Positive Organizational Behavior and Employee Mental Health: Exploring the Roles of Psychological Capital and Meaning in Work
Keywords:
Positive organizational behavior, Employee mental health, Psychological capital, Meaning in work, Thematic analysis, Positive workplaceAbstract
This study aimed to explain employees’ experiences of how positive organizational behavior influences their mental health, with particular emphasis on the roles of psychological capital and meaning in work. This qualitative study employed an inductive thematic analysis approach. Participants were 24 employees working in public, semi-public, and private organizations in Tehran, Iran, who were recruited through purposive maximum-variation sampling. Eligibility criteria included full-time employment, at least three years of work experience, and willingness to describe work-related experiences. Data were collected exclusively through individual semi-structured interviews lasting between 45 and 75 minutes. Theoretical saturation was achieved during the twenty-first interview, and three additional interviews were conducted to confirm data adequacy. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, organized, and analyzed using NVivo 15 in accordance with the stages of thematic analysis. Credibility and trustworthiness were enhanced through participant checking, peer review, maximum variation, maintenance of an audit trail, reflexive analysis, and rich contextual description. Analysis of 417 initial codes generated 63 concepts, 16 subcategories, and five main categories: “supportive and human-centered organizational infrastructure,” “activation of psychological capital resources,” “construction of meaning through work,” “protection and restoration of mental health,” and “reciprocal cycles of resources, meaning, and boundary conditions.” Participants described supportive leadership, organizational justice, recognition, psychological safety, and participation in decision-making as important antecedents of hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience. Psychological capital strengthened coping with occupational demands, whereas perceived social contribution, alignment between work and personal values, professional growth, and belonging enhanced meaningfulness. The interaction between psychological capital and meaning in work was associated with reduced emotional exhaustion, anxiety, helplessness, and turnover intentions. Positive organizational behavior protects employee mental health when it is embedded in leadership practices, job design, organizational justice, interpersonal relationships, and human resource systems rather than being restricted to motivational slogans. Psychological capital and meaning in work are not exclusively individual attributes; they are dynamic resources shaped by organizational conditions and capable of reinforcing one another. Sustainable workplace mental health therefore requires integrated interventions at individual, job, managerial, team, and organizational levels.
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