Positive psychology in the workplace. Analysis of influencing factors on the development of managerial resilience

Master's Thesis from the year 2023 in the subject Business economics - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,2, Cologne Business School Köln, language: English, abstract: Due to global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine, organizations are facing unprecedented challenges and crises, requiring their managers to be resilient, deal with stress and setbacks, and maintain high performance levels while leading their teams. Therefore, this thesis investigated factors and appropriate interventions that can strengthen managerial resilience. The current state of research and existing interventions in the work context were examined, followed by qualitative interviews with ten participants working in companies in comparable industries in Germany. Thematic data analysis identified two main factors that strengthen resilience: individual support and resources, including support from colleagues, external networks, and mentors, and overarching working conditions such as promotion of competence development, transparent communication and constructive collaboration. Thereby, the most crucial factor identified was social support which indicates that organizations need to prioritize creating an environment that encourages social connections and fosters supportive relationships. Future research could focus on the effectiveness of different types of social support or extend the qualitative study with quantitative research to determine if the same factors apply to a representative number of managers.