better equipped to handle the coinciding stress (Mulki et al., 2008).
Furthermore, because creativity demonstrated by one employee inspires creativity in
others, it is essential to understand that creativity skills are necessary to the effectiveness
of a team (Valentine et al., 2010). Creativity is the ability to develop novel and new ideas
for a particular workplace (Amabile & Khlaire, 2008). The impact of creativity on team
cohesion is facilitated by self-reflective measures around creativity as it may aid in
improving employee engagement, subsequently improving performance and productivity
at both the individual and organizational levels.
Each identified knowledge influence, as described by the knowledge category it
falls into, must be further analyzed in order to frame achievement of the overarching
stakeholder goal, as well as the organizational global goal. As shown in Table 1, the
three aforementioned knowledge influences are essential pieces to ensuring that the
stakeholder goal can be met; usage of appropriate strategies and assessments to determine
where gaps may exist is imperative to establishing a true understanding of where the
organization stands from a performance perspective (Clark & Estes, 2008).

HAPPINESS DESIGN 29
Table 1
Organization and Stakeholder Goals and Knowledge Influences
Organizational Mission
Our vision is unchanging: We aspire to be the Standard of Excellence, the first choice
of the most sought-after clients and talent.
Organizational Global Goal
Staff level resources will produce 10% better performance outcomes by December 31,
2019 through emphasizing happiness in the workplace.
Stakeholder Goal
By December 31, 2019, staff level resources will improve engagement by 10%.
Knowledge Influence Knowledge Type Knowledge Influence
Assessment
Staff level resources need
to know levers that drive
happiness at work, such as
self-engagement and
reflection.
Declarative (conceptual) Survey on effectiveness; job
satisfaction scores; turnover
and retention rates; return on
investment
Staff level resources need
to know how to connect
self-reflective activities to
overall performance.
Procedural Tracking of new ideas over
time; thought management
and leadership; impact of
ideas on products and
solutions sold in the
marketplace (subsequent
revenues generated from
creative tools)
Staff level resources need
to self-assess for their
knowledge of inspiring
creativity through idea
generation.
Metacognitive Qualitative observation of
reflections; inclusion of half
hour per week where
resources are asked to reflect
and meditate on the week’s
progress (measurement of
before and after)

Motivation
According to Clark and Estes (2008), there are three core components to the
notion of motivation in the workplace, particularly as it relates to pursuing methods
towards achieving a goal – active choice, persistence, and mental effort. Active choice is
commonly described as an individual’s mindful intent to accomplish a goal, keenly and
HAPPINESS DESIGN 30
willingly (Clark & Estes, 2008). Persistence is defined as how an individual may balance
and prioritize multiple goals, especially as it pertains to accomplishing goals that may be
weighed greater than lower prioritized goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Last, mental effort
conveys an individual’s direct investment to a goal, and provides insight into allocation
of time and effort to a goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). These three motivational indicators
provide insight into the “how” and “why” of stakeholders’ adequacy of goal
achievement, desire to succeed in goal achievement, and underlying qualitative reasons
for pursuing goal achievement (Clark & Estes, 2008). As Clark and Estes (2008) have
described across these three motivational indicators, it is imperative to ensure that
motivational drivers are addressed through the lens of these categories. The purpose of
this motivation analysis is to address gaps in motivational drivers in which staff level
resources must consider in order to accomplish both the organizational and stakeholder
goals. A literature review has been performed in order to support two motivation
influences, self-efficacy theory and expectancy value theory, which target the motivation
gap analysis.
Self-Efficacy Theory. The self-efficacy theory uses Bandura’s (2005) social
cognitive theory as a foundation for describing how individuals perceive their capabilities
(Pajares, 2006). Self-efficacy, as a source for individual motivation, includes factors
such as well-being and personal accomplishment through the lens of themselves and
influenced by the social and verbal expressions of external parties (Pajares, 2006).
Feeling efficacious contributes to confidence in the workplace, which has a direct
correlation with improved retention rates (Mulki et al., 2008). In contrast, feelings of
stress and anxiety contribute to a sense of doubt and despondency, which has an
HAPPINESS DESIGN 31
influence on the individual’s behavior within the organization (Pajares, 2006). The
perceptions that staff level resources have of themselves as important contributors to the
overall success of the organizations are critical.
Staff Level Resource Self-Efficacy. Staff level resources need to believe that
they are capable of doing their jobs effectively and/or creatively. According to Spreitzer
(1995), self-perception, as a factor of empowerment, is a source of improved
performance and creativity in the workplace. It is further described that while
empowerment is a psychological element, it is deeper than a singular notion, including
self-determination, sense of having meaningful work, and impact (Spreitzer, 1995).
These cognitive constructs contribute to staff level resources in finding value in the work
that they perform, and subsequently feel and believe that they are performing their jobs
effectively. The effects of happiness and overall well-being on an individual’s sense of
self, influences not only emotions in the workplace, but also an individual’s overall
perspective of their true, authentic selves; this substantiates the inclusion of self-
reflection in the workplace. Individuals who have a higher authentic perspective of
themselves experience less negative emotions, leading to improved, effective
performance in the workplace (Sloan, 2007). Positive perceptions of self-efficacy by
staff level resources are a foundational component of ensuring that they remain motivated
in their jobs as demonstrated by behavior, which impacts their ability to perform better.
Expectancy Value Motivational Theory. The expectancy value motivational
theory conveys the relationship between achievement, expectations, and the value an
individual finds within these factors (Eccles, 2006). Literature suggests that while
mastery is a significant component of the expectancy-value theory, finding joy, interest,
HAPPINESS DESIGN 32
and a sense of rewards, as compared to a tasks cost, is a strong predictor of overall
performance and goal achievement (Eccles, 2006; Pajares, 2006). Topics of utility value,
intrinsic value, and attainment value are core to the overarching expectancy value theory,
and describe how an individual may find value in the work they do. Utility value is
defined as the correlation between a particular task as it relates to an individual’s goals
and whether it fulfills the goal (Eccles, 2006). Attainment value shows the relationship
between a task and its correlation to an individual’s identity (Eccles, 2006). Finally,
intrinsic value refers to the fulfillment or joy an individual experiences from a particular
task (Eccles, 2006). An individual’s motivation and desire to perform a task due to its
value can lead to greater performance outcomes, particularly at the staff level of the
organization.
Value in Being Creative and Efficacious. While it is important for staff level
resources to believe that they are capable in their jobs, it is also important to ensure that
their jobs yield personal and professional value both for the individual and for the
organization. Staff level resources should find intrinsic value in being creative and
efficacious in their jobs. Literature suggests that individual attitudes toward a conscious
work effort, which may be conveyed through personal initiative, impacts outcomes
(Hetzner et al., 2012). Cognitive learning through reflection and being a proactive
employee demonstrates encouragement and workplace consciousness, otherwise
described as voluntarily improving performance and workplace conditions (Hetzner et al.,
2012). Furthermore, staff level resources have a downstream impact caused by
organizational culture and negative environments, thus depleting the value that may have
previously existed. As such, it is essential to ensure that employee’s find value in the
HAPPINESS DESIGN 33
work that is performed on a rolling basis by capturing feedback so as to avoid destructive
behavior (Reynolds, 2007). Staff level resources that perceive value through their
performance and accomplishments may have improved engagement and productivity at
work. Motivational influences on employee performance and productivity must be
further assessed and reviewed in order to understand a whole picture of the current state.
Table 2 shows the motivational influences that have been identified for the purposes of
staff level resource goal achievement, and overarching influence on achieving
organizational global goals.

Table 2
Organization and Stakeholder Goals and Motivation Influences
Organizational Mission
Our vision is unchanging: We aspire to be the Standard of Excellence, the first choice
of the most sought-after clients and talent.
Organizational Global Goal
Staff level resources will produce 10% better performance outcomes by December 31,
2019 through emphasizing happiness in the workplace.
Stakeholder Goal
By December 31, 2019, improve staff level engagement by 10%.
Motivational Indicator(s)
Assumed Motivation Influences Motivational Influence Assessment
Self-Efficacy – Staff level resources need
to believe that they are capable of doing
their jobs effectively and/or creatively
Written survey item – “I feel confident
about my ability to differentiate solutions
we create for our client deliverables”
[strongly disagree – strongly agree]
Interview item – “How do you feel about
your ability to differentiate solutions for
client deliverables?”
Expectancy Value – Staff level resources
should find value in being creative and
efficacious in their jobs
Written survey item – “I feel valued in my
job and can creatively create solutions”
[strongly disagree – strongly agree]
Interview item – “Do you feel efficacious
in your job”

HAPPINESS DESIGN 34
Organizational Influences
An organization has the ability to cultivate a culture that can significantly
influence an individual’s enthusiasm and happiness within the workplace. While
knowledge and motivation are both contributors to an individual’s ability to navigate
within the organization, individuals must be able to have organizational resources
available to them to complete the task (Clark & Estes, 2008). This component of the
paper provides a review of literature related organizational influences on culture,
subsequently leading to staff level resources’ ability to sustain and grow in performance.
Furthermore, the literature serves as support for Mark’s mission involving its ability to
maintain the highest standard of excellence. As a part of the core purpose of this paper,
the literature digs deep into evaluating cultural elements of virtue, competition, morale,
and an impact by leadership on staff.
Cultural Models and Cultural Settings
Culture is a tangible aspect of an organization’s identity. There are several
aspects of culture that are discussed by multiple authors. According to Erez and Gati
(2004) culture can be present across multiple layers of the organization, vertically and
horizontally, and at both the individual and group levels. Schein (2004) also discusses
culture from the individual’s lens, where culture is embedded into the interactions,
behaviors, and overall function of the organization. Finally, culture can be seen as a
condition that is created and maintained by the people of an organization, as people are
the organization itself (Schneider, Brief, & Guzzo, 1996). While there are different
variations regarding both the definition and implication of culture, it is assumed across all
that culture is a central component to an organization’s success. Furthermore,
HAPPINESS DESIGN 35
organizations should aspire to come experiential for their employees, as experiential
employers tend to have happier employees with larger talent pipelines and greater
productivity (Morgan, 2017). The notion of culture can be parsed into settings and
models, both in which are interrelated. Cultural models are mostly invisible and naturally
engrained in the organization; examples include resistance to change, lack of trust, and
hostile attitudes. Conversely, cultural settings are visible and can be detected via
behaviors within. In an effort to have a complete view of Mark’s culture and its
influence on the organization, it is imperative to understand both cultural models and
settings within the organization.
Cultural model: virtue. The concept of organizational virtue refers to the
practice and perpetual dispersal of humanity, integrity, forgiveness, and trust at both
individual and collective levels of an organization (Cameron, Bright, & Caza, 2004).
Organizational performance increases when individuals communicate constantly and
candidly to others about plans and processes (Clark & Estes, 2008). Specifically, virtue
can be broken into six categories: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and
transcendence (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Virtue, as a contributor to happiness, is
essential for positive outward behaviors and inward positive emotions experienced.
Individuals who are happy as a result of feeling positive moods tend to convey altruistic
behaviors, enabling strength in team camaraderie and feelings of successful contributions
to work (Isen, 1984). Furthermore, individuals with positive perceptions of an
organization’s virtue correlate with an increase in individual happiness (Rego, Ribeiro, &
Cunho, 2010). As such, organizations must create a culture that promotes a sense of
purpose in order to engage employees, sustain positivity and optimism across teams, and
HAPPINESS DESIGN 36
demonstrate compassion, courtesy, and empathy towards one another in order to
reinforce a virtuous environment.
Virtue and staff level resources. The relationship between virtue, behavior, and
happiness indicate a need for organizational leaders to gain an understanding and
awareness for its impact on staff perceptions. Staff level perceptions of organizational
virtue impact citizenship behavior conveyed by the individual, and ultimately result in the
level of the individual’s happiness (Rego et al., 2010). It is important to understand the
relationship between virtue and citizenship behavior as the latter contributes directly to an
increase in performance (Podsakoff & MacKenzie, 1997). Model behavior of virtue
exhibited by leaders is essential in the workplace as staff may exude similar behavior.
According to Baker et al (2006), individuals tend to mimic the behavior they perceive
within the organization. For example, staff may feel compelled to collaborate with team
members if supervisors either produce collaborative behaviors and/or verbalize the
importance of collaborative behaviors. Furthermore, an individual’s contribution to the
organization’s overall performance may improve as a result of developing trust and a
sense of loyalty to the organization (Bagozzi, 2003).
Gender equality and staff level resources. Organizations are not confident in
placing women in managerial and leadership roles (Nelson, 2000). Individuals may feel
reluctant to view women as adequate leaders, thus contributing to an assumed gender
hierarchy within the organization. For example, female staff level resources view
barriers to climbing the leadership ladder, otherwise referred to as societal concepts of
“glass ceiling,” “glass elevator,” and “glass cliff”. These transparent barriers to
advancement are intangible obstacles that limit female employees to grow in corporate
HAPPINESS DESIGN 37
roles (Nelson, 2000). While women experience these ideologies, the converse of this
provides a view of men who can be accelerated through organizational ranks, regardless
of gender domination within that industry (Ryan & Haslam, 2007). Subsequently, the
representation of women in male-dominated arenas such as sports are difficult to
penetrate and occupy by women (Sartore & Cunningham, 2007). The history of these
perceptions has translated into stereotypical occupying of staff level resources by women
and leadership resources by men, particularly in male-dominated industries (Sartore &
Cunningham, 2007).
Cultural setting: relatability. Organizational leaders and management styles
influence resource personal growth and perceptions of well-being in the workplace.
Leaders within organizations influence perceptions of impact, productivity, and staff
importance. Specifically, individuals in leadership perceive employee happiness as a
direct correlation with effort and output (Grant et al., 2007). Influencing happiness at
work and subsequently measuring its output can be useful in predicting work
performance. For example, developing individual goals provide an opportunity for
individuals to look at as an impetus (Kendrick, 1987). Understanding unhappiness within
the workplace is central to determining the scale of positive interactions, or lack thereof,
amongst employees. Employees are influenced by their attitude, particularly in actively
applying themselves and interacting with other employees (Harter et al., 2010). The lack
of leadership recognition in determining creative ways to influence happiness at work is
an example of organizational unawareness of key qualitative indicators that influence
performance. Without implementing a different perspective for driving greater employee
HAPPINESS DESIGN 38
performance, leadership will not be able to improve overall staff morale, engagement,
and downstream productivity.
Relatability and staff level resources. Individuals in management roles
influence staff level resource perception of overall commitment and dedication to the
organization. Managerial styles and practices influence the overall happiness of
individuals by providing opportunities for staff to form relationships with management,
which provides a lens of equality and horizontal hierarchy within the organization (Grant
et al., 2007). Furthermore, when positive interactions transpire between employees,
individuals feel an improved sense of well-being (Bradbury & Lichtenstein, 2000). It is
suggested that rather than concentrating on embedding competition into the
organizational culture, it may be more fruitful to instill team-building. Team-building
concentrates on improving the social aspects of professional relationships and can
improve group cohesion leading to feelings of encouragement (Thye & Lawler, 2002).
Employee perceptions of each other and of management plays a significant role in the
cultural setting of an organization. Furthermore, the impact of competition within
organizational culture may vary by organization, also affecting team relatability; it is
fundamental for organizations to have insight to the multiple dimensions of relations
between staff and management. Positive social relationships are an integral part of
sustaining healthy professional relations in organizations and overall growth in
performance and wealth (Requena, 2003).

HAPPINESS DESIGN 39
Table 3
Organizational Influences
Organizational Mission
Our vision is unchanging: We aspire to be the Standard of Excellence, the first choice
of the most sought-after clients and talent.
Organizational Global Goal
Staff level resources will produce 10% better performance outcomes by December 31,
2019 through emphasizing happiness in the workplace.
Stakeholder Goal
By December 31, 2019, resources will improve engagement by 10%.
Motivational Indicator(s)
Assumed Organizational
Influences
Organizational Influence Assessment
Cultural Model Influence:
Resources believe that
management lack virtue,
causing barriers to achieving
goals.
Survey or observations about perceptions of virtue
across the organization
Cultural Setting Influence:
Lack of gender equality in the
workplace creates a gender
hierarchy and lack of
relatability in the workplace.
Survey or interview questions about elements of
gender equality in the workplace

Summary
The literature review indicates that there are multiple facets of employee
happiness that impact performance in the workplace, and addressed elements of
organizational settings and cultures that influence staff level resources’ abilities to
improve performance. Chapter Two provided insight to components of staff performance
improvement by incorporating aspects of happiness, specifically as it pertains to
individual perceptions of well-being and satisfaction. The knowledge, motivation, and
HAPPINESS DESIGN 40
organizational gaps demonstrated by staff in the workplace include aspects of self-
reflection, feelings of being valued by leadership, self-efficacy, and an organizational
appetite for creativity. These gaps have attributed to the overall lack of improved
performance by staff in the workplace. By gaining additional insight into the personal
sensitivities and beliefs of staff on the impact of happiness in individual performance is
imperative to understanding overall organizational performance improvement.
Furthermore, the aforementioned knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences,
specifically all theories addressed, have been used to develop an innovational model of
including happiness within the performance measurement structure. This study will use a
mixed methods approach via discrete quantitative questionnaire and key interviews to
validate gathered assumptions.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 41
Chapter Three:
Methods
The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of happiness on perceived
improvements in work performance at Mark. As a qualitative and somewhat subjective
indicator of performance, Mark has yet to institute measurements of happiness into
overall determinations of goal achievement and performance outcomes. Mark employees
receive feedback, mostly on a bi-weekly basis, encompassing responses to approximately
four to six questions from a supervisor. While each employee, whether in a staff or
managerial position, has obligations to generate and abide by an annual development plan
aligning with organizational goals and objectives, Mark does not include elements of
happiness, well-being or motivation into its assessment of performance. This study
demonstrated happiness as a driver of performance and subsequent economic utility. The
following research questions have been explored through this study:
1. Does employee happiness relate to individual performance at Mark?
2. Does creativity and happiness play into optimizing people’s capabilities at Mark?
A mixed methods approach was used to gather qualitative and quantitative data.
Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with a small sample
size of participants. A survey with discrete and open-ended questions was administered
as a preliminary requirement for the interview. As Mark does not currently collect
happiness data, publicly available data was leveraged for the purposes of the study.
Results and findings was used as inputs for an innovation model for future usage and
implementation within the organization. Figure 1 conveys the process and anticipated
output for this study.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 42

Figure 1. Study methodology.

Conceptual Framework: The Interaction of Stakeholders’ Knowledge, Motivation,
and the Organizational Context
The conceptual framework is a core component of establishing a foundational
model for understanding influencers of the research study. Merriam and Tisdell (2016)
define the conceptual framework, or theoretical framework, as an, “underlying structure,
the scaffolding or frame” (p. 84) for a study. This definition coincides with Maxwell’s
(2013) affirmation of a conceptual framework as a theory that conveys “ideas and beliefs
that you hold about the phenomena studied” (p. 39). Merriam and Tisdell (2016)
continue by elaborating on the various characteristics of the conceptual framework,
including a specific lens and vocational orientation. Based on these definitions and
attributes of a conceptual framework, there are two entities to this study’s framework –
staff individuals as a part of a larger entity. These two components, and their
HAPPINESS DESIGN 43
interdependencies, provided insight to successfully achieving a stakeholder goal of staff
individuals producing 10% better performance outcomes by December 31, 2019.
As the theoretical framework affects all elements of a study, it is critical to create
a visual that demonstrates the relationship between the stakeholder and the organization.
For this study, the stakeholder relationship does not exist mutually exclusive of the
organization, and therefore influences one another. Performance is central to the success
of each individual within the organization; static elements such as productivity and
revenue generation are oftentimes used to measure performance. Each staff individual is
responsible for punctuality and overall completion of projects and other work-related
responsibilities within the workplace. Furthermore, staff individuals are measured
individually on performance, therefore potentially excluding any critical contributors
(e.g., happiness, team attitudes) to their performance irrespective of quality outputs.
However, while individual performance is tracked and under consistent review, the
broader organization plays a role in ensuring that staff level individuals are provided the
appropriate tangible and intangible resources necessary for success. The environment,
including cultural attitudes and norms, access to resources, and communication
established by leadership within the organization is essential to overall performance by
all employees. Organizational leadership has the ability to shape individuals, particularly
in areas of growth and activities that stimulate a sense of happiness, through behaviors,
open dialogue, and showing interest in staff. Furthermore, perspectives of economic
utility and happiness are established by leadership within the organization in a traditional
hierarchical fashion. With this notion in mind, it is important to demonstrate staff
HAPPINESS DESIGN 44
individual mechanisms of performance as a subset of the overall organizational
influencers in order to address a performance goal.

Figure 2. Relationship between organization and staff.

As depicted in Figure 2, staff individuals must possess knowledge and
motivational indicators in order to achieve the aforementioned performance goal.
However, they cannot yield better performance outcomes without an understanding of the
impact of the elements of leadership and support conveyed at the organizational level.
Staff individuals must possess knowledge and use metacognitive tools related to
achieving and maintaining happiness at work, especially as it relates to self-reflective
activities and self-assessments that can generate creative behaviors. The positive
correlation between performance, self-reflection, and job satisfaction (Selby et al., 2010)
Mark
Cultural Settings and Cultural Models
(Leadership Behaviors Supporting Notions
of Happiness, Peer Value of Happiness)

Staff level resources will produce 10%
better performance outcomes by
December 31, 2019.
Staff Individuals
Self-efficacy,
Expectancy
Value, Self-
Reflection,
Engagement
HAPPINESS DESIGN 45
serves as a foundational link between individual-level activities necessary for
performance improvement; organizational inputs are necessary to drive and support these
activities. Staff individuals must also be able to understand the correlation between self-
efficacy and inspiring creativity. Creativity, defined as the development of novel and
new ideas (Amabile & Khlaire, 2008) can provide a sense of expectancy value and self-
efficacy for employees, thus driving improved well-being (Mulki et al., 2008).
Staff individual knowledge and motivation concepts are imperative to drive successful
goal achievement but are highly dependent on the overarching organization.
Staff individuals within the confines of an established organizational structure and
culture by Mark. These individuals must perform under the elements of organizational
cultures and models and are predominantly influenced by cultural elements of virtue,
competition, morale, and perspectives on leadership. Culture, while defined differently
by various researchers, is created, sustained, and manifested by the people that form the
organization (Schneider et al., 1996). The cultural norms created and subsequently
enforced by leadership not only play a critical role in direct performance improvement,
but also mechanisms for individuals to achieve and increase well-being and happiness
within the organization. The individual connections and aspirations for performance
improvement through self-efficacy, expectancy value, self-reflection, and engagement
need to be supported by leadership and the values in which they instill through the culture
of the organization. While elements of cultural models and settings such as virtue and
perceptions of leadership are intangible, components that influence individual
performance that are tangible include competition amongst staff and gender equality.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 46
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholder population of focus in this study were staff and management in
an individual department within the organization. This department provides supportive
services to both external clients as well as other internal departments. As the department
is relatively smaller than all other consulting-related departments across Mark, all
employees, regardless of staff level, were included. Employees have been categorized
into staff if they are business analysts, consultants, or senior consultants, and into
management if they are managers, senior managers, or partners. As this was a qualitative
study, the population captured through this study is representative of all staffing levels
across the organization. It is important to note that the variation in staffing level
corresponds to differences in roles and responsibilities.
Survey Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Study participants must be current employees of Mark.
Criterion 2. Study participants must either be classified as staff or managerial
positions (e.g., manager, senior manager, partner, principal, managing director
equivalents).
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
A survey was administered to all employees that are either staff or of managerial
positions within a specific department at Mark. A random sample was not conducted as
the survey participants will be selected based on the department they are currently
aligned to. It was anticipated that approximately 33 individuals will respond to the
survey, constituting 25% of all individuals within the department. While this may not be
a large sample size in comparison to the larger organization, it is feasible given data
HAPPINESS DESIGN 47
collection barriers and data availability for analysis thereafter. A survey was provided
electronically to all individuals within the target audience at the onset of the data
collection process.
Interview and/or Focus Group Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Study participants must be current employees of Mark.
Criterion 2. Study participants must either be classified as staff or managerial
positions (e.g., manager, senior manager, partner, principal, managing director
equivalents).
Criterion 3. Study participants must be mapped to the designated department
regardless of geographic location.
Interview Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
Direct one-on-one interviews were conducted for this study. Purposeful,
convenience sampling was used to select the appropriate participant population,
regardless of whether the individual completed the survey. As the specific division of
interest is scattered across multiple geographic locations, interviews that did not take
place in person transpired via online webcam. Potential interview candidates varied by
staffing level (staff vs. management) and organizational tenure in order to capture a
representation of the overall department’s population demographic. Demographic
variables such as gender, age, and race were not assessed. However, tenure with the
organization was captured.
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1. Study participants must be current employees of Mark.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 48
Criterion 2. Study participants must either be classified as staff or managerial
positions (e.g., manager, senior manager, partner, principal, managing director
equivalents).
Criterion 3. Study participants must be mapped to the designated department and
Arlington, Virginia local office.
Observation Sampling (Access) Strategy and Rationale
The location selected for observation, Arlington, Virginia, is a central hub for a
large percentage of the department’s team. Although the overall team is geographically
dispersed, this specific office serves more than half of the team and can yield a stronger
perspective regarding human interactions, behavior, teaming styles, and relationships. As
such, the researcher was positioned to perform observation sampling in this environment.
The researcher had direct access to this office and environment and did not experience
any barriers to entry. The researcher received permission and approval for conducting
research from organization leadership. The researcher performed observations
throughout the course of the study, including prior to initiating data collection methods
such as survey distribution. The researcher selected an environment that captures
dialogue and interaction amongst, at minimum, 50% of individuals within the analytics
department.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
The vehicles for data collection centered on survey distribution and in-person
interviews. Qualitative data was gathered and tabulated to derive quantitative outputs
and insights into information related to the research questions. Qualitative data was the
foundation for this research study predominantly due to the nature of the topic itself, as
HAPPINESS DESIGN 49
well as the need to capture data conveyed through words (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Surveys and interviews were selected as the principal mechanism for data collection due
to the environment of the organization – geographic orientation is a barrier to observation
and will not serve as a solid foundation. Furthermore, due to the researcher’s familiarity
with the culture of the organization, research participants may have been more apt to
provide reactions transparently through anonymous surveys and one-on-one direct
discussions. Given the nascent state of research surrounding the topic of happiness as a
performance driver in the workplace, there is an insufficient availability of substantial
documents and artifacts that can be mined for data. In order to ensure that survey and
interview questions are accurately understood by study participants, a pilot test will be
was conducted. No more than three staff and management level employees were directly
selected to provide feedback regarding their perceptions and understanding of the survey
and interview language. Feedback was subsequently applied to finalizing survey and
interview question language prior to the initiation of the study.
Surveys
A survey was administered electronically to a singular department within United.
Currently, there are approximately 131 employees within this department. All
individuals were solicited to participate in the survey voluntarily. An email was sent
including the description and research questions of the study, an incentive to participate,
and a direct link to the survey itself for interested participants. A follow-up email was
sent thanking the participant. Upon accessing the electronic link to the survey, the
participant viewed an informed consent form and notate that they have read and agree to
its terms and conditions. The survey did not have more than 30 questions, in an effort to
HAPPINESS DESIGN 50
minimalize time spent by the participant. Each question was mapped to the broader
knowledge, motivation, and organization construct of the study. In order to ensure
validity and reliability of gathered conclusions from the survey items, the researcher
leveraged the concept of triangulation with other data sources such as interviews
(Maxwell, 2013). Triangulation involves analyzing information from a variety of data
sources in order to minimalize bias or skewed logic from a singular source of data
(Maxwell, 2013). As such, text information gathered from the interviews were tabulated
as a mechanism for generating quasi-statistics to reduce bias as well.
Interviews
Individual one-on-one interviews were conducted with internal stakeholders of
the organization. Only one interview took place with each participant and was conducted
in a mixed formal and information setting and approach. The department had 131
employees across multiple staffing levels. In order to capture an accurate view of
perspectives, the researcher interviewed 10 employees from the staff level group (e.g.,
analyst, consultant, senior consultant) and 5 employees from the manager level group
(e.g., manager, senior manager). An incentive was provided for individuals to
participate. Incentives were provided due to the nature of the researcher’s relationship
with the stakeholders, as well as the topic itself. As it was important to conduct
interviews in a setting where distractions will be minimal, they were performed at the
organization onsite in a private conference room. For individuals that are not located at
the office, interviews will transpire via online webcam in order to attempt to gain a
similar environment as an in-person interview. The researcher used a semi-structured
protocol for the interview and relied on the flow of the dialogue to determine flexibility
HAPPINESS DESIGN 51
in the questions used during the interview. These questions were open-ended in order to
capture the true essence of the participant’s perspective and reaction to the questions.
According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), this type of protocol allowed for the researcher
to assume flexibility based on the participant’s feedback. The questions that were asked
tie directly with the knowledge, motivation, and organizational construct associated with
an innovation model for this study. However, assuming the topic of happiness, the
researcher also asked questions related to feelings and opinions as well.
Observations
Observations are essential for collecting information that cannot be gained
through a survey or interview, predominantly as a result of a need to determine behaviors
and actions within the natural field setting itself. According to Merriam and Tisdell
(2016), observations are conducted in order to triangulate findings from other sources of
data such as interviews, surveys, and document analyses. The researcher performed
observations in one location and environment that employs a large majority of their
department, albeit the highly non-consolidated organization of the department.
Observations are a good source for understanding additional context for the research
study particularly as it relates to human behavior and interaction that may supplement the
information gathered through interviews and survey responses. In order to ensure
accurate and detailed capture of information from an observation, it is important to be
completely present during an observation; capturing information regarding the physical
setting, participants, activities, interactions, and conversational pieces are critical
elements of detailed, descriptive field notes (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Merriam and
Tisdell (2016) also indicate that it is imperative to perform shorter, more repetitive
HAPPINESS DESIGN 52
observations in order to become better acclimated with the environment, and continue to
grow the duration of time over a period.
Data Analysis
Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted once all qualitative data was
received. Survey results were consumed and articulated in an analytical format. Data
analysis commenced at the onset of the interview process. Once all interviews were
documented, transcribed, and synthesized, information was coded in an effort to derive
quantitative results on qualitative data. Open coding was used preliminarily, followed by
the application of a priori codes, and a final round of axial codes. Patterns in themes and
ideas were used to then articulate findings and observations. As the size of the
stakeholder group is not large, means, standard deviations, and frequencies were not
used.
Credibility and Trustworthiness

As the core mechanism for gathering data for this research study was through
qualitative elements, credibility and trustworthiness are critical. Several strategies have
been used to reduce issues related to credibility and trustworthiness. First, the strategy
that was deployed for this research study to maintain credibility is triangulation.
Triangulation involves the use of gathering data through multiple sources (e.g., surveys,
interviews, observations) in order to cross-check results (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Second, respondent validation (or member checks) was used to validate initial findings;
ensuring information has not been misinterpreted is key to ruling out personal bias
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Third, the researcher’s position was clarified. Personal bias
and perspectives on the topic and proximity to the research environment was explained in
HAPPINESS DESIGN 53
order to convey any influences on the conclusions of the study (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). These strategies, as supported by literature, were used to increase credibility and
trustworthiness related to the qualitative components of this research study.
Validity and Reliability
The nature of this research study must be the basis for determining the level of
validity, particularly as validity is relative to the objective, circumstances, and purpose of
the research (Maxwell, 2013). Further, reliability is oftentimes problematic given the
fluid nature of human behavior associated with qualitative data (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). Thus, rather than focusing on study repeatability, the foundation of this study is to
ensure that the results make sense (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). As previously discussed,
this was further supported through triangulation. Several strategies have been taken to
ensure that validity and reliability are maintained within this study. The first strategy that
was employed in order to mitigate the risk of alternative interpretations of the data will be
to explicitly state the intention and hypothesis associated with this research study prior to
initiating data collection (Maxwell, 2013). In tandem, alternative hypotheses that could
be formulated from the data have been articulated throughout the course of the study
(Maxwell, 2013). The second strategy that has been used pertains to the use of quasi-
statistics. Tabulation and numerical results from qualitative data has been used to
provide conclusions and therefore serve as a mechanism for increasing confidence in data
captured from interviews (Maxwell, 2013).
Ethics
The researcher conducted qualitative research in an effort to gather individual,
unique thoughts and perspectives from employees of the organization (Merriam &
HAPPINESS DESIGN 54
Tisdell, 2016). Human subjects were the focal point of this research study. Direct
interviews were the primary mode of data collection. As such, it is imperative to ensure
that an appropriate solicitation of research participants took place, including informed
consent and confidentiality of information. Prior to initiating dialogue with the
participants, an informed consent form was provided to the participants either
electronically or hard copy, articulating that participation is voluntary and completely
confidential. Glesne (2011) discusses the importance of ensuring that the consent form
designates study participation as confidential and voluntary. The consent form also
included information for gaining the participant’s permission to voice record the
interview in order to transcribe the information; the recordings will be destroyed
immediately thereafter. Data was stored locally on a hard drive, as well as on a secure
external hard drive through the conclusion of the study. If participants were interested in
reading through written transcriptions, the researcher provided them the opportunity to do
so, particularly in order to secure this as a member check in order to confirm that accurate
data has been collected (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
The relationship between the researcher and participants is essential for ensuring
accurate collection of information without coercion or a sense of obligation felt by the
participant. As a mid-level manager of the organization, the researcher has personal
interests in deeply understanding accurate information from this research study in order
to better enable success. The researcher addressed any biases and preconceived
perceptions while analyzing and reporting data from the interviews, and created a specific
interview guide in order to ask a consistent, standard set of questions for each interview.
An interview guide was compiled. However, given the researcher’s current role,
HAPPINESS DESIGN 55
participants were provided details regarding separation of researcher and employee roles.
Participants may or may not be in a subordinate role, however, were informed that the
interview is voluntary and should not feel obligated to participate. No coercions or
provision of monetary gifts were provided as a means to collect data. However, the
researcher provided gifts at the conclusion of the study to demonstrate thanks for their
participation and support as a growing researcher. Communications regarding the
researcher role was also provided to the participants indicating that information and
results will not be relayed to anyone within the employer.
Limitations and Delimitations
There may be several limitations associated with this study. First, the highly
subjective nature of the topic of study, happiness, may interfere with the researcher’s
ability to determine discrete outcomes. Second, the availability of participants at the
chosen research site may impact the researcher’s ability to gather information from
observations; this may also impact the consistency of individuals observed, surveyed, and
interviewed. Third, considering the researcher’s relationship with study participants, the
truthfulness of responses during one-on-one interviews may not be authentic.
Delimitations may also occur from this research study. A critical delimitation of this
study is relative to the nature of happiness, which is highly individualized. As such,
takeaways and findings from this study may not be generalizable to the broader public.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 56
Chapter Four:
Results and Findings
The objective of this study was to determine how happiness may contribute to
levels of performance within the enterprise, particularly by exploring knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences. Furthermore, the study analyzes parallels
between performance and creativity, and how each might be influenced in their totality
by happiness. The Clark and Estes (2008) framework for reviewing gaps within the
organization has been applied as a foundational mechanism for creating an innovative
approach for instilling happiness measure into the workplace. This chapter presents
findings that was used as a foundation for recommendations in the following chapters.
Findings have been developed from collected and analyzed data, and have been
categorized into themes that correlate with knowledge, motivation, and organization. By
using interviews, observations, and feedback gathered through an electronic survey, the
validity of assumed causes and influences listed in Chapter Three will be demonstrated.
Participating Stakeholders
Both staff and management at Mark participated in data collection for this study.
All participants are employees within the individual analytics department in the
organization. Observations were conducted in the Washington D.C. office and validated
against survey and interview data collected from individuals mapped to that specific
office. All observations and interviews were collected in the English language; the
survey questions were provided and responded to in English also. Additionally, while
there was consistency in the stakeholders interviewed as they were all members of the
analytics department, they vary by staff level and tenure with the organization.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 57
Data Collection and Validity
Data collection for this study was conducted from July 2017 through September
2017 and included observations, survey distribution, and direct one-on-one interviews.
The order of data collection was as follows: interviews, survey distribution, and two
subsequent observations. Interviews were conducted electronically via Skype video
(including audio) and recorded for further transcription over the span of the first month of
data collection. Each interview was approximately thirty to forty-five minutes long.
After all interviews were conducted, a survey was distributed to the department
electronically. Survey questions were designed independent of interview questions and
results. Survey recipients were given two weeks to complete the survey. As a third and
final step for data collection, two observations were conducted on two separate days in
the Washington D.C. office. Qualitative data captured through interviews and
observations have been transcribed in a Microsoft Word document, and further coded and
tabulated in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. In order to validate interview responses, text
analysis from observations were gathered and concurrently tabulated to ensure that a
triangulation exercise took place. These were then converted into thematic elements
upon review and confirmation. A priori codes were initially used, but were moved into
analytic and axial coding to derive an analysis linking themes and findings with the KMO
model described by Clark and Estes (2008).
Descriptive statistics commenced at the term date of the survey distribution.
Furthermore, frequencies have been calculated for various categories of information and
data, such as demographics, tenure, and other non-Likert scale questions. The derived
themes have been parsed into sub-themes where necessary in order to derive insights
HAPPINESS DESIGN 58
gleaned from the data analysis reflective of knowledge, motivation, and organizational
concepts. Additionally, outliers have not been excluded from the data set, as an
innovation model has been developed for the intentions of embedding happiness as a
performance indicator into the workplace. This has been used to document findings and
recommendations in the following chapters.
Results
Interviewee Demographics (n=10)
The interviewee subjects comprise approximately 8% of the total employees of
the analytics department. Of all interviewees, five (50%) are defined as staff level
individuals, and five (50%) are defined as manager level individuals in leadership
positions at Mark. Four (40%) of the interviewees were female and six (60%) were male.
Additional demographic details such as tenure were not gathered from interviewees.
Observation Demographics (n=10)
Observations transpired in one of Mark’s locations in Washington D.C. The
purpose of the observations was to triangulate results and findings from interviews and
surveys. Two observations took place and both consisted of twelve employees, scattered
on the floor of the building. For the first event, eight (66%) employees were staff and
four (34%) employees were management. All individuals (100%) were male. For the
second event, six (50%) of individuals were staff and six (50%) employees were
management. All individuals (100%) were male.
Survey Demographics (n=28)
The survey respondents comprise of approximately 23% of the total employees of
the analytics department. Surveys were distributed to approximately 121 individuals.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 59
The response rate of the survey (n=28) demonstrates a 23% response rate. Of all
respondents, twelve (43%) have worked at Mark between one and three years, and ten
(36%) have worked at Mark between four and eight years. Furthermore, fifteen (54%) of
respondents are defined as staff level individuals, and thirteen (46%) are defined as
manager level individuals in leadership positions at Mark. Additional demographic
details such as gender and age were not gathered from the survey respondents.
Knowledge Results
The assumed knowledge causes outlined in Chapter Three have been validated or
not validated as described in Table 4, and further discussed in Chapter Five. Results for
each of the knowledge influences are also categorized into the context of Krathwohl’s
(2002) framework, which consists of factual, conceptual, procedural or metacognitive
types of information. As described in Chapter Three, the framework described by
Krathwohl (2002) in addition to the structure defined by Clark and Estes (2008) provide a
roadmap for this research study, predominantly as it relates to defining gaps in
information at the individual and organizational levels, and subsequently defining
evidence-based recommendations for tangible and intangible solutions.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 60
Table 4
Validation of Assumed Knowledge Causes
Category Assumed Cause Validated Not Validated
Factual (Declarative) Staff level resources
need to know levers
that drive happiness
at work, such as self-
engagement and
reflection.
Y
Procedural Staff level resources
need to know how to
connect self-
reflective activities to
overall performance.
Y
Metacognitive Staff level resources
need to self-assess for
their knowledge of
inspiring creativity
through idea
generation.
Y

Factual knowledge. Factual (declarative) knowledge relates to concrete facts
that can be solved for with specific pieces of information (Krathwohl, 2002). Factual
information is used for the purposes of this research study to provide foundational
principles, ideas, and content for the stakeholder population. For the purposes of this
research study, it is foundational for all stakeholders, independently and organizationally,
to understand a definition for happiness and parallels and differences that may exist. As
such, each interviewee was asked to provide their independent descriptions of happiness.
Each respondent had multifactorial responses. However, 100% of interviewees indicated
that time with family and friends was a critical factor. Also, involvement of emotional
senses of fulfillment and accomplishment were in 100% of responses from interviewees.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 61
As such, White’s (2013) perspective on circumventing the inclusion of happiness into
procedures and protocols at the enterprise level may not be entirely valid. White (2013)
discussed the ambiguity of defining happiness given its fluid nature and definition
differences by individual. There are factors that vary by individual, but there are also
other variables that remain to be consistent.
To assess the current state of factual knowledge, interviewees were asked to
provide perspectives on the current availability of resources provided by the organization
to enable happiness. Of the interviewee sample (n=10), 70% indicated that the provision
of people in mentorship roles is the leading resource that enables happiness in the
organization. Additionally, 100% of interviewees indicated that a financial resource –
predominantly personal time off, well-being cost coverage, and general financial support
– was the organization’s leading resource for influencing happiness at the individual
employee level. While no interviewees provided feedback related to self-reflective
activities as organizational resources for improving happiness, 100% of survey
respondents (n=28) indicated that it is important to acknowledge happiness as a central
driver of performance. All (100%) survey respondents also indicated that it is important
to acknowledge the absence of happiness as an important barrier to performance.
In addition to determining that happiness and the absence of it are both important
to understanding a full picture of performance, a scaling question was asked in order to
derive a net promoter score. The net promoter score, a calculation created by Bain and
Company, is commonly used to gauge the popularity of a topic and the strength of its
adoption at an organization. It is commonly used to determine customer satisfaction,
especially as it relates to goods and services. Organizations use this metric to determine
HAPPINESS DESIGN 62
if they are making good decisions for their customers, and then using the strength of
customer loyalty for organic growth. For the purposes of this research study, the net
promoter score can be used to measure the strength of employee perception of happiness
as a meaningful variable for performance improvement. For example, a high net
promoter score means that employees would advocate for using happiness to drive
performance growth because they believe it. Conversely, a low net promoter score
means that employees do not believe that happiness is an indicator and that they would
not advocate for it. Survey participants were asked, “On a scale from 0 to 10, please rank
the overall impact happiness has on your performance at work.” The ranking was on a
scale from 0 (not likely at all) to 10 (extremely likely). Based on their answer to the
question, respondents were categorized into detractors (responses with a rank of 0
through 6), passives (responses with a rank of 7 or 8), or promoters (responses with a
rank of 9 or 10) as defined by the net promoter system (Bain and Company, 2017). To
derive the net promoter score itself, the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of
detractors is computed. The net promoter score can range from -100% to 100%,
depending on whether the percentage of detractors exceed promoters or vice versa.
Figure 3 displays the categorization of respondents into net promoter score
groupings. Fourteen (50%) survey participants are categorized as passives, indicating
that while they believe that happiness has an impact on performance at work, they are not
enthusiastic about happiness as a key measure or indicator of good performance. Only
three (11%) of survey participants were considered as detractors – or individuals that do
not value happiness as a qualitative factor for performance and could diminish its value
by sharing these sentiments with other employees. Eleven (38%) respondents have been
HAPPINESS DESIGN 63
categorized as promoters. As indicated in Figure 4, the net promoter score for this
stakeholder population (n=28) is approximately 28%.
To further explore this, all (100%) of interviewees indicated that happiness has a
direct impact at home, mostly involving family and friends. However, only two (20%) of
interviewees indicated that there was a direct emotional impact at work, and three (30%)
indicated that they compartmentalize happiness at work in order to perform better.
Survey participants were also asked about domains of their lives that impact overall
happiness. Family (mean = 39) was selected as the primary domain, followed by a tie
between work and leisure time and extracurricular activities (mean = 27). Three survey
participants provided details of other factors of happiness, including accomplishment,
love life, and spirituality.

Figure 3. Overall impact of happiness on performance at work
HAPPINESS DESIGN 64

Figure 4. Net promoter score of impact of happiness on performance at work

Metacognitive knowledge. Staff level resources are able to weigh the value and
importance of happiness as an indicator of performance at work. However, embedding a
culture that reinforces self-reflective activities to reduce turnover and improve
performance is not evident at Mark (Valentine et al., 2010). When asked, “What are your
top primary drivers of optimal performance at work?” respondents did not present with
any indication of self-reflective activities. Therefore, there is no data available linking
self-reflective activities with performance. Measures of happiness through self-reflection
and other opportunities should be supported by the organization as there is a meaningful
relationship between performance and self-reflection (Selby et al., 2010). Self-reflective
activities also influence productivity and employee perspectives on overcoming them
(Mulki et al., 2008). Figure 5 provides responses to the top primary drivers of optimal
performance at work. Six (21%) survey participants indicated that increased pay,
whether in the form of a salary or bonus, led the desire to perform well at work.
Furthermore, eight (29%) of survey participants perform well due to having career
aspirations. No survey participants are driven primarily by professional employer
HAPPINESS DESIGN 65
requirements to perform well; seventeen (61%) respondents found professional
requirements to be the least important of drivers related to performance.

Figure 5. Top primary drivers of optimal performance at Mark

Sections of the horizontal stacked bar graph that are circled in green show the
greatest number of respondents for that particular driver of performance at work.
Twenty-four (86%) of respondents selected ‘other’ as their least important primary driver
of optimal performance but did not provide further text details. One respondent selected
‘other’ and indicated that, “Personal, learning/growth opportunities” was their primary
performance driver. Another respondent selected ‘other’ and indicated that,
“Accountability to others (people I respect/want to be respected by counting on or are
dependent on me and the work I am doing)” was their primary performance driver. It is
evident that happiness does not affect individual ability to perform work expectations.
Figure 6 provides an overview of respondent reactions to sentences linked to emotional
HAPPINESS DESIGN 66
behavior tied to direct performance at work. Survey participants largely (54%) did not
exude a strong preference for happiness as a foundation for affecting an individual’s
ability to perform baseline job responsibilities. Conversely, survey participants strongly
agreed (64%) and agreed (25%) that happiness at work affects individual desire to go
above and beyond. In addition, half (50%) of surveyed stakeholders separate emotions
while they are at work. Reactions to these indicate that employees perceive happiness to
impact emotions when it correlates with going above and beyond but not necessarily with
performing baseline job activities.

Figure 6. Impact of happiness at work on performing work responsibilities

The self-assessment of knowledge as it pertains to creativity involves a sense of
value and self-efficacy. Stakeholders must know the different aspects of creativity in
order to generate ideas and follow through with embedding creativity into the workplace
HAPPINESS DESIGN 67
and therefore improving self-perceptions of performance (Amabile & Khlaire, 2008). All
(100%) of interviewees believe that creative freedom is important to them, but 40%
believe that the freedom should have certain professional constraints, as indicated in
Figure 7. Only two (20%) of interviewees believe that Mark shares a common belief of
direct creative freedom, with four (40%) indicating that the freedom should have certain
professional constraints. Similarly, four (40%) of interviewees also indicated that they
perceive that Mark does not find creative freedom to be important. Example
descriptions of perceptions of creative freedom at Mark include, “I wish that I felt more
strongly that it did feel valued at work,” and “I would say it’s very difficult to implement
a lot of that [creativity] in general because companies are looking for more efficiencies
and less about the strategy piece, so I think more of the strategy is where you can bring
more of that [creativity].”

Figure 7. Importance of creative freedom to the individual and Mark
HAPPINESS DESIGN 68
Motivation Results
The assumed motivation causes outlined in Chapter Three have been validated or
not validated as described in Table 5, and further discussed in Chapter Five. According
to Clark and Estes (2008), there are three types of motivation in the workplace – active
choice, persistence, and mental effort. The structure for performing this motivational gap
analysis specifically looks to Bandura’s (2005) social cognitive theory of self-efficacy
and Eccles’ (2006) expectancy value motivational theory. The understanding of both of
these theories has been used as the framework for not only performing this gap analysis
but also determining appropriate findings and recommendations that will be further
explained in Chapter Five.

Table 5
Validation of Assumed Motivation Causes

Category Assumed Cause Validated Not Validated
Motivation Self-Efficacy – Staff
level resources need
to believe that they
are capable of doing
their jobs effectively
and/or creatively
Y
Motivation Expectancy Value –
Staff level resources
should find value in
being creative and
efficacious in their
jobs
Y

HAPPINESS DESIGN 69
Expectancy value. A foundational question, to derive sentiments of motivation
in the workplace, was asked to each interviewee, “We are always making choices. Are
you making work decisions for your story, for someone else’s, or both?” The
subsequent question that followed was, “How does this impact your professional
success?” All (100%) of interviewees indicated that the work decisions that were being
made were for both personal and professional underlying reasons. Some interviewees
provided commentary such as, “I make choices for personal and professional, like
moving out of one office to another is for a personal reason but it influences my
profession since I am moving from a location that is good for networking and
collaboration.” This demonstrates, at the individual level, a direct correlation between
decisions and perspectives of value between personal and professional drivers of
decision-making and downstream happiness (Hetzner et al., 2012).
Indications of parallels between individual performance and organizational
culture, and environments that influence individual performance has also been assessed.
Interviewees were asked to provide their perspectives on how Mark captures their
individual experiences at work as depicted in Figure 9. While seven (70%) of
interviewees indicated that there are mechanisms in place to capture information
regarding the employee, seven (70%) of interviewees also believe that these mechanisms
are not formal for capturing true employee experience. Five (50%) of interviewees
indicated that an annual survey was circulated by Mark but were not certain of results
from the survey and changes to firm policy based on results. Figure 8 shows responses to
ranking a series of statements related to personal sentiment and value. Twenty (71%)
surveyed stakeholders believe that they are always committed and involved; twenty-one
HAPPINESS DESIGN 70
(75%) indicated that there is a significant gap between what they would like to do and
what they have done at Mark. Fifteen (54%) have not found a strong sense of meaning
and purpose in the work that they do.

Figure 8. Impact of happiness at work on commitment and purpose at work

HAPPINESS DESIGN 71

Figure 9. Organizational measurement mechanisms for capturing employee experience

Both staff and management levels of interviewees provided similar reactions to
this question. For example, one managerial interviewee stated, “I would say that they
[Mark] don’t unless an individual person were to have taken interest in you and then
captures it somehow or captures it in our systems.” In addition, one staff level
interviewee stated, “I think there might be some higher level talent survey every year that
goes out that asks us questions about our flexibility and predictability and things like that,
but I don’t think anyone sees that information or anything that’s done with that. So
nothing.”
Furthermore, interviewees provided perspectives on both tangible and intangible
enablers of creativity by the organization depicted in Figure 10. Interviewees were
HAPPINESS DESIGN 72
asked, “What are some important enablers (e.g., leadership, access to resources, etc.) to
creativity?” Five (50%) of interviewees indicated there were tangible assets provided by
the organization to enable creativity. Five (50%) of interviewees indicated that there
were intangible assets provided by the organization to enable creativity. The three main
enablers provided by interviewees were laptops (tangible), general supplies (tangible),
and leadership support (intangible). All (100%) interviewees indicated that there are
enablers of creativity that are provided by the organization, encompassing both brackets
of intangible and tangible assets.

Figure 10. Tangible and intangible organizational enablers of creativity

Organizational Results
The assumed organizational causes outlined in Chapter three have been validated
or not validated as described in Table 6, and further discussed in Chapter Five. The Clark
and Estes (2008) framework discusses organizational influences through cultural models
and cultural settings. Culture, which can be defined in various fashions at the
organization level and at the individual level, can be visible yet inherent to the
HAPPINESS DESIGN 73
organization in full. Perceptions of organizational virtue have been vetted through this
research study.

Table 6
Validation of Assumed Organization Causes

Category Assumed Cause Validated Not Validated
Organization Resources believe
that management lack
virtue, causing
barriers to achieving
goals
Y
Organization Lack of gender
equality in the
workplace creates a
gender hierarchy and
lack of relatability in
the workplace
Y

Organizational virtue. Survey participants were asked to rank the overall ability
to freely be their authentic selves at work. The net promoter score delineation of
detractors, passives, and promoters has been used for this question, shown in Figure 11.
Twelve (43%) of survey participants are categorized as passives, indicating that do not
believe that they are able to be their authentic selves at work. Ten (36%) of survey
participants were considered as detractors, partially able to be their authentic selves.
Only six (21%) of survey participants indicated that they are able to be their authentic
selves and categorized as promoters. As aforementioned, to derive the net promoter
score itself, the percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors is taken. As
HAPPINESS DESIGN 74
indicated in Figure 12, the net promoter score for this stakeholder population (n=28) is
approximately -15%, indicating that there is a high likelihood that free authenticity is not
felt nor sustained at the company. To further explore this, half (50%) of interviewees
indicated that they are able to be authentic in the workplace, and half (50%) of
interviewees indicated that they are unable to be completely authentic in the workplace.

Figure 11. Overall ability to be freely authentic at work

Figure 12. Net promoter score of ability to be freely authentic at work
HAPPINESS DESIGN 75
Individual perceptions of citizenship behavior can correlate with improved
performance (Podsakoff & MacKenzie, 1997). In order to draw parallels, the following
question was asked via survey, “The government of Bhutan is publicly dedicated to
increasing GDH – Gross Domestic Happiness. The policy has four pillars: equitable
and sustainable economic growth, environmental conservation, cultural preservation,
and good government. Would a similar infrastructure, on an organizational scale, be
important for changing the culture of the organization for the better?” This point of
reference, while recognizing that it uses national data, is a successful representation of
large-scale transformation using happiness with a clear definition. In response to this
question, 43% answered ‘yes’, indicating that a structure that involves happiness would
be important for yielding a different, better organizational culture. Only five (18%)
indicated that it would not yield a better culture. Eleven (39%) of respondents provided a
neutral response of ‘maybe’ to this question. Subsequently, a following question was
asked related to happiness, “Would a similar infrastructure, on an organizational scale,
be important for improving employee happiness?” In response to this question, 39%
answered yes, indicating that the structure would be important for improving employee
happiness. Only two (7%) indicated that it would not yield improved employee
happiness. Fifteen (54%) of respondents indicated a neutral response of ‘maybe’ to this
question.
Inspirational sources at Mark can be categorized into three buckets – people,
emotion, and experience. Interviewees were asked to describe various sources of
inspiration and were given an opportunity to freely provide a multitude of responses. As
such, some individuals provided reactions that fell into one or more of these buckets.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 76
Five (50%) of interviewees described sources of inspiration specific to people, including
individuals in leadership roles. Five (50%) of interviewees also described sources of
inspiration tied to emotions, such as making a difference and feeling passion. Eight
(80%) of interviewees provided at least one element of experiential influence such as
culture, music or art, categorized as ‘experience’ in Figure 13. Correlating with this, all
(100%) interviewees indicated that inspirations and availability of creative freedom either
directly influences the desire to be creative in the workplace, or is a derivative of the
ability to be creative in the workplace.

Figure 13. Perspectives on things that inspire people in life and at work

HAPPINESS DESIGN 77
Organizational influences of cultural models are exhibited by leadership and
reflected through staff. Staff may emulate leadership behavior, whether positive or
negative to themselves and to the organizational culture as a whole (Baker et al., 2006).
Survey participants were asked to rank their perspectives on value in leadership.
Specifically, Figure 14 shows how participants responded to, “I find value in my leaders
expressing an interest in my happiness,” and, “I find value in my leaders expressing a
desire to improve and invest in my happiness.” Most participants (93%) indicated that
they strongly agree or agree with both statements.

Figure 14. Perspectives on the impact of happiness at work

Findings
This section of the research study provides findings related to the questions that
were used as primary objectives:
HAPPINESS DESIGN 78
1. Does employee happiness relate to individual performance at Mark?
2. Does creativity and happiness play into optimizing people’s capabilities at Mark?
While the original structure of this research study was organized utilizing the Clark and
Estes (2008) knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences, there is significant
overlap in the findings between the three components. Specifically, Figure 15 below
conveys the variability in relationship between the influencers and the two
aforementioned research questions.

Figure 15. Knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences diagram

The themes are presented as they relate directly to each of the research questions
and directly correlate with the organization of results earlier discussed.
Does Employee Happiness Relate to Individual Performance at Mark?
The purpose of this research study was to explore employee perspectives of
happiness and its relationship to performance at Mark. Happiness, as a qualitative
HAPPINESS DESIGN 79
indicator that has been challenged by academic and corporate bodies of knowledge as a
consistent measure, is the foundation for this assessment. Therefore, understanding
whether employees themselves perceive happiness as a qualitative indicator of
importance in the workplace is important to ascertain. All respondents indicated that it is
important to acknowledge happiness and the absence of happiness as an important driver
of performance in the workplace, albeit perhaps not a direct relationship or sole
contributor of performance. The forthcoming sections below describe thematic findings
that correlate with this research question.
Finding #1: Happiness as an individual influencer is not enough to measure
performance, but it is a key variable for empowering employees to go above and
beyond their expected responsibilities.
All respondents indicated that happiness was important to acknowledge as a
driver of performance. All respondents also indicated that its absence is an impediment
to performance. However, when asked about the direct impact of happiness on
performance at work, only 39% of respondents are described as promoters of happiness,
indicating that more than half of respondents do not emphatically feel compelled by
happiness. The net promoter score of the inclusion of happiness is approximately 28%,
demonstrating variability in the overall perception of successfully embedding happiness
into the workplace as a qualitative measure. The scale for the net promoter score is -100
(assuming each employee is a detractor) and +100 (assuming each employee is a
promoter). Given the somewhat equidistance of the calculated net promoter score, a
recommendation cannot be prescribed to this numeric as a standalone.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 80
When layering the net promoter score with the data element of using happiness
for performing expectations above and beyond the baseline, there is evidence that
individuals perform better if happiness is included. Only 46% of respondents indicated
that happiness impacts their desire to perform baseline job responsibilities, but 89%
indicated that it directly affects their desire to perform at a higher level. Therefore,
happiness may be inconsequential for general expectations but a significant driver of
performance growth.
Finding #2: While the primary driver of optimal performance for employees is
career aspiration, the organization does not have a formal mechanism for capturing
the complete employee experience.
The leading driver of optimal performance at work is perceived to be career
aspiration (29%). However, 75% of respondents indicated that there is a gap between
what they would like to do and what they have done at work. This could potentially
influence employee motivation directly, particularly as it relates to mental effort, where
an individual directly invests in a goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Furthermore, as there is a
relationship between job desires, satisfaction, and retention, it is of interest to both the
individual and the organization to invest in understanding how to fill this desirability gap.
As 70% of respondents indicated that there is no organizational formal mechanism for
capturing employee experience aside from an annual survey, the organization currently
does not have clear insight into indicators that could both improve retention and increase
performance.
While the majority of interviewees stated that the organization does not formally
capture their experience, as aforementioned, resources are provided by the firm that serve
HAPPINESS DESIGN 81
as a function for improving general employee experience (e.g., the provision of people in
mentorship roles, personal time off, well-being cost coverage, and general financial
support). Based on these findings, there is a gap between work desires of employees and
mechanisms for sharing perspectives from employees to Mark as a whole that could yield
better performance outcomes.
Finding #3: The perception of happiness across people is highly diverse but with
some consistency.
Each interviewee provided varied reactions and responses when asked for a
personal and professional definition for the term ‘happiness’. While responses were
different, all interviewees indicated two factors that were consistently significant – time
with family and friends, and the emotional senses of fulfillment and accomplishment.
Literature suggests that organizations are discouraged from including happiness due to
wildly conflicting definitions of happiness (Fordyce, 1988; White, 2013). However, the
elasticity of its definition at the organizational level is not mirrored at the individual
level, indicating that there are parallels that can be drawn and taken into consideration
when forming organizational scale policies and procedures that include happiness as a
qualitative measure.
Correlating variables that influence individual happiness with investments the
organization makes can potentially yield better performance outcomes as well. When
interviewees were asked about resources that Mark provides to enable happiness,
70% responded that the provision of people in mentorship roles are the leading resource,
followed by a consistent secondary financial resource across all responses. As a result,
the organization should consider a greater allocation of resources towards people.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 82
Finding #4: Organization leadership players a strong role in driving staff level
behavior and also for improving organizational culture.
Virtuous and trustworthy behavior conveyed by leadership can impact the
subsequent behavior of staff (Rego et al., 2010). Furthermore, individual perceptions of
citizenship behavior and a desire to collaborate with others can correlate with improved
organizational performance (Podsakoff & MacKenzie, 1997). Referencing a question
asked to survey participants around an exemplar (i.e., Bhutan), 43% responded that a
similar infrastructure would yield positive results for improving organizational culture
across a spectrum of indicators. Similarly, 39% of respondents perceive that the
modified infrastructure could subsequently improve employee happiness as well. The
dichotomy of leadership and organizational culture is misguided and incorrect; leadership
plays a pertinent role in determining the cultural model of an organization. Furthermore,
as staff may mimic leadership behavior (Baker et al., 2006), individual perceptions on
leadership and their value is important to address. When asked about finding value in
leadership and their influence on employee happiness, 93% of survey participants
indicated that they strongly agree or agree that they find value in leaders expressing an
interest in their happiness. As such, leadership has the ability to greatly influence
organizational cultural models.
Does creativity and happiness play into optimizing people’s capabilities at Mark?
The purpose of this research study was to explore the correlation between
creativity and happiness, and the potential impact of this correlation between these two
variables on improving employee performance at Mark. In a global era where
organizations seek to discover improved talent and unique ways of increasing bottom line
HAPPINESS DESIGN 83
revenue, innovation could be a solution. Happiness and creativity serve as significant
influencers of both individual capabilities at Mark as well as organizational performance.
Respondents were asked a series of questions related to factors that influence creativity,
such as inspiration and authenticity. The forthcoming sections below describe thematic
findings that correlate with this research question.
Finding #5: Greater value is placed on creative freedom by employees than their
employer.
Self-perceptions of capability are formed through perspectives on value,
inspiration, and efficacy (Bandura, 2005). Stakeholders must understand knowledge
related to idea generation and follow-through of successful implementation of these ideas
into the workplace (Amabile & Khlaire, 2008). To support this research, 100% of
surveyed stakeholders believe that creative freedom is important to them, with 40%
indicating that it may be with constraints driven by the organization. However, only 20%
believe that the organization finds creative freedom to be important, with 40% also
indicating constraints on creativity. Although individuals find value in creativity, this
perception is not consistently shared organizationally. The impact of creativity on team
cohesion is facilitated by self-reflective mechanisms around creativity as it contributes to
improving overall employee engagement, performance, and productivity at both the
individual and organizational levels. If employees are not working on things that they
find value in and also not being afforded creative freedom consistently, the organization
may not be experiencing the full threshold of performance it may have.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 84
Finding #6: Employees do not feel or sustain a need to be truly authentic in the
workplace.
Authenticity has been prescribed as a vector for virtue – particularly in order for
individuals to feel comfortable displaying acts of humanity, integrity, forgiveness, and
trust (Cameron et al., 2004). To derive a meaningful result for understanding
authenticity, a net promoter score calculation was also used for delineating between
detractors, passives, and promoters. The majority of stakeholders do not necessarily
believe that they can be their full authentic selves at work, with 43% falling into the
category of passives and 36% as detractors, totaling 79% of the surveyed population.
Employees convey a professional persona at work that may not emulate their true
authentic selves. The downstream impact of this causes a perception of potential distrust
and discomfort in sustaining positive, collaborative behaviors in the workplace.
Moreover, as the net promoter score is below equitable, there is a sentiment of potentially
dismissing the need to be authentic in the workplace and therefore causing individuals to
create a separate professional persona that fits the organizational cultural mold rather than
being authentic.
Finding #7: Employees perceive that creative freedom is a direct or derivative
outcome of being inspired.
Motivation, as a core element of the Clark and Estes (2008) framework, discusses
an individual’s lens on the pursuit and achievement of goals. One influencer on
happiness from the perspective of motivation at Mark is inspiration. As all interviewees
stated that inspiration has a correlation, whether direct or derivative, with self-reflective
sentiments, finding value and efficacy by being inspired stems from three different
HAPPINESS DESIGN 85
categories – people, emotion, and experience. Experience, described by almost all
interviewees, is a category that involves exposure and worldliness. Examples include
world culture, travel, music, and the general arts. Emotion, articulated by 50% of
interviewees, is a category focusing on senses, predominantly around gratification,
empathy, and passion. People, conveyed by 50% of interviewees, is comprised of
collaboration, teamwork, and leadership. Although there are differing views on elements
that drive inspiration, the common foundation is the need for inspiration as a source of
creativity in the workplace.
Finding #8: The organization provides assets needed for enabling creativity.
Although stakeholders perceive that the organization does not share a common
belief of the extent of creative freedom, the organization provides both tangible and
intangible assets that contribute to individual abilities in enabling creativity. The
difference in perspective may be related to how individuals define creativity or the extent
to which creativity is subsumed into work projects. For instance, one employee may
define creativity as the ability to think outside the box for solving a business problem.
Another employee may define creativity as the ability to use differing technologies for
developing client presentations. Creativity, on a spectrum, has been enabled by Mark
through tangible items such as technology and supplies. In addition, Mark has afforded
leadership, time, space, and structured interactions with both staff and management level
employees in order to expand creativity on projects, and validates that creativity is
important to both individuals and the organization as a whole. Further data should be
collected in order to validate individual and organizational perceptions of time and space
HAPPINESS DESIGN 86
for self-reflective activities and unstructured interactions that may contribute to an
increase in creativity.
Synthesis
Each of the aforementioned findings correlates with the research questions and
objectives of this research study. Thematic findings have been aligned and organized
under questions as they do not directly align with individual, unique knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influencers but rather cross-over horizontally through
these three categories. Survey results and interview findings validated assumed causes of
the knowledge, motivation, and organization gap analysis, but were paired to support the
hypothesis of each research objective of this paper. The prime sources of data for
analysis and support of findings was through an electronically distributed survey and
interviews. Although observations were performed, it revealed no additional significant
findings; rather, observations were used to triangulate findings documented from survey
and interview results. Generally, results and findings from the survey and interviews
were consistent. Moreover, direct quotes and qualitative jargon gathered through
interviews were used to support quantitative results from the administered survey.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 87
Chapter Five:
Solutions and Implementation
The Clark and Estes (2008) framework was used to determine and validate
knowledge, motivation, and organization influencers of the objectives of this research
study. In Chapter Four, results and findings gathered from surveys and interviews
validated some formulated assumptions. Not all assumptions were validated. In this
chapter, recommendations for solutions of the validated assumptions are suggested. A
structure for implementation is also provided. While key findings were grouped together
by research question, the recommended solutions have been categorized into the Clark
and Estes (2008) frameworks. Each solution is not independent of others but rather a
support pillar for an overarching program.
The primary objectives for the proposed solutions are to enable the use of
happiness as a key performance indicator in the workplace and increase downstream
impacts on improvement at both the individual and organizational levels via creativity.
The proposed solution consists of knowledge, motivation, and organizational
improvements, by way of the Clark and Estes (2008) model, specific to awareness of
individual happiness, self-reflection, and correlating creativity to improve performance.
A learning program that focuses on these two objectives will provide stakeholders with a
point-in-time mechanism for ingesting information and recurring annual checkpoints for
ensuring that organizational change is transpiring.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 88
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
Introduction. Data collection and analysis has been completed for this project
through surveys and interviews, and subsequently validated through observations. As
such, the knowledge influences listed in Table 7 provide a comprehensive list of
validated results from data analysis for each influence. The knowledge influences listed
in Table 7 have been used as a foundation for generating correlating solutions and
recommendations for each based on theoretical principles and literary support.

Table 7
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations.
Assumed
Knowledge
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Staff level resources
need to know levers
that drive happiness
at work, such as
self-engagement and
reflection. (D)
The positive correlation between
performance, self-reflection, and job
satisfaction (Selby et al., 2010)
serves as a foundational link between
individual-level activities necessary
for performance improvement;
organizational inputs are necessary to
drive and support these activities.
Provide organizational
information on levers
that drive happiness at
work.
Staff level resources
need to self-assess
for their knowledge
of inspiring
creativity through
idea generation. (M)
Creativity, defined as the
development of novel and new ideas
(Amabile & Khlaire, 2008) can
provide a sense of expectancy value
and self-efficacy for employees, thus
driving improved well-being (Mulki,
et al., 2008).
Create innovative
engines for idea
generation.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 89
Conceptual knowledge solutions, or description of needs or
assets. Conceptual knowledge, according to Krathwohl (2002), is understanding
information as parts of a whole, or rather, how different pieces correlate with one
another. Principles, theories, and models are oftentimes used as examples of conceptual
knowledge because they provide the framework for how information is
interrelated. Addressing the knowledge gap in understanding different levers that drive
happiness at work is a critical knowledge need. By providing the organization with a
foundation for understanding the value and importance of this information, the
organization may make practical linkages between problems and solutions (Clark &
Estes, 2008). As such, conceptual knowledge related to specific happiness levers must be
provided to the organization in order for individuals to actively understand and
subsequently apply it to their job environments.
It is critical for resources to understand levers of happiness in the workplace,
especially as it relates to improving performance. Key influencers, such as knowledge,
serve as a mechanism for understanding the intellectual magnitude of an organization and
subsequent performance capabilities (Hetzner et al., 2012). While performance in itself
is a primary driver of staff resource behavior, it does not solve for the different
contributing knowledge parts to improving it. By adopting aspects of happiness into
organizational practices and the knowledge of adoption itself, people may yield better
outcomes at the individual and organizational levels (Harter, Schmidt, Asplund, Killham,
& Agrawal, 2006).
Procedural knowledge solutions, or description of needs or assets. Procedural
knowledge is defined as using policies and methods for completing a particular task (e.g.,
HAPPINESS DESIGN 90
technique, procedures) (Krathwohl, 2002). For the purposes of this research, staff level
resources need to know how to apply methods and approaches related to self-reflection
within the workplace. While organizations should foster a culture that allows individuals
to perform such activities, data results are insufficient in supporting this as a lever of
success. As such, connections between self-reflective activities and overall performance
are not presented as an essential component of performance improvement in the
organization within this research paper.
Metacognitive knowledge solutions, or description of needs or
assets. According to Zimmerman (1998) metacognitive knowledge is a pillar for aiding
individuals in using self-assessments to increase motivation and overall learning. An
example of metacognitive knowledge is gaining self-awareness through reflective
activities. Staff level individuals need to self-assess their awareness and knowledge
related to idea generation via creativity and inspiration. This is founded in the social
cognitive theory (Bandura, 2005), which indicates that individuals can form self-
perceptions specific to their capabilities, performance, stress in the workplace, and
workload, which all are elements that contribute to an individual’s confidence at work.
Creativity has a stronger impact when viewed in a team environment, especially
as it relates to the interaction amongst individuals, associative thinking, and rapidly
incubating ideas by engaging with one another. Research related to creativity,
inspiration, and performance improvement as an output show that metacognition and
associated skills can improve both their individual effectiveness and the influence on
their teams; this encourages a sense of acceptance and fosters creativity (Valentine et al.,
2010). This research suggests that employees may yield more creative outcomes when
HAPPINESS DESIGN 91
metacognitive activities are instilled. Selby et al. (2010) states that a relationship exists
between self-reflection, performance, and quality. Metacognitive mechanisms such as
self-reflection are an important aspect of driving performance improvement through
creativity and a feeling of acceptance.
Motivation Recommendations
Introduction. Data collection and analysis has been completed for this project
through surveys and interviews, and subsequently validated through observations. As
such, the motivation influences listed in Table 8 provide a comprehensive list of validated
results from data analysis for each influence. The motivation influences listed in Table 8
have been used as a foundation for generating correlating solutions and recommendations
for each based on theoretical principles and literary support.

Table 8
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations.
Assumed Motivation
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
Expectancy Value –
Staff level resources
should find value in
being creative and
efficacious in their
jobs
The expectancy value
motivational theory conveys the
relationship between
achievement, expectations, and
the value an individual finds
within these factors (Eccles,
2006).

Intrinsic value refers to the
fulfillment or joy an individual
experiences from a particular
task (Eccles, 2006).
Ensure that job tasks and
responsibilities align with
staff perspectives of
value.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 92
Self-Efficacy. Clark and Estes (2008) discuss motivation, specifically regarding
how active choice, persistence, and mental effort impact the ability to achieve
motivational goals. One form of motivation amongst individuals is through a feeling of
self-efficacy in the workplace. Self-efficacy theory is described by Bandura (2005) as a
social cognitive theory related to how an individual views themselves, their skills, and
their abilities. In addition, an individual’s behaviors, well-being, sense of self, and
emotions in the workplace affect an individual’s sense of self, their self-reflection on how
they are performing, and the result of their performance (Sloan, 2007). The perception of
self-efficacy and is an important contributor to improving performance, enhancing
creativity, and allowing individuals to relatedly and subsequently feel valued. Research
conveys that factors such as personal accomplishment and well-being are foundational to
individual expressions and their perspectives on each other (Pajares, 2006). A feeling of
efficacy, such as confidence and dedication to the job, as well as the converse of this
feeling, such as anxiety related to performance, has a direct impact on an organization’s
retention rates (Mulki et al., 2008) and can ultimately impact an individual’s ability to
successfully perform through their behaviors (Pajares, 2006).
A feeling of self-efficacy is important for resources so that they believe they can
effectively and creatively do their jobs. As such, it is recommended that the organization
should instill sentiments of determination and value into work through providing real-
time positive feedback. As roles and responsibilities differ between management and
staff, positive feedback should be tailored to the individual and align to expectations for
those individuals. The current state of the organization is such that areas of improvement
are discussed often, but individuals are not placed in positions for receiving consistent
HAPPINESS DESIGN 93
positive feedback. By improving the self-efficacy of employees through embedding
positive dialogue, individuals may experience improved performance.
Expectancy Value. An element of motivation, discussed by Clark and Estes
(2008), is related to the expectancy value motivational theory. The expectancy value
motivational theory looks to address how an individual finds value through a lens of
expectations and achievement, and how these two elements may interact (Eccles,
2006). Furthermore, an individual’s views of utility value, attainment value, and intrinsic
value all encompass the variations that exist with the expectancy value motivational
theory. These different types of value look to address unique enablers that either compel
or dissuade goals, better articulate the correlation with an individual’s identity, and
demonstrate the relationship between the goals and the individual’s identity (Eccles,
2006).
Expectancy value at the individual level is important for understanding how
someone’s self-perception of value impacts their ability to exceed performance
expectations and be more creative. The recommendation is to ensure that job tasks and
responsibilities align with staff perspectives of value. Finding and believing that an
individual is being efficacious and creative at work is instrumental to improving
performance. Outcomes are affected by self-awareness and self-perception of value
(Hetzner et al., 2012). As such, cultivating an environment where individuals can learn
mechanisms for seeing how their value contributes to performance is critical to
improving organizational success via performance.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 94
Organization Recommendations
Introduction. Data collection and analysis has been completed for this project
through surveys and interviews, and subsequently validated through observations. As
such, the organizational influences listed in Table 9 provide a comprehensive list of
validated results from data analysis for each influence. The organizational influences
listed in Table 9 have been used as a foundation for generating correlating solutions and
recommendations for each based on theoretical principles and literary support.

Table 9
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations.
Assumed
Organization
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset
Principle and Citation

Context-Specific
Recommendation
Resources believe
that management
lack virtue,
causing barriers to
achieving goals.
Organizational performance
increases when individuals
communicate constantly and
candidly to others about
plans and processes (Clark &
Estes, 2008)

The concept of
organizational virtue refers
to the practice and perpetual
dispersal of humanity,
integrity, forgiveness, and
trust at both individual and
collective levels of an
organization (Cameron et al.,
2004).
Discover and instill different
mechanisms for openly and
transparently connecting with
individuals to improve trust,
regardless of staff title. A
leading mechanism is to create a
consistent messaging for
behavioral constants

Cultural models. The third component of the Clark and Estes (2008) framework
pertains to organizational influences through cultural models and
HAPPINESS DESIGN 95
settings. Organizational culture presents itself in various mechanisms and dimensions
throughout the organization and differently depending on the hierarchical level (Erez &
Gati, 2004). Clark and Estes (2008) also note that the performance of an organization
can be improved when employees transparently and consistently communicate with one
another, and also suggests that a significant lever for the influence and impact of a
cultural model relates to virtue and trust, especially defined through perceptions of
humanity, integrity, and forgiveness (Cameron et al., 2004). By creating a cultural model
of improved reliance, transparency, and trust, the overall environment of the organization
may change thus improving its performance. A leading mechanism is to create a
consistent messaging for behavioral constants such as being curious, present, and
authentic. The recommendation then is to discover and instill different mechanisms for
openly and transparently connecting with individuals to improve trust, regardless of staff
title.
Connecting with individuals through improved trust and integrity is an important
factor for sustaining and increasing performance at the individual and enterprise
levels. For the purposes of this study, virtue has been defined as containing six specific
parts: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence (Peterson &
Seligman, 2004). To improve these different parts of defined virtue, individual behaviors
should be observed and further researched in order to find commonalities in preferred
communication traits. Furthermore, perspectives on how to sustain collaborative
behaviors, whether instilled by leadership or through peer-to-peer organized forums,
should be gathered formally and synthesized into themes. Since individuals show
relatability with one another through mimicking each other, imbuing model behavior is
HAPPINESS DESIGN 96
essential (Baker, et al., 2006). Discovering and embedding different mechanisms for
openly and transparently connecting with individuals to improve trust, regardless of staff
title, can improve individual and organizational performance.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The New World Kirkpatrick model, a foundational framework for this study’s
implementation and evaluation plan, offers a method for starting with the end goal rather
than with a developed plan (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This model builds upon
the former Kirkpatrick model and its foundational principles - starting from the end,
understanding a return on expectations, growing a positive relationship with trainees,
value creation, and using evidence to supply implementation value. It is important to
focus on the end as the start, predominantly as the model uses the end to push other
behaviors ranging from solution development to learning to initial indicators that drive
individual satisfaction (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). By using this model, a direct
relationship between stakeholder goals, methods for implementation, and overarching
solutions have been developed.
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations
The mission of the organization is to be a standard of excellence in professional
services and an undisputed leader. This mission is highly ambiguous due to the
variability in services delivered by different parts of the organization. Nonetheless,
service delivery is hinged upon successful execution by its people. As market demands
and competition increases, performance changes and improvements steadily rise. Due to
this need, the intent of this study is to achieve a goal of 10% improved performance
HAPPINESS DESIGN 97
outcomes as compared to organizational competitors outside of Mark by the performance
year end 2019. By improving the internal measures used to determine individual
productivity through understanding and implementing aspects of individual happiness,
the overall performance of the organization may subsequently increase thus creating
greater market advantage. The proposed solution consists of knowledge, motivation, and
organizational enhancements specific to awareness of individual happiness, self-
reflection, and correlating creativity to improve performance.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Table 10 illustrates proposed Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators. The
outcome, metric, and methods correlate with solutions for improved performance via
embedding happiness measures into the talent structure of Mark. The organization may
achieve improved productivity by 10% among staff resources through identification of
activities for understanding individual happiness. In addition, improved happiness and
correlative creativity yields optimized usage of people capabilities.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 98
Table 10
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes.

Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
1. Increase the value
and impact on the
client.
Sales volume and
dollar
Solicit data from Mercury (internal
system)
Internal Outcomes
1. Increase the
productivity of staff
level resources by
10%.
1a. Hours of billable
utilization
Solicit data from RPM (performance
management system)

1b. Change in
performance
snapshots over time
Aggregate data from team leads and
reviewers (self-reported, counselor
confirmed)
2. Increase the level
of creative influence
on projects
Number of projects
that use and embed
design-thinking
Aggregate data from team leads
(self-reported); Solicit sales data
from Mercury on projects tagged as
creatively influenced

Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. The stakeholders of focus are staff level resources within the
analytics arm of the organization. The primary critical behavior is that staff level
resources should seek to understand the value of the work that they perform and the
implication it has on clients. While it is important that managers articulate the value,
staff should ask questions and probe to understand how their direct impact and
value. The second critical behavior is that they must identify different opportunities to
perform immediate self-reflection at work, including auditing of work for performance
improvement opportunities. The third critical behavior is that staff should look to
determine opportunities for embedding creativity into projects. The specific metrics,
methods, and timing for each of these outcome behaviors appears in Table 11.
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Table 11

Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Employees.
Critical
Behavior
Metric(s)
Method(s)
Timing
1. Understand
indicators for
improving value and
impact on client via
completion of
consulting trainings
The number of
completed
training modules
applicable at the
appropriate
staffing level and
by industry
Strong in-person trainings
conveying real-life
examples. Outcomes of the sessions
are graded and tracked internally by
the organization
Annually and at
milestones (e.g.,
promotion)
2. Conduct audits of
completed work;
correctly identify
gaps and
communication
methods for
improvement
The number of
suggested
corrections made
by a supervisor

2a. Employee will submit a portfolio
of work to a supervisor for
review. Supervisor will review and
provide timely feedback via spot
check reviews. Feedback is
document in a tracking system and
gathered as a part of the employee’s
portfolio of work
During first 90
days of reviewer’s
employment –
monthly.
Thereafter –
quarterly, so long
as previously
successful

The number of
suggested
corrections made
by a supervisor
(by portfolio of
work submitted
for audit)
2b. Employees should track
improvement opportunities and
make critical reflections indicating
perspectives on how to improve
performance
After every audit
3. Identify
opportunities for
embedding creativity
into projects via
design-thinking
training
The number of
completed
training modules
applicable at the
appropriate
staffing level and
by industry
Strong in-person trainings
conveying real-life
examples. Outcomes of the sessions
are graded and tracked internally by
the organization
Annually and at
milestones (e.g.,
promotion)

The number of
projects tagged
with inclusion of
design-thinking
principles
Supervisors track the number of
projects quarterly and compare to
previous quarter as baseline
Quarterly

Required drivers. In order for staff level resources to be successful, there are
several drivers that are required, specifically related to the buy-in from leadership to
instill specific procedures and protocols and organizational guidance as encouragement
for implementation. Furthermore, flexibility in individual needs and happiness should be
reinforced and subsequent rewards should be continuously issued as performance goals
HAPPINESS DESIGN 100
are met and exceeded. Table 12 shows the recommended drivers to support critical
behaviors of staff level individuals.

Table 12
Required Drivers to Support New Reviewers’ Critical Behaviors.
Method(s) Timing
Critical
Behaviors
Supported
Reinforcing

Employees receive information related to the
impact of happiness at work
Ongoing 1
Employees receive information on embedding self-
reflection activities at work
Ongoing 2
Employees receive information in accessing
architectures for creative ingestion
Ongoing 3
Encouraging

Positive feedback and coaching from Supervisor Weekly, or
project-based
1, 2
Rewarding

Performance incentive through recognition or spot
bonuses for achieving greater results for the client
Project-based 1, 2
Public acknowledgement for thinking outside of
the box and rendering greater value
Project-based 3

Monitoring

Leaders create opportunities at All-Hands meetings
to share success stories and spotlight employees
Monthly 1
Supervisor solicits feedback from employees on
self-reported confidence and sense of value at work
Project-based 2
Leaders send consistent bulletins on ideas on how
to perform more effectively; ideas can be gathered
openly from all employees
Ongoing 2, 3

Organizational support. As previously mentioned, organizational guidance is
imperative to overall success at all levels of the organization. The organization should
communicate the significance of endeavors related to self-awareness, intrinsic happiness,
HAPPINESS DESIGN 101
and team dynamics related to transparency. The organization should also provide
opportunities to reward individuals that are implementing aforementioned solutions and
seeing improved performance outcomes. These rewards should be broadcasted by the
organization in order to demonstrate success and impact. The organization should also
provide incentives to management regarding carving out time during the day for self-
awareness. By communicating the importance of happiness as a driver of performance at
the larger enterprise level, individuals at sub-management tiers should feel impacted and
compelled to behave accordingly.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Following completion of the recommended solutions, the staff
level resources will be able to:
1. Use a consistent definition and application of happiness at the individual
and team levels (D).
2. Identify opportunities for flexibility in schedule to implement self-
awareness activities as standard protocol (P).
3. Apply best practices related to improving transparent communication on
teams and across the enterprise, especially as it relates to providing
opportunities for performance improvement (M).
4. Create innovative methods for application to existing and non-existing
organizational project methodologies (P, M).
Program. The learning goals listed in the previous section will be achieved with
a broad training program that provides tangible and intangible assets for improving
performance at work, in alignment with the aforementioned learning goals. The training
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program includes a set of educational modules encompassing different subjects and
topics and are tied to specific employee hierarchy levels (management or staff). While
the implementation framework for this program will vary based on the training module,
the target audience for learners will be all management and staff of the organization
within the consulting practice. Specifically, the program will be structured as indicated
in Table 13, consisting of a predominant in-person approach with various online
asynchronous learning sessions. In order to ensure that this program can be broadly
applied to the organization given the many nuances of the organization, a pilot program
will be implemented for smaller departments first. Upon approval of program outcomes,
a roll-out plan will be developed for broader implementation.

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Table 13

Training Program Framework.
Module Description
Audience Method(s)
Timing
Happiness as a
Stimulus at
Work
Defining and applying happiness
to everyday tasks and
responsibilities as a
professional. Providing tangible
assets to support why it is
important to include stimulators
of happiness (including pillars of
communication and
transparency) into the workplace
with the support of literature
Management;
Staff
In-person, with
tangible
educational aids
as a takeaway
from the session
Once at
the onset
of the
program
Methods for
Self-Efficacy
and Value
Providing an overview of self-
efficacy and value ideologies.
Discussing methods for
conducting self-awareness
activities on projects for staff
Staff In-person, with
tangible
education aids
as a takeaway
from the session
Once at
the onset
of the
program
Methods for
Self-Efficacy
and Value
Providing an overview of self-
efficacy and value ideologies.
Discussing methods for
implementing approaches and
leading self-awareness activities
on projects for management
Management In-person, with
tangible
education aids
as a takeaway
from the session
Once at
the onset
of the
program;
milestone
year
Methods for
Self-Efficacy
and Value
(asynchronous)
Providing an overview of self-
efficacy and value ideologies.
Discussing methods for
conducting self-awareness
activities on projects for staff
(provisional access to recorded
electronic material)
Management;
Staff
Asynchronous
electronic
Ongoing
Design-
Thinking
Principles
Using design-thinking principles
to develop creative ideas for
existing projects as a way to think
of enhancing future projects
Management;
Staff
In-person, with
tangible
education aids
as a takeaway
from the session
Once at
the onset
of the
program
Design-
Thinking
Principles
(asynchronous)
Using design-thinking principles
to develop creative ideas for
existing projects as a way to think
of enhancing future projects
(provisional access to recorded
electronic material)
Management;
Staff
Asynchronous
electronic
Ongoing
Conducting
Performance
Reviews
Reviewing project portfolios and
work outputs to determine
opportunities for enhancement
Management In-person, with
tangible
education aids
as a takeaway
from the session
Once at
the onset
of the
program;
milestone
year

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As depicted in Table 13, specific modules will be tailored to its correlating
audience. All modules will be required to complete in-person with an opportunity to
access electronic recordings and asynchronous material after course completion. In-
person modules will be led by facilitators who have been previously trained on core
content and will last several hours in length. The intention for a longer duration of a
course is to be able to clearly ascertain the core objectives of the course, render ideas, and
determine methods for integration at work. Course attendees will be assigned
preparatory exercise in advance, including distributed reading materials. Preparation is a
critical aspect of the program as course content will be founded upon literature and
research. It is expected that course attendees will complete all pre-read materials and
activities; facilitators will be responsible for ensuring that this transpires.
While course content will vary based on the module, the agenda for the module
will remain relatively consistent. A sample agenda, depicted in Table 14, demonstrates
the flow of the course. At the onset of the course, the facilitator will lead an introduction
to the course followed by a review of the pre-read materials. The dialogue will set the
tone for the remainder of the course including objectives and outcomes. The second
component of the course will consist of discussing methodologies and frameworks, based
on literature, as a mechanism for supplying declarative knowledge. The last aspect of the
course will consist of application of methodologies and frameworks to everyday tasks
and projects. Individuals will be parsed into small groups to work on case studies and
relevant use cases. Recognizing that each project will significantly vary, it will be
important to work on exercises that address inconsistencies in workplace environments,
duration of time, and other contributing factors. Supporting aids such as completed
HAPPINESS DESIGN 105
examples and other texts will be distributed to groups in order to help guide them during
the activity. Upon conclusion of small group activities, individuals will return in plenary
format to present and discuss findings, observations, and recommendations for
implementation.

Table 14

Course Module Sample Agenda - Design-Thinking Principles.
Timeframe Item
Description
9:00A - 9:20A Welcome and
Introductions
Around-the-room introductions and course review
9:20A - 9:30A Today’s Objectives Discuss objectives of activities for the day
9:30A - 10:00A Icebreaker Activity Use an icebreaker that weaves in pre-read content in
order to share knowledge gained and to familiarize
individuals in the room with one another
10:00A - 10:30A Class Assignment
Overview
Brief overview of pre-read materials and knowledge
gained in plenary format
10:30A - 11:00A Design-Thinking
Principles 101
Review of design-thinking principles
11:00A - 11:45A Design-Thinking
Deep Dive 1 and
Activity
Review of persona confirmation. Using methods
learned, perform activity
11:45A - 12:30P
(working lunch)
Design-Thinking
Deep Dive 2 and
Activity
Review of journey mapping. Using methods learned,
perform activity
12:30P - 1:15P Design-Thinking
Deep Dive 3 and
Activity
Review of business need prioritization. Using methods
learned, perform activity
1:15P - 3:00P Small Group Activity Using all content learned in the module, individuals are
broken into smaller groups to perform use cases
3:00P - 5:00P Small Group
Presentation and
Close
Small groups present their use cases in plenary format in
order to share information with one another. Lessons
learned are discussed in plenary format

Upon completion of all learning modules, individuals will have access to
asynchronous electronic materials, including a recording of in-person content and
tangible aids. Tangible aids include but are not limited to templates, guidelines, and
example use cases. Individuals will be able to reference these materials in an open and
ongoing basis. The intention of the asynchronous material is to allow for a central
HAPPINESS DESIGN 106
repository of educational content and materials. It is not a substitution for the required
in-person courses that are conducted preliminarily. Videos and electronic hand-outs will
be up to the discretion of the user for access. As the initial roll-out of this program will
be pilot, footprints for use and access of asynchronous materials will be monitored
closely. Feedback from this will be included as improvements prior to rolling out the
program to a broader audience.
Components of learning. In order to ensure that learning has been achieved by
course attendees, various types of knowledge is critical to assess. Declarative knowledge
will be supplied to attendees in order to ensure that information is translated into
solutions (e.g., using design-thinking principles to embed creativity into a
project). Procedural knowledge is an important vehicle for implementing a standard
protocol for a specific task that will support achieving goals (e.g., management allows an
hour per week per project for staff to perform self-reflection activities). Metacognitive
knowledge gathered through self-efficacy and value is important for successful
engagement in the program throughout and thereafter. Table 15 provides a specific set of
activities and timing for program attendees as it relates to parts of learning.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 107
Table 15
Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”

Knowledge checks through attendee discussions,
“pair, think, share” and other individual/group
activities (e.g., small group discussions, plenary
discussions)
Periodically during the in-
person modules

Knowledge checks using multiple choice In the asynchronous portions
of the course during and after
video demonstrations
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”

Demonstration and reactions in small group activities
by using the tangible aids provided to successfully
perform the skills
During the in-person modules
and at the end of the modules
Demonstration and reactions individually by
completion of pre-read materials
During the in-person modules
Demonstration and reactions individually by
providing feedback through dialogue
During the in-person modules
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”

Instructor’s observation of course participants’
statements and actions demonstrating that they see the
benefit of what they are being asked to do on the job
and implement it effectively
During the in-person modules
Discussions of the value of what they are being asked
to do on the job
During the in-person modules
Retrospective post-course feedback After the module is
completed
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”

Instructor’s observation of course participants’
discussions following receipt of information

During the in-person modules
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”

Create an individual action plan via use case for
implementation
During the in-person modules

Level 1: Reaction
Table 16 provides the methods or tools, and correlative timing, for measuring
reactions to the program. This references the level one evaluation of a programmatic
intervention in the New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
HAPPINESS DESIGN 108
2016). Considering that the program will be implemented a pilot initially, gathering
information and feedback as reactions to the program will be used to improve the overall
implementation of the program to broader areas of the organization. Data will be
gathered and analyzed as a mechanism for determining reactions to the program. The
mechanism for analysis will be parsed into three categories - engagement, relevance, and
customer satisfaction. Engagement provides a lens for active involvement by the
constituent. Relevance reassures that individuals recognize the importance of the content
by reacting to how fitting the content is. Customer satisfaction captures to individual’s
perception of value of the content and its application.

Table 16
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program.
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement

Completion of online modules Ongoing during asynchronous portion of the module
Attendance At the end of the module
Course evaluation One week after the module
Relevance

Course evaluation One week after the module
Customer Satisfaction

Course evaluation One week after the module

Evaluation Tools
During and immediately following the program implementation. The
assessment of participant learning for Level 1 and Level 2 will be initiated at the onset of
the program. Course facilitators will observe participant engagement and reactions
through the delivery of the modules and dialogue that transpires both with the facilitator
and amongst peers. In addition to observations, the facilitator will seek feedback,
HAPPINESS DESIGN 109
particularly for Level 2, on knowledge checkpoints to ensure that participants are
understanding core content and that the course content is relevant and useful for the
audience. This will transpire by periodically asking students directly how they envision
applying the course material to their project environments. Tailoring the content
throughout the facilitation will be critical for ensuring that learning is actively in progress
during the modules themselves.
For asynchronous courses, knowledge checkpoints with multiple choice quizzes
will be used to ensure that the user is achieving learning goals associated with that
module. Data will be captured at the conclusion of both in-person modules and the
asynchronous courses as a mechanism for documenting compliance and completion by
participants. After the conclusion of the in-person component of the program, a survey
will be distributed no later than one week thereafter to also capture data points for Level
1 and Level 2 evaluation. The survey, found in Appendix A, shows the specific
instrument that will be distributed by the facilitator to program participants.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Approximately three
months after the implementation of the program and ongoing on a quarterly basis,
leadership of the program will distribute a survey similar to the post-course feedback
survey administered at the immediate conclusion of the training program. The survey,
provided in Appendix B, will address continued reactions to the course and the
knowledge and skills gained from the curriculum (Level 1 and Level 2). In addition to
this, the survey will seek to determine how successful individuals have been in
integrating course objectives and knowledge gained into project environments (Level 3)
and seek to further understand how integration and application has impacted movement
HAPPINESS DESIGN 110
of behaviors towards improved performance outcomes (Level 4). The administration of
this ongoing survey will be used to receive looped feedback in an effort to continuously
improve content and its application across Levels 1 through 4.
Data Analysis and Reporting
Visual depictions of success are important for maintaining excitement and
engagement for the program, especially as it relates to continued application of
knowledge and skills. Survey results, from both the immediate conclusion of the
program and continued quarterly (Likert scale and open-ended questions), will be
collected and trended over the course of a year. A baseline will subsequently be
developed based on collected data. In addition, direct quotes captured qualitatively from
observations will be included in the analysis. By trending data over time, it is anticipated
that improvements to the program will have a direct and correlative impact on data
captured for engagement, relevance, and customer satisfaction.
Transparency and provision of data analytics is important, especially if the
organization is investing resources into implementation of the program. Information will
be communicated via broad organizational channels, which means that visualized
analytics will be imperative for ingesting meaningful outcomes. The data will be one
aspect of what is communicated, and the correlating meaning, or insight, will be
translated. Figure 16 is a representation of what a visualized data analytics dashboard
conveying important key performance indicators and data attributes.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 111

Figure 16. Visualized data analytics dashboard

Summary
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016) has been used as a framework for
developing a roadmap for implementation of solutions for this study, as well as
understanding a subsequent evaluation following implementation in order to consistently
refine and improve outcomes of the program. While the main outcome of the program is
largely to embed knowledge related to qualitative drivers of performance improvement at
the staff level, several organizational elements for program success are critical (e.g.,
leadership buy-in and resource provision). As the Kirkpatrick framework discussed starts
with outcomes, reporting and analytics can be used to support ongoing monitoring and
oversight of the program to ensure that staff level individuals, as well as management, are
finding the program to be meaningful and productive. Furthermore, ongoing tracking and
presentation of quarterly findings can be used to improve the program, predominantly in
the pilot phase prior to rollout to the remainder of the organization. The New World
HAPPINESS DESIGN 112
Kirkpatrick Model has been used to shift from starting with the problem to starting with
the solution and has been instrumental to creating a successful program for performance
improvement.
Limitations of Study
There were several limitations to this research study. The size of Mark
and cultural nuances present in the organization are a significant factor that contributed to
the results of this study. By nature of using an innovation department as the core focus
for stakeholders, the disposition of the survey and interview population may have
impacted the results. As such, results and findings from this research study may not be
scalable for all organizations and should not be considered a one-size-fits-all model.
While there are absolute takeaways from this study related to using happiness as a critical
driver for better performance outcomes, further exploration of specific industries and
organizational types should take place as a baseline first.
Due to the heavy qualitative data used to support this study a small sample size
was used, pulling from surveys, interviews, and observations to derive results and
subsequent findings. To support future research, quantitative information should be
sought and used to support qualitative findings, particularly given the small sample size.
As such, sweeping inferences should also not be made based on this study and should be
carefully examined. The lack of sufficient organization-wide quantitative data in the
space of happiness yielded the use of NPS as an instrument for tempering the appetite for
using happiness to improve performance in the workplace. While NPS is a good measure
of potential interest, a criticism of NPS is due to the fact that it uses a single question to
HAPPINESS DESIGN 113
calculate the interest score. Further exploration on additional measurement instruments
should be conducted.
Furthermore, the KMO model that has been used as the framework for this
research study, may have not been the best selected fit for the organization, topic of
study, and population used for surveys and interviews. Inferences made off of this study
should be limited to a smaller scale population and tailored to organizations that have a
greater appetite for innovation and creativity. A framework that concentrated on a single
variable of interest should have been effectively leveraged for this topic of study in order
to understand the relationships that may or may not exist with happiness as well as
deriving a clearer understanding of defining the term in context for Mark.
Recommendations for Future Research
Given the nuances listed in the aforementioned limitations of the study, future
research should be used to extend the topic of happiness into other organizational and
stakeholder domains. In addition, a research study similar to this study but leveraging a
non-educational framework should be considered in order to improve the limitations
experienced in this study. Furthermore, the use of historical quantitative metrics could be
used to support results and findings listed in this study. Additional topics that are
tangential to happiness in the workplace should concentrate on the overall employee
experience. In addition, as there are several national references used as a means of
demonstrating successful use of happiness, future research should look to experiential
organizations in order to further understand the use of happiness indicators in
organizational scales that are better points of comparison.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 114
Chapter Six:
Outlining the Journey
Learning goals and a broad program description were provided in Chapter Five,
providing a set of educational modules targeted for employees. In order to ensure that the
program is effective and executed long-term, this chapter outlines a detailed approach for
preparation, implementation, and look-back activities. The organizational culture is such
that investments, monetary and resource-wise, should be tracked and measured to
determine the benefits realized. As such, improvement across an agreed upon set of key
performance indicators (KPIs) is critical for ongoing programmatic funding. Indicators
across a spectrum of areas such as dollars, revenue, utility, and engagement should be
considered. Furthermore, the implementation plan needs to drive urgent, immediate-term
wins in order to lay the foundation for mid-term and long-term initiatives. The
forthcoming sections describe an employee-centric, individual approach for delivering
the program at Mark.
Approach
Successfully delivering a differentiated employee experience will require
organization buy-in – tangible and intangible resources must be dedicated and provided
for the program. According to Morgan (2017), many companies, especially Fortune 100
companies (e.g., Facebook, Adobe), heavily invest in elements of employee experience to
improve performance. These organizations, albeit having variable sizes in the number of
employees, have yielded approximately four times the average profit and more than two
times the average revenue (Morgan, 2017). Furthermore, these organizations have
invested in cultural, technological, and physical work environments in order to improve
HAPPINESS DESIGN 115
the overall employee experience, an indicator for happiness and improvement in
productivity (Morgan, 2017). According to a meta-analysis by Harter et al. (2006),
businesses that perform in the top half on employee engagement have a 113% higher
success rate within the company and a 170% success rate across various business units in
different companies. This direct correlation between the employee experience and
performance is an example of utility at the individual level, and is directly tied to dollar-
value improvements (Harter et al., 2006). As such, this program should reflect more than
a set of educational modules but rather a full organization cultural overhaul in order to
become an experiential organization.
For the purposes of longevity and buy-in from leadership, a pilot approach will be
taken for implementation. This approach enables an iterative process for continuous
testing and learning. Furthermore, the program will evolve to support enterprise
scalability – from laying the core foundation to operating at a fully scaled level across the
system. The approach is broken into five waves with an associated timeline of activities,
and broadly described in Figure 17 and Figure 18. The waves are as follows: confirm,
frame, act, measure and refine, and scale. Each wave is expected to involve different
stakeholders, different resource needs, and different KPIs in order to deploy a growing
and evolving program. Furthermore, at the onset of the program, guiding principles must
be established and subsequently agreed upon by leadership stakeholders involved. While
learning goals described in Chapter Five are critical for stakeholder education, there are
environmental and intangible elements of the overall employee experience that must be
addressed concurrently with educational needs in order to establish an organizational
cultural shift around happiness.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 116

Figure 17. Programmatic approach for implementing the happiness design at Mark

Figure 18. Timeline of activities
HAPPINESS DESIGN 117

Wave 0: Confirm

Key activities. Wave 0 will focus on performing activities necessary for affirming
agreement on the purpose, objectives, and anticipated outcomes of the various components of the
program. This includes refinements and any adjustments necessary for expected resource needs
and identified management infrastructure for coordination of future programmatic waves. The
guiding principles will be created assuming an overarching goal of achieving productivity
improvements of 10% and measured at the individual level. A draft set of guiding principles are
as follows: 1) Create a change in organizational culture that will provide opportunities for
individuals to convey individual creativity, 2) Solicit the use of innovative technologies, and 3)
Encourage the use of collaborative and differential work spaces. The guiding principles should
be agreed upon by a governance committee that will be responsible for driving the program
forward and gaining organizational buy-in.
The governance committee should contain representative members from centralized parts
of the organization such as talent management and non-centralized departments such as the
analytics function since the goal of the program is to target the enterprise. Members should also
be a diverse representation of both staff and leadership individuals, age, gender, race, and
ethnicity. The governance committee is responsible for ensuring programmatic success,
including the need for pivoting on goals, objectives, resources, and any additional modifications
that must be made. Responsibilities for this committee include creating a roadmap of activities,
similar to the learning plan outlined in Chapter Five. The roadmap should include discussion
HAPPINESS DESIGN 118

around functional and technical needs across the three guiding principles, a draft plan of action
with measurable KPIs that will be used in the next wave of activities for affirmation, and a
change management framework involving communication structures.
Timing. The anticipated timing for wave 0 is no more than two weeks. The expectation
is that less time is spent on preliminary activities in an effort to allow stakeholders to maintain
their daily roles and responsibilities at the workplace. Furthermore, by seeing reactionary
improvements in productivity and measured KPIs, the organization will be more willing to invest
in the program.
Expected outputs. Outputs from wave 0 directly align with activities mentioned for this
wave as well and are provided in Figure 19. It is essential to have a set of clear and discrete
outputs in order to ensure that the organization provides adequate resources and time necessary
to move the program forward. Outputs should be clearly documented and stored in shared
locations for all individuals on the governance committee to access. Furthermore, it is
recommended that the governance committee use technology as an asset for creating and storing
materials, in a collaborative method, in order to lead by example, as discussed as a guiding
principle for the program.

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Figure 19. Activities and outputs expected for wave 0

Wave 1: Frame

Key activities. The activities in wave 1 will focus on framing the appropriate needs
based on feedback from the governance committee established in the prior wave. The overall
objective of this wave is to frame the business and experience goals for the program to ensure
that the right stakeholder population is being targeted to solve for a current qualitative need in
the organization – happiness. As there is little to no historical or current artifacts or data to be
reviewed at Mark, qualitative feedback gathered through this study and through validation efforts
from the governance committee must be used as a base hypothesis. The governance committee
should then analyze outcomes from these validation efforts as inputs for implementation and
make any adjustments. Subsequently, the documented implementation roadmap should yield the
HAPPINESS DESIGN 120

need to establish a set of use cases for the target population, broken into staff and leadership. A
use case, while oftentimes used in technology implementations, for this program is defined as an
example of how the stakeholder would make use of the program in order to achieve specific
goals. For example, a learning goal for the program is to create innovative methods for
application to existing and non-existing organizational project methodologies. A use case for
achieving this goal is that the individual can use innovative methods to create a different solution
for an already existing problem – yielding improved customer experience and potential increased
revenues.
The use cases are essential for future alignment of return on investment for Mark as
productivity has a direct correlation with bottom-live revenue. As such, after use cases have
been developed and vetted, the use cases should be plotted on a prioritization matrix in order to
establish a common agreement amongst the governance committee for laying the foundation for
success and subsequently scaling the program. In addition to use cases, a confirmed set of KPIs
should be decided upon as indicated in Table 17.

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Table 17

Key Performance Indicators for Program Success.

Metric(s) Method(s)
Financial Metrics
Sales volume and dollar Solicit data from Mercury (internal
system)
Hours of billable utilization Solicit data from RPM (performance
management system)
Change in performance snapshots over
time
Aggregate data from team leads and
reviewers (self-reported, counselor
confirmed)
Behavioral Metrics
Number of projects that use and embed
design-thinking
Aggregate data from team leads (self-
reported); Solicit sales data from Mercury
on projects tagged as creatively
influenced
Number of enrolled trainings Learning and development platform
Number of completed trainings Learning and development platform
Percent increase in office attendance Office check-in tracking system
Number of offices supporting self-
reflection time embedment in weekly
hours
Aggregate data from office management
leadership (self-reported)
Number of projects supporting self-
reflection time embedment in weekly
hours
Aggregate data from team leads (self-
reported)

The governance committee, in performing a prioritization activity, should also use this activity to
perform an alignment exercise to determine appropriate accountability for resource allocation for
the pilot program. Prioritization should transpire based on impact to the bottom-line of the
organization and feasibility of success. Resources include materials needed for the program
delivery and changes to physical space.
Timing. The anticipated timing for wave 1 is between three and four weeks after wave 0.
The expectation is that a final set of pilot use cases are generated during this time frame and the
foundation is set for implementation. Furthermore, the enterprise should have functional
technology available in order to track and measure KPI changes resulting from the program.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 122

Expected outputs. Outputs from wave 1 directly align with activities mentioned for this
wave as well and are provided in Figure 20. Outputs should be clearly documented particularly
as it relates to tracking return on investment on prioritized use cases and resource needs. This is
the foundation for ensuring a successful pilot and to serve as a positive incentive for broader
scalability across the enterprise. Furthermore, a well-documented change management
framework should allow for extension to different stakeholder groups and with flexibility for
adjustments gleaned from the pilot.

Figure 20. Activities and outputs expected for wave 1

Wave 2: Act

Key activities. After the foundation for the program has been established, the
governance committee can move forward with the implementation of the pilot program. At the
HAPPINESS DESIGN 123

conclusion of agreement on use cases, the governance committee is responsible for affirming the
appropriate stakeholder pilot population. For the purposes of this study, the analytics department
was targeted but depending on validation exercises in wave 0 and wave 1, that could change.
Once the pilot population is confirmed, the pilots are expected to commence. While Chapter
Five reflected on the implementation of learning modules, there are other factors that must be
addressed by the organization as a whole in order to support success in learning. These factors,
such as the need for availability in an individual’s schedule for self-reflection, collaborative
space and environmental factors necessary for creative thinking, and technological assets that
support creative endeavors should be implemented concurrently. Furthermore, the impact of
these pilots should all be measured concurrently by the governance committee and reported in a
bi-weekly dashboard based on completion of the pilot by the selected stakeholder population.
Timing. The anticipated timing for wave 2 is approximately three weeks. The learning
modules are expected to be completed in-person and asynchronously, but given other pilot use
cases that need to be deployed concurrently, it could take up to three weeks to complete the
entire pilot program.
Expected outputs. Following the completion of this wave of efforts are findings and
results from the pilot program itself. The governance committee should be prepared to track and
measure KPIs immediately following the program to determine how successful the pilot was. It
is important to note that the subsequent measurement and refinement periods will vary based on
the stakeholder population and also based on the time of year. For some parts of the
organization, there are lighter and busier projects that may impact the application of the program.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 124

Figure 21. Activities and outputs expected for wave 2

Wave 3: Measure and Refine

Key activities. For aspects of the pilot program that involved heavier up-front resource
allocation, it is important to tie direct return on investment to these items and provide feedback
to key stakeholders on the influence of these items as priority. Heavier resources include those
that involved dollar allocation, such as innovative tools and technologies (e.g., tablets) as well as
furniture that contributes to changes in work spaces. Following feedback on these items, survey
provision and review for the learning modules can transpire. The main activities for wave 3, as
indicated in Figure 22, involve reviewing feedback gathered through interactions with program
participants in order to drive continuous improvements in the program. This is expected to take
place iteratively. Feedback mechanisms and tools to capture stakeholder perspectives, through
surveys, should guide decision-making on changes that must be made to the program prior to
scaling it to broader parts of Mark. Data gathered through feedback should be integrated into a
measured and established KPI dashboard that shows trending. KPI metrics are anticipated to
HAPPINESS DESIGN 125

provide insights that will determine whether continued investments should be made to the
program. Based on information gathered, the governance committee will make informed
decisions on innovation and investments resulting in adopted changes to the program.
Timing. The anticipated timing for wave 3 is between three and four weeks. However,
as the intention of this phase is to improve the program before moving into scaling it enterprise-
wide, the component of KPI tracking may extend beyond four weeks. As such, the governance
committee should stay flexible in tracking information and adjust the timing of activities
accordingly.
Expected outputs. Following the completion of this wave of efforts are a set of
reporting dashboards including aforementioned metrics trended over time. Based on findings
from the metrics and information gathered from survey distribution, the governance committee
should be prepared to make decisions related to updating the program, including additions and
deletions of resource allocation. This component of the timeline and associated activities will
vary significantly based on stakeholder feedback and continued timing of resources, based on
approvals from the enterprise.

Figure 22. Activities and outputs expected for wave 3
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Wave 4: Scale

Key activities. The activities in this phase are indicative of those mentioned from wave
2 and wave 3. The governance committee should select the next stakeholder population to
target. Much of this will depend on feedback from survey participants and how the application
of the program may be different based on the particular population. The pilot program was used
to assess the business case for a full rollout (or cancellation), focusing on achieving goals. The
sequence of activities from prior waves should transpire until either the organization makes a
decision to cease progressing activities or the program has been rolled out enterprise-wide.
Timing. The anticipated timing for wave 4 is highly variable.
Expected outputs. There are no direct expected outcomes from this phase. The
outcome is a determination of either continuing with program scaling or cancellation.

Figure 23. Activities and outputs expected for wave 4

HAPPINESS DESIGN 127

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Appendix A: Survey Items
Thank you for your participation in this voluntary survey. For the purposes of the survey
questions below, please use the following equation for the term ‘happiness’: H (happiness) = S
(happiness set point as determined at birth) + C (life circumstances influenced by an individual’s
singular temperament and character such as depression) + V (intentional and voluntary activities)
(Seligman, 2002).
1) How long have you worked with your current employer?
a. Less than 12 months
b. 1 – 3 years
c. 4 – 8 years
d. Greater than 9 years
2) Please select your current staffing level.
a. Business Analyst or Business Technical Analyst
b. Consultant
c. Senior Consultant or Specialist Senior
d. Manager or Specialist Master
e. Senior Manager or Specialist Leader
f. Managing Director, Principal, or Partner
3) Is it important to acknowledge happiness as an important driver of performance?
a. Yes
b. No
4) Is it important to acknowledge the absence of happiness as an important barrier to
performance?
a. Yes
HAPPINESS DESIGN 135

b. No
5) On a scale from 0 to 10 (0 being lowest and 10 being highest), please rank the overall
impact happiness has on your performance at work.
a. 0 – 10
6) On a scale from 0 to 10 (0 being lowest and 10 being highest), please rank your
overall ability to freely be your authentic self at work.
a. 0 – 10
7) What are your top three primary drivers of optimal performance at work (select below
with 1 being highest):
a. Increased Pay (salary, bonus)
b. Recognition
c. Personal Desire
d. Family (e.g., household breadwinner)
e. Professional Employer Requirement
f. Career Aspiration
g. Other: ________________
8) The government of Bhutan is publicly dedicated to increasing GDH – Gross
Domestic Happiness. The policy has four pillars: equitable and sustainable
economic growth, environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and good
government. Would a similar infrastructure, on an organizational scale, be important
for:
a. Changing the culture of the organization for the better?
i. Yes
ii. No
HAPPINESS DESIGN 136

b. Improving employee happiness?
i. Yes
ii. No
9) Please provide a percentage (%) breakdown of the domains of your life that impact
your overall happiness. Please note the total percentage (%) should add to 100%.
a. Work
b. Leisure time and extracurricular activities
c. Family
d. Health and wellness activities
e. Education
f. Other: __________________
10) Below are a number of statements about the impact of happiness on your personal
performance within the confines of your work setting. Please indicate how much you
agree or disagree with each statement according to the following scale:
1 = strong disagree
2 = moderately disagree
3 = slightly disagree
4 = slightly agree
5 = moderately agree
6 = strongly agree
a. I am always committed and involved.
b. My happiness at work affects my desire to go above and beyond.
c. My happiness at work affects my ability to perform baseline job
responsibilities.
HAPPINESS DESIGN 137

d. There is a gap between what I would like to do and what I have done.
e. I find a sense of meaning and purpose in the work I do.
f. I am comfortable expressing my emotions at work, especially if they impact
my ability to optimally perform.
g. I separate emotions from my personal life while I am at work.
h. I find value in my leaders expressing an interest in my happiness.
i. I find value in my leaders expressing a desire to improve and invest in my
happiness.
j. My salary is more important than my happiness.

HAPPINESS DESIGN 138

Appendix B: Interview Protocol
Respondent (Name): __________________________________________
Title: __________________________________________
Tenure: __________________________________________
Interview Location: __________________________________________
Time In/Out: __________________________________________
Introduction
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I am a doctoral student at the University
of Southern California and am conducting this interview as a part of my data collection process
for my dissertation. I am interested in understanding the impact of happiness on performance at
work. I anticipate taking between 30 and 45 minutes to complete this survey. Please note that
your participation in this interview is entirely voluntary. You can opt to skip any question at any
time and may request stopping the interview at your discretion. This interview is confidential
and results from all interviews will be aggregated. Your responses to the interview questions
will be tabulated and coded with a pseudonym to maintain confidentiality. In order to ensure
that I capture your feedback accurately, I would like to record our conversation, which will also
be destroyed after I transcribe it. Do you have any questions before we begin?
1. How do you define happiness in all aspects of your life? Please feel free to provide
examples of specific instances of happiness.
2. Describe personal (non-work) situations that may influence your level of happiness at
work.
3. How is your experience at work currently captured by the organization?
4. What resources are currently available to you by the organization to enable your
happiness?
HAPPINESS DESIGN 139

5. How does your daily emotion impact your behavior at work?
6. How does your daily emotion impact your behavior at home?
7. What inspires you in life? Do any of these inspirations correlate with your performance
at work?
8. Do any of these inspirations correlate with your ability to be creative at work?
9. We are always making choices. Are you making work decisions for your story, for
someone else’s, or both? How does this impact your professional success?
10. Do you feel free to be your authentic self at work? Please feel free to provide examples of
how you may or may not be able to be your true self.
11. Is creative freedom important at work to you?
12. Is creative freedom important at work to your employer?
13. What are some important enablers (e.g., leadership, access to resources, etc.) to
creativity?

HAPPINESS DESIGN 140

Appendix C: Observation Protocol
One of the major offices that employs more than half of individuals in the analytics
department will be observed on randomly selected days for approximately 60 minutes between
3PM and 5PM. The below elements will be captured through the observation process.
Activity Name: __________________________________________
Time In/Out: __________________________________________
Demographics
Indicate the number of participants.
Female Male Total
Participants

Interactions
Describe the specific types of interactions that transpire.
Interaction 1 Interaction 2 Interaction 3
Between two
staff

Between two
leaders

Between a
staff and a
leader

Reflections
Describe any reflections based on the observation that took place.
Reflection Details Next Steps

HAPPINESS DESIGN 141

Appendix D: Informed Consent/Information Sheet
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education – Organizational Change and Leadership
3470 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089

INFORMED CONSENT FOR NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH

The Happiness Design: An Innovation Study

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Sheba Ehteshami (Principal
Investigator) and Dr. Lawrence Picus (Faculty Advisor) at the University of Southern California,
because you are an employee of your current organization. Your participation is voluntary. You
should read the information below, and ask questions about anything you do not understand, before
deciding whether to participate. Please take as much time as you need to read the consent form.
You may also decide to discuss participation with your family or friends. If you decide to
participate, you will be asked to sign this form. You will be given a copy of this form.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Today’s corporate cultural challenges, including social, ethnic, gender, and economic competition,
must be addressed by agile leadership who encompass a diverse set of perspectives in guiding
better performance outcomes. At the core of driving improvements in performance, it is an
obligation to understand key catalysts to what makes us function in the most optimal way –
particularly as it relates to happiness. While financial drivers are an important component of
maintaining the overall viability of an organization, qualitative, soft variables may be a significant
driver of the company’s structural health. We see this everyday – through retention, employee
satisfaction, desires to continue thinking creatively, team awareness, and overall experiences at
work.

The purpose of this study is to create an innovative framework that uses happiness as a key driver
of performance in the workplace. The two priority research questions that will be addressed
through this study discuss happiness at the individual level, and uses the idea of creativity to
optimize individual capabilities at the organization.

STUDY PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to answer a set of questions during
an interview. Your interview will be taped for transcription purposes. You may request a copy
of your recording at the conclusion of the interview. Your interview will last approximately 30
minutes and will either be conducted via webcam or in person. You do not have to answer any
questions you don’t want to.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There are no anticipated risks or discomforts associated with this interview.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO SOCIETY
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The anticipated benefits to society relate to an overall desire to improve awareness, understanding,
and acceptance of the importance of individual happiness to economic growth.

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
You will receive $5 Starbucks gift card for your time. You do not have to answer all of the
questions in order to receive the card. The card will be given to you upon conclusion of interview
activities.

CONFIDENTIALITY
We will keep your records for this study confidential as far as permitted by law. However, if we
are required to do so by law, we will disclose confidential information about you. The members
of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects Protection
Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies to protect
the rights and welfare of research subjects.

Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential. Your
responses will be coded with a false name (pseudonym) and maintained separately. All identifiable
information will be immediately destroyed at the conclusion of transcription. You have the right
to review your recording. The de-identified data will be stored on a password protected computer
in the researcher’s home office for one year after the study has been completed and then destroyed.
No data will be released to any third parties including your employer.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
Your participation is voluntary. Your refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of
benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw your consent at any time and
discontinue participation without penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies
because of your participation in this research study.

ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION
Your alternative is to not participate. Your relationship with your employer will not be affected
whether you participate or not in this study.

INVESTIGATOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal Investigator, Sheba Ehteshami: email at sehtesha@usc.edu or phone at (678) 789-8923
Faculty Advisor, Dr. Lawrence Picus: email at lpicus@rossier.usc.edu or (213) 740-2175

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT – IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu

HAPPINESS DESIGN 143

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT

I have read the information provided above. I have been given a chance to ask questions. My
questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have
been given a copy of this form.

AUDIO/VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHS

□ I agree to be video-recorded /photographed

□ I do not want to be video-recorded /photographed

Name of Participant

Signature of Participant Date

SIGNATURE OF INVESTIGATOR

I have explained the research to the participant and answered all of his/her questions. I believe
that he/she understands the information described in this document and freely consents to
participate.

Sheba Ehteshami
Name of Person Obtaining Consent

Signature of Person Obtaining Consent Date

HAPPINESS DESIGN 144

Appendix E: Recruitment Letter

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study investigated the knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements necessary for understanding the implications of happiness on performance in the workplace. Using the Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis, a set of knowledge, motivation, and organizational assumed influences were documented based on the support of literature and generated hypotheses. Subsequently, data was collected through interviews and surveys and triangulated via observations. A subset of the assumed influences were validated based on collected data, indicating that while happiness is not a clear indicator of performance, it does have a direct correlation with an individual’s desire to go above and beyond expected responsibilities, particularly as it relates to embedding creativity in assignments.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Ehteshami, Sheba (author)

Core Title The happiness design: an innovation study

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 02/23/2018

Defense Date 02/23/2018

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag corporate education,Happiness,leadership,Motivation,OAI-PMH Harvest,organization change,organization design,organization knowledge,organization psychology,performance,productivity

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Picus, Lawrence (committee chair), Datta, Monique (committee member), Lynch, Douglas Eugene (committee member)

Creator Email sehtesha@usc.edu,sheshami@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-477764

Unique identifier UC11266606

Identifier etd-EhteshamiS-6061.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-477764 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-EhteshamiS-6061.pdf

Dmrecord 477764

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Ehteshami, Sheba

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA