The Effectiveness of Happiness Training on self-Efficacy and Work Motivation

Today the issue of employee health has received much attention from researchers. Motivation is an inner state that energizes, activates, moves human behavior and leads to certain goals. Self-efficacy is also a person's personal judgment of their ability to organize and perform an activity. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of the effectiveness of happiness training on self-efficacy and work motivation in employees’ of General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Golestan Province.

The research design was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest with control group. The statistical population in this study included all employees of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Golestan Province; Thirty of them who had lower work motivation and self-efficacy scores were selected by purposive sampling method and assigned in two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The research instruments included Kitchener’s work Motivation and Sherer’s Self-Efficacy Questionnaires.The experimental group then recieved Fordyce Happiness training program for 8 sessions (120 minutes each session). Analysis of covariance in SPSS-22 software was used for data analysis.

Findings from analysis of covariance showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of work motivation (P<0.05). There is also a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of self-efficacy (p<0.05).

According to results of the present study, happiness training by using the art of expressing emotions, avoiding worrying thoughts, living in the present and getting acquainted with a healthy personality can be an effective way to increase self-efficacy and work motivation.