Positivity and Behaviour: the Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy in Organisational and Educational Settings

Claudio Barbaranelli, Marinella Paciello, Valentina Biagioli, Roberta Fida, Carlo Tramontano

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    40 Citations (Scopus)
    364 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    Positivity is an evaluative disposition capturing what self-esteem, life satisfaction and optimism have in common. Self-efficacy refers to specific beliefs aimed at exercising control over the events through self-regulation. This paper examines in two studies whether the effect of positivity on performance is mediated by self-efficacy beliefs. The first examines the role of task and empathic self-efficacy in mediating the relationship of positivity with respect to in-role and extra-role behaviours in a sample of 829 Italian adult employees. The second examines the role of academic self-efficacy in mediating the relationship of positivity with respect to academic grades and academic citizenship behaviour on a sample of 223 Italian university students. Structural Equation Models results revealed that: (1) the relationship between positivity and both in-role and extra-role behaviours was substantially mediated by self-efficacy beliefs; (2) the relationship between positivity and both school grades and citizenship behaviours was completely mediated by self-efficacy beliefs.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)707–727
    Number of pages21
    JournalJournal of Happiness Studies
    Volume20
    Issue number3
    Early online date1 Mar 2018
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Mar 2019

    Bibliographical note

    The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9972-4

    Keywords

    • Academic success
    • Extra-role behaviour
    • In-role behaviour
    • Meditation
    • Positivity
    • Self-efficacy

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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