Relationships, mental well-being and performance outcomes in B2B work environments

Purpose Feeling connected and engaged at work plays a critical role in the mental well-being of employees. Creating an environment where employees experience positive emotions, feel cared for, and have opportunities for meaningful interactions is essential for fostering healthy relationships within the organization. This study aims to demonstrate that positivity resonance, or high-quality interpersonal connections, can be created in business-to-business (B2B) marketing working environments to help firms nurture relationships with salespeople. Design/methodology/approach A framework is developed that demonstrates how positivity resonance contributes to the mental well-being of B2B marketing employees and performance outcomes. Interviews are conducted with B2B professionals as an exploratory assessment. Insight garnered from the interviews and prior literature provide the basis for the development of a model. The model is tested using structural equation modeling with data from 277 B2B sales professionals. Findings Results indicate that when positivity resonance is cultivated in work environments, it is associated with an increase in positive emotional experiences. Results also demonstrate that positive emotions and positivity resonance support flourishing mental health. Positivity resonance and positive emotions are also positively related to work engagement and performance. Finally, results confirm that flourishing mental health is positively associated with work performance. Originality/value This research introduces positivity resonance to the B2B marketing literature. It leverages positivity resonance in B2B environments to depict how genuine relationship building can occur. Such relationship building is key in promoting mental well-being and creating a more engaged, productive workforce.