Maree Roche
Farmers shed light on Wellbeing at Work
"We spend a considerable amount of our lives working and as such happiness and wellbeing at work is essential."
This quote, from the final report, sums up the theme of a study by Maree Roche, a lecturer at Wintec's School of Business and Administration, researching wellbeing at work. Maree carried out this research in collaboration with her colleague, Carolyn Rolley, producing a final report entitled Living Personally, Acting Locally, Impacting Globally: A Case of Wellbeing (Happiness) at Work. This expanded on existing research suggesting that, in future, 'wellbeing' (rather than job satisfaction or turnover intentions) may be a better predictor for organisations of the likelihood of retaining staff.
The study reports on data gathered from farmers participating in the restoration of the Maungatautari Ecological Island Reserve. A review of farming literature showed that most of the research on farming focussed on how stressful work and isolated working conditions seemed to be the norm. This study examined wellbeing in an isolated farming community near Cambridge and highlighted how an improved work environment created a helpful situation in which each individual's wellbeing thrived.
"The framework was used to explain how purpose and meaning created additional positive outcomes in terms of social connectedness and wellbeing," Maree Roche said in the report.
Twenty-one farming workplaces, which bordered Maungatautari Mountain, participated in the 2006 study. All 21 farmers participated in the study and the researchers collected their stories over a six month period.
The collection of these stories allowed for greater insight into each farmer's experience of the restoration project and the impact this had on their wellbeing. It also allowed for an understanding of how the entire farming community, with its different perspectives and interests, experienced the process.
As a result, the research was able to present a collective understanding of how these members made sense of this experience. The report findings highlight how an enhanced workplace context, through the restoration process, aided wellbeing in terms of developing meaning and social connectivity in previously isolated workplaces.
The findings support the growing research that encourages human resource academics and practitioners to place emphasis on the contributions of positive psychology, particularity on how enhancing meaning and social connectivity at work can leverage workplace and employee potential and wellbeing.
Maree also said this information could aid organisations in the recruitment and retention of staff. "With current labour shortages, this information could help organisations understand the potential benefits in encouraging employee wellbeing."
Maree has also been researching in collaboration with Associate Professor Jarrod Haar from the University of Waikato, Department of Strategy and Human Resource Management, on how employees perceive their organisations as supporting both their work and life priorities and roles.
The findings from this research also suggest that organisations that provide for and enhance employee wellbeing benefit from this in terms of greater commitment from employees towards their organisations.