Positive Leadership, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER2Positive Climate

The term positive climate refers to a work environment in which positive emotions predominate over negative emotions (Denison, 1996; Smidts, Pruyin, & Van Riel, 2001). Employees with optimistic attitudes and cheerful outlooks are typical of a positive climate, for example, compared to employees experiencing stress, anxiety, or distrust. Well-being predominates over distress and dissatisfaction. Positive interpretations predominate over negative interpretations. Fredrickson (1998, 2001, 2002, 2003) and Bagozzi (2003) found in their research that conditions that foster positive emotions lead to optimal individual and organizational functioning; in other words, to positively deviant performance. Positive outcomes are produced ...