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A Socially Embedded Model of Thriving at Work

Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 701 E. Tappan Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
spreitze{at}umich.edu
ksutclif{at}umich.edu
janedut{at}umich.edu
ssonensh{at}mich.edu
amgrant{at}umich.edu

Thriving describes an individual’s experience of vitality and learning. The primary goal of this paper is to develop a model that illuminates the social embeddedness of employees’ thriving at work. First, we explain why thriving is a useful theoretical construct, define thriving, and compare it to related constructs, including resilience, flourishing, subjective well-being, flow, and self-actualization. Second, we describe how work contexts facilitate agentic work behaviors, which in turn produce resources in the doing of work and serve as the engine of thriving. Third, we describe how thriving serves as a gauge to facilitate self-adaptation at work. We conclude by highlighting key theoretical contributions of the model and suggesting directions for future research.

Key Words: thriving; energy; learning; positive growth; resources

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