Happiness at the workplace is an essential topic for the UAE and should be researched more cohesively. The government of the UAE is already working on strategies that will allow enhancing productivity and engagement of individuals. However, a need to present a plan for improving the worker’s well-being and apply an innovation tool to support this proposal remains valid. Unarguably, evidence-based solutions from the field of psychology and personal development can help understand the approaches to happiness enhancement. This report aims to offer radical solutions for government entities in the UAE that improve the happiness of personnel and analyze those offers using SWOT.
Challenges, Solutions, and SWOT Analysis
While the UAE government declares its efforts towards improving workforce happiness, it is vital to understand the issues that may obstruct the successful implementation of these strategies. Firstly, the economic problems affecting both companies and states can hinder firms from investing in initiatives and projects that do not directly contribute to their bottom line. This is true for the governmental agencies, as well as the happiness enhancement initiatives, which require proper funding. Another challenge is the participation of managers in the project that targets workforce management and ensuring their commitment to the purpose. It is evident that without adequate support from the executive personnel, the strategies will not be carried out properly since they will be responsible for the implementation and control of the proposed solutions.
Finally, an essential element is the development of a viable strategy that can be used across the country in different governmental entities. To ensure success, the initiators should understand that in some cases, the plan will be reviewed and altered to suit the needs of a particular agency. However, the significant issues that can be witnessed in all entities are a sense of pleasure at work, the director’s interest in meeting the requirements of personnel, and commitment to carrying out the daily tasks with more effort. The challenges outlined above present the majority of difficulties that will be considered in the SWOT analysis.
Enhancing the Sense of Pleasure in the Workplace
The primary approach that should be taken by the governmental entities of the UAE to improve the happiness of their employees should be focused on creating an appropriate environment. This includes culture and policy that emphasizes the fact that these institutions value their staff and want to promote their well-being. One strategy is ensuring better team building that taken into account the wishes and preferences of the employees. The objective is to tailor the activities to the personal preferences of individuals working in a specific governmental organization, which can be done through an assessment. Additionally, those should be carried out regularly to maintain the positive effect and continuously enhance the sense of pleasure. An evaluation of each event can help understand the efficiency of the chosen team-building activity.
Strengths of this approach include the fact that it promotes communication between employees and engages them in activities that they are interested in doing. Weaknesses include a need for additional funding that will facilitate team building. This issue consists of a need to hire a consultant who can advise on best practices and strategies that will be beneficial for a particular governmental institution. Moreover, the government entities will have to schedule this event either during work hours or in employees’ free time. Both options can be problematic since reducing the work time of employees can affect their monthly productivity. However, one can anticipate that having the activities during the weekends or after work will result in smaller groups of people taking part in this initiative.
In regards to opportunities, the chosen plan can help improve not only the satisfaction with work but also engagement and cooperation. Since the activities will be tailored to promote teamwork, individuals will be able to learn how to understand each other better, which can be transferred to their daily work life as well. Thus, this will not only affect the sense of pleasure at work but also will impact productivity. The primary threat that should be considered is feedback from the UAE’s citizens who may not find such events necessary because they require financing from the state.
Meeting Staff Requirements
For the directors to show interest in the staff requirements in regards to their psychological needs, it is crucial to make certain that the former are aware of approaches for assessing these needs. This can be done through additional education of these employees on the psychological implications of management on the work outcomes of individuals. In addition to this, these individuals should hold meetings each week with the staff in small groups to discuss their attitudes towards work. It is crucial to pay close attention to the opinions and topics that will be addressed in these meetings because they can be further used to improve workflow.
The strengths of this approach are in the fact that a better understanding of what the staff members need can be used for improving all processes at a particular entity. The weakness is that the training of managers and directors will require time and it can be argued that not all individuals will be able to execute the strategy successfully due to the complexity of psychological implications of workplace happiness. However, this can be mitigated by retaining a simple checklist of what questions can be given to employees to reassure them that their requirements will be met. In addition, several generally appropriate strategies can be developed to enable easy implementation of changes within these entities.
Opportunities involve a better understanding of work-related psychology, which will help directors create a better environment at their entities and provide better services to clients. Additionally, the overall growth of attention towards spirituality and mindfulness will help both directors and their personnel to improve their communication and cooperation. The threats involve a need for rapid changes facilitated by the external environment of the government entities. As was previously mentioned, this strategy requires a dedication of time from the executives. However, the current economic and political conditions, as well as staff expectations, need a quick reaction from the directors.
Staff Commitment
Achieving staff commitment is a complex issue that requires an understanding of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation concepts. The involvement of personnel in their work and making more effort can be improved through the promotion of spirituality. This involves the incorporation of values and ethical believes in the culture of the government entities. The feeling of purpose is one of the critical elements that facilitate workforce happiness. This creates a sense of fulfillment and allows individuals to perform their tasks better. To promote this element of workforce happiness, government entities should review the culture within their institutions. Business tools such as directional statements of mission, vision, and values can be used to ensure that employees are aware of the specifics of their work and the importance of it to the people living in the UAE.
The strength of this approach is reflected in the influential culture that will be present across all entities, and that will correspond to the specific tasks of each institution. The weakness, however, is that a unified vision cannot be created for different government organizations since each is concerned with various matters. Thus, time and effort from the directors will be required to develop and implement the new directional statements. The opportunities involve a possibility to discover new strategies for carrying out daily tasks that will be more effective by reviewing the new values statements. Finally, the threats include an option of miscommunicating the directional statements to both the staff and the public, which will lead to confusion and misunderstandings. A careful strategy of marketing these beliefs is required to ensure success and enhanced commitment of the personnel to their work.
Conclusion
Overall, this paper reviewed challenges that obstruct the promotion of workplace happiness in UAE government entities. The primary problems include encouragement of a sense of pleasure at work, the director’s interest in meeting the psychological requirements of the personnel, and enhanced commitment and more effort from the employees. To overcome the difficulties of managing well-being, three main strategies were proposed, including team building for improved communication, training of managers, and promotion of spirituality and values. A SWOT analysis was performed for each of these offers to examine their validity.
There is a thought that a happy worker is a productive worker and a better organizational citizen (Diener, Oishi, & Lucas, 2015). I believe that employee attitudes and behaviors can be defined by such factors as job satisfaction, job commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, the level of performance, and turnover. Not many leaders pay attention to the emotional and psychological conditions of their employees. People need jobs and salaries to have enough money to pay bills, buy food, and get an education.
Today, I can observe many situations when people are ready to perform various types of work just to earn something. People do not want to recognize their roles and opportunities in the workplace but just follow the orders given. Therefore, in the modern world where money and power play an important role, it is hard to understand if job satisfaction can be a significant attribute of productivity. In this paper, the goal is to investigate employee behaviors and attitudes and clarify the level of impact of different factors identified above regarding research developed in different countries, including the United States, India, and some European countries. Happiness may gain various forms and the task is to comprehend what attitudes may promote higher or lower satisfaction or commitment levels or change turnover ratings in regards to available working conditions.
Job Performance
Job performance is one of the most vital factors that are taken into consideration when companies want to achieve their competitive advantage, introduce effective results, and gain benefits from different perspectives. I think that it is not enough to sustain performance to become a successful organization. Job performance is at its high level when employees demonstrate high productivity, efficient ideas are developed, and new approaches and values are clarified and understood. For example, in the United States, employees have to follow special codes of ethics and standards to complete their tasks. Atta and Khan (2016) state that job performance is not a simple call of duty. Certain qualitative aspects, various types of behaviors, and psychological contexts have to be identified. Besides, it is possible to use organizational citizenship behaviors as a measurement for job performance in different organizations regardless of their size, trends, and professional goals.
Job performance is a part of human resource management with the help of which an understanding of how well a job is performed and what possible improvements can be offered is developed. I think that good leader has to clarify the possible levels of the job performance of their employees to understand what kind of work may be expected when goals can be achieved, and what rewards and punishment systems may be implemented. The investigations show that positive employee attitudes and satisfaction can be favorable for job performance and used to avoid burnout or unpleasant turnover rates (Demetouti, Bakker, & Leiter, 2014).
Positive job performance is not always easy to achieve. Leaders have to be ready to work hard and provide their employees with all the necessary explanations and clarifications. Today, it is popular to hire a person who can follow job performance ratings, analyze the latest achievements, and investigate the quality of work done. In Germany, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, there are many organizations with analytics and statisticians.
I find the role of such people doubtful in many organizations. Their task is to understand what makes a good job performance and use statistics to support their positions. However, job performance is not numbers and facts only. Job performance is a combination of employee attitudes and behaviors, particular situations and explanations, job commitment, and satisfaction. Therefore, productivity and happiness are two closely connected concepts in business, and this paper is an attempt to discuss the peculiar features of such relations.
Employee Attitudes and Behaviors
Atta and Khan (2016) conclude that when employees have access to a positive and favoring working environment, they can produce positive and beneficial responses and demonstrate appropriate results. I would like to agree with such an opinion because much work and many positive results may depend on how well employees are treated and able to develop their skills. It is always possible to learn fast and ask for help. Employee attitude to the job that has to be performed plays a crucial role in job performance. Not all leaders want to admit this truth that their treatment and the possibilities to win over employees can be effective. Such leaders believe that money is the only appropriate compensation for employees to be offered for their job. Unfortunately, some employees find such situations normal and do not even want to identify other opportunities.
Regarding such attitudes and outcomes, it is also necessary to underline the impact of employee behaviors. In companies, leaders find it appropriate to determine their employees’ behaviors by establishing certain organizational standards and rules, developing codes of ethics, and introducing organizational values and goals. Such intentions to control employees deprive working people of the opportunity to demonstrate their behaviors and use their potential to its full extent. However, employee behavior can be used to explain employee motivation and further job satisfaction. Behavioral science researchers admit that employee behavior may depend on such factors as personal dispositions and environmental circumstances (Barrick, Mount, & Li, 2013). After several personal observations, I may conclude that the environmental circumstances may vary in organizations, and disposition is the variable that depends on the level of job satisfaction and commitment.
Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction is a goal that has to be achieved. Employees have to satisfy their clients and make sure that all expectations of their leaders are met. However, not all companies have a department or, at least, a person who focuses on employee job satisfaction. In the modern business world full of pragmatism and cruelty, many companies find it normal to fire a person instead of thinking about their satisfaction or recognizing their personal or professional needs. Though the government develops several programs and laws to protect the rights of employees, it is not difficult to find a legal explanation of a situation when job satisfaction has to be neglected. Unfortunately, I am not able to observe the results of successful governmental attempts to promote HR practices in organizations.
Job satisfaction, as well as employee happiness, may have different forms. Some employees are satisfied with the possibility to shorten their working hours and find enough time for personal or professional development (Rudolf, 2014). Some people like to work long hours as an opportunity to earn money or gather a portion of the experience. If an organization supports the idea of internal competition, then employees want to satisfy their needs, gather some points, and demonstrate their skills and knowledge to achieve positive results and gain recognition. Satisfaction should be developed in terms of supervising, educating, task completion, and working conditions (Braun, Peus, Weisweiler, & Frey, 2013). Even if employees have to work under special conditions and restrictions, leaders must make sure that all employees are satisfied. Even the necessity to follow orders and be measured in terms of work can be characterized by positive aspects that increase employee satisfaction and productivity. It is not difficult to make a worker happy. The only thing that has to be done is the recognition of the sources of happiness and satisfaction.
Job Commitment
The recognition of organizational behavior and professional attitudes to the job that has to be performed turns out to be a helpful tool of job commitment and possible organizational growth. Today, the competitive business era makes many organizations struggle for their sustainable development, help people, and stay committed towards their work. Job or organizational commitment is a type of attitude or behavior that can be demonstrated by employees. Shanker (2016) defines it as a significant strength of individuals in their attempts to identify their professional skills and suggests using three main dimensions that can determine the level of commitment: continuance, affective, and normative.
Each level of commitment has its characteristics and leaders or other managers, who have to work with employees and follow their psychological, emotional, personal, and professional changes should understand that job commitment may vary among employees. For example, affective commitment is the intention of an employee to identify themselves with an organization (Shanker, 2016). I observed the situations when such employees were ready to sacrifice their personal lives and families to enhance job performance and promote the success of a company. In India, there are many IT workers and managers who demonstrate their affective commitment and promote the development of the industries (Patrick & Sonia, 2012). On the one hand, such devotion is highly appreciated due to the level of productivity and the possibility to make an employee happy without any considerable efforts. On the other hand, the level of affection is hard to predict, and psychologists suggest paying attention to the methods of work used by such employees.
Continuance commitment is the feeling that a certain portion has to be done after the analysis is made. Employees have to understand the current position of an organization, investigate its possible areas for improvement, and realize their roles in organizational development. If employees demonstrate their commitment after such a portion of the analysis, it can be called continuance and used for helping other people, developing altruistic methods of work, and improving the working environment.
Finally, there is the normative commitment when employees find the idea of staying within an organization as the right thing to be done. The presence of such commitment is the sign of successful development and growth of an organization and job satisfaction that can be observed among employees (Oyewobi, Suleiman, & Muhammad-Jamil, 2012).
Organizational Citizenship Behavior
Organizational citizenship behavior is another important concept that has to be taken into consideration when job performance and satisfaction are discussed. It is a norm that has to be developed in a certain psychological and social context. As a rule, such behavior should not be included in a formal description of a job but has to be investigated when organizational development and improvement are required (Atta & Khan, 2016). It is characterized by a voluntary nature. Therefore, it includes all positive and constructive activities employees may be involved in. Employees may have their demands and needs, and new ideas and approaches, with the help of which a company can get benefits and stay competitive. There are several types of organizational citizenship behavior: altruism (desire to help without any reward expectations), courtesy (politeness toward people), sportsmanship (no negative even if everything is out of plan), conscientiousness (self-control), and civic virtue (appropriate representation of an organization).
Organizational citizenship behavior is the opportunity to recognize the needs and be prepared for new challenges and tasks. As a rule, employees who demonstrate organizational citizenship behavior can take extra work or break the boundaries to achieve positive results for their companies. At the same time, it is wrong to expect that they can become the best representatives of their departments. They may demonstrate a properly developed sense of hope or self-efficacy and stay optimistic and devoted to the goals and values of their companies (Thakre & Mayekar, 2016). The required outcomes can be achieved only in case leaders of companies introduce all necessary standards, goals, and tasks in a clear and comprehensible way. Employees should not panic or be frustrated with their inabilities to understand that kind of work should be done but stay focused on the goals they have to achieve.
Turnover Rating
The relationship between job satisfaction, employee happiness, and turnover is significant as well as the relationship between other concepts. Still, it is not as strong as it can be. Besides, I usually associate the turnover of employees with some negative activities because turnover is the process when workers leave organizations, and other employees have to replace them in a short period not to challenge organizational productivity, competitiveness, and development. The higher the turnover rate is, the more problems a company has meaning that not all employees are satisfied with their working conditions or not all leaders are satisfied with the work performed.
Still, it is necessary to measure employee turnover because it can help to investigate the conditions under which people should work, identify the problems that can occur, and calculate possible costs. People want to believe that they find a good job, learn their duties, and develop their skills to be promoted, earn a lot of money, and understand the sphere they are involved in. If the reasons for why people leave their jobs are positive (like marriage, pregnancy, or buying a new house in another country), employee happiness is evident. Still, if the reasons for high turnover ratings include poor productivity, small salaries, or removal, the happiness of employees is usually low. In such cases, the level of turnover is inversely proportional to employee happiness.
However, I can introduce another perspective, with the help of which employee turnover and happiness have to be investigated. Each employee may have personal attitudes and norms that have to be followed. There are such groups of people who like changes and try to change their places of living or work regularly. It is interesting for employees to have several jobs in a certain period. People are happy to have an opportunity and choose between the workplaces.
Taking into consideration the fact that the reasons for turnover can vary, I believe that it is wrong and ineffective to connect these two concepts and find the relationship. Situations and conditions under which people change their working places and can be fired or hired are hard to predict. Therefore, turnover and happiness are the concepts that have the longest distance between each other in line under analysis.
Happiness vs. Production in the Workplace
Regarding the ideas discussed and the thoughts developed, I would like to say that employee happiness is an integral part of organizational performance. A happy worker is a productive worker, and this fact can be proved by several issues. If an employee is happy, there is a possibility that some things that may disturb a working process can be removed. People are focused on their tasks, comprehend what kind of work should be done, and properly complete their duties. The level of productivity can be increased considerably. A happy employee is eager to visit the workplace and share optimism with other people. The development of positive attitudes and trustful relations with co-workers is the key to effective teamwork. When people exchange information and positive emotions, they increase their chances to work hard and to use their knowledge, potential, and abilities.
At the same time, I want to admit that too much happiness may easily distract employees. It can be hard for a worker to concentrate on all tasks and think about the necessity to improve the results and develop. There is no ability to control the level of happiness that can be appropriate and can be above the norm. In other words, organizations cannot identify the line when happiness is regarded as a motivator, and when happiness turns out to be an organizational challenge.
Therefore, happiness may be characterized by several positive and negative outcomes of employee productivity. In the United States, organizations expect that their employees can control their emotions and use their happiness to meet positive organizational outcomes.
Conclusion
In general, I want to introduce happiness in the workplace as a serious issue for consideration because different organizations formulate different opinions and attitudes to happiness and its relation to productivity. It is impossible to create one theory or one formula according to which it is possible to identify what kind of measurement is appropriate for happiness. Besides, happiness is a personal quality. Its development depends on traits, knowledge, and abilities. Organizational success and productivity cannot be compared with the level of happiness achieved by an employee. Still, it seems to be normal for organizations to take care of their employees’ emotional well-being and promote happiness, job satisfaction, and commitment. Turnover rates can be changed because of different reasons, and happiness has no connection to this factor. Anyway, if a leader wants to believe that a happy worker is a productive worker and uses appropriate measurements and evaluations of their work, this statement can be implemented as one of the main organizational values and purposes that have to be achieved by a company.
References
Atta, M., & Khan, M.J. (2016). Perceived organizational politics, organizational citizenship behavior and job attitudes among universities teachers. Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 26(2), 21-38.
Barrick, M.R., Mount, M.K., & Li, N. (2013). The theory of purposeful work behavior: The role of personality, higher-order goals, and job characteristics. Academy of Management Review, 38(1), 132-153.
Braun, S., Peus, C., Weisweiler, S., & Frey, D. (2013). Transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and team performance: A multilevel mediation model of trust. The Leadership Quarterly, 24(1), 270-283.
Demetouti, E., Bakker, A.B., & Leiter, M. (2014). Burnout and job performance: The moderating role of selection, optimization, and compensation strategies. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 19(1), 96-107.
Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Lucas, R.E. (2015). National accounts of subjective well-being. American Psychologist, 70(3), 234-242.
Oyewobi, L.O., Suleiman, B., & Muhammad-Jamil, A. (2012). Job satisfaction and job commitment: A study of quantity surveyors in Nigerian public service. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(5), 179-192.
Patrick, H.A., & Sonia, J. (2012). Job satisfaction and affective commitment. IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior, 11(1), 23-36.
Rudolf, R. (2014). Work shorter, be happier? Longitudinal evidence from the Korean five-day working policy. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15(5), 1139-1163.
Shanker, M. (2016). Organizational citizenship behavior and organizational commitment in Indian workforce. Journal of Psychological Research, 11(2), 397-408.
Thakre, N., & Mayekar, R. (2016). Hope, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior among employees of private sector organizations. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 7(4), 480-484.
At least 80% of people all over the world have only $10 to spare every day (Shah para. 2).
However, as long as every member of the community makes an effort, millions of people can be saved.
People need the support of those who can donate.
Create Happiness Organization will be the mediator between the poor and the donors.
Create Happiness Organization will need people’s support.
Create Happiness Activities
Product:
Cards:
Cards will be used for the customers to use in order to get discounts.
Card devices:
Card devices, as well as cards, will be sold to organizations.
Service
The money acquired from donors (individuals and organizations, e.g., Red Cross) will be sent to the recipients (the poor).
Create Happiness will also offer its services (cards and card devices) to companies in entertainment.
Target Market
Donor organizations, which are going to buy the Create Happiness Organization’s cards and card devices in order to use them for discounts and making bargains;
People who are going to buy the Create Happiness Organization’s cards in order to use them for discounts and making bargains.
Customer Relationships:
Information regarding payment submissions and cards purchase will be updated on the site on a daily basis.
Being Different from the Competitors
Many companies might want to cooperate with the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. However, Create Happiness has a number of assets, which it will use to achieve success.
Other companies might also have decent plans on eliminating poverty. Still the Create Happiness plan is the most efficient, fast and reasonable to undertake.
To avoid being overthrown by competitors, the Create Happiness will have to:
Use the support of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent;
Enhance productivity;
Cut the costs for transportation;
Cut the costs for human resources;
Use donations efficiently and wisely.
Making Money
Most of the company’s revenues will come from donors. Selling cards, while profitable, will be used mostly as the means to attract people’s attention towards the problem of poverty and cover the major costs.
The initial capital will be acquired from a bank;
The acquired capital will be used for the company promotion for the latter to become partners with the Red Cross;
Donations coming from the red Cross and the Red Crescent will be the key resource;
Money made from selling cards to people and companies in entertainment sphere will be used for donations to the poor.
Resources from Investors
Donor Organizations:
Donor organizations will invest into the Create Happiness Organization;
The Create Happiness Organization is going to team up with the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (East).
Donor Individuals:
People will use the cards supplied by the Create Happiness Organization;
Money obtained from card retail will help the company cover losses and conduct advertising campaigns.
Expected Returns
$50,000 donations from the Red Cross and the Red Crescent within the first two months;
$25,000 from selling cards to the natural persons;
$40,000 from selling cards and card devices to legal persons;
$5,000 from cutting the costs for logistics (primarily transportation);
– $5,000 from the costs for promotion and advertizing program;
– $5,000 from the rest of the costs (salaries to the staff, costs for materials, etc.).
Total returns expected: $110,000.
Sharing Keeps the World Go Round
Every year, 22,000 children die of poverty.
It is high time to put a stop to poverty induced deaths.
If every person in the community buys a card and uses it, 100 children will be saved with the help of the donations.
If no one else is willing to change the situation regarding the needy, the Create Happiness will.
All workers seek to be happy in their workplace. Organizations with happy employees obtain more revenue compared to those with unhappy workers. Employee turnover rate is also far reduced in such companies compared to those with unsatisfied employees. Subordinate satisfaction at the workplace is the backbone of success for a particular organization. This essay discusses how organizations can change to ensure their workers are happy at work while elaborating on the work environment I look forward to joining after completing my studies.
Ways to Ensure Happiness at Work
A report provided by a survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that many Americans quit their jobs in 2021 because they felt disrespected at work, had low pay, and had no opportunities for advancing their careers. Other significant reasons included non-flexible working hours, lack of health benefits, and relocation to a different place. Different people who quit their jobs had either an easy or a difficult time securing the next job (Parker and Horowitz 1). It also found that the employees who left their jobs got employed elsewhere with more opportunities, better compensation, flexibility, and work-life balance. Another lot described that their work situation was still the same in their current job compared to their prior employment.
The report stated that men had an easier time balancing work and family responsibilities than women in their current positions. In contrast, others indicated that they changed their occupation after quitting their jobs. It was evident that younger adults voluntarily left their jobs not because they were laid off or fired compared to older adults (Parker and Horowitz 1). Finally, experiences such as education, race, and income were among the factors considered to generate a report on why many people quit their jobs in 2021. From the above findings, it is clear that people of different ages, races, and ethnicities are not happy in their current jobs, which can be mitigated through the ways discussed below.
Therefore, employees’ happiness is majorly contributed by how their superiors and colleagues treat them. Employees make intelligent choices when they are not plagued by dread and anxiety. When staff morale is high, people are more willing to take calculated risks than stressed-out colleagues, who are more distracted. Part of what motivates this clarity and action is the trust you establish between employees through respect and admiration. Organizations with a high percentage of happy and satisfied workers have nearly twice the revenue growth of those that do not (Bush 0:52). By a factor of three, they outperform the stock market. Staff turnover is also half that of firms with many disgruntled employees. This emphasizes the need for employee happiness at work as it is a significant contributor to the success of an organization.
The best part is that you will not have to spend any additional money. It’s not about ping-pong tables, massages, or dog walks. It is not about the benefits. It all comes down to how their bosses and coworkers treat them. Leaders need to trust and respect their employees to have happy employees, not by words alone but by actions (Bush 1:27). For instance, if an employee reports that the printer is no longer working and that’s why they are lagging, they expect their supervisor to make actionable changes without delay. For employers to gain a high amount of trust from their workers, they have to believe that their workers have the organization’s best interest and that their actions are driven to better their services.
Secondly, all employees expect to be treated equally when working in an organization regardless of their age, rank, experience, and job category. It can come into play by ensuring workplace equity for both genders working at the same level and with similar proficiency. Organizations with happy workers require employers who can actively listen to different people (Bush 2:07). An employer needs to be humble and listen to the worker’s opinions and suggestions to develop the best idea possible. Workers can tell if their superiors consider their views when making decisions. Human beings appreciate it when they realize that what we say greatly changes the other person’s mind.
The research shows that organizations should improve their employees’ pay by introducing incentives and bonuses to appreciate their performance and thus boost their morale. Employers can also set up a system in which the workers are promoted by considering different factors such as performance to avoid favoritism and allow for opportunities for career advancements (Bush 2:44). The need for employees to be respected has to be established by setting up meetings to air out their issues and concerns while getting feedback and observable actions regarding their complaints.
The organization should aim to provide a work-family balance for all workers to allow flexibility as family plays a significant role in employees’ work. For instance, when things are not okay at home, workers tend to have less participation and motivation, thus affecting their performance. Health insurance and pension benefits should be incorporated into its financial plan to cover all employees (Bush 3:52). The human body tends to get exhausted, and thus employers should allow for leave days to enable their subordinates to rest and report back to work rejuvenated. A healthy work environment will enable workers to reach their full potential, maximizing their output regardless of age, education, race, and ethnicity.
My Ideal Environment Working upon Completing my Studies
Having worked throughout my degree studies by attending all my lectures, participating in projects, working on assignments, and taking my finals, the next step is securing a job. First and foremost, I’d prefer to secure a job in an organization that relates to and actively practices what I studied at the university. I would expect that they have put into place their mission, vision, and core values and gained quite a reputation among their peers through adherence to the above.
I want to work in an organization that allows me to practice the skills and knowledge learned from school while trusting me to have the best intentions for the company. An excellent fit is an organization that offers mentorship with a supervisor who guides, delegates, and corrects, thus allowing for growth and exposure (Parker & Horowitz 1). I prefer to work in an organization that incorporates teamwork, as I can network and learn from other colleagues who have gained more hands-on expertise. I want to work in an environment where I can achieve my full potential voice suggestions and have them listened to and considered by my superiors.
Conclusion
Workers desire to be happy in their workplace, improving their performance and organization. Therefore, employers need to change the way they behave, respond, support and treat others as these define the work experience of those around them. Employers need to listen to their subordinates, trust actively, and respect them while treating them equally. Workers should be valued and honored regardless of their rank, experience, and age for the growth and success of their organization.
Happiness management is not a new trend, and it continues to acquire more and more population worldwide. If several years ago, one of the most important human resources (HR) functions was the motivation of employees, today, it is evident that, apart from the financial component, the overall well-being influences the results of people’s work. Al Maktoum (2017) distinguishes between personal happiness and that of society as a whole that can be accomplished through public services.
The concept of happiness may be defined as feeling safe, secure, and comfortable in the workplace. If a company assists employees in maintaining their well-being, the involvement of the latter grows. Happiness at the workplace is also referred to as spirituality – “a search for meaning, deeper self-knowledge or transcendence to a higher level” (Petchsawang & Duchon, 2009, p. 460). The sense of one’s purpose and meaning motivates employees to work and feel better simultaneously.
Importance and Application of the Topic
Caused by the increased competition and economic uncertainty, the role of workplace happiness raised significantly. Today, the core importance of the identified concept lies in its capability to ensure positive outcomes through higher productivity and employee satisfaction (Dimitrov, 2012). In particular, a happy employee understands that he or she works in a relevant position and actively participates in the processes taking place within the company, feeling responsibility and involvement. The latter is expected to inspire employees to new achievements since they are interested in performing emerging tasks and solving problems. A happy employee should be motivated both financially and non-materially and see perspectives in further career and personality development.
The concept of workplace happiness may be applied to diverse settings, beginning with managers, and ending with the first-line workers. In their study, Bader, Hashim, and Zaharim (2013) explored friendship as a construct of happiness among banking employees. It is considered that positive interpersonal relationships are beneficial for any organization, yet the opportunities to create them may depend on employees’ age, gender, education level, et cetera.
For example, the study demonstrated that males are more likely to be friends at the workplace compared to women, while people after 40 are more prone to friendships rather than their younger colleagues (Bader et al., 2013).
As for education, one may emphasize that people with secondary education have better opportunities in terms of friendship compared to those who have higher education diplomas. The mentioned results allow an understanding of how people of different demographic characteristics behave with regard to others (Bader et al., 2013). They also are useful in preparing and implementing strategies that aim at improving workplace happiness since leaders would take into account their employees’ preferences and expectations.
The importance of happiness in the workplace is also associated with the difficulties HR specialists encounter while hiring, retaining, and developing employees. In today’s’ rapidly developing environment, companies struggle to attract the most qualified and creative employees, who need not only appropriate remuneration but also good workplace relationships and attitudes (Dimitrov, 2012). The need to focus on more intrinsic factors that motivate employees forces HRs to be flexible in applying one or another strategy.
For example, Dimitrov (2012) mentions Patagonia, a company “whose management is not influenced by the market pressure for achieving greater profit, but maintains its soul by being a human-friendly and environmentally conscious organization” (p. 352). In other words, workplace happiness implies non-monetary values and self-actualization techniques when applied to a particular company.
The participation of management also has a certain weight and importance in shaping the atmosphere of happiness. According to Hosie and Sevastos (2009), the steps towards the individualization of the so-called portions of happiness are essential. In addition, the more talented an employee is, the more valuable and refined is his or her way to happiness. Employers, as a rule, try to maneuver between benefits for employees and profit for a company, not always understanding what and how to choose at a particular moment (Hosie & Sevastos, 2009). In general, one of the focal criteria for discomfort at work is an imbalance; some are stressed because of rigidity and over control, while others – due to excessive sensitivity and connivance, which leads to an unpredictable change of priorities and constant stress.
The task of every employee is to find a way to work in harmony with their personal values and build successful relationships with colleagues and managers. The task of a leader is to create an atmosphere in which people can develop, paying attention to a shared vision, a link between the contribution of each employee, and the ultimate goal of the company (Hosie & Sevastos, 2009). Career aspects of well-being include clear and transparent prospects for development and growth, the ability to develop not only professionally but also personally, passion for their work, and the possibility of self-realization.
Impact of Happiness at Work
A review of employee welfare and its potential impact on labor productivity shows that increased well-being leads to improved performance: the financial performance of the business, productivity, and quality of goods and services. Therefore, many employers implement programs for employee well-being, which can be measured in psychological capital (PsyCap) and perceived organizational support (POS) (Joo & Lee, 2017).
There are several major factors affecting a person’s well-being in terms of a career, including social and financial factors, physical condition, and contribution that a person makes to society. For an employee who has health problems or family issues, it seems to be much more difficult to be involved and give maximum energy to work.
While several studies reflect the direct correlation between workplace happiness and employee productivity, there is little information on how various positions and professions affect this link. Joo and Lee (2017) found that POS and PsyCap were considerably higher in more engaged and committed employees. It should also be stressed that work engagement acted as a mediator between career satisfaction and PsyCap, and the latter directly impacted subjective well-being.
The practical role of these findings is that they clarify how organizational performance can be improved in a long-term period. The provision of opportunities for growth, assistance in developing personal competences, and addressing family and other individual issues – all this positively impact workplace satisfaction. In turn, happy employees are likely to value their workplaces more since they feel their own importance for a company and its well-being.
At the same time, employee productivity increases due to the positive attitudes of managers and leaders towards them. As stated by Al Maktoum (2017), positivity and happiness are related directly to likewise introduction and conclusion, which makes it evident that organizations should adopt happiness as a way of life and thinking. In other words, optimism with which employers and employees consider work-related issues compose the core of happiness. Happy employees work and produce more, thus boosting economic development at a larger scale (Al Maktoum, 2017). By pursuing happiness, companies and governments set the directions to be achieved in the future, and employees understand that they contribute to something important to turn the world for the better.
Advantages
The evidence shows that there are various benefits of workplace happiness, including social and physical issues. First of all, one of the key advantages is “a person’s perspective on matters” that appears to be positive towards the processes in a company (Al Maktoum, 2017, p. 23). In other words, employees who are happy in their working environment are more inspired to adopt changes and act in accordance with their responsibilities.
Well-being in the social sphere means that a company created an atmosphere of trust and respect, people work in a team of like-minded people, while they are valued, and their opinions are listened to. A friendly environment, the possibility of socialization, and high-quality communication at work compose an extremely important advantage. In addition, companies also pay attention to staff compliance with the balance of work and privacy. This refers to considering options for those who want to go to distant or part-time work, creating the opportunity for people to relax, and spending more time with their families.
The second advantage of introducing and strengthening corporate spiritual values should be noted in terms of an organization-focused approach. Pawar (2008) states that employees’ spiritual experiences at the workplace allow establishing connectedness as well as alignment with colleagues. More to the point, the author claims that such an approach promotes “superior performance on business operations parameters as well as profitability and low employee turnover” (Pawar, 2008, p. 558).
As for the latter, one may note that it occurs due to a sense of purpose. People want to feel the relevance of their work and understand how their contribution allows for achieving important goals (Liu & Robertson, 2011). However, with the exception of those who are at the top management, shareholders’ profit is not a meaningful goal that enthralls and inspires. People would like to be aware that they and their organizations are doing something important for others. Employees tend to become happy to work in companies whose corporate projects are aimed at solving critical social problems.
From a physical point of view, a sense of security, proper nutrition, physical activity, a sufficient amount of sleep, and access to quality health care is regarded as significant. All of the mentioned issues are included in the programs that strive to ensure workplace happiness. Constant stress at work, high workload, and multitasking often cause poor health; therefore, one more benefit is associated with proper planning of tasks and deadlines. Some companies already have special corporate doctors and nurses, who help care for the health of staff. The promotion of healthy and nutritious meals, weight loss programs, and encouragement to quit smoking – all this will help employees make a choice in favor of a healthy lifestyle and, thus, happiness at the workplace.
Consistent with the abovementioned advantages, one of the latest studies conducted by Petchsawang and Duchon (2009) suggested that there are four concepts of workplace spirituality: mindfulness, compassion, transcendence, and meaningful work. However, this research also adds new prospects such as transcendence, the definition of which may be specified as follows: the connection with the higher power – in this case, with the whole organization.
In particular, the study Petchsawang and Duchon (2009) conducted in an Asian context and Buddhism-centred workplaces indicates that a significant number of employees connect themselves with the higher power, which allows them to feel safe and confident during work. Thus, workplace happiness may also act as a mediator between a person and spirituality.
Disadvantages
Separate employee welfare programs are a good initiative, but they cannot provide the desired effect. Instead, it is critical to follow a systematic approach to introducing employee happiness initiatives and assessing their results.
It will not only allow adjusting the process of working with employees but also to monitor the effectiveness of initiatives and business benefits. In order not to turn well-being management into an excessively tense HR activity, interviews with employees seem to be helpful to determine priorities and expected benefits. Since many companies fail to properly plan and introduce workplace happiness programs, the identified issue can be considered a disadvantage. It is recommended to develop a comprehensive program and involve the company’s top management in its implementation.
The second disadvantage may be determined as a lack of attention paid to taking care of the financial well-being of employees. It is significant to keep in mind that although happiness is not about money, employees should be able to cover their basic needs, pay for housing, relax, have desired leisure activities, and take care of their health (Samnani & Singh, 2014). It seems essential to point out the fact that in an attempt to ensure that employees have non-monetary compensation, many companies fail to pay fair and competitive remuneration. Therefore, it is critical to provide people with decent wages, educate them on financial literacy, and form a fund to help those who are in a difficult financial situation.
Another potential disadvantage refers to the fact that productivity is a relatively subjective phenomenon that can vary depending on the particular skills, knowledge, and competences of employees. Thompson and Goodale (2006) discussed the available literature and concluded that the underestimation of employees with lower productivity leads to errors in scheduling. Accordingly, happiness planning also should take into account the fact that every employee has individual strengths and weaknesses, and the standard programs may not be suitable for all of them (Thompson & Goodale, 2006).
Moreover, the analysis of disadvantages shows that there is insufficient literature on the correlation between workplace happiness and its limitation since the majority of studies point to the need for further practical studies in order to make more relevant conclusions.
Conclusion
To conclude, it should be emphasized that workplace happiness presents a great opportunity for managers and leaders to empower their employees for better work. While happiness at work is composed of several constructs such as compassion, communication, friendship, and others, it may be individual for every employee.
Nevertheless, some general trends also exist – for full involvement in the work, people need a vision of the future, an awareness of the significance and purpose of the work as well as fruitful relationships. Among the key advantages, one may enumerate employee satisfaction and increased productivity, engagement in work-related processes, and willingness to actively participate in communication with colleagues. The disadvantages are the need for comprehensive programs to build consistent workplace happiness and limitedness of the available research.
References
Al Maktoum, M. B. R. (2017). Reflections on happiness & positivity. Dubai, UAE: Explorer Publishing.
Bader, H. A., Hashim, I. H., & Zaharim, N. M. (2013). Workplace friendships among bank employees in Eastern Libya. Digest of Middle East Studies, 22(1), 94-116.
Dimitrov, D. (2012). Sources of meaningfulness in the workplace: A study in the US hospitality sector. European Journal of Training and Development, 36(2/3), 351-371.
Hosie, P. J., & Sevastos, P. (2009). Does the “happy-productive worker” thesis apply to managers? International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 2(2), 131-160.
Joo, B. K., & Lee, I. (2017). Workplace happiness: Work engagement, career satisfaction, and subjective well-being. Evidence-based HRM: A Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, 5(2), 206-221.
Liu, C. H., & Robertson, P. J. (2011). Spirituality in the workplace: Theory and measurement. Journal of Management Inquiry, 20(1), 35-50.
Pawar, S. B. (2008). Two approaches to workplace spirituality facilitation: A comparison and implications. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 29(6), 544-567.
Petchsawang, P., & Duchon, D. (2009). Measuring workplace spirituality in an Asian context. Human Resource Development International, 12(4), 459-468.
Samnani, A. K., & Singh, P. (2014). Performance-enhancing compensation practices and employee productivity: The role of workplace bullying. Human Resource Management Review, 24(1), 5-16.
Thompson, G. M., & Goodale, J. C. (2006). Variable employee productivity in workforce scheduling. European Journal of Operational Research, 170(2), 376-390.
The film was aptly titled happiness. The characters were in pursuit of happiness but many of them failed to achieve what they longed for. Ironically it was their desire to achieve the happiness that led them to do things that they would regret later in life. For some characters, the pursuit of happiness led them to a downward spiral; first they were emotionally hurt, then they destroy friendships and relationships and then eventually they end up all alone. This paper will focus on the link between happiness and deviant behavior. This is made possible by using the idea of Jon Frauley – that fictional reality can be used to study crime and deviancy. Aside from Frauley’s work, other theoretical frameworks will be used to understand deviant behavior.
Fictional Reality
Frauley made a valid point when he said that works of fiction such as those in film and literature can be used as a pedagogical tool. He believed that fictional reality can be used to enhance the capability of students in learning the intricacies of the criminal justice system and criminology in general (Frauley, year). The author explained that this is not only possible but it is also practical to do so because of two reasons:
Fieldwork is considered costly, time-consuming, and rife with possible ethical complications while fictional realities can be viewed and studied in the comfort of one home; and
The fictional reality can provide a “hands-on” approach while at the same time offering a web of relations that is both layered and complex (Frauley, year).
Todd Solondz film, Happiness (1998) is a perfect example of what Frauley tried to describe when it comes to the use of well-crafted films that offer a multi-layered view of the world. In Happiness (1998) the complex web of relationships created by the characters in the movie was very much evident from beginning to end. The first phase was crucial because the character played by Philip Seymour Hoffman went to see his psychiatrist. He was unloading his problems to his psychiatrist named Bill but he had no idea that his confession partially influenced Bill to do something with his own set of problems. The patient and the psychiatrist went their separate way only to entangle themselves in a web of relationships that will ultimately link them together.
Hoffman’s character was named Jimmy, an ordinary-looking employee. He was overweight, in his mid-thirties and had no self-confidence. Bill on the other hand was a successful psychiatrist who had a hidden secret – he wanted to have sex with little boys. It is ironic that both men could not find happiness in their lives. Jimmy was incapable of building relationships with the opposite sex. But there is actually nothing that can stop him from doing so. It was his low self-esteem that prevented him from being with someone with whom he can grow old with. Yet, Jimmy thinks that he is not good enough for these women.
Bill went to his own psychiatrist and told him about a recurring dream, that he was in a park armed with a high-powered rifle and shooting everyone on site. He had problems that he could not share with his wife. Yet, he pretends that everything is well in his family. It was implied that he was not having sexual intercourse with his wife. He tried to diminish the importance of intimacy between man and wife and the need for the husband to have intercourse with his partner on a regular basis. On his way home he stopped by a convenience store and bought a magazine for kids. Yet he used it instead to achieve a measure of happiness.
Jimmy went home and instead of talking to the woman that he adores he randomly went through his phone book and tried to have phone sex with the unsuspecting woman who had the misfortune of answering the phone. In this manner, he was able to connect to Joy Jordan who happened to be the sister of Trish, the wife of his psychiatrist. To complicate matters even more these two women are related to Helen Jordan, the object of Jimmy’s desire. The director tried so hard to link everyone. Suggesting perhaps that every person is somehow interconnected and the action of one person can affect the whole community. This was contrasted by the ever-present feeling of loneliness and isolation.
Deviancy
For those who are interested in sociology and criminology, this movie is not merely a social commentary and an art film. It is also a tool that can help them understand the nature of deviant behavior. Yet, there is still a need to utilise various theoretical frameworks in order to understand deviant behavior. One of the most helpful in this regard is the framework explaining the types of deviant behavior (Becker, year). In this framework there are two major human behaviors, the first one is obedient behavior and the second one is rule-breaking behavior (Becker, year). Now, these two forms of behaviors can be obscured or magnified depending on the perception of other people. For instance, if the person is obedient to the law and he is perceived to be deviant then that person is falsely accused of a crime that he or she did not commit. If an individual is well aware of his rule-breaking behavior, does not mind the consequence of his actions, and he or she is perceived to be so, then this person is a pure deviant.
There is a second type of perception. The observer cannot detect any type of wrongdoing. So the one who exhibited obedient behavior and the observer makes the judgement call that this person is not a deviant then he or she is a conformer to norms, rules etc. But if the observer failed to see the true nature of the rule-breaker then the deviant behavior can be perpetuated and the deviant person will continue to behave that way until apprehended by law enforcers or forced to conform by a society who deemed such actions as immoral and unethical.
If this simple and rigid framework will be used then it can be argued that almost everyone is guilty of deviant behavior except perhaps Trish Jordan and her mother the matriarch of the Jordan family. The rest are guilty of deviancy while two men can be accused as secret deviants. Joy Jordan is guilty of having multiple sex partners and this is taboo in many cultures. Her sister Helen Jordan is guilty of the same. Vlad the Russian immigrant is not ashamed to be a thief and a con man and so he is a pure deviant. While Bill and Jimmy on the other hand are very secretive and they belong to the last category: appearing blameless and respectable on the outside but struggling with their dark secrets on the inside. They are secret deviants.
The elder Mr. Jordan is a combination of a secret deviant and a pure deviant. This is in accordance to the rules of convention. A man should stay married to his wife until she dies. Abandoning his wife in old age is an unacceptable behavior in many societies. Various kinds of religion frown upon this kind of action. Since Mr. Jordan is open about his desire to leave his wife – at least to his family – he can be considered as a pure deviant for he knowingly went against the rules. On the other hand he can also be considered as a secret deviant by other people, especially those who do not know him personally.
This is because Mr. Jordan did not file for divorce and instead of breaking the promise he has made to his wife, he tried to bend the rules by leaving her without leaving any evidence or any documentation that he is no longer married to his wife. Thus, his old friend can be fooled into believing that they are still a happily married couple. This qualifies Mr. Jordan to become a secret deviant.
There are those who may find this overly simplistic framework too stifling and would prefer a more open-minded approach to classifying deviant behavior. In this case additional theoretical frameworks must be utilised to study the said film. In this regard, researchers developed a more nuanced view of deviancy and proposed that there are two kinds of deviant behavior: 1) intolerable deviance; and 2) tolerable deviance. In this new framework many of the characters in the movie will be considered as displaying tolerable deviant behavior. As long as they will not do things that his highly threatening to the moral order, they can be considered as tolerable deviants. This will leave Bill and Vlad as the characters who are secret and pure deviants respectively.
The same conclusion can be derived at if one will use the theoretical framework called “Cultural Criminology” (Ferrell, 1999). In this context people are made guilty because they went against cultural norms and traditions. Thus, applying this concept to the film many of the characters cannot be considered as deviant. For instance Mr. Jordan will not be criticised for leaving his wife because “Cultural Criminology” implies that marriage is a social construct that can be easily dissolved using a legal remedy called divorce.
There is still another framework that can be used to understand deviant behavior and this is the “Marxian Theory of Deviance” (Spitzer, 1975). If one will use this framework then Vlad is not a criminal but the victim of a ruthless capitalist system of appropriating the product of human labour (Spitzer, 1975). In other words Vlad was forced to steal because the capitalist system was highly oppressive and therefore the rich are becoming richer while the poor are becoming poorer (Spitzer, 1975). The only problem with this theoretical framework is that it cannot explain other social phenomenon.
For instance, Joy Jordan was taken advantage of by Vlad. The Russian immigrant did not only steal her CD player and guitar but he also coerced her into lending her a few hundred dollars. The viewer is certain that Vlad had no intention of paying her back the loan. This is just one of the weaknesses of Marxist theory. How can Vlad be the victim when he is the one victimising women and using them for his own pleasure. Moreover, the Marxist theory on deviancy cannot explain the reason why Bill was raping boys. There is no connection between the capitalistic way of manufacturing goods and Bill’s overwhelming desire to hurt children. This is perhaps the reason why Marx’s ideas are obsolete.
Those who cannot be saved by a more lenient theoretical framework can still find a way to reduce the impact of punishment by utilising the following techniques: 1) The denial of responsibility; 2) the denial of injury; 3) the denial of the victim; 4) the condemnation of the condemners; and 5) the appeal to higher loyalties (Sykes & Matza, 1957). In the film, the pure deviants as well as the secret deviants were able to utilise many of the said techniques in reducing the impact of their deviant behavior. Vlad was an expert in denying responsibility and injury; he acted as if nothing had happened between him and Joy Jordan. The same is true with Bill he acted normal when he was at home and no one suspected that he was paedophile.
Discussion
There are theorists who said that deviancy is just a product of the collective consciousness of those who live in a particular society. There are those who argue that it is simply the byproduct of culture. Karl Marx even developed a new theoretical framework to help understand deviancy. He blamed capitalism as the root of all evil. Yet, even with all the rhetoric it was also very clear that deviancy creates a ripple effect in the community. No matter how Karl Marx tried to justify the actions of a thief there is still something fundamentally wrong with an immigrant resorts to stealing rather than working hard to change his life.
Marriage is something that many consider as sacred. For those who are non-religious, they marry because they still believe that it is an important component of strong and healthy partnership, especially if husband and wife were able to produce children. So apart from the religious element there is the legal element. It is easier for a couple to establish a family especially concerning the law such as the names of the children, their properties etc.
For those who argue that the rules of deviancy were created by the dominant members of society will find it hard to explain why husband and wife are hurt when they decide to separate.
If rules are arbitrary then how come Mr. Jordan was still unhappy even if he already left his wife and regained his freedom. When Mr. Jordan tried to bend the rules of convention, there was no law enforcer who tried to shame him for what he has done and yet he felt the void inside of him. There is therefore something fundamentally wrong with a man leaving his wife. This can be easily explained through religion. Separating husband and wife is an affront to God. Yet even if the couples are not religious they can still suffer from the negative impact of separation or divorce. It is true that divorce is legal in many parts of the world but it is also true that the children and even husband and wife had to go through terrible times. It can even be argued that it will leave an emotional wound that may not heal even after the passage of time.
The movie was a social commentary about the vain pursuit of happiness. It seems that the director had a very narrow world view. For director Todd Solondz the whole human population can be easily divided into two groups of people. In the first group are the lonely miserable people who had no real friends and no one who truly cares for them. In the second group are those who pretend that they are happy but they deep down they are not. There are those who may not agree with him.
There is not enough information to conclude that it was a social commentary against developed countries – that it is only in highly industrialized countries where all the people are lonely and sad. There is no way to determine if this is true or not because the film focused on the lives of Americans who live in New York, New Jersey and Florida. The pursuit of happiness left many people emotionally battered and bruised. Yet they continue to pursue happiness like an elusive dream and they are not tired of doing so. Joy Jordan epitomizes this kind of behavior.
On the other hand, Bill the psychiatrist was on the extreme side. He pursued happiness even if this would mean the destruction of his family and his community. As the movie progresses, Frauley’s ideas were validated. It is becoming clear that fictional reality – in this case a film about dysfunctional families, pedophiles, thieves, rapists, and murderers – can be used as a tool to understand sociology and criminology. The viewer can follow the primary plot which is about happiness and loneliness but underneath the surface, one can find deviancy. Frauley was also correct when he said that fictional reality can be an effective learning tool because it allows for the display of many layers of human behavior without having to spend so much time, money and effort just to study each one of the various social phenomena.
Thus, a student can sit back and relax in a movie theatre without having to go to New Jersey, the retirement homes in Florida and the well-manicured homes of the rich and successful people of New York. The film will also allow researchers to study a web of complex relationships and see the big picture when it comes to studying the impact of deviant behavior. There is a need for moral regulation but many are finding it extremely difficult to establish rules that can benefit every man, woman, and child on this planet (Hunt, 1997). Moral regulation is important even if more people are clamoring for more freedom. The film was able to show what will happen if men and women are allowed to do whatever they want to do without knowledge of the consequences of their actions.
References
Becker. (year). Kinds of Deviance: A Sequential Model.
Ferrell, J. (1999). Cultural criminology. Annual Reviews. 23, 395-418.
Frauley, J. The Fictional Reality and Criminology: An Ontology of Theory ad Exemplary Pedagogical Practice.
Hunt, A. (1997). Moral regulation and making up the new person. London: Sage Publications.
Spitzer, S. (1975). Toward a Marxian theory of deviance. Social Problems, 22(5), 638-651.
Sykes, G. & D. Matza. (1957). Techniques of neutralization: a theory of delinquency. American Sociological Review, 22(6), 664-670.
The topic of happiness in arts is ubiquitous and is presented in various ways. This essay exhibits ten different pieces of art that are linked with this theme. Happiness can be nurtured and prolonged by practicing virtue and attaining knowledge; however, it is short-lasting, and woe is unavoidable in the world.
Numerous ancient philosophers around the world theorized about pleasure, joy, and happiness. In ancient Greece, Antisthenes, who was close to Socrates, claimed that happiness should be the highest goal and it should be learnt through practicing virtuous behavior (Figure 1). His words were valued and respected as he was considered a founder of the Cynic school of philosophy. A famously known Diogenes, who lived in a barrel, was one of the numerous followers of the Cynic school of philosophy. Yet, it was not only Greek philosophers who theorized about pleasure in this way.
Figure 1. Portrait of the Greek Philosopher Antisthenes
Another valuable item that appears in this exhibition is the Indian Marble statue of a tirthankara. The work title refers to ‘ford-maker’, which means that Tirthankaras create and find fords for people to cross from misery to happiness and knowledge (Figure 2). These wise individuals are named Jinas because they teach how to develop the virtue of self-control to finally reach enlightenment within. They transfer their life knowledge to others to make them more aware of what personal qualities are required to fight off misery and gain pleasure. This way, the premise of the Marble statue resembles that of the portrait of Antisthenes, namely, that happiness is the greatest good and it can be attained by nurturing goodness.
Figure 2. Marble Statue of a Tirthankara
Although happiness can be learned, it remains to be temporary. A highly symbolic artwork Vanitas Still Life created by a Dutch artist Adriaen van Nieulandt in 1636, demonstrates that happiness on Earth is always brief (Figure 3). Since all material degrades and vanishes, the long-lasting joy is a myth. The skull and the bone depict the unavoidable final, which is death. In addition, the flowers symbolize the shortness of all life phenomena as their blossoming lasts for an inconsiderable time period. On the other hand, numerous beautiful things are concentrated in the natural world (the butterfly, seashells, and the pearls) that help people gain happiness, albeit temporarily.
Figure 3. Vanitas Still Life by Adriaen van Nieulandt
The critics of the proposed thesis statement may argue that happiness can be achieved through material success and possession of power. The work Lakshmi drawn by another Indian painter, Raja Ravi Varma, in the 1930s, illustrates an Indian goddess called Lakshmi (Figure 4). She is regarded to be the goddess of wealth; however, she represents a range of other earthly attributes. The most important of them are royal power, luck, prosperity, well-being, and happiness. The author of the illustration argues that happiness and well-being are directly related to wealth and prosperity. However, since people experience happiness within themselves, it lacks a strong connection with the outer conditions. Instead, it should be nurtured through spiritual practices and ethical behavior.
Figure 4. Lakshmi by Raja Ravi Varma
This exhibition comprised of art pieces of a different kind and acquired from various civilizations serves to present happiness through different angles. Specifically, it can be taught and mastered through ethical practices. However, regardless of how benevolent a person is, he or she is still unable to gain long-term happiness due to its short-lasting nature.
Overall, this exhibition aimed to remind the viewer how various cultures thought of this phenomenon. It is amazing how philosophers proposed the same ideas while living in entirely different social environments and time periods. Finally, this exhibition is an example of how a wide range of artifacts (paintings, statues, portraits, coins, and a monument) can add something unique and valuable to the topic.
Since the early 1920s and 1930s, America has been plagued with an ever-domineering culture of consumerism (Strinati, 1995). Stuart (1999) associates this trend with the genesis of style by saying that symbolic democratization has propelled a culture of distinction and elegance. The significance of consumerism in today’s society largely traces to its association with mass culture. The culture of consumerism has infiltrated different aspects of society. For example, economic, social, and political dynamics of the society disintegrate in an endless web of consumerism. It is therefore unsurprising for Trentmann (2007) to say that politics and consumerism have found a new platform to associate – through the lens of “citizen-consumer” relationships. The media have especially been at the forefront of propelling this culture. Its extremes in doing so have bordered on creating a make-believe society where episodes of epic fantasies depict realism.
The pursuit of Happiness is a 2006 film that exemplifies this fact. Although real-life events inform the film’s production, this paper shows that the American Dream (which the film centers on) has been highly exaggerated to create a make-believe reality that does not mirror the true struggles of the ordinary American person. Thus, while the film centers on the theme of “pursuit of happiness,” this paper shows that the film distorts the concept of happiness to represent the orientation of earthly goods through which our reality revolves around. Although the film acknowledges that it creates some scenes and situations for purposes of storytelling, this paper shows that the film cannot compress reality (that occurred for many years, through the struggles of Gardner) into a two-hour film without distorting the facts.
Therefore, while it is important to appreciate the positive aesthetic values of the film, this paper shows that Hollywood can package real-life events by presenting everyday experiences as products that could sell for purposes of mass consumption.
Distortion of Reality
The commoditization of real-life experiences greatly distorts the perception of reality. Almost intentionally, Hollywood has been able to present reality as a superficial understanding of human existence. This distortion has happened almost effortlessly by appealing to the human need to feel unique and distinct (Marchand, 1986). Consequently, when Hollywood produces films, like the Pursuit of Happiness, to represent reality as a superficial understanding of happiness, it almost goes unnoticed. The understanding of happiness may take different forms, depending on the context of analysis. However, mass culture has successfully presented reality as a materialistic venture of our existence. It is therefore unsurprising when the movie, Pursuit of Happiness, presents happiness as a quest to acquire material wealth, through Gardner’s goal to be a successful stockbroker.
Several scenes in the film affirm the quest for material gains as the true definition of happiness. For example, when Gardner makes a bold move to secure a wealthy client, and the client invites him to a football game, he admires the wealth and flamboyance that his potential client has (Dargis, 2006). As Yulianto (2009) says, this new realization of money and wealth makes him admire material wealth and hopes that he would get to have it one day. The same realization manifests when Gardner meets with a successful stockbroker who drives a red Ferrari. He admires the flashy car and hopes that one day he will also get to drive one (Dargis, 2006). The periodic episodes where Gardner stops to imagine a better life through the acquisition of material things become the “lifeline” of the movie and unsurprisingly, the ultimate goal of the film (definition of happiness).
The film also portrays Gardner as a saint among mere mortals to exploit the ever-domineering secular culture in America that rewards persistence as an almost sure guarantee of success. To explain this ideology, Matt (2006) says,
“Perseverance, then, has always been the secular religion in America, and the man who shows pluck, grit, and determination — the sort who shows up day after day to see if you have looked at his application — will always wear the hero’s crown, regardless of the means by which he eventually succeeds” (p. 9).
This statement largely holds true for Gardner’s struggles because the film rewards his determination through material success through an admirable status of a successful stockbroker. Indeed, through his determination, Gardner gets what he asks for (a millionaire status) and a beautiful and envious life that only some people would dream about. While this definition of success largely reflects how America measures success, it also reflects how successful Hollywood has been in distorting the true measure of success by equating it to material wealth. Indeed, the idea that success is measurable through one’s integrity and conviction is almost laughable as the failure of the film would be if a material measure of success lacked at the end of the film. For example, the story would lack its appeal if it ended with Gardner in a rehab, or if his ex-wife would gain custody of his child because he was unable to fend for himself or his family.
The flamboyant ending is therefore highly crucial for the success of the story because, without it, the film probably would not sell. A deeper analysis into this situation manifests the commoditization of real-life experiences because the story had to be narrated in a way that would appeal to the masses, regardless of if it was factual or not. Certainly, it is correct to say the multibillion-dollar success at the end of the movie was crucial for the plot of the story; otherwise, it would have been difficult to validate the struggles that Gardner went through. This important presentation of success at the end of a struggle manifests the importance of portraying a story in a way that would appeal to the audiences. Its gratification lies deep within the culture and values through which American society perceives success. Matt (2006) says,
“Working like a demon — long hours, little regard, forced time away from the family — does not mean a thing to us unless there is a golden parachute to glide us to our rest. If it were just the process, we would have more stories about poverty and labor on the margins. Not here, though: we have to know that if we are to piss blood, we would better have a hot tub at the end of the run” (p. 7).
This statement shows the framework through which success would be ultimately justifiable in American society. Concisely, film producers understand this path of success and only choose to present stories that follow the same path. The Pursuit of Happiness is no different. Deep in the heart of such a production is the presentation of success as a status symbol.
Rosalind (1991) has analyzed the above presentation and said that the presentation of real-life events is similar to appealing to the fantasies of the consumer. She articulates different examples of real-life situations where different segments of society appeal to people’s fantasies. For example, she says there are many similarities between how film directors and sales people commercialize their trade. Sales people, for example, are fond of merging sales with seduction (appealing to people’s fantasies) (Rosalind, 1991). Similarly, politicians merge publicity and power to appeal to their audiences. Rosalind (1991) says the conjunction that merges these different attributes of people’s reality and perception is inherently deceptive. To explain this situation further, Rosalind (1991) says, “fantasy which openly presents itself as such keeps its integrity and may openly claim to point to the truth beyond everyday experience – the truth of the imagination” (p. 203).
Trentmann (2007) says this sudden push for filmmakers to adopt consumerism in film production is an old phenomenon that depicts the reorientation of political and social dynamics of the late 20th century and today’s 21st century. Neoliberals have especially played an instrumental role in offering an impetus to this movement. Counter ideologies (mainly stemming from neo-social movements) have tried to mitigate this push without much success (Rosalind, 1991). Trentmann (2007) believes that the global push towards consumerism is a bold attempt of political forces to mobilize people and foster action among them. In academic circles, the focus on gender studies and the renaissance of the civil society has pushed consumerism beyond the realms of state control.
Unreal Faith
The Pursuit of Happyness shows different episodes where Gardner encounters unequivocal luck from some of the people who “hold sway” in the society. Motivated by sheer determination and perseverance, Gardner is able to convince some top senior executives that he is worth the attention and limited opportunities that exist in their organizations (Yulianto, 2009). Being the “star” of his class is also noticeable because it fits perfectly within the understanding of the American dream, like a wheel that only churns success through the intolerance for mediocrity.
This is a core tenet of the commercialized American dream because it would be difficult to sell the idea that a person could achieve great success if they did not work hard enough to deserve the success in the first place (Dargis, 2006). Therefore, it is unsurprising for filmmakers to exemplify the theme of struggle as the predominant theme in the film. Indeed, even though the story ultimately ends with Gardner demonstrating success in his stock broking business, about three-quarters of the film highlights how he struggles to reach the point of success (Dargis, 2006).
Standing out, as the star of his peers, was also a key tenet for the story’s plot, especially when Gardner was able to solve the Rubik’s cube when every other person failed in this regard. In fact, through his demonstration of intellectual prowess, Gardner was able to secure his first internship. The movie does not fall short of sensationalizing Gardner’s struggles because it would not make sense to convey his success if the audience did not experience the struggle as well. Therefore, the movie goes out of its way to dramatize Gardner’s struggles (the way it did when Gardner pushed his way to a cab to demonstrate his potential employer that he was “worth his salt”). Almost effortlessly, the movie tries to sell the unreal idea that a top company executive, who sits at the helm of a multimillion-dollar company would take the chance on somebody who has no college education and allow them to work because they understand the national fad (Matt, 2006). In reality, this would be a “long shot.”
The instance when authorities arrest Gardner for unpaid parking fees, thereby forcing him to spend the night in jail, only to appear the following day and charm a panel of company executives into having a job, also paints a distorted picture of reality. Indeed few corporate executives would give such an opportunity to an African-American man who shows up to a job interview dressed as if he came from a dumpster. It is very unlikely to convince the audience that this would be a true depiction of reality, more so, because real life events inspire the movie’s production.
The most convincing argument would be that the producers intended the above incident to be humorous, to package reality in a way that would achieve commercial success. Indeed, humor is a core ingredient for successful Hollywood films (Dargis, 2006) and the pursuit of happiness is not an exception. In fact, showing up to an interview dressed inappropriately and still securing a job in a competitive labor industry (that is San Francisco) would only exist in people’s imagination. However, Hollywood presents this situation almost as a “common” and “ordinary” daily occurrence, more so for minorities in America.
Strinati (1995) says the problem with the growth of mass culture as described above stems from its close relationship with the concept of Americanization. Strinati (1995) says, “The greatest problem with the concept of Americanization is the fact that it embodies all that is wrong with mass culture” (p. 21). America is practically the epitome of mass culture because capitalism and mass theories seem to define people’s values and sense of purpose (possibly more than other cultures in the world). There is, therefore, a strong belief that consumerism defines America’s society, such that if critics of mass culture have their way, the concept of Americanization would easily also be under threat (Strinati, 1995). The interplay between Americanization and mass culture is, therefore, an integral understanding of the American society and more specifically, why most films tend to appeal to this understanding.
Character Uniqueness
In the depiction of real-life stories, Hollywood has developed a habit of creating a “superhuman” character that becomes the center of attention of a film. This is a widely accepted practice in the commercialization of films because film producers try to create a “special” and likable character for commercial success. This is part of effective cinematic productions where film producers aim to capture the attention of their audiences (Strinati, 1995). While this approach may be attractive, it distorts the true picture for which films are supposed to convey. The Pursuit of Happiness depicts an example of this attempt (to create an almost “superhuman” character that embodies mass perceptions of a hero in a film). For example, the film portrays Gardner as the protagonist in the film that experiences difficult challenges while trying to make a living and fend for his son.
His circumstances force him to live as a homeless person before his fortunes change for the better. However, during his ordeal, the film tries to distinguish him as a “different” homeless person, although his life is a downward spiral of desperation and anger (Matt, 2006). Although Gardner’s ordeal seems to surpass the challenges that ordinary people face, he still manages to cut out an image as an intelligent and hardworking homeless man who is able to distinguish himself from the other “lazy” and hopeless homeless people. This attempt at creating an almost “superhuman” personification of movie characters fits well within the attempt of moviemakers to create a commercially viable product that would awe the audience.
The creation of a superhuman personification of movie characters represents the role of style in consumerism. As Stuart (1999) says, consumerism creates an endless cycle that obsesses with self-image and self-expression, which movies have successfully managed to market through the distinction of movie characters from the rest of ordinary people. Stuart (1999) says, initially, people used style as a way to “fit in.” Particularly, many scholars associated it with an attempt for people to conform to societal norms and expectations (Strinati, 1995). Therefore, the style was a tool for avoiding societal criticism by trying not to be different from society (acceptable to other people).
While people accepted this defensive use of style in most parts of the 20th century, today’s consumerism trends use the same style as objectification of some subjective quality (Stuart, 1999). Some researchers have analyzed the same use of style and say it comprises of an array of meanings that denote people’s psychological essences (Strinati, 1995). This analysis prompts Stuart (1999) to say, “The fashionable person is a quantitative assemblage of objective elements, all which combine to represent the semblance of an integrated subject” (p. 82).
Conclusion
After weighing the findings of this paper, it is crucial to say consumerism has played a big role in the development of the Pursuit of Happiness. Evidence from the creation of a special persona, the reliance on unreal confidence in the same character, and the distortion of reality all gravitate towards consumerism and the packaging of reality in a way that film producers could easily sell to the consumer. Certainly, based on the movie’s plot, we see that there is an over-sensationalized attempt to present the protagonist’s experiences to appeal to the audiences. The movie creates a “dire” situation where Gardner is hopeless but ambitious, and while it warms the audience’s expectations regarding better times ahead, it further deepens Gardner’s plight, only to lift him again through his success as a stockbroker. The packaging of real-life events appeals to people’s imagination and fantasies regarding what it takes to acquire a better life and succeed. Therefore, while real-life events inspire the movie, its presentation exemplifies the hallmarks of mass culture.
I have watched many movies in my life including those by Rainer Warner Fassbinder. However, Fassbinder’s “Fear Eats the Soul” stands out from the rest. Fassbinder has directed about 39 films, but this was his bests and most famous. This is a movie that was made in a span of four weeks. Fassbinder brilliantly uses melodrama to bring out the tensions that exist in the society, in particular, racial prejudices.
The two couples in this movie are not only fighting societal prejudices, but also their own prejudices. He uses this movie to tell his audience that happiness is not only gained if the society or other people approve it, but it takes one’s responsibility to achieve it. He uses a romance that is unconventional to the Germany settings. However, just when the society is beginning to accept this romance, the two lovers start struggling to hold their romance together.
This movie features Emmi, a widow in her mid years who meets and falls in love with Ali who is more than ten years her junior. Right from the start, these two are depicted as outsiders. Their love eventually culminates into marriage, a marriage that leaves Emmi’s family and friends in shock. Ali’s friends and fellow works are also shocked by the news.
This therefore, presents not just an outside problem, but also an inner problem that these two lovers must address in order to save their relationship. From the surface the film looks simple, but it is not simplistic. It reveals Fassbinder’s artistic prowess which he uses to clearly bring out the social politics in the society. In a way it portrays Fassbinder’s personal life that was filled with complexities (Rothbauer 1).
The film begins with a flash of the words “Happiness is not always fun”. These words show what the movie is all about, the fluctuations that accompany the pursuit and maintenance of happiness. This seems misleading to some extent because the film has a lot of fun. It has a straightforward storyline, characters who engage the viewers, and a playful visual style.
These starting words also serve to show where the movies originated. They were used in 1970 movie by Fassbinder, “The American Soldier”. It is said that Fassbinder wrote the screen play of this movie after his 1973 romantic thriller. However, it is said that this movie was remade fro Sirk’s “All That Heaven Allows”. Sirk was Fassbinder’s film hero and therefore, it is not strange for these two films to share the same storyline (Fear 1).
The superb performances from the film’s characters especially from Ali and Emmi, gives the film great power and appeal. Ali is portrayed as sweet, innocent, one with some unsettling directness, and generally strange. The performances are unforgettable because they not only make the characters lively, but also allow the viewer to intuit through their many gestures what is on their minds.
Fassbinder artistically puts the events of the movie in a fascinating sequence. In one instance he depicts confusion, and then he connects it with love full of playfulness. This then leads to some hurt at the end of the film. This sequence detains the viewers emotions leaving one glued to it till the end. This close connection of the movie to the viewer facilitates the general acceptance of the intellectual features in the movie.
For instance, when Fassbinder talks about social politics, he refers to the Germany society, but the connection allows the viewer the chance to relate them to their societies. There are times when the film is pulled in stylistic directions that may seem extreme just to bring out clearly the message. However the sequential connection allows the audience to stay with the storyline, with the characters, more specifically, with Emmi and Ali (Jim 1).
Fassbinder presents social politics in this film in a genial way, albeit not as probing and incisive as he has done in his previous works. In this film, Fassbinder uses a totally different tone from the other films. Here, the tone carries more hope as shown from the first lines “Happiness is not always fun”.
The characters are more empathetic and the visual style also brings out hope in the movie. Fassbinder ends the film abruptly, this may seem harsh to some, but it is effectively done. This ending when seen in the lens of the Germany society and in terms of Ali’s health, can be said to be ironic. However, Fassbinder is basically showing us that there is still hope for Ali and Emmi’s relationship.
This can be seen from the effort he makes in showing us how both have learned not just about the other, but also about their selves. The ending can be seen from two points of view. We can see that irony can bring out some idealism. It can used to understand the social politics, hypocrisy that existed in Germany and in the general nature of man. Secondly, the ending is not pessimistic but ironical. It shows that if individuals understand their failings, then they stand a better chance of overcoming them (Jim 1).
In the film we see family members and friends accept Emmi and Ali’s relationship. However, this acceptance has a reason. These people know that they will benefit in one way or the other from the relationship. Here, Fassbinder brings in the theme of exploitation. We see Emmi’s son sending money for the TV he destroyed, but with a request that his mother babysits his kid.
The women neighbors accept Ali with the hope that he can also supplement their lonely lives. The scene where these women surround Ali and start feeling his muscles confirms it. Fassbinder makes it even better by bringing out its climax in one continuous shot. What the audience sees reflects the feelings that are going through Ali’s body.
Fassbinder brings out the changing human nature when we see Emmi joining the other women in casting out another foreign woman. Emmi who was a victim now joins the victimizers in ostracizing the new woman. This shows the relevance of the title of this movie, that actually fear eats away one’s soul. This shows that the source of fear is usually people and situations around them. The fear here is attributed to racism. However, a deeper examination can show that the characters feared loneliness (Jim 1).
Fassbinder explores the ways and reasons why people take part in their problems. It is not only Emmi who follows her fellow women in casting out the new woman, but Ali also left Emmi after his co-workers mocked him at the garage. Fassbinder uses too much stillness throughout this film. At many points, Fassbinder freezes the action forming some sort of tableau especially in scenes showing Ali and Emmi.
This stillness strengthens the yearning that characters show throughout the movie and it also gives it immense power. It shows how the emotions of the characters are blocked, how the Germans are paralyzed literally and metaphorically. It comes as an irony that the liveliest moments do not involve the main characters. This stillness is perfected by the slow and expectant pacing that also highlights further the yearning and paralysis. This periodic stillness also gives the movie its expressive and analytical rhythm (Jim 1).
Fassbinder also employs the use of rigid boundaries where we see that people are squeezed into small openings. This shows the nature of the society we live in, always static and constricting, but one in which people must live, grow personally and politically so as to survive. The visual elements used show how people perceive and handle events in their lives.
The ending shows the two couples as a reflection far off showing how artificial they were. It also shows a scene where Emmis is holding the hand of Ali in a hospital bed. This image is prolonged for sometime with the doctor assuring Emmi that Ali will be alright (Ebert 1).
Conclusion
Many say that this movie is a reflection of Fassbinder’s life experiences. The Germanys prejudices against gay people such as Fassbinder. This can be related to the prejudices we see in the movie against mixed-age interracial relationship between Ali and Emmi. But all said and done, this film gives people another possibility through Ali and Emmi.
Fassbinder tells us that people can not pursue happiness blindly; they must connect with others, love other people, and grow into responsible people. As humans, we must scrutinize our surroundings which include exploring our inner feelings, and the society at large without any fear.
