Does happiness at workplace matter? A study among employees from public and private sectors in Oman

This study aimed to assess the level of happiness at work among a sample of employees from the public and private sectors in Oman as well as determine the differences between male and female employees in terms of their level of happiness. It also aimed to assess the relationship between sociodemographic factors (educational level, income, job position, and type of employment) and happiness at work. The Happiness at Work Scale was administered to a convenience sample of (1003) employees from government and private sectors in Oman.

The validity and reliability of the scale were also assessed. The results indicated above the average levels of happiness at work. There were significant differences between sociodemographic factors (educational level, income, job position, and type of employment) and happiness at work.

However, gender and sector type were not associated with happiness at work. This study has specific implications for both research and practice. Manal Khasib Al Fazari, Muna Abdullah Al Bahrani & Ehab Najeeb Omara Correspondence to Manal Khasib Al Fazari.

The authors declare no competing interests. In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (Deanship of Scientific Research), Sultan Qaboos University. The questionnaires and the procedures were approved by the Deanship of Scientific Research in January 2024, reference number (RF/EDU/PSYC/24/01).

Verbal informed consent to participate was obtained from all of the participants prior to their inclusion in the study between February and April 2024. The research assistant contacted each potential participant and asked them whether they agreed to take part in this study. If the participants gave verbal consent, then the research assistant sent the questionnaires to them.

Following that, they were provided with a brief of a study purpose, their right to participate, and the voluntary nature of the participation. No questionnaire was sent unless the participants first agreed orally to participate. In addition, we provided a written statement in the questionnaire stating that “This questionnaire aims to assess work happiness among employees in both the public and private sectors.