Enabling workplace thriving: A multilevel model of positive affect, team cohesion, and task interdependence

Abstract

This research advances the workplace thriving literature by offering a multilevel view regarding the impact of positive affective resources on employee and team thriving. We conducted our study with 285 employees from 62 teams to examine a multilevel model involving the relationship between high-activated positive affect (HAPA) and thriving at individual and team levels. Results demonstrated that team HAPA triggered team cohesion, which in turn enhanced team thriving, and that individual HAPA promoted individual thriving. While task interdependence did not moderate the effects of team HAPA on team cohesion or, in turn, on team thriving, cross-level moderation showed that task interdependence strengthened the relationship between individual HAPA and individual thriving. These findings extend the knowledge regarding the relationship between positive affect and thriving by confirming the role of affect activation, identifying a team-level mechanism, and clarifying a boundary condition.