Building better teams: enhancing positive psychological capital by increasing awareness of innate characteristics

Recent developments in the field of positive psychology have been applied to the study of work organisation, culminating in the concept of positive psychological capital (PPC). While numerous studies examine the measurement of PPC within organisations, few studies examine methods of improving PPC, and even fewer examine this across different industry and national contexts. Concurrent literature demonstrates positively-framed benefits of profiling tools, specifically where the emphasis is on increasing awareness of affective and innate characteristics. Accordingly, this study aims to determine whether it may be possible to increase levels of PPC within organisational teams through the use of profiling tools that focus on innate characteristics. The methodology utilised a case research approach, examining three organisations operating in different industry contexts. The results suggest that PPC was increased in all of the teams, highlighting the benefits that such profiling tools may have for organisations. Implications for researchers and managers are presented.