In a world where workplace stress, disengagement, and burnout are on the rise, some organizations stand out as places where people feel energized, valued, and inspired to give their best. What’s their secret? Research from the field of Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) shows that thriving workplaces don’t just solve problems — they amplify strengths, foster resilience, and build cultures where both people and performance flourish.

This 6-week course offers a practical, research-backed roadmap for creating such environments. You’ll explore the psychology of thriving at work, discover how Psychological Capital (hope, efficacy, resilience, optimism) fuels performance, and learn Appreciative Inquiry — a powerful change framework that turns “what works” into a foundation for the future.

Through real-world case studies from companies like Southwest Airlines, Tata Group, and Google, you’ll see how positivity boosts innovation, engagement, and loyalty. You’ll also design hands-on interventions for your own context — from recognition systems and gratitude practices to strengths-based leadership rituals.

By the end of the course, you will:

• Understand the science and application of Positive Organizational Scholarship
• Use practical tools to enhance trust, collaboration, and purpose in teams
• Lead with optimism, compassion, and moral courage
• Measure and sustain positive change over time

Each module blends short video lectures, interactive exercises, reflection journals, and peer discussions, ensuring you not only learn the concepts but also embed them in your leadership style. The final project challenges you to create a Positive Organization Blueprint — a 6-month action plan to transform a real or hypothetical workplace into a thriving, high-engagement culture.

Whether you’re a leader, HR professional, consultant, or entrepreneur, this course will equip you to turn your workplace into a space where people love to work — and where exceptional results naturally follow.

Course Format

• Duration: 6–8 weeks (flexible, ~3–4 hours/week)
• Mode: Online (video lectures, interactive exercises, case studies, peer discussions)
• Deliverables: Weekly assignments, reflection journal, final organizational improvement project
• Target Audience: Leaders, HR professionals, organizational development consultants, managers, educators, entrepreneurs

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

1. Understand the science and principles behind Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS)
2. Apply Appreciative Inquiry, Psychological Capital, and strengths-based approaches in real workplace settings
3. Design strategies to boost engagement, resilience, and collaboration in teams
4. Measure and sustain positive change in organizations

Detailed Weekly Outline

Module 1 — The Science of Positive Organizations

• Topics:
  • The shift from problem-solving to strengths-based growth
  • Overview of Positive Organizational Scholarship (University of Michigan research)
  • Why positivity drives both well-being and performance
  • Case studies: Southwest Airlines, Google, Tata Group
• Activities:
  • Positivity audit of your own organization
  • Reflection: When have you seen positivity spark exceptional performance?
• Reading:Positive Leadership by Kim Cameron (selected chapters)

Module 2 — The Psychology of Thriving at Work

• Topics:
  • Psychological Capital (PsyCap): Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism
  • Flow states in organizations (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s research)
  • The role of trust and psychological safety (Amy Edmondson)
• Activities:
  • Self-assessment: Your current PsyCap profile
  • Exercise: Micro-actions to build resilience and optimism at work

Module 3 — Appreciative Inquiry: The Heart of Positive Change

• Topics:
  • 5D AI Model: Define, Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver
  • From deficit-based problem solving to strengths-based co-creation
  • How to run an Appreciative Inquiry summit in your team
• Activities:
  • Case study: Roadway Express transformation using AI
  • Group exercise: Discovering “what works” in your current team

Module 4 — Building a Positive Culture

• Topics:
  • The role of meaning and purpose (Viktor Frankl, modern research)
  • Strengths-based leadership (Gallup’s CliftonStrengths)
  • Embedding gratitude, recognition, and celebration into culture
• Activities:
  • Gratitude mapping exercise
  • Design a recognition program for a hypothetical company

Module 5 — Positive Leadership in Action

• Topics:
  • Kim Cameron’s 4 Strategies for Positive Leadership
  • Leading with compassion and moral courage
  • Communicating with hope and inspiration
• Activities:
  • Leadership style reflection
  • Practice session: Deliver a 3-minute “hope speech”

Module 6 — Measuring and Sustaining Positivity

• Topics:
  • Metrics: Engagement, retention, customer delight, innovation rates
  • The positivity ratio (Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory)
  • Maintaining momentum and avoiding positivity fatigue
• Activities:
  • Create a “positive change dashboard” for your organization
  • Peer feedback session on final project

Final Project — Positive Organization Blueprint

• Description: Learners will choose an organization (real or hypothetical) and design a 6-month action plan to make it more positive using course tools:
  • Strengths audit
  • AI framework
  • PsyCap enhancement strategies
  • Culture rituals and recognition systems
  • Measurement plan

Teaching Methods

• Video lectures: Short, engaging, research-backed
• Case studies: Real companies that have implemented POS principles
• Reflection journals: To integrate theory into personal leadership style
• Peer feedback: Sharing and refining action plans

Interactive exercises: Gratitude boards, AI interviews, PsyCap building challenges