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Work and Organizational Psychology and Well-Being Promotion for Sustainable and Healthy Organizations

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2025) | Viewed by 8557

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Human and Social Sciences Department, University of Salento, Lecce, Italia
Interests: well-being; risk factors; job crafting; employability; quality of life

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Guest Editor
Psychology Department, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italia
Interests: well-being at work; workaholism; work-family conflict; burnout; technostress

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Guest Editor
Psychology Department, University of Milan Bicocca, Milan, Italy
Interests: work-related stress; telework; academia; action-research

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the world of work organizations has undergone sudden and important transformations, partly as a function of the consequences of the pandemic (Brondino et al., 2023). Previously, little-used terms, such as remote working, atypical contracts, technostress, or the use of ICT within work contexts, have become well known and their consequences much debated in the existing literature (Molino, 2020; Ingusci, 2023). For this reason, the conditions that can promote well-being at work (Di Fabio, 2017) and represent risk factors for negative outcomes have changed considerably.

At the same time, in recent years, a new emphasis has been placed on the possibility of studying sustainable working conditions, drawing on the economic, environmental, and social aspects of work. The latter strive for the well-being of society through concrete practices that could improve the quality of human life (Gollan, 2005). The means for achieving this goal include the implementation of specific skills, methods, and strategies used to improve human life and collective well-being. From a work perspective, human sustainability refers to the development of skills and knowledge to improve the quality of human life (Signore et al., 2024).

Based on these assumptions, therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to include new research the purpose of which is to promote theoretical, applicative, or intervention-based studies of different approaches and modalities (qualitative or quantitative) designed to investigate the antecedents of stress and well-being or psychosocial risk factors within organizations, whether public or private. Interest will also be devoted to the investigation of innovative topics that are connected to ‘recently’ emerging processes related to issues of work sustainability.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome and research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The quality of working life;
  • Healthy organizations;
  • Psychosocial risk factors;
  • Well-being;
  • Soft skills;
  • Interventions;
  • Psychosocial work environments;
  • The antecedents of stress and well-being.

References

  • Brondino, M., Signore, F., Zambelli, A., Ingusci, E., Pignata, S., Manuti, A., ... & Spagnoli, P. (2022). A New Academic Quality at Work Tool (AQ@ workT) to Assess the Quality of Life at Work in the Italian Academic Context. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3724.
  • Buono, C., Farnese, M. L., & Spagnoli, P. (2023). The Workaholism–Technostress Interplay: Initial Evidence on Their Mutual Relationship. Behavioral Sciences, 13(7), 599.
  • Di Fabio, A. (2017). Positive healthy organizations: Promoting well-being, meaningfulness, and sustainability in organizations. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1938.
  • Gollan, P.J. High Involvement Management and Human Resource Sustainability: The Challenges and Opportunities. Asia Pac. J. Hum. Resour. 2005, 43, 18–33.
  • Ingusci, E., Signore, F., Cortese, C. G., Molino, M., Pasca, P., & Ciavolino, E. (2023). Development and validation of the Remote Working Benefits & Disadvantages scale. Quality & Quantity, 57(2), 1159-1183.
  • Manuti, A., Giancaspro, M. L., & Callea, A. (2022). Sustainable Careers and Flourishing Organizations. Sustainability, 14(19), 11898.
  • Molino, M., Ingusci, E., Signore, F., Manuti, A., Giancaspro, M. L., Russo, V., ... & Cortese, C. G. (2020). Wellbeing costs of technology use during COVID-19 remote working: An investigation using the Italian translation of the technostress creators scale. Sustainability, 12(15), 5911.
  • Sacchi, A., Molino, M., Dansero, E., Rossi, A. A., & Ghislieri, C. (2023). How sustainable is the governance for sustainability in higher education? Insights from an Italian case study. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 24(8), 1970-1990.
  • Signore, F., Ciavolino, E., Cortese, C. G., De Carlo, E., & Ingusci, E. (2023). The Active Role of Job Crafting in Promoting Well-Being and Employability: An Empirical Investigation. Sustainability, 16(1), 201.
  • Spagnoli, P., Haynes, N. J., Kovalchuk, L. S., Clark, M. A., Buono, C., & Balducci, C. (2020). Workload, workaholism, and job performance: Uncovering their complex relationship. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6536.
  • Spagnoli, P., Buono, C., Kovalchuk, L. S., Cordasco, G., & Esposito, A. (2021). Perfectionism and burnout during the COVID-19 crisis: A two-wave cross-lagged study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 631994.
  • Haynes, N. J., Vandenberg, R. J., Wilson, M. G., DeJoy, D. M., Padilla, H. M., & Smith, M. L. (2022). Evaluating the impact of the live healthy, work healthy program on organizational outcomes: A randomized field experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(10), 1758.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Fulvio Signore
Dr. Carmela Buono
Dr. Giuseppina Dell’Aversana
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • quality of working life
  • healthy organizations
  • risk factors
  • well-being
  • soft skills
  • interventions
  • psychosocial work environments
  • antecedents of stress and well-being

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 446 KiB  
Article
Exploring Sustainable HRM Through the Lens of Employee Wellbeing
by Bing Bai
Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5646; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125646 - 19 Jun 2025
Viewed by 583
Abstract
People are considered the most valuable resources in the workplace. They bring their unique knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to contribute to the organization’s success. A sustainable workplace puts people first by prioritizing policies and practices to support employees’ physical, mental, and emotional [...] Read more.
People are considered the most valuable resources in the workplace. They bring their unique knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to contribute to the organization’s success. A sustainable workplace puts people first by prioritizing policies and practices to support employees’ physical, mental, and emotional health and promote work–life balance, which ultimately lead to increased job satisfaction and overall wellbeing. Wellbeing and positive functioning are considered essential elements for developing sustainable work performance. Organizations ought to develop sustainable management processes and practices as well as sustainable leadership to minimize the negative effects of the workplace on employee wellbeing and to foster a sustainable culture. This study aims to explore how a sustainable HRM would promote and enhance employee wellbeing in the workplace by investigating and developing a theoretical framework to connect the conceptual list of sustainable HR policies and practices with the five elements of the PERMA model of employee wellbeing. Full article
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25 pages, 1701 KiB  
Article
Sustaining Organizations Through Harmonized Civic and Employee Identities: Implications for Employee Engagement and Voice Behavior
by Jeong Won Lee
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 4762; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114762 - 22 May 2025
Viewed by 461
Abstract
In pursuit of sustainable management, organizations must not only balance economic, environmental, and social goals but also cultivate human-centered strategies that support long-term viability. Drawing on identity theory, this study introduces civic identity—an individual’s self-concept as a responsible member of society—into the workplace [...] Read more.
In pursuit of sustainable management, organizations must not only balance economic, environmental, and social goals but also cultivate human-centered strategies that support long-term viability. Drawing on identity theory, this study introduces civic identity—an individual’s self-concept as a responsible member of society—into the workplace and examines how its relationship with employee identity (i.e., enhancement and conflict) influences sustainability mechanisms: work engagement, role expansion, and voice behavior. Two field studies were conducted using multi-source data from 339 employees at large conglomerates (study 1) and three-wave data from 121 employees at entrepreneurial firms (study 2). Multiple regression analyses revealed that identity enhancement positively predicted both work engagement and role expansion, which in turn strengthened voice behavior. In contrast, identity conflict showed relatively weaker negative effects, while supplementary analyses indicated that identity separation exerted more pronounced negative influences. Although identity conflict and separation did not significantly affect role expansion in study 2, the results across both studies were largely consistent. By incorporating a neglected nonwork identity that fosters sustainable employee behavior, this research expands the scope of organizational studies and sustainability science. Implications for integrating civic identity into sustainable management strategies are discussed. Full article
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26 pages, 491 KiB  
Article
Corporate Social Responsibility Motive Attributions and Green Behaviors: Moderating Effect of Green Intrinsic Motivation
by Changqin Yin, Jie Tan and Yi Deng
Sustainability 2025, 17(4), 1651; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041651 - 17 Feb 2025
Viewed by 983
Abstract
Employee green behavior plays an important role in the realization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals, and the employee motive attribution of CSR can affect employee green behavior. Therefore, it is important to understand how CSR motive attribution affects their green behavior. However, [...] Read more.
Employee green behavior plays an important role in the realization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals, and the employee motive attribution of CSR can affect employee green behavior. Therefore, it is important to understand how CSR motive attribution affects their green behavior. However, existing studies rarely establish a direct link between CSR motive attribution and green behavior. Based on the attribution theory, we establish a framework to explore the impact of CSR motive attributions on employees’ green behaviors. To examine our theoretical model and research hypotheses, we conducted an experimental study (Study 1) and a multi-wave survey study (Study 2). The combined results show that (substantive and symbolic) CSR motive attributions positively influence in-role green behavior; however, for extra-role green behavior, substantive CSR motive attribution positively influences it, while symbolic CSR motive attribution negatively influences it. Green intrinsic motivation positively moderates the relationship between CSR motive attributions and in-role green behavior and positively moderates the relationship between substantive CSR motive attribution and extra-role green behavior but negatively moderates the relationship between symbolic CSR motive attribution and extra-role green behavior. This research contributes to the literature related to micro-CSR and provides explanations for the favorable and unfavorable environmental results brought on by substantive and symbolic CSR, respectively. Full article
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27 pages, 555 KiB  
Article
Pathways to Sustainable Careers: Exploring Motivational Profiles Through Latent Class Analysis
by Emel Doğan, Yavuz Selim Balcıoğlu and Oya Erdil
Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031253 - 4 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1459
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify motivational profiles in sustainable career trajectories via emerging latent class methods using a multilevel schema between engagement in sustainable career practices, developing and utilizing job competency—a key marker for human capital development—and leader–member interaction. Using [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study is to identify motivational profiles in sustainable career trajectories via emerging latent class methods using a multilevel schema between engagement in sustainable career practices, developing and utilizing job competency—a key marker for human capital development—and leader–member interaction. Using latent class analysis (LCA), we further identify different types of motivational profiles that reflect the principle and adaptable nature with which individuals can relate their sustainability values to career decisions. Results indicate large practical differences within latent classes, evidencing higher career adaptability and sustainability principles congruence in some groups. These differences highlight that intrinsic motivation, adaptability, and elements connected to the sector drive sustainable career engagement that should ensure enduring satisfaction with commitment to a chosen profession. In explaining why sustainability drives career advancement, this study takes a theoretical standpoint from three overarching theories: Career Construction Theory, Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), and Sustainable Career Theory. The practical recommendations are that companies must offer programs at the sector level to increase career adaptability (readiness) and help employees build sustainable careers. This study calls attention to the importance of producing participative content that is demanded by organizations seeking greater resilience, well-being in work contexts, and their long-lasting survival as institutions. Full article
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26 pages, 717 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Well-Being at Population Level: A Case Study on Romania
by Vlad Gabriel Cârstea, Ana Maria Mihaela Iordache, Alexandru Ionescu, Nela Ramona Grigore and Cristina Coculescu
Sustainability 2024, 16(23), 10497; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310497 - 29 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1437
Abstract
The concept of well-being is multifaceted, influenced by a range of factors, including economic, social, perceptual, and personal, and varies considerably between individuals, countries, and continents. The objective of this research paper is to achieve an efficient grouping of countries according to several [...] Read more.
The concept of well-being is multifaceted, influenced by a range of factors, including economic, social, perceptual, and personal, and varies considerably between individuals, countries, and continents. The objective of this research paper is to achieve an efficient grouping of countries according to several indicators that measure overall happiness. The indicators utilized in this study, derived from the World Happiness Report, are as follows: Life Ladder, Log GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita, Social Support, Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth, Freedom to Make Life Choices, Generosity, Perceptions of Corruption, Positive Affect, and Negative Affect. Consequently, following the identification, filtering, and collection of data on the countries in the study, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, and neural network training were employed to obtain a classification of the countries into heterogeneous groups with a minimum error rate. Finally, for Romania, scenarios and policies were developed to facilitate ascent from the initial class to a class with a superior level of well-being. Full article
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18 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
Unraveling the Sustainability Components of Organizational Value Statements: A Q-Sort Methodology Approach
by Man Lung Jonathan Kwok, Raymond Kwong, Chun Hui and Ken H. K. Liu
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4091; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104091 - 14 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2408
Abstract
Many corporations have now revised their value statements to showcase their commitment to sustainable development and green business due to the pressing issues of climate and environmental damage. Despite the importance of value statements that can direct companies to achieve sustainable goals, which [...] Read more.
Many corporations have now revised their value statements to showcase their commitment to sustainable development and green business due to the pressing issues of climate and environmental damage. Despite the importance of value statements that can direct companies to achieve sustainable goals, which kind of values can be perceived as organizational orientations towards sustainability remains unknown. This study explores how the general public views the inclusion of sustainable components in value statements from listed companies in Hong Kong by using Q-sort methodology (n = 30). Analyzing the final sample of 40 value statements extracted from 27 listed companies, we identified three factors related to sustainability, namely, Empowering business process management, Empowering customer-centric excellence, and Empowering sustainable progress. This study provides an additional component to the traditional triple bottom line by suggesting that the internal operation of a company is an emerging idea in understanding corporate sustainability. Full article
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