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Environmental Sustainability and the Happy-Productive Worker: Examining the Impact on Employee Well-Being and Work Performance in Educational Institutions

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Title: Environmental Sustainability and the Happy-Productive Worker: Examining the Impact on Employee Well-Being and Work Performance in Educational Institutions
Language: English
Authors: Zane Sheeran (ORCID 0000-0002-4522-9103), Anna Sutton, Helena Dorothy Cooper-Thomas
Source: International Journal of Educational Management. 2025 39(2):469-487.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Sustainability, Well Being, Employees, Job Performance, Productivity, Work Environment, Employee Attitudes, Work Attitudes, Positive Attitudes, Conservation (Environment), Foreign Countries, Organizational Development, Environmental Education, Schools, School Personnel
Geographic Terms: United Arab Emirates, United States
DOI: 10.1108/IJEM-11-2024-0704
ISSN: 0951-354X
1758-6518
Abstract: Purpose: The happy-productive worker hypothesis posits that employee well-being is an important factor in work performance. Educational institutions around the world are facing both internal and external pressures to integrate sustainability into their practices, with the goal of protecting the planet and ultimately boosting profits. This paper explores the potential wider benefits of sustainability, including its relationship with employee well-being and performance, by investigating the influence of organisational sustainability on the happy-productive worker hypothesis. Design/methodology/approach: Educational institution employees from the UAE and USA (n = 199; 66.3% teachers) completed an online questionnaire measuring their well-being, perceptions of their organisations' environmental sustainability and three self-reported job performance measures (task performance, contextual performance and counter-productive workplace behaviours). Regression and mediation analyses were conducted to test hypothesised relationships. Findings: Both well-being and sustainability were positively associated with work performance. Furthermore, sustainability accounted for additional variance in performance beyond that accounted for by well-being. Sustainability partially mediated the relationship between well-being and performance, providing evidence of the importance of sustainability in the workplace. Originality/value: This study contributes to an emerging field by investigating the relationship between an organisation's sustainability and benefits of this for employees in terms of well-being as well as work performance. The findings provide further support for the happy-productive worker hypothesis and also the first evidence that educational institutions' sustainability can mediate this relationship.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1463996
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Environmental Sustainability and the Happy-Productive Worker: Examining the Impact on Employee Well-Being and Work Performance in Educational Institutions
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zane+Sheeran%22">Zane Sheeran</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4522-9103">0000-0002-4522-9103</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anna+Sutton%22">Anna Sutton</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Helena+Dorothy+Cooper-Thomas%22">Helena Dorothy Cooper-Thomas</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Educational+Management%22"><i>International Journal of Educational Management</i></searchLink>. 2025 39(2):469-487.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
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  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 19
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sustainability%22">Sustainability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well+Being%22">Well Being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employees%22">Employees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Job+Performance%22">Job Performance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Productivity%22">Productivity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work+Environment%22">Work Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employee+Attitudes%22">Employee Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work+Attitudes%22">Work Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Positive+Attitudes%22">Positive Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conservation+%28Environment%29%22">Conservation (Environment)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+Development%22">Organizational Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+Education%22">Environmental Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Schools%22">Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Personnel%22">School Personnel</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Arab+Emirates%22">United Arab Emirates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States%22">United States</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/IJEM-11-2024-0704
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0951-354X<br />1758-6518
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: The happy-productive worker hypothesis posits that employee well-being is an important factor in work performance. Educational institutions around the world are facing both internal and external pressures to integrate sustainability into their practices, with the goal of protecting the planet and ultimately boosting profits. This paper explores the potential wider benefits of sustainability, including its relationship with employee well-being and performance, by investigating the influence of organisational sustainability on the happy-productive worker hypothesis. Design/methodology/approach: Educational institution employees from the UAE and USA (n = 199; 66.3% teachers) completed an online questionnaire measuring their well-being, perceptions of their organisations' environmental sustainability and three self-reported job performance measures (task performance, contextual performance and counter-productive workplace behaviours). Regression and mediation analyses were conducted to test hypothesised relationships. Findings: Both well-being and sustainability were positively associated with work performance. Furthermore, sustainability accounted for additional variance in performance beyond that accounted for by well-being. Sustainability partially mediated the relationship between well-being and performance, providing evidence of the importance of sustainability in the workplace. Originality/value: This study contributes to an emerging field by investigating the relationship between an organisation's sustainability and benefits of this for employees in terms of well-being as well as work performance. The findings provide further support for the happy-productive worker hypothesis and also the first evidence that educational institutions' sustainability can mediate this relationship.
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  Label: Abstractor
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  Data: As Provided
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  Label: Entry Date
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  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
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  Data: EJ1463996
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        Value: 10.1108/IJEM-11-2024-0704
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 469
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Sustainability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Well Being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Job Performance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Productivity
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      – SubjectFull: Work Environment
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      – SubjectFull: Employee Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Work Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Positive Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Conservation (Environment)
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Organizational Development
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      – SubjectFull: Environmental Education
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      – SubjectFull: Schools
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      – SubjectFull: School Personnel
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      – SubjectFull: United Arab Emirates
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United States
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Environmental Sustainability and the Happy-Productive Worker: Examining the Impact on Employee Well-Being and Work Performance in Educational Institutions
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              Y: 2025
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