We've all heard the idea that happy employees perform better—this concept, central to the happy-productive worker hypothesis, has been around for nearly a century! But what if we told you that your organisation’s commitment to environmental sustainability could have an even greater impact on your employees' well-being and job performance than you might think?
In our latest study, we explored how environmental sustainability in educational institutions impacts employee well-being and work performance. We surveyed employees from the UAE and USA, measuring their well-being, views on their organisation’s sustainability efforts, and three key aspects of job performance: task performance (how well an employee completes the core duties and responsibilities of their job), contextual performance (the actions and behaviours that contribute to the overall work environment, such as cooperation, helping colleagues, and demonstrating organizational citizenship), and counterproductive workplace behaviours (harmful actions or attitudes that negatively affect the organisation or its members, such as theft, misconduct, or intentionally undermining work performance).
Here’s what we found:
Sustainability matters—employees in greener workplaces perform better.
Well-being and sustainability both contribute to higher job performance in unique ways.
Sustainability doesn’t just add value; it actually mediates the relationship between well-being and performance, meaning that organisations prioritising sustainability can boost these key employee outcomes in a meaningful way.
This is the first study to show that an organisation’s environmental responsibility can directly impact its employees' well-being and effectiveness at work. So, if you're an executive, manager, HR professional, or anyone interested in fostering healthier, more productive workplaces, this research is for you!
Check out the full article (or get in touch with me) to dive deeper into the findings and what they mean for the future of work.
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