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Topics
Positive Meaning & Purpose

Articles

Current recommendations on the selection of measures for well-being


By: Tyler J. VanderWeele, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Paul Allin, Colin Farrelly, Guy Fletcherd, Donald E. Frederick, Jon Hall, John F. Helliwell, Eric S. Kim, William A. Lauinger, Matthew T. Lee, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Seth Margolis, Eileen McNeely, Neil Messer, Louis Tay, Vish Viswanath, Dorota Węziak-Białowolska, Laura D. Kubzanskya


The money or the morals? When moral language is more effective for selling social issues


By: Dave M. Mayer, Susan J. Ashford, Scott Sonenshein, Madeline Ong


Organizational structure from interaction: Evidence from corporate sustainability efforts


By: Sara Soderstrom, Klaus Weber


Authentic work and organizational change: Longitudinal evidence from a merger


By: Mari Kira, David B. Balkin, Elina San


Interactions between work and identities: Thriving, withering, or redefining the self?


By: Mari Kira, David B.Balkin


Can I come as I am? Refugees’ vocational identity threats, coping, and growth.


By: Mari Kira, Katja Wehrle, Ute-Christine Klehe, Jelena Zikic


Agony and ecstasy in the gig economy: Cultivating holding environments for precarious and personalized work identities


By: Gianpiero Petriglieri, Amy Wrzesniewski, Susan J. Ashford


Growing at Work: Employees’ Interpretations of Progressive Self-Change in Organizations


By: Scott Sonenshein, Jane Dutton, Adam Grant, Gretchen M. Spreitzer, Kathleen M. Sutcliffe


Job crafting and meaningful work


By: Justin M. Berg, Jane Dutton, Amy Wrzesniewski


Mindfully negotiating a career with a heart


By: , Elana R. Feldman, Dana M. McDaniel, Douglas T. Hall


Engagement and human thriving: Complementary perspectives on energy and connections to work


By: Gretchen M. Spreitzer, Chak Fu Lam, Charlotte Fritz


Pathways for positive identity construction at work: Four types of positive identity and the building of social resources


By: Jane Dutton, Laura Morgan Roberts, Jeffrey Bednar


Prosocial practices, positive identity, and flourishing at work


By: Jane Dutton, Laura Morgan Roberts, Jeffrey Bednar


Crafting scholarly life: Strategies for creating meaning in academic careers


By: E. Wellman, Gretchen M. Spreitzer


Forging ahead: Positive identities and organizations as a reseach frontier


By: Laura Morgan Roberts, Jane Dutton, Jeffrey Bednar


Positive identities and organizations: An introduction and invitation


By: Jane Dutton, Laura Morgan Roberts, Jeffrey Bednar


Musings on the past and future of employee empowerment


By: Gretchen M. Spreitzer, David Doneson


Thriving in organizations


By: Gretchen M. Spreitzer, Kathleen Sutcliffe


The interdisciplinary career of a popular construct used in management: Empowerment in the late twentieth century


By: Jean M. Bartunek, Gretchen M. Spreitzer


Coordination as energy-in-conversation


By: Ryan W. Quinn, Jane Dutton


A socially embedded model of thriving at work


By: Gretchen M. Spreitzer, Kathleen Sutcliffe, Jane Dutton, Scott Sonenshein, Adam M. Grant


Breathing life into organizational studies


By: Jane Dutton


Interpersonal sensemaking and the meaning of work


By: Amy Wrzesniewski, Jane Dutton, Gelaye Debebe


Books

The Economics of Higher Purpose: Eight Counterintuitive Steps for Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization


By: Robert E. Quinn, Anjan Thakor


Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy


By: Adam Grant, Sheryl Sandberg


Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less – and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined


By: Scott Sonenshein


LifeOnPurpose

Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes Everything


By: Vic Strecher


On Purpose

On Purpose: Lessons In Life and Health From The Frog, The Dung Beetle, and Julia


By: Vic Strecher


Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship


By: Kim S. Cameron, Gretchen M. Spreitzer


CPO Tools

Job Crafting™ Exercise



Reflected Best Self Exercise™



Essays

Election pain: A springboard to a better life


By: Robert E. Quinn


What to do now?


By:


Trying times call for our best selves


By: Gretchen M. Spreitzer


Events

An Evening Dedicated to Dignity and Noble Work



2022 Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) Research Conference



2024 Positive Business Conference Amplified



2024 Gathering of POS Scholars at AOM



Nansook Park headshot.

How to Build and Sustain a Good Life: Lessons from Positive Psychology



2023 Gathering of POS Scholars at AOM



2022 Gathering of POS Scholars at AOM



Thrive in Trying Times Teach-Out



Creating an Organization of Higher Purpose



Teresa Amabile

Labor of Love: Lessons in Keeping Creativity Alive



79th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management



2019 Gathering of POS Scholars at AOM



Sixth World Congress on Positive Psychology



2019 Positive Business Conference



Sanjay Saint and Vineet Chopra

Islands of Mindfulness within Oceans of Chaos



Search Inside Yourself, Google Event ,2020

Search Inside Yourself



Search Inside Yourself, Google Event ,2020

Search Inside Yourself (2019)



Healthy Minds: Addressing Mental Health and Help-Seeking Behavior in College Student Populations



Robert Vallerand

The Role of Passion in Facilitating Optimal Functioning in Employees and Organization



David Sherman

Affirming the Self to Reduce Conflict, Stress, and Underperformance



Dan McAdams

Authoring a Good Life in America: Narrative Identity and Redemptive Life Stories



2018 Gathering of POS Scholars at AOM



78th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management



Our 2018 Appreciations



BBA Senior Self-Compassion Send-Off



Impact Investing within the Capital Markets



2018 Positive Business Conference



Elizabeth Dunn

Technology and Happiness: The Social and Emotional Costs of Being Constantly Connected



Healing Self-Compassion Techniques for Reducing Stress and Burnout



U-M Koru Mindfulness Course



Briana Caza



Arne Carlsen, Anders Dysvik, and Miha Škerlavaj



Mari Kira



Evelina Fredriksson

Mindful engagement for positive education in Cambodia



2017 Gathering of POS Scholars at AOM



77th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management



2017 Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) Research Conference



Thought Leadership Showcase



Bringing your best self to work: The power of seeing yourself through others’ eyes



Finding purpose: Environmental stewardship as a personal calling



LifeOnPurpose

Life on Purpose



3rd Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology



News

Putting Humanity Back in the Human Enterprise



Robert Quinn headshot

The Center for Positive Organizations announces “The Robert E. Quinn Award for Positive Change”



Center for Positive Organizations Recognizes “Hope Cultures in Organizations” with 2022 Award for Outstanding Published Article in Positive Organizational Scholarship 



Doug Lepisto

Doug Lepisto rethinks how higher purpose forms in Academy of Management Journal research paper


By: Leslie Ellis


Lessons on leading with purpose in a capitalist society



Cultivating culture requires finding our whys


By: Chris White


David M. Mayer explains how to align personal, company values on For the Love of Work podcast



A first-gen college student hits her stride at CPO



How to be more authentic at work


By: Patricia Faison Hewlin


Robert E. Quinn discusses higher purpose on Everybody Matters Podcast



Susan J. Ashford

New $100,000 grant goes to proposal to study gig workers’ resilience led by Ross professor



Unlocking resources with a positive lens



Chris Murchison

How to be a remarkable boss during lockdown


By: Chris Marcell Murchison


Top 10: The most popular Ross Thought in Action posts from the academic year



Larry King interviews Jane Dutton on Positive Voices episode



Robert E. Quinn offers advice for making stay-at-home experience meaningful in WEMU interview



Silver linings, home tours, video conference bingo: Reimagining virtual meetings for connection



New York Times cites Barbara Fredrickson’s research on ‘tragic optimism’


By: Barbara Fredrickson


Q-and-A: Finding ways to thrive at work during our current challenging times



Maximizing your energy during COVID-19


By: Gretchen M. Spreitzer, David Fessell, Nicholas W. Eyrich


Job crafting may be the antidote for workplace burnout, Harvard Business Review reports



How to connect meaningfully in a virtual meeting


By: Wayne Baker


Jane Dutton, Amy Wrzesniewski explain job crafting in Harvard Business Review



Michigan Ross to host environmental teach-in as part of U-M’s Earth Day at 50 Celebration



Quartz highlights U-M gig economy course



Forbes article on job satisfaction cites Jane Dutton, Amy Wrzesniewski



Center for Positive Organizations to Recognize “Seeing More than Orange” with 2019 Award for Outstanding Published Article in Positive Organizational Scholarship



Laura Morgan Roberts contributes to Harvard Business Review article about The Reflected Best Self Exercise™ in our everyday lives



Kim Cameron

Kim Cameron discusses Positive Organizational Scholarship with Noreen Ehrlich 



Adam Grant and Laura Morgan Roberts focus on The Reflected Best Self Exercise™ in TED podcast episode



Edward C. Chang receives American Psychological Association award



Menlo Innovation’s Richard Sheridan interviewed for Forbes article



Gretchen Spreitzer

Gretchen Spreitzer interviewed for Georgia Tech podcast



New York Times Magazine highlights Ross research on finding purpose in work



Jane Dutton cited in Harvard Business Review



Mari Kira, Stacey Scimeca interviewed by Ross Human Capital Club



Barbara Fredrickson featured in NBC article



Chris White interviewed on Redesigning Wellness podcast



Chris White to appear on the ‘Dr. Nandi Show’



Management as a calling? Andrew J. Hoffman explains



Laura Morgan Roberts talks about bringing your best self to work on podcast with Michelle McQuaid



Achyuta Adhvaryu honored with CEW+Inspire Award



Michelle Segar quoted in The Guardian about balancing fitness and a busy life



Podcast: How to succeed in the gig world



What Mister Rogers teaches us about moral leadership


By: Robert E. Quinn


Robert Quinn in HBR: How (and why) to create a purpose-driven organization



Urban Ashes receives top honor in University of Michigan positive business competition



The New York Times offers job crafting as part of late-career change advice



Amy Wrzesniewski quoted in BBC article about Stephen Hawking’s legacy



Gretchen Spreitzer on The Art of Well Being



Clot Buster wins the 35th annual Pryor-Hale Award at the Michigan Business Challenge



Kim Cameron

Kim Cameron cited in Forbes business trends article



New research shows how independent workers can thrive in the gig economy



“Life balance” at imageOne



Jane Dutton and Amy Wrzesniewski cited in Inc. article



Dutton, Wrzesniewski job crafting research cited in HBR article about meaning in work



Are you a positive deviant?


By: Chris White


Jane Dutton and Monica C. Worline

Awakening Compassion at Work named a favorite book of 2017 by Greater Good Magazine



$2.2 mil awarded to Wayne Baker’s tech startup, Give and Take Inc.



Finding meaning and motivation in work


By: Chris White


Students becoming the teachers—and then the CEOs



+LABBER Sarah Wood coordinated mental health event, Amy Young spoke



Stronger ties with coworkers boost creativity and resilience: Here’s how to start



Amy Wrzesniewski interviewed, Jane Dutton cited about job crafting



Kim Cameron, Center for Positive Organizations featured in Financial Post article



Jane Dutton and Amy Wrzesniewski’s research cited in Harvard Business Review article on dissatisfaction at work



Amy Wrzesniewski interviewed on NPR about purpose at work



Adam Grant cited in New York Times about resilience in midlife



Chris Murchison

Chris Murchison wrote about busyness for Whil blog



Meet the Ross students, including a +LAB fellow, out to prove that business can change the world



Monica Worline interviewed on Work and Life podcast



Adam Grant and Sheryl Sandberg’s book in Forbes



Lea Waters interviewed for Herald Sun about her new book, The Strength Switch



Magnify Immersion course brings positivity and purpose to Ross BBA students and organizations



Chris Murchison and the art of the sabbatical



+LAB alum and his revolutionary startup just can’t stop winning competitions



Center for Positive Organizations gets a nod in Fortune



How can you reclaim your commute? Julia Lee explains in Harvard Business Review



2017 Award for Outstanding Published Article in Positive Organizational Scholarship



Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant talk about resilience with Harvard Business Review



Barbara Fredrickson’s research featured in New York Times article



David Mayer writes for @FastCompany about happiness and others



Monica Worline blogs @ThriveGlobal about compassion’s strength



Monica Worline interviewed on Plural of You



Scott Sonenshein interviewed on WEMU about Stretch



Julia Lee’s Positive Links session in the Michigan Daily



Chris Murchison

Chris Murchison blogs about perfectionism in Whil



KPMG video discusses building a business with purpose



New research by Adam Grant featured in HBR’s Big Idea



A new resource for leading in trying times



The power of a trauma to drive positive change


By: Richard Haller


Works by Adam Grant, Scott Sonenshein, Christine Porath featured in Washington Post book list



A compassionate resolution for this season


By: Jane Dutton, Monica Worline


Healthy, wealthy, and wise: Victor Strecher featured in Forbes



Research by Julia Lee cited in Cornell Chronicle



Sustainable motivation for New Year’s resolutions


By: Chris White


How do you lead in trying times? Help us contribute to the dialogue.



Bob Quinn talks post-election experiences with NPR’s Lisa Barry



Election pain: A springboard to a better life


By: Robert E. Quinn


Who am I, really?


By: Richard Haller


Creating a healthy relationship with technology



Finding your purpose in the world



Positive Business: Is your work a calling?


By: Wayne Baker


Finale


By: Camille Piner


How to Build a Culture of Purpose


By: Aaron Hurst


What is the value of a college education?


By: YaLe Lim


Do You Have a Job, Career or Calling?



The #1 Feature of a Meaningless Job


By: Adam Grant


More than job satisfaction



A Raisin Lesson


By: YaLe Lim


What’s YOUR Legacy?


By: Margot Murphy


Becoming a Leader: A Positive Lesson From Failing CEOs


By: Robert E. Quinn


Pollyanna and the Prisoner’s Penetrating Question: A Reflection on the Positive Perspective


By: Robert E. Quinn


Discovering What You Love to Do: Overcoming the First Barrier of Success


By: Robert E. Quinn


Constellations of Compassion 3 – For Children


By: Monica Worline, Jane Dutton


Constellations of Compassion 2 – Finding Meaning


By: Monica Worline, Jane Dutton


Constellations of Compassion 1 – Healing


By: Monica Worline, Jane Dutton


Pursuit of Hapiness: Is Gratitude More Than Saying Thanks?


By: Wayne Baker


Building Meaning in Organizations


By: Chris White


Access Your Sense of Awe: Finding Meaning in Your Work


By: Robert E. Quinn


How Do You Write Your “Opus”? By Doing What You Love to Do


By: Robert E. Quinn


Choosing to Love: A Radical Way to Change How You Live


By: Robert E. Quinn


Ithaka: My Own Journey from Busy-ness to Clarity of Purpose


By: Ryan W. Quinn


How do *Organizations* Flourish


By: Chris White


What is “The Positive Lens”


By: Chris White


Teaching the Practice of POS, Part I: Understanding the Basic Message


By: Robert E. Quinn


In Pursuit of a Career with a Heart . . . How Can People Negotiate That?



2010 Award for Best Paper in POS – The Call of the Wild



The Power and Possibilities in Positive Work-Related Identities: How Do Self-Definitions Make Us Stronger?



Your Reflected Best Self



Videos

The Untapped Power of Discovery: How to Create Change that Inspires a Better Future



Positive for Whom? Addressing the Elephant in the Room



Jerks Die Alone: How to Create New Worlds Now



2022 POS Research Conference: Day 2 Afternoon Sessions “Experiential POS Practices to Carry Us Forward”



2022 POS Research Conference: Day 2 Morning Panel “Using POS to Understand the State of the World”



2022 POS Research Conference: Award for Outstanding Published Article in POS and Winners’ Keynote



2022 POS Research Conference: Opening Sessions



Antiracism, Allyship, and Authenticity: Building Internal Capacity for Institutional Change



2019 POS Research Conference: Founders Panel



2019 POS Research Conference: Looking Towards the Future



2019 POS Research Conference: Award for Outstanding Published Article in POS



Magnify Immersion Program: FAQs



Healthy Minds: Addressing Mental Health and Help-Seeking Behavior in College Student Populations



Company-Community Partnerships for Purpose and Sustainable Impact



The Role of Passion in Facilitating Optimal Functioning in Employees and Organization



Becoming who you really are: Learning to do what organizations cannot do for you



Mindful engagement for positive education in Cambodia



How can positive workplaces solve global challenges?



Create Opportunity from Crisis



Engage in Job Crafting



The Power of Vicarious Learning



On Purpose: Lessons in Life, Health, and Work from the Frog, the Dung Beetle, and Julia



Beauty in Everyday Work: Seeing the Resourcefulness of University Staff



Explaining Employee Engagement with Strategic Change Implementation: A Meaning-Making Approach



The Economics of Higher Purpose



Men and women respond differently to exercise advertisements



Your Career: Engaging Passion and Reality



Necessity and Innovation: How to Utilize the Blessings of Dark Times



The Ascent From Hell: The Emergence of Positive Assets in the Unfolding of War



The Call of The Wild: Zookeepers, callings, and the double-edged sword of deeply meaningful work



From Medicine to McKinsey to Meaning – Personal Reflections from an Ongoing Journey



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