How we interact with our colleagues matters. Research demonstrates that incivility, bullying and harassment among coworkers has negative implications for our wellbeing and productivity.[1] Such findings prompt us to call out the destructive behavior that currently exists within our research communities. However, we can go beyond civility and hold virtuous engagement as an achievable norm for our research communities.

The field of Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS)[2] is a subfield within Organizational Science that focuses on organizations when they are at their very best and their members are achieving their highest potential. These flourishing organizations are not common, but are considered to be the “positive deviant” end on a normative distribution scale. By studying these exceptional cases, POS researchers have identified the characteristics, precursors, and outcomes of flourishing communities. Moreover, this area of inquiry identifies how all organizations - regardless of their current state - can become flourishing ones.

POS research shows that a defining feature of flourishing organizations its their ability to foster human excellence and inspire members towards virtuous social practices, such as demonstrating humility, offering compassion and support, upholding integrity, and leading with courage. [3] Leaders who demonstrate virtuous engagement set in place norms that inspire others towards virtuous behavior. Additional levers to unlocking organizational flourishing include appreciative inquiry, high quality connections, strength building, and positive emotional contagion to name just a few. Flourishing organizations that are able to inspire members towards human excellence yield positive outcomes in terms of members' workplace productivity and organizational key performance indicators.

In addition to enhancing our understanding of organizational flourishing, POS research has provides evidence-based practices, metrics, and assessment tools that can be used to drive failing or functional organizations to their optimal state of flourishing. Driving positive change within organizations and communities requires sustained and concentrated effort. It begins by understanding the current state of functioning, the factors that are inhibiting flourishing, and the opportunities within a community to promote flourishing. Metrics and assessment tools are key to driving this process and can be used for strategic planning, over time monitoring, and evaluation of change initiatives. Leaders and members of research organizations wishing to support their communities’ wellbeing, productivity, inclusiveness, and unity can benefit from understanding the science behind organizational flourishing and the application of assessment tools to drive positive change.

Acknowledgements

No acknowledgement found.