The Association of Human Resource Management (AGRH) invites submissions for our upcoming conference on "Employee Well-being and Sustainable Performance". This event aims to explore the evolving landscape of workplace well-being through a transdisciplinary perspective that includes psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions while integrating reflections on the increasing budgetary constraints faced by organizations. In an era marked by uncertainty and rapid transformations, businesses are struggling with long-term forecasting, making it even more critical to address employee well-being as a pillar of resilience and sustainable performance. This conference will take place at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Campus in Florida, United States.

The conference will cover a broad range of topics related to employee well-being, including:

• Risk and Protective Factors: Exploring dynamics that foster or hinder employee well-being, focusing on organizational culture, job design, and management practices and their impact on productivity.

• Effective Interventions and Programs: Highlighting innovative programs that improve workplace well-being while maximizing employee efficiency and performance.

• HR Policies and Financial Impact: Analyzing the costs and benefits of well-being initiatives, including their return on investment in terms of engagement, absenteeism reduction, and productivity improvement.

• Digital Transformation and Well-being: Examining the effects of digitalization and artificial intelligence on employees' mental and physical health, as well as organizational performance.

• Strategic Alignment and Sustainable Performance: How can HR decisions reconcile employee well-being with profitability requirements?

• Work-Family Dynamics and Stress Management: Examining how work-family conflict, the spillover model role overload and conflict influence employee well-being, engagement, and productivity.
• Optimizing Workplace Well-Being: How the PERMA (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments) model, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and leadership authenticity drive performance and organizational justice.

Employee well-being is now recognized as a key driver of organizational performance, incorporating psychological, emotional, social, and even spiritual dimensions. This holistic approach goes beyond merely measuring employee satisfaction and highlights the complex interactions between working conditions and professional efficiency. The PERMA model (Seligman, 2011), which emphasizes positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments, has significantly contributed to structuring HR practices in favor of employee well-being.

Research demonstrates that a workplace fostering well-being leads to increased productivity and reduced turnover (Harter, Schmidt, & Keyes, 2003; Robertson & Cooper, 2011). A positive social climate strengthens organizational resilience and employee motivation, while integrating spiritual well-being—through spiritual leadership and meaning-seeking—paves the way for new management practices that respect individual values (Fry, 2003; Neal, 1997, 2013, 2018; Pruzan, 2001; Voynnet-Fourboul et al., 2021) (Noguera et al., 2022). A McKinsey Health Institute survey (2024) highlights the growing importance of spiritual health in overall well-being, particularly among younger generations.

Stakeholders adopt varied approaches to workplace well-being. Labor unions advocate for policies that integrate strict safety standards, improved work-life balance, and fairer compensation. Meanwhile, HR directors face increasing pressure to demonstrate the economic impact of well-being initiatives. As CFOs demand tangible ROI indicators for HR policies, HR professionals must develop precise measurement tools to assess intangible factors such as motivation, engagement, and employee satisfaction (Becker, Huselid, & Ulrich, 2001; Cascio & Boudreau, 2011; Savall & Zardet, 2023). This requirement highlights the importance of quantitative evaluation models and advanced analytical tools to justify integrating well-being initiatives into organizational strategy.

Key questions for HR professionals and organizations now include:

-       How can HR practices be adapted to improve individual well-being while fostering a positive and collaborative corporate culture?

-       What strategies can be implemented to ensure that workplace relationships positively impact employee well-being and organizational success?

-       How can the objectives of labor unions and HR departments be aligned to support overall employee well-being?

-       How do emerging technologies (AI, remote work, automation) influence employee well-being and productivity?

-       How can HR policies be modified to embed well-being at the core of organizational culture, and what evidence supports the link between well-being initiatives and key organizational outcomes?

-       How do digitalization and AI impact, and potentially enhance or hinder, employee well-being?

-       How can HR professionals assess the performance of their strategic well-being decisions and measure their effects on productivity and profitability? What models and indicators ensure this evaluation? (Becker, Huselid & Ulrich, 2001; Cascio & Boudreau, 2011; Cappelletti et al., 2024)

References

Becker, B. E., Huselid, M. A., & Ulrich, D. (2001). The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy, and Performance. Harvard Business School Press.
Cappelletti, L., Savall, H. & Zardet, V. (2024). Socio-Economic Approach to Management. Zurich: Palgrave Macmillan, Springer Nature.
Cascio, W. F., & Boudreau, J. W. (2011). Investing in People: Financial Impact of Human Resource Initiatives. FT Press.
Dutton, J. E. (2003). Energize Your Workplace: How to Create and Sustain High-Quality Connections at Work. Jossey-Bass.
Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a Theory of Spiritual Leadership. The Leadership Quarterly.
Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L., & Keyes, C. L. (2003). Well-Being in the Workplace and Its Relationship to Business Outcomes: A Review of the Gallup Studies. American Psychological Association.
McKinsey Health Institute. (2024). The State of Health and Well-being in the Workforce. McKinsey & Company.
Neal, J. (1997). Spirituality in Management Education: A Guide to Resources. Journal of Management Education.
Neal, J. (2013). Handbook of Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace. Springer.
Neal, J. (2018). Handbook of Personal and Organizational Transformation. Springer.
Noguera, F., Plane, JM, Cappelletti, L., Watel, M., (2022).  Public managers' awareness: toward a more conscious management, ” 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, 5 - 9 August.

Pruzan, P. (2001). Spiritual-Based Leadership. Oxford Leadership Journal.
Robertson, I., & Cooper, C. L. (2011). Well-being: Productivity and Happiness at Work. Palgrave Macmillan.
Savall, H. & Zardet, V. (Eds) (2023). Socio-Economic Approach to Management Treatise. Charlotte: IAP.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. Free Press.
Voynnet-Fourboul, C., et al. (2021). Leadership Spirituel en Pratiques. Editions EMS.

Submission Information:

Registration and Fees:

Registration fees are required to attend the Conference and include complimentary coffee breaks, two lunches on March 17th and 18th, a dinner on March 17th.

Please visit our conference website. Explore St. Petersburg: We encourage participants to explore the historical and cultural attractions of St. Petersburg. Information will be provided to enhance your visit. 

We invite researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and students to contribute to this enriching dialogue on advancing employee well-being across various dimensions. 

Conference Chairs:

Jean Kabongo, Florence Noguera, Catherine Voynnet Fourboul, Sharon Larisa Segrest, Sandy Weiss, Carole Bousquet, Laurent Cappelletti, Jean-Michel Plane

Scientific council of the conference:

Isabelle Barth, Sophia Belghiti-Mahut, Chafik Bentaleb, Charles-Henri Besseyres des Horts, Marc Bonnet, Isabelle Bories-Azeau, Frank Bournois, Franck Brillet, Jérôme Chabanne-Rive, Adnane Chader, Françoise Chevalier, Nathalie Commeiras, Miguel Delattre, Hugo Gaillard, Eric Gautier, Catherine Glee-Vermande, Anne Goujon-Belghit, Jocelyn Husser, Jacques Igalens, Alice Leflanchec, Richard Major, Jean-paul Mamboundou, Samuel Mercier, Virginie Moisson, Astrid Mullenbach, Florent Noël, Sébastien Payre, Jean-Marie Peretti, Jean-Michel Plane, Gwenaelle Poilpot-Rocaboy, Alexis Roche, Sylvie Saint-Onge, Aline Scouarnec, François Silva, Patrice Terramorsi, Diane Tremblay, Patrick Valeau