Measuring well-being at organizational context: exploring the Better Life Index as a measurement tool
ISSN: 1747-1117
Article publication date: 9 January 2024
Issue publication date: 28 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore prevailing perceptions and practices related to well-being indexes within organizations, using the Better Life Index (BLI) as an example.
Design/methodology/approach
This investigation consists of two surveys in Portugal. Study 1 (N = 311) explores public perceptions of well-being in business and its relationship with socio-demographic factors. Results show a highly positive attitude toward organizational well-being, with a preference for companies prioritizing well-being over higher salaries. Study 2 (N = 62) shifts focus to business characteristics linked to the intention of implementing well-being indexes and examines the impact of Study 1 findings on organizational representatives’ responses.
Findings
The findings reveal a positive and statistically significant correlation between the intention to adopt well-being indexes and both company size and sector. The dissemination of Study 1’s results acted as a catalyst for organizational representatives, motivating them to adopt well-being indexes.
Research limitations/implications
This research marks an initial step in incorporating well-being indexes in organizational settings. Future research should focus on identifying organizational factors that could hinder or encourage the adoption of well-being indexes.
Practical implications
The results contribute to understanding which factors might be relevant when deciding whether and how to measure well-being at organizations.
Originality/value
This study highlights the potential effectiveness of these indexes in promoting well-being within organizations, while also examining the feasibility of using the BLI to assess the impact of businesses on various well-being dimensions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Portuguese national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) under the grants 2022.11231.BDANA, UIDP/00713/2021 and UIDB/05380/2020. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Data availability statement: The data underlying this article will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author.
Citation
Dias, S., Luís, S. and Cruz, B. (2024), "Measuring well-being at organizational context: exploring the Better Life Index as a measurement tool", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 1041-1055. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-07-2023-0375
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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