Central European Business Review 2024, 13(1):5-26 | DOI: 10.18267/j.cebr.355

Exploring the Theme of Well-Being from Pluralistic Perspectives

Gazi Islam1, Beliz Ulgen ORCID...2, Cihan Bilgehan Bayram3
1 Grenoble Ecole de Management, Department of Organizations, Work, Identity and Careers (OWIC), Grenoble, France, Gazi.ISLAM@grenoble-em.com
2 University of Lincoln, Lincoln International Business School, Department of Management, Brayford Wharf East, Lincoln, United Kingdom, bulgen@licoln.ac.uk (corresponding author)
3 Marmara University, Goztepe Yerleskesi 34722 Kadıköy - İstanbul, Turkey, bilgehanbayram@marun.edu.tr

The rapidly changing dynamics in the challenging work life have rendered the concept of well-being crucial and necessary for both organizations and employees. In recent years, there has been a consistent increase in studies focusing on employee well-being, driven by the understanding that happier employees tend to be more productive. However, the literature lacks a substantial number of critical examinations of well-being practices. While this gap in the literature has guided the scope of our work, it has also piqued our curiosity about criticisms of these practices, as well as positive attitudes and approaches towards them. With this study, our aim was to examine the positive and critical perspectives of various actors with different levels of knowledge and experience regarding well-being practices and to explore their needs to participate in well-being practices by relating them to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. In the light of the findings, another objective was to facilitate the integration of well-being practices as a philosophy/approach within organizations and enhance their more effective and comprehensive utilization.
Implications for Central European audience: When examining both common and differing views of the participants on well-being practices, the participants were positioned in different areas of a pyramid model. At the top, there are employees of the consultancy firm (Wellbees) and well-being experts, who evaluate well-being practices with a more idealistic, sophisticated and long-term perspective, without considering the current economic and social conditions of the country. In the middle level, there are HR managers whose views on well-being are limited to more job-oriented issues, rather than addressing employees’ higher-level needs. At the low level, there are employees who evaluate well-being practices from an individual perspective and find them beneficial in terms of socialization, building interactions and increasing motivation. It is inevitable to consider the views and approaches of all actors involved in well-being practices holistically to effectively manage.

Keywords: well-being; employee well-being; well-being app
JEL classification: I31, O15

Received: June 18, 2023; Revised: November 1, 2023; Accepted: November 8, 2023; Prepublished online: February 25, 2024; Published: March 29, 2024  Show citation

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Islam, G., Ulgen, B., & Bilgehan Bayram, C. (2024). Exploring the Theme of Well-Being from Pluralistic Perspectives. Central European Business Review, 13(1), 5-26. doi: 10.18267/j.cebr.355
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