Enacting a Eudaimonic View: Development and Validation of a Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being in the Workplace
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Work serves as a primary determinant of employee well-being. Yet research has historically favored hedonic perspectives—focusing on job satisfaction and positive affect—over eudaimonic ones. While both approaches are complementary, there remains a critical paucity of validated measures specifically designed to capture eudaimonic well-being (EWB) within the unique constraints of organizational reality. Many existing EWB measures are context-free or rely on proxy measures that fail to reflect psychological well-being in the workplace. To address this gap, this study introduces and validates euwellbe , a novel 21-item questionnaire. Drawing on Ryff’s model of positive psychological functioning and work design research, the scale conceptualizes EWB through five components: meaningful work, autonomy, mastery, relationships with colleagues, and relationships with supervisors. Using a sample of 884 employees, confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a satisfactory fit for this five-dimensional structure ( χ ² (184) = 678.24, p < .001, CFI = 0.944, TLI = 0.936, RMSEA = 0.059, SRMR = 0.059). All variables exhibited strong composite reliability (0.81–0.93) and sufficient convergent and discriminant validity. Furthermore, the results indicate that EWB in the workplace is a robust predictor of key outcomes, including job satisfaction and withdrawal behavior. This study contributes to the scholarly understanding of employee well-being by offering a theoretically grounded instrument for researchers and practitioners, effectively navigating the “conceptual quicksand” that has previously hindered eudaimonic operationalization.
Source: Journal of Happiness Studies
Author: Yusuf Arslanparcasi
Institution: Technische Universität Darmstadt
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,490
Funder: Technische Universität Darmstadt
OpenAlex ID: W7166157229