Evaluating the impact of a team-level psychological capital intervention for enhanced performance and wellbeing

Psychological Capital (PsyCap) reflects an individual’s positive psychological state of development characterized by hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism (Luthans, Avey, Avolio & Peterson, 2010). Empirical and meta-analytic evidence suggests that PsyCap is not only an important predictor of job performance, but also promotes psychological well-being (Avey, Reichard, Luthans & Mharte, 2011). Emerging intervention studies have also shown PsyCap is developable through relatively brief training interventions and that increases in PsyCap are associated with improvements in individuals’ performance and functioning (Luthans, et al., 2010).

More recently, multilevel research has demonstrated positive associations between team PsyCap and both individual- and team-level outcomes (Dawkins, Martin, Scott, Sanderson & Schuz, 2018). This suggests that team PsyCap not only enhances team performance and functioning, but also individual employee functioning. These findings highlight the potential multilevel benefits from interventions aimed at bolstering team PsyCap, which could positively impact both team and individual employee functioning.

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a team-level PsyCap intervention (tPCI) designed to promote team- and individual-level PsyCap. Outcomes pertinent to team and employee functioning will also be assessed, including, team satisfaction and performance and individual employee well-being and commitment. Based on extant PsyCap research, the study seeks to investigate the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis 1: The tPCI will have a positive effect on team-level PsyCap.

Hypotheses 2: By enhancing team-level PsyCap, the tPCI will have distal positive effects on team-level outcomes, including performance and satisfaction.

Hypothesis 3: The tPCI will have a positive cross-level effect on individual-level PsyCap.

Hypothesis 4: By enhancing team-level PsyCap, the tPCI will have distal positive effects on individual-level outcomes, including employee well-being and commitment.

The tPCI has been adapted from the existing and validated individual-level PsyCap intervention (PCI; Luthans et al., 2010). Specifically, the tPCI is a 3.5-hour training workshop that involves a series of team-based exercises specific to each individual component of PsyCap (hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism), along with more integrative reflective exercises which are aimed at incorporating the development of the individual component training into an understanding and operationalisation of overall PsyCap.

Approximately 20 work teams (10 active teams; 10 control teams), comprising a minimum of three employees, will be recruited from a cross-section of industries within Australia to participate in this study. Online surveys will be implemented to assess individual and teamlevel PsyCap, team performance and satisfaction, employee wellbeing and organizational commitment one week prior to the intervention, and again two weeks post intervention.

It is anticipated that the findings from this study will demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of the tPCI and highlight the importance of fostering team PsyCap, not only to enhance team-level outcomes, but also outcomes at the individual-level, employee wellbeing. This, in turn, could offer further implications for organisations in terms of providing greater return on development investment (RODI) in comparison to interventions focused solely on developing individual-level PsyCap.