Examining the impact of digitalization on career wellbeing of meeting planners through the lens of the PERMA model

Abstract

Digitalization has progressed dramatically over time, having had a significant impact on people's careers. New employment opportunities emerged as information technology, including computers and the internet, became a driving force in most organizations. Substantial changes resulting from digitalization affect not only what we do but also who we are in terms of careers and how abilities are developed in the workplace. The proliferation of digitalization in the workplace has generated discussion about employee wellbeing, with research on wellbeing in general gaining momentum across various disciplines and industries. Most current wellbeing studies focus heavily on consumers while ignoring employee wellbeing, despite their crucial role in creating consumer experiences. Given the limited literature on wellbeing and the impact of digitalization on people's careers, it is of utmost importance to investigate the impact of digitalization on career wellbeing. Career wellbeing, a multidimensional concept, is the least studied of the five types of wellbeing. The setting for this research is the business events industry, a significant and influential sector that plays a crucial role in the global economy and is recognized for its adoption of cutting-edge technologies to enhance customer experiences. Yet, events literature lacks current knowledge on careers and wellbeing, while the career wellbeing literature fails to incorporate digitalization, despite its multifaceted nature. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the impact of digitalization on the career wellbeing of meeting planners. Four objectives were developed to achieve the study's aim, namely: 1) to develop a reliable scale for measuring digital wellbeing. 2) determine the effects of digital enablers on the psychological wellbeing of meeting planners. 3) explore the influence of digital wellbeing on the career wellbeing of meeting planners, and 4) examine the moderating effects of individual and organizational digital initiatives on the relationship between the digital and career wellbeing of meeting planners. The PERMA Model was found to be appropriate for developing the conceptual framework for the digital wellbeing scale. The thesis employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. In study 1, online in-depth interviews were conducted to investigate the digital wellbeing of meeting planners in the United States. The study recruited 21 association, independent, corporate, and government meeting planners. The qualitative findings revealed that digital enablers significantly affect meeting planners' psychological wellbeing. Specifically, digital devices, applications, and interfaces were identified as digital enablers. Positive emotions, engagement, relationships, achievement, and meaning were found to be factors influencing meeting planners' digital wellbeing. Essentially, findings showed that meeting planners' overall digital wellbeing is contingent on their psychological wellbeing. This approach allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the digital wellbeing of meeting planners. Study 2 employed a scale development process, which included measurement modification (pre-test), a pilot study, validity and reliability tests (EFA and CFA), and hypothesis testing. A pre-test involving 51 experts was conducted, followed by a pilot study with 102 respondents based on which amendments were made. The main study had 712 respondents. To validate the measurements from the pilot study, an exploratory factor analysis was performed, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis to authenticate the overall model fit. As a result of the EFA and CFA, 14 factors were identified as feasible indicators for further analysis. Digital enablers were identified as three (3) factors: digital devices, applications, and interfaces. In terms of psychological wellbeing, five (5) factors emerged, namely positive emotions, engagement, relationships, achievement, and meaning. Five (5) factors for career wellbeing were identified, including relationships, skill development, a sense of purpose,work accomplishment, and work-life balance. Finally, a factor emerged for digital initiatives. Structural Equation Modeling revealed a significant relationship between digital and career wellbeing factors. However, relationships between digital devices and applications toward meaning were not validated. Thus, digital enablers have a limited impact on employees' meaning in life. Furthermore, personal digital initiatives were found to have a greater impact on meeting planners' digital and career wellbeing than organizational ones. These findings indicate that digitalization (digital wellbeing) positively affects meeting planners' career wellbeing. The PERMA model, which focuses on five key elements of wellbeing- Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement- is crucial for boosting the digital wellbeing of meeting planners, as it provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and enhancing wellbeing in the digital age. The thesis makes various theoretical contributions to the vocational, positive psychology, and event literature. First, the thesis created a digital wellbeing scale to better understand how digital enablers affect meeting planners’ digital wellbeing from a psychological perspective. Thus, it is the first study to develop a scale measuring digital wellbeing, expanding the positive psychology and events literature. Second, the study contributes to the vocational literature by investigating digitalization as one of the factors that can influence career wellbeing, which has been previously investigated from individual and organizational perspectives. Third, drawing on the PERMA model, it advances the understanding of the digital and career wellbeing of meeting planners. Furthermore, the thesis has practical implications; organizations should consider providing digital policies that drive individual meeting planners’ psychological and career wellbeing, while technology companies may provide integrated, user-friendly digital enablers for promoting wellbeing. These practical implications underscore the relevance and applicability of the research findings.