2023, nr 2 (99)

Wilczyński, A. & Kołoszycz, E. (2023). Applying the PERMA model in employee wellbeing.
e-mentor, 2(99), 39–46. https://doi.org/10.15219/em99.1605
 Applying the PERMA model in employee
wellbeing
Abstract
The aim of this study is to define the essence of wellbeing in employee management, and
present the functionality of the PERMA model in positive psychology. The first part of the
Artur study describes the multidimensionality of the concept of wellbeing and the difficulties
Wilczyński in defining it. An important element of the conducted analysis is the presentation of the
positive effects of the implementation of wellbeing in organisations, including elements
of wellbeing dimensions and activities affecting wellbeing, while the most important
part of the article is the diagnosis of the applicability of the PERMA model in the study
of employee wellbeing and positive education. Different elements of the model are
described and the latest solutions with regards to its improvement are presented. An
analysis of the literature showed that a model with four additional dimensions – physi-
cal health, mindset, work environment and economic security – may be the most useful
for analysing employee wellbeing. The next part of this publication is devoted to the
use of the PERMA model in the classification of interventions, where we show that the
model not only enables diagnosis of the weaknesses of wellbeing, but even facilitates the
assigning of specific interventions. These solutions make it possible to build wellbeing
Ewa that positively impacts employee behaviour, with the authors indicating discrepancies
Kołoszycz in the activities undertaken by organisations and the needs of employees with regards
to wellbeing. The findings suggest that employees expect activities related to the de-
velopment of their mental dimension and economic security, not necessarily related to
physical health, which are most commonly implemented by organisations.

Keywords: dimensions of wellbeing, effects of wellbeing, dimensions of the PERMA model,

positive psychology, positive education, wellbeing activities

Introduction to wellbeing
The concept of wellbeing (well-being) has become a permanent feature in human
resource management (HRM), as well as the subject of many analyses, comments
and concepts, and has been given a special status in the proper implementation of
HR tasks, such as performance management, motivating or building commitment.
Wellbeing can manifest itself in three different aspects: evaluative wellbeing, hedonic
wellbeing and eudemonic wellbeing (David & Ali, 2021; Esteban-Gonzalo et al., 2020;
Steptoe et al., 2015). Evaluative wellbeing is associated with a general sense of life
satisfaction based on evaluating and benchmarking one’s own situation with that of
others or with a situation from the past (Angel & Gregory, 2021; Deaton & Stone,
2014). Hedonic wellbeing is considered in terms of positive and negative experiences
in everyday life related to happiness, anger, stress and pain (Deaton & Stone, 2014;
Disabato et al., 2016; Henderson & Knight, 2012; Ilska & Kołodziej-Zaleska, 2018; Zuo
et al., 2017). Eudemonic wellbeing refers to the realisation of life purpose, meaning of
existence, self-realisation and sense of fulfilment (Dolan & Metcalfe, 2012; Fancourt &
Steptoe, 2020; Luna et al., 2020; Marshall et al., 2014; Steptoe et al., 2015). Research
into wellbeing has gained in importance since the late 1990s and is moving in two
directions – subjective wellbeing (SWB) and psychological wellbeing (PWB). The issue
of these two types of wellbeing is described in detail by Keyes et al. (2002), indicating
that subjective wellbeing reflects the hedonic aspect, and psychological wellbeing
reflects the eudemonic aspect. Diener (1984) used three components to measured

Artur Wilczyński, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Poland, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5019-1314

Ewa Kołoszycz, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Poland, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8508-0772

e-mentor nr 2 (99) 39
New trends in management

subjective well-being: frequent positive affect, infre- their weaknesses, having goals in one’s private life
quent negative affect and cognitive evaluations of that translate into goals in one’s professional life,
life satisfaction. In his research he concluded that striving to achieve perfection (master) in activities,
people make evaluations of their life, and assessment positive relationships, high autonomy, and personal
occurs by comparison of their current situation with development (Pradhan & Hati, 2019). The emotional
their aspirations. This evaluation consists of, among and social dimensions include promoting balance
other things, living conditions, social relationships (co-existence) between professional and personal life
and the possibilities to function in a healthy way (Tov (work-life balance, work-life integration), appreciation
& Diener, 2013). Psychological wellbeing, on the other and recognition, supporting flexible working hours
hand, was defined by Ryff (1989) in his investigations and lack of pathologies in the workplace, such as
by six dimensions: self-acceptance, positive relations discrimination, harassment, and mobbing (Gorgenyi-
with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, pur- -Hegyes et al., 2021). The least space in the litera-
pose in life, personal growth. ture on organisations is devoted to the separately
One of the frequently cited definitions of wellbeing analysed social dimension (Walia & Nishtha, 2018),
is the definition of health proposed in the Constitution although its value should be appreciated due to the
of the World Health Organization (WHO), which states fact that the quality of short-term interactions and
that “health is a state of complete physical, mental long-term relationships affects the creation of a work
and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of environment based on respect and trust, which al-
disease or disability” (WHO, 2014, p. 18). Simons and lows the employee to grow and flourish. The social
Baldwin (2021) reviewed the definition of wellbeing, dimension includes satisfaction with contacts as well
undertaking a critical approach to the meaning of as satisfaction with mutual relations with leaders.
the term. They conclude that the proper definition The last dimension, that is the spiritual dimension,
of wellbeing should include all three of its aspects: is based on the feeling of personal job satisfaction.
evaluative, hedonic and eudemonic. When research- Also worth noting is that the dimensions presented
ing the literature, one can see a growing interest in above closely follow the model proposed by Tom Rath
the science of managing the concept and research and Jim Harter from Gallup, Inc., who distinguished
on wellbeing, and issue that was previously explored five dimensions: career wellbeing, social wellbeing.
by doctors, psychologists and sociologists. Employee financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, community
behaviour researchers and their determinants noticed wellbeing (Rath & Harter, 2010).
over a decade ago that a well-functioning organism, Figure 1 presents selected activities affecting the
such as a company, needs physically and mentally wellbeing of employees. The presented dimensions
“healthy” employees. are always related to the organisation’s strategy in
The aim of this study is to integrate the wellbe- the field of human resources management, and the
ing concept in employee management, along with process of their introduction should be preceded by
determining the usefulness of the PERMA model a thorough assessment of needs and implementation
for measuring and proposing activities to ensure possibilities. The activities on the left side of the figure
wellbeing. An important element of the paper is are those most often carried out by organisations,
also the construction of the concept of using the and aim to build employee wellbeing, satisfaction
PERMA model in positive education closely related and loyalty (Gorgenyi-Hegyes et al., 2021). Figure 1
to wellbeing, with another aim of the study being to also shows that only a combination of long-term
present recommendations containing the proposed programmes and operational activities develop the
direction of changes in the field of building wellbe- wellbeing of employees.
ing programmes. Figure 2 shows that including employee wellbeing
in HR processes results in many positive behaviours.
Definition, dimensions and benefits Pradhan and Hati (2019), conducting a meticulous
of employee wellbeing analysis of the literature, showed that the use of ap-
propriate tools and solutions in the field of wellbeing
The wellbeing of employees is defined inconsist- supports the process of employee performance man-
ently and refers to the general definition of wellbeing. agement, which translates into making “extra miles”
It is difficult to find a concise definition of this term in at work. Behaviours that affect productivity increase
the literature dealing with this issue, but it is worth employee engagement and reduce employee absen-
pointing out that employee wellbeing is considered teeism as a result of a high level of physical fitness and
in two categories of physical and mental health (Bay- the impact on employee happiness. The next group of
han Karapinar et al., 2019; Ernst Kossek et al., 2012; benefits includes reduced employee turnover result-
Gorgenyi-Hegyes et al., 2021; Pradhan & Hati, 2019; ing from, among others, greater productivity caused
Rasool et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2020). They consist of by better wellbeing and higher wages dependent
a psychological dimension, an emotional dimension on higher work performance. An important effect
(affects), a social dimension, and Gorgenyi-Hegyes of wellbeing is the stimulation of personal capital
et al. (2021) add a fourth dimension, referred to as and the creation of social relationships that result in
spiritual. The psychological dimension of employees’ increased creativity and the desire to possess social
wellbeing includes, among others, self-acceptance of and knowledge resources (satisfying needs).

40 e-mentor nr 2 (99)
 Applying the PERMA model in employee wellbeing

Figure 1
Dimensions and activities affecting employee wellbeing

Source: authors’ elaboration based on „Workplace health promotion, employee wellbeing and loyalty during Covid-19 pandemic–
large scale empirical evidence from Hungary”, E. Gorgenyi-Hegyes, R. J. Nathan, & M. Fekete-Farkas, 2021, Economies, 9(2), p. 9
(https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9020055); „Employee wellbeing: Evaluating a wellbeing intervention in two settings”, A. Keeman,
K. Näswall, S. Malinen, & J. Kuntz, 2017, Frontiers in Psychology, 8, pp. 2–3 (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00505).

Figure 2 psychology in which wellbeing is located. The subject

Employee wellbeing benefits of this article is not the study of the concept of posi-
tive psychology, but its operationalisation. However,
Improvement in work it should be mentioned that there is also a critical
performance/productivity approach to the positive psychology promotion, which
can be found in the studies of Gable and Haidt (2005),
Engagement
Attendance Kwiatek and Wilczewska (2015), Linley et al. (2006),
at work Mercer and MacIntyre (2014), Tucholska and Gulla
(2007), Wong (2011). As mentioned earlier, the PERMA
Personal Building model is the most frequently used model in wellbe-
Retention capital social
stimulation relations ing research, and its basic approach and subsequent
developments are presented in Table 1.
Source: authors’ elaboration based on „The measurement of em- Based on the work of Seligman (2011) positive
ployee wellbeing: Development and validation of a scale”, R. K. emotions provide a feeling of hedonic happiness,
Pradhan, & L. Hati, 2019, Global Business Review, 23(2), p. 390
they are associated with fun, enjoyment and pleasure,
(https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150919859101).
and they lead to induced engagement. They are also
a balance for the emergence of stressful situations and
allow us to overcome everyday adversity. The term
The PERMA model in measuring employee engagement is used to describe a state of increased
wellbeing energy, dedication, and increased intrinsic interest,
which translates into overcoming difficulties, feeling
The model of employee wellbeing reflects its that work matters in life and is a source of inspira-
multidimensionality and can be described by a set of tion and pride, increased creative efforts and striving
factors creating wellbeing with methods of measuring to achieve something (Pezirkianidis et al., 2019).
individual dimensions. One of the most widespread A person feels a strong internal need for contact with
and developed wellbeing models is the PERMA model other people, hence their wellbeing is also influenced
(Positive emotion – P, Engagement – E, Positive Re- by building relationships with other people (positive
lationships – R, Meaning – M, Accomplishments – A), relations). Consequently, this affects the emergence
which was defined by Martin Seligman (2011), dis- of a sense of belonging in the workplace, and interac-
seminating and promoting the direction of positive tion with co-workers shapes employee experiences

e-mentor nr 2 (99) 41
New trends in management

Table 1
PERMA model with modifications

PERMA – BASELINE MODEL

(wellbeing measurement tool: PERMA-Profiler with 23 items)
Positive emotion (P)
Engagement (E)
Positive relationships (R)
Meaning (M)
Accomplishments (A)
PERMA+
PERMA+H PERMA+4 (wellbeing
(wellbeing measurement PERMA+V
(wellbeing measurement tool: measurement tool: Positive
tool: PERMA-Profiler+Health (concept only)
PERMAH Workplace Survey) Functioning at Work PF-W)
Omnibus Survey HOS)
Physical Health, Mindset,
(+) Optimism, Physical
Health (H) Vitality (V) Work Environment, Economic
Activity, Nutrition and Sleep
Security

Source: authors’ elaboration based on Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and wellbeing (pp. 21–22), M. E. Seligman,
2011, Simon & Schuster; „Measuring PERMA+ in South Australia, the state of wellbeing: A comparison with national and international
norms”, M. Iasiello, J. Bartholomaes, A. Jarden, & G. Kelly, 2017, Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 1(2), pp. 54–55; „A multi-
dimensional PERMA-H positive education model, general satisfaction of school life, and character strengths use in Hong Kong Senior
Primary School Students: Confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis using the APASO-II”, M. K. Lai, C. Leung, S. Y. C. Kwok, A. N.
N. Hui, H. H. M. Lo, J. T. Y. Leung, & C. H. L. Tam (2018), Frontiers in Psychology, 9, pp. 2–3 (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01090);
„PERMA+4: A framework for work-related wellbeing, performance and positive organizational psychology 2.0”, S. I. Donaldson,
L. E. van Zyl, & S. I. Donaldson, 2022, Frontiers in Psychology, 12, pp. 4–7 (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.817244).

that ensure their physical and mental health (Kun et which consequently led to the creation of a model
al., 2016). Meaning generates motivation and gives called PERMA+V (PERMA-V), covering the fullness of
life value, and consequently affects the sense of fulfil- internal energy associated with improving the body’s
ment. Giving meaning to life leads to the avoidance of efficiency and lifestyle, including contact with nature
pointless efforts, and thus reduces negative emotions, (Petersen et al., 2021).
the emergence of stress, and depression. Accomplish- Donaldson et al. (2022) found that the PERMA mod-
ments reflecting the fulfilment of daily ambitions, or el should be additionally equipped with four blocks
the achievement of a set goal, allow for an increase in closely related to the working environment, wellbeing
the level of wellbeing through psychological flourish- in the workplace and affecting work performance.
ing, which can be supported by the use of strategies These include Physical Health, Mindset, Work Environ-
of sharing personal achievements with others (Pezir- ment, and Economic Security, which led to defining
kianidis et al., 2019). the PERMA+4 model presented in Figure 3.
Seligman (2018), referring to Goodman’s study, Detailed information on each of the additional ele-
indicates that the correlation coefficient between ments included in the PERMA+4 model can be found
the elements of PERMA model is 0.61, which is in the paper by Donaldson et al. (2022), in which the
a moderate correlation. He concludes that the PERMA authors ensure that each element is directly related
model contains elements of wellbeing, as people who to wellbeing, is independent and is not a function of
possess one of these elements tend to possess the another element.
other elements of wellbeing. It should also be added Research on individual dimensions of wellbeing
that Seligman (2018) himself states that the list of included in the PERMA model is carried out using the
elements that create wellbeing goes far beyond the PERMA-Profiler questionnaire developed by Butler and
PERMA model, which can be the basis for building an Kern (2016). The authors started with a bank contain-
excellent model of wellbeing. ing over 700 items, which after rejecting some repeti-
Table 1 also includes extensions of the PERMA tive items and following discussion by positive psy-
model corresponding to Seligman’s postulate of model chology experts, was later limited to 109 questions.
enrichment. Considering factors strongly correlated Apart from the main, 11-point Likert scale, other scales
with resilience and psychological wellbeing (PWB), were also tested, giving a total of 199 items, which
the PERMA+ (PERMA plus) model includes opti- were answered by over 3,700 respondents. As a result
mism, physical activity, nutrition and sleep (Iasiello of the complex research, it was found that 15 items
et al., 2017). The PERMA+H (PERMA-H) model is exhibited psychometric properties. The final version
a more holistic view of the concept of wellbeing, as of the PERMA-Profiler contains 23 questions with an
it considers the dimensions of positive physical and 11-point scale. The creators of the tool themselves
mental health (Morgan & Simmons, 2021). Another admit that it is not perfect and finding the perfect
element qualified to the PERMA model is Vitality, tool to measure wellbeing could take a lifetime. The

42 e-mentor nr 2 (99)
 Applying the PERMA model in employee wellbeing

Figure 3
Components of the PERMA+4 model
Physical health Mindset

Health resources related to the biological Focusing on continuous development through

sphere, functional properties of the body an optimistic view of the present and future
and psychological features life, in which challenges or setbacks are seen
as opportunities for development

PERMA+4
Work environment Economic security

Adaptation to individual preferences of physical Satisfying individual needs in terms of financial

work factors and consideration of psychosocial security and financial stability
factors (physical safety and positive
psychological climate)

Source: authors’ elaboration based on S. I. Donaldson, L. E. van Zyl & S. I. Donaldson, 2022, Frontiers in Psychology, 12, pp. 4–7
(https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.817244).

PERMA-Profiler has shown acceptable psychometric aspects can ensure positive psychological (mental)
properties in a large, diverse, international research health. Therefore, organisational interventions should
sample (Butler & Kern, 2016). use the concept of flourishing. Tetrick and Winslow
(2015) classified interventions in organisations accord-
Classification of positive psychological ing to three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary.
interventions with the PERMA model The primary level aims to eliminate stressors and is
preventive. The secondary level refers to employees
A term grounded in positive psychology is flourish- at high risk of illness or injury, with the intention to
ing, which includes the concept of optimal wellbeing identify illness or injury at an early stage before full
as a multidimensional and holistic concept encom- symptoms appear. The tertiary level of intervention
passing both hedonistic (positive emotions) and refers to those who have suffered an illness or injury,
eudaimonic (self-worth, development and a sense of and the role of the intervention is to slow or stop the
being a highly influential and meaningful individual) illness and injury, and quickly return to work (Keeman
aspects (Norrish et al., 2013). Only an approach based et al., 2017). Table 2 summarises the most frequently
on a combination of hedonistic and eudaimonistic used interventions in these three areas.

Table 2
Selected organisational interventions according to their three levels

Primary level of interventions Secondary level of interventions Tertiary level of interventions

• Reduction of risks arising from • Reduction of working time for • Assistance for employees
working conditions workers at risk of illness or injury with a work-life conflict
• Flexible working hours • Offering voluntary and free health • Providing additional financial
• Work-life balance training testing resources to mitigate the effects
• Access to training on self-care • Reducing workload of work stoppage
• Access to psychological support • Support for reducing family • Providing additional health insurance
• Support for employees working online workload (childcare, elderly care) • Offering paid leave
• Training in mental and physical health • Offering additional time off • Sharing positive stories about people
care • Providing free therapies who find themselves in a similar
• Building relationships between • Providing training to allow employee situation
employees rotation • Providing professional psychological
• Recognising employees for their • Rewarding employees for reporting support
positive behaviour and identifying potential health risks • Involving the employee
• Encouraging employees to share • Involving workers in workplace in the decision to return to work
ideas on stress reduction safety and security teams • Providing clinical trials
• Providing redundancy alternatives • Mindfulness training • Organising support groups
(job-sharing, additional holidays)
• Transferring funds from realised
projects to maintain retention
Source: authors’ elaboration based on „Workplace interventions in response to COVID-19: an occupational health psychology per-
spective”, C.-H. Chang, R. Shao, M. Wang, & N. M. Baker, 2021, Occupational Health Science, 5(1–2), pp. 1–23 (https://doi.org/10.1007/
s41542-021-00080-x).

e-mentor nr 2 (99) 43
New trends in management

Table 3
Interventions and techniques building wellbeing in individual components of the PERMA+H model

Component of the • Types of intervention • Techniques

PERMA+H model
Positive emotions (P) • Taking care of enjoyment, pleasure • Expressing gratitude and accepting mistakes
and satisfaction in the learning process • Building relationships to obtain feedback
• Building awareness that the learning process • Emphasizing the positive aspects
consists of both pleasant and negative of the learning process
experiences
Engagement (E) • Stimulating intrinsic motivation • Setting educational goals
• Highlighting strengths and using individual • Searching for projects and tasks in line with
strong points the learners’ strengths
• Creation of individual development plans
Positive relations (R) • Sharing and reliving experiences • Conducting constructive conversations with
• Conducting discussions with learning learners
partners • Celebrating achievements
• Use of mentoring
Meaning (M) • Defining the goal of development, including • Freedom to choose the competences to be
enhancing competences acquired and developed
• Opportunity to use the acquired • Identify opportunities to influence the lives
competences for the benefit of the local and work of others
community • Arousing interest in exercises and tasks
(searching for elements of novelty, shaping
new and useful competences)
Accomplishments (A) • Building and helping to achieve perseverance • Setting and visualising the achievement
in the learning process of specific and realistic goals
• Using praise and encouragement • Implementation of a system of rewards
in the development process (feedback) for learning progress
• Permanent feedback
Health (H) • Learning related to the exploration of the • Promoting a culture of health
natural environment through physical activity • Mindfulness trainings
• Supporting the learning process with the use
of relaxation and problem-solving techniques

Source: authors’ elaboration based on „An applied framework for positive education”, J. M. Norrish, P. Williams, M. O’Connor,
& J. Robinson, 2013, International Journal of Wellbeing, 3(2), pp. 152–155; Flourishing interventions: A practical guide to student de-
velopment, L. E. van Zyl, & M. Stander, 2014. In M. Coetzee (Eds.), Psycho-social Career Meta-capacities (p. 268), Springer (https://doi.
org/10.1007/978-3-319-00645-1_14); „Emotion regulation in adolescent wellbeing and Positive Education”, L. Morrish, N. Rickard,
T. C. Chin & D. A. Vella-Brodrick, 2018, Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(5), pp. 1547–1555 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9881-y).

In addition to the functionality of the indicated Conclusions and recommendations

PERMA model, it also allows for building a typology
of interventions used in employee leadership practice. The conducted analyses of the concept of employee
A variant of the model that has been used in this clas- wellbeing led to the conclusion that this concept
sification is the PERMA+H model, which was applied should be interpreted multidimensionally. Most often,
in the research by Duan et al. (2020), Lai et al. (2018), however, they include activities related to the physical
Morgan and Simmons (2021). The classification of the dimension in their programmes, which is confirmed
interventions and their activities with the techniques by research conducted by the Activity team (Activ-
used are in Table 3. ity, n.d.), where over 75% of initiatives concerned
The activities undertaken in the process of positive this dimension, and the smallest amount concerned
psychology, together with the techniques that ensure financial security and mental health. In the results
their implementation, must be used together. Their of global research presented by AON (AON, n.d.) we
inseparable nature is intended to lead to employee can also find information that the largest number of
wellbeing and thus support high engagement, reten- wellbeing programmes used in organisations, as much
tion and performance. As pointed out by Lai et al. as 70%, concerns the physical dimension. There is
(2018) positive psychology can flourish only by pro- a discrepancy between the organisation’s offer and the
viding ecologies training (Learn), modifying training needs and priorities defined by employees, and further
programmes (Teach), inducing activity and interaction results of the AON Global Survey show that the five
(Embed) and applying positive psychology interven- most important activities creating wellbeing include:
tions to personal and work life (Live). work-life balance (65%), mental health (46%), working

44 e-mentor nr 2 (99)
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The full list of references is available in the online version of the journal.

Artur Wilczyński has a PhD in economics, and works at the West Pomeranian University of Technology in
Szczecin in the Department of Management and Marketing. He specialises in Human Resources Management. His
research interests focus on HR processes, particularly recruitment, employee experience, employee engagement,
learning & development, and organisational behaviour. He is passionate about employer branding, wellbeing and
feedback management, including offboarding.

Ewa Kołoszycz has a PhD in economics, and works at the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin
in the Department of Management and Marketing. Her main areas of scientific interest in recent years have been
project management and employee team building, and she has participated in many national and international
projects of a research and consulting nature.

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