The Conceptual and Empirical Value of a Positive Lens: An Invitation to Organizational Scholars to Develop Novel Research Questions

Abstract

This article articulates how a positive lens contributes to organizational studies by stimulating novel research questions to foster flourishing in individuals, teams, and organizations. We highlight how researchers have used a positive lens to transform the kinds of questions that are asked in three domains of organizational research: resources, learning, and ethics. We then draw out and illuminate three pathways indicative of applying a positive lens: resource unlocking, capacity creating, and strength building. In closing, we invite scholars to consider applying a positive lens to their own area of inquiry to bolster understanding of flourishing within and across organizations by offering a set of questions to help them determine if their own domains of inquiry might be ripe for a positive lens.