Assignment – Chapter 4

Ethical Dilemma: Happiness Coaches for Employees

Questions P.117

1. Do you think happiness coaches are effective? How might you assess
their effectiveness?
In my opinion, the happiness coaches in the issue of negative emotions at a
work place from changes at workplace may not be effective. They become unhappy
or sad if they start failing or are not able to perform to the same level due to some
changes, which have been forced on them. The changes in work conditions effect
the employees in a much deeper way as they have to modify or revise their work
routine and the way they have been trained or grown to do the jobs. Such
unhappiness or negative emotions may not get affected by a short course of half
day duration on happiness. In such instances it is the theory of change
management and application of change management procedure that shall be more
effective and not the happiness coaches. The organizational changes do not
necessarily make them sad but force them to be serious in their attempts to adjust
to the new conditions.

2. Would you welcome happiness training in your workplace? Why or

why not?
I would give it a chance because not everyone reacts the same. The research
says that it works. Who am I to stop my employees from being happier in the work
place. Happiness training can be made a part of training curriculum under which HR
organizes some training in a year like psychometric or behavioral trainings. I am not
sure but it may add value for the employees and the organizational culture but
before spending on this training its effectiveness has to be reviewed.

3. Under what circumstances— if any— is it ethically appropriate for a

supervisor to suggest a happiness coach for a subordinate?

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 I do not find a supervisor recommending happiness training as unethical,
after all he does it to ensure some unpleasantness is removed from the minds of the
employee and he may get motivated to focus more on his work but all this has to be
done in consultation with the HR management or the training manager. It should be
considered if the supervisor has noticed a change in the employee or the
employee’s fellow employees have noticed a change and voiced concern over the
change. It should not be taken negatively when someone expresses sincere concern
for another person’s wellbeing.

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 Read the case and answer the 3 questions listed below:
Happiness Coaches for Employees
We know there is considerable spillover from personal unhappiness to
negative emotions at work. Moreover, those who experience negative
emotions in life and at work are more likely to engage in counterproductive
behaviors with customers, clients, or fellow employees.
Increasingly, organizations such as American Express, UBS, and KPMG are
turning to happiness coaches to address this spillover from personal
unhappiness to work emotions and behaviors.
Srikumar Rao is a former college professor who has the nickname, “the
happiness guru.” Rao teaches people to analyze negative emotions to
prevent them from becoming overwhelming. If your job is restructured, for
example, Rao suggests avoiding negative thoughts and feelings about it.
Instead, he advises, tell yourself it could turn out well in the long run, and
there is no way to know at present.
Beyond reframing the emotional impact of work situations, some happiness
coaches attack the negative emotional spillover from life to work (and from
work to life). A working mother found that a happiness talk by Shawn Actor
helped her stop focusing on her stressed-out life and instead look for
chances to smile, laugh, and be grateful.
In some cases, the claims made by happiness coaches seem a bit trite. Jim
Smith, who labels himself “The Executive Happiness Coach,” asks, “What if I
told you that there are secrets nobody told you as a kid—or as an adult, for
that matter—that can unlock for you all sorts of positive emotional
experiences? What if the only thing that gets in the way of you feeling more
happiness is YOU?! What if you can change your experience of the world by
shifting a few simple things in your life, and then practicing them until they
become second nature?”
Then again, if employees leave their experiences with a happiness coach
feeling happier about their jobs and their lives, is that not better for
everyone? Says one individual, Ivelisse Rivera, who felt she benefitted from a
happiness coach, “If I assume a negative attitude and complain all the time,
whoever is working with me is going to feel the same way.”
But what if you can’t afford a happiness coach and your employer doesn’t
want to foot the bill? Recent research suggests a do-it-yourself opportunity to
increase your good mood at home. The key is to lend a helping hand. If you
help others at work, you may find that later at home, after you’ve had a
chance to relax and reflect, your mood will be improved.
Sources: S. Shellenbarger, “Thinking Happy Thoughts at Work,” The Wall Street Journal (January 27, 2010), p. D2; S.
Sharma and D. Chatterjee, “Cos Are Keenly Listening to ‘Happiness Coach’,” Economic Times (July 16, 2010),

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 http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com; J. Smith, The Executive Happiness Coach,
www.lifewithhappiness.com/ (Downloaded May 3, 2011); and S. Sonnentag and A. M. Grant, “Doing Good at Work
Feels Good at Home, But Not Right Way: When and Why Perceived Prosocial Impact Predicts Positive Affect,”
Personnel Psychology 65 (2012), pp. 495–-530.

Questions

 Do you think happiness coaches are effective? How might you assess
their effectiveness?

 Would you welcome happiness training in your workplace? Why or why

not?

 Under what circumstances— if any— is it ethically appropriate for a

supervisor to suggest a happiness coach for a subordinate?

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