Employee flourishing and moral obligation in extreme conditions

We extend the extant call for a flourishing perspective by examining dynamic processes involving moral obligations of organizations, work meaningfulness, organizational responsiveness, and enabling conditions and their effects on employee flourishing in three studies from an emerging country. Through a mixed-study design, we qualitatively explore (Study 1: N = 146), perceptions of employees about the moral obligations, enabling conditions, and responsiveness of their organizations during an extreme condition. We then conduct (in Study 2) an experiment with employees ( N = 63) from the Kumasi metropolis in Ghana. The results of a 2 (high and low moral obligation) × 2 (facilitative and inhibitive enabling conditions) between-subjects design show that employees in high moral obligation organizations with facilitative enabling conditions reported perceptions of better flourishing than those in the other conditions. In Study 3, cross-sectional ( N = 112), we examine the mechanism and dynamics by which moral obligation influences employee flourishing. Study 4, a replication ( N = 81), shows a pattern similar to that of Study 2 in the Accra metropolis in Ghana. Consistent with the human flourishing theory, we discuss implications for future research. • Our research investigates how organizational moral obligations and supportive conditions influence employee well-being. • Organizations perceived as highly moral and supportive are associated with enhanced employee well-being and dignity. • The degree of organizational responsiveness amplifies the relationship between moral obligations and employee flourishing. • By focusing on the African context, our study contributes new insights into the dynamics of employee flourishing under extreme conditions.