The power of positivity: examining psychological capital, work happiness, and rumination effects on performance among non-academic university staff in Malaysia

Organizations want great work performance but ignore employees’ fundamental psychological and emotional issues, which are imperative in making employees productive. Although it is easier to evaluate employee productivity through tangible outcomes, it is much more difficult to quantify the impact of emotional states of being. This study examined the effects of psychological capital, work happiness, and rumination on the performance of non-academic university workers in Malaysia. The sample was collected through a cross-sectional survey administered to non-academic staff members of public sector universities in Malaysia. The results uncovered the significance of psychological capital and happiness at work for work performance. This study concurs with the positive psychology movement, confirming the importance of psychological and emotional employee states in enhancing workplace performance. Therefore, university management must plan interventions to enhance psychological capital and work happiness to improve the work performance of non-academic staff.