Research pick: Forgiveness and wellbeing at work - "Refusing to forgive is your own loss: relationship between forgiveness and employee happiness"

A new theoretical contribution to the research literature published in the International Journal of Business Excellence looks at workplace “forgiveness” and employee wellbeing and happiness. The analysis of the various factors linking forgiveness to wellbeing and the role gender plays was carried out by Rinki Dahiya of the Indian Institute of Management Sirmaur, in Himachal Pradesh, India. It leads the author to offer some useful guidance for managers hoping to boost employee morale, happiness and nurture wellbeing.

The concept of positive organisational behaviour has emerged in recent years as a component of understanding how to improve business practices with a focus on the wellbeing of the employees of the business in question. Over the years, researchers have thus looked at psychological wellbeing, spiritual wellbeing, subjective wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and prosocial behaviour in various environments and contexts. Moreover, recent research has homed in on the idea that determinants of life satisfaction can be seen in the context of optimism, humour, forgiveness, and finding meaning in life. The present paper looks at how forgiveness relates to happiness and wellbeing.

Dahiya found that forgiveness at work act is a predictor of happiness and also gender has a role as a moderator in this regard. The “findings suggest a need for psychological interventions to foster forgiveness and cultivate happiness in the organisational context,” she writes.

Organisations might increase mistake tolerance and introduce earlier interventions when needed as well as promoting forgiveness in the workplace in order to cultivate happiness. If managers and supervisors can create a more forgiving work environment, then employee wellbeing should improve to the benefit of the workforce as a whole and to the organisation’s goals, and ultimately its outputs and profit margins.

Dahiya, R. (2021) ‘Refusing to forgive is your own loss: relationship between forgiveness and employee happiness’, Int. J. Business Excellence, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp.261–276.