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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 2

Publication Date: February 25, 2022

DOI:10.14738/assrj.92.11688. Bezzaa, A., & Yadari, K. E. (2022). How Workers Experience Psychological Well-Being During COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(2). 8-21.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

How Workers Experience Psychological Well-Being During

COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

Ali Bezzaa

Faculty of Law, economic and social sciences

Cadi ayyad university, Marrakech, Morocco

Khalid El Yadari

Faculty of Lawl, economic and social sciences

Cadi ayyad university, Marrakech, Morocco

ABSTRACT

This article draws on the theoretical framework of psychological well-being in

order to explore the phenomenon of well-being at work during COVID-19. More

specifically, this study utilizes a qualitative methodology and both hedonic and

eudaimonic perspectives of well-being to make sense of the experience of well- being at work. Through purposeful sampling, we asked thirty-two Moroccan

workers to describe to us their latest well-being experiences on the job. Overall, we

identified fifty-five well-being incidents. Content analysis allowed us to categorize

ten dimensions of psychological well-being at work that meet the assumptions of

the theory used: positive emotions, satisfaction with the work environment,

meaning of work, self-confidence, work autonomy, desire for commitment,

development needs, positive relationships with colleagues, perceived performance,

and recognition and organizational quality. These findings are discussed with

regard to previous literature along with practical implications, limitations and

future research avenues.

Keywords: psychological well-being, well-being at work, mental health, COVID-19

INTRODUCTION

These are times of great uncertainty. According to a report from the Organization for Economic

Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2021)1, the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on

workers' mental health is unprecedented, and levels of anxiety and depression have increased.

While this OECD report states that job retention programs have helped preserve workers'

incomes and mental health, in Morocco, despite the efforts made by the health and interior

departments, the pandemic has exacerbated the distress that workers already experience on a

daily basis. Indeed, a 2018 study found that 18% of Moroccan managers are unhappy and nearly

70% said that their company does not take any initiatives to improve their well-being

(Media24, 2018) 2 . In addition, since no valid measure of well-being at work exists, even

companies that wish to assess the well-being of their employees cannot do so.

1 OECD. Tackling the mental health impact of the COVID-19 crisis: An integrated, whole-of-society response (OECD

Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19)) [OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19)], 2021. 2 Id Hajji, L., Enquête : 60% des cadres marocains sont démotivés, Medias24 . (12 janvier 2018),

https://www.medias24.com/2018/01/12/enquete-60-des-cadres-marocains-sont-demotives/

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Bezzaa, A., & Yadari, K. E. (2022). How Workers Experience Psychological Well-Being During COVID-19: A Qualitative Study. Advances in Social

Sciences Research Journal, 9(2). 8-21.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.92.11688

Research on psychological well-being at work (PWBW) tends to approach the subject in three

different ways. One small group of studies addresses the concept of psychological well-being

[1,2,3]. A second group of studies explores the meaning given to PWBW. The latter explores the

phenomenon with diverse populations [4,5,6,7]. A third and considerably larger set of studies

develops PWBW measurement scales [8,9,10,11,12,13]. These different approaches have all

been used to explore and measure the phenomenon of PWBW. They show the importance of

well-being for the worker and the need for companies to define what PWBW means to them.

To the best of our knowledge, very limited research has been done to specifically examine the

meaning given by Moroccan workers to the experience of well-being at work. We have

identified two important gaps in the literature. The first concerns exploring the dimensions of

the PWBW experience. It is worth mentioning that culture is essential when designing

interventions to improve well-being at work [14] [15], and as such, understanding PWBW is an

important topic for research. A second gap in the literature is clarification of the role that

organizations should play in promoting the psychological state of their employees. This

research aims to further clarify this role.

The scarcity of information on the nature of well-being at work in Morocco is unfortunate,

because it is the type of information that companies may need if they are to craft policies that

promote mental health. The results of this study will also be useful to researchers working on

a variety of topics who need a valid measure of PWBW.

The main purpose of this qualitative study is to contribute to the knowledge on psychological

well-being by exploring the meaning that employees give to their experience. To achieve this,

we have used the psychological well-being theory as a framework to identify the dimensions of

PWBW.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW

Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being

A question that has long divided the scientific community is the conceptualization of

psychological well-being. It has been debated whether psychological well-being should be

attributed to happiness or to individuals’ optimal functioning. This matter harkens back to the

philosophical debate around happiness, which was marked by the dominance of Aristotelian

thought on the essence of human life. The concept of hedonic well-being refers to well-being

derived from pleasure and desire. If the individual responds to his desires and feels positive

emotions, he experiences hedonic well-being. Eudaimonic well-being, in turn, comes from the

concept of eudaimonia developed by Aristotle, which, according to Waterman, is an ideal of

excellence, a state of perfection to which the individual aspires [16].

In the literature, two dimensions, namely, positive and negative affect, have defined hedonic

well-being. Research on the relationship between the two dimensions shows mixed results and

according to Diener, some studies have shown no relationship while others have reported

strong negative links [17]. Along with these two dimensions, researchers have added a third

dimension, “life satisfaction,” to the construct to complete it [17,18].

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 2, February-2022

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

The main contribution from the eudaimonic perspective remains Ryff's conceptualization of

psychological well-being (PWB)[19]. The six dimensions of PWBW are: autonomy,

environmental mastery, positive relationships with others, personal development, self- acceptance, and purpose in life. Ryff and Keyes empirically tested and validated this

conceptualization[20].

The constructs of well-being are clearly defined in the literature. Waterman empirically

established a strong correlation (0.71- 0.86) between hedonic and eudaimonic well-being[16],

while Huppert and So found a moderate link (0.34) [21]. Despite this established link, these

authors make a distinction between the two constructs. In other words, the experience of well- being can be thought of from both the hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives, with one not

conditioning the other. Indeed, an individual may experience both at the same time.

Furthermore, Waterman has empirically shown that these two constructs contribute

differently to the individual’s overall well-being, stating that hedonic enjoyment and

eudaimonic well-being "differ with respect to their association to activities that advance an

individual's personal potentials"[16](p.690). In this respect, several questions remain

unanswered, including the role of each type of well-being in the lived experience and its

longitudinal impact on the individual's mental health.

Several authors support the integration of both perspectives in the conceptualization of

psychological well-being, considering that exploring one perspective alone may reveal a limited

view of the individual’s emotional and mental state, and thus understanding psychological well- being relies on exploring both facets of the construct[21,22,23,24,25].

Finally, a last question, little-explored, concerns the direction of the relationship between the

two types of well-being. The first study on this matter showed that eudaimonic well-being could

be an antecedent of hedonic well-being [26]. Given the scarcity of research on the topic, this

question remains a promising avenue of research.

Psychological well-being at work (PWBW)

On the theoretical level, our literature review finds that psychological well-being at work has

received less attention than its more general counterpart, with the exception of a few attempts

at theorization. However, research in this specific field can be important because work-life can

be quite different from life in general. Indeed, at work we handle professional relations, execute

tasks in a specific environment and expect to receive money in return. In spite of all these

specificities, the concept of psychological well-being at work remains a work in progress.

Danna and Griffin have proposed a two-dimensional model of well-being at work

conceptualized by job satisfaction and life satisfaction [3]. Other authors have focused solely on

affect (positive and negative) to build their model [1,2]. In this regard, Dagenais-Desmarais and

Savoie questioned the integration of negative affect to these conceptualizations, arguing that

the experience of psychological well-being is positive at its core[11]. This argument may be

valid in the work environment as well. There is no widely used measure of PWBW. This may be

due to the desire of researchers to capture aspects of one of the two perspectives. Hence,

different approaches have been used.