Happiness, Organisational Support, Trust and Passion at Work Among Physicians in Public Service

Passion at work (PAW), organisational support (OS), happiness and trust have been studied in many contexts of organisational activities and consequences at work. The uniqueness of the current study lies in the fact that it focused on a unique research population (physicians) and, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first study to examine these four variables in one model. The present study explored the relationships among levels of trust, OS, happiness and PAW (harmonious and obsessive). A convenience sample of 170 physicians from throughout Israel answered questionnaires dealing with attitudes towards PAW, trust in managers, level of happiness and perception of OS. The research findings show that the higher the level of trust, OS and happiness, the higher the level of harmonious PAW. The level of harmonious PAW was higher compared with obsessive PAW. In addition, in accord with the hypothesis, happiness made the greatest contribution to predicting PAW. Hence, the research findings validated the dual model of passion. One main conclusion of this study is that work occupies a significant place in most individuals’ lives; therefore, promoting their well-being, showing concern for their happiness, and providing opportunities to realise happiness within the walls of the organisation are essential elements for promoting both feelings of involvement and PAW. Therefore, to the extent that managers of an organisation can promote a culture of OS, which could include the adoption of a policy of home–work balance, the more they can contribute to the feeling of harmonious PAW among physicians.