Dr Lidiia Pletneva

This course is available on the CEMS Exchange, Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MIM), Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange), MBA Exchange, MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (Human Resource Management/CIPD), MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (International Employment Relations/CIPD), MSc in Human Resources and Organisations (Organisational Behaviour) and MSc in Management (1 Year Programme). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

How to apply:

Places on oversubscribed courses will be allocated via a random ballot process with priority given to students with the course in their Programme Regulations, followed by other Department of Management students, then students from elsewhere in the school. Providing you apply before the Department deadline of 10am on Monday 28 September 2026, the time you applied will not be taken into account. Please be aware that places on high demand courses cannot be guaranteed. By submitting an application, students are confirming that they meet any pre-requisites specified. Providing an additional written statement will not aid a student’s chances of being accepted onto a course, and statements are not read.

For further information and updates on course availability during Week 1, please see the Department of Management Electives Moodle page.

Deadline for application:

Please apply by 10am on Monday 28 September 2026 with your first course choices. No allocations are made before this date and time.

For queries contact:

Please view the Department of Management Electives page for contact emails.

Ever thought about bringing more positivity and meaning into your work life? Thinking of becoming a manager, an HR manager, or a colleague who could bring such positivity and meaning to the organization and contribute to a happier workplace? This course will provide you with knowledge and practical skills to do that, so that you and your employees or colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. Framed around the field of Positive Organizational Scholarship—a research movement that emerged in 2003 to promote flourishing in the workplace—the course explores how individuals, HR professionals, and leaders can contribute to creating healthier, happier, more compassionate, and engaging work environments while accounting for important caveats in relation to each topic.

Topics include promoting employee wellbeing, fostering gratitude and compassion in the workplace, navigating critical life events in professional settings, building high-quality connections, giving developmental feedback, exploring the meaning and purpose of work, and managing emotions and energy for better productivity.

The course blends theory and practice, inviting students to engage with cutting-edge research while applying insights through interactive and reflective learning activities. These include mini-workshops, group discussions, mini-case studies, and critical reflective essays.

15 hours of seminars and 15 hours of lectures in the Winter Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.

In its Ethics Code, LSE upholds a commitment to intellectual freedom. This means we will protect the freedom of expression of our students and staff and the right to engage in healthy debate in the classroom.

Essay.

Proposal in Winter Term Week 5.

The course relies on journal articles (for example, Academy of Management Journal, Organizational Science, and, in some cases, Harvard Business Review). Students are invited to read two articles per session. A complete reading list will be provided at the start of the course, but the examples of readings are listed below. 

• Croft, J., Parks, A. and Whillans, A., 2024. Why workplace well-being programs don’t achieve better outcomes. Harvard Business Review. 
• Dodson, S.J. and Heng, Y.T., 2022. Self‐compassion in organizations: A review and future research agenda. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43(2), pp.168-196. 
• Fehr, R., Heng, Y.T. and Fulmer, A., 2026. The Psychology of Gratitude: Implications for Organizations. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 13 
• Hardin, A.E., 2024. The more you know: The impact of personal knowledge on interpersonal treatment at work. Organization Science, 35(5), pp.1908-1929. 
• Hardin, A.E., Schinoff, B.S., Byron, K. and Balven, R.M., 2025. A window into coworkers’ worlds: The relational outcomes of learning vivid, unintentional, and nonwork-related information about coworkers. Academy of Management Journal, 68(2), pp.267-296. 
• Gratton, L., 2023. Redesigning how we work. Harvard Business Review, 101(3-4), pp.68-75. 
• Petriglieri, G. and Maitlis, S., 2019. When a colleague is grieving. Harvard business review, 97(4), pp.116-123. 
• Pletneva, L., 2024. Turning work into a refuge: Job crafting as coping with personal, grief-inducing events. Academy of Management Journal, 67(4), pp.1055-1083. 
• Schabram, K., Nielsen, J. and Thompson, J., 2023. The dynamics of work orientations: An updated typology and agenda for the study of jobs, careers, and callings. Academy of Management Annals, 17(2), pp.405-438. 
• Schinoff, B.S., Pillemer, J., Rogers, K.M. and Petriglieri, J.L., 2025. Blurring Boundaries in Coworker Relationships: How a Nonwork Setting Becomes a Relational Holding Environment. Organization Science. 

In addition to the compulsory readings, the list of supplementary readings will be provided for students who want to get deeper into the topics. It will also include the books, for example: 

• Achor, S., 2011. The happiness advantage: The seven principles of positive psychology that fuel success and performance at work. Random House. 
• Chhajer R., 2024. Be Well: Micro-Interventions for a Meaningful Life. Notion Press. 
• Frankl, V.E., 1984. Search for meaning. Milwaukee, WI, USA: Mount Mary College. 
• Kross, E., 2025. Shift: How to Manage Your Emotions so They Don’t Manage You. Vermilion. 
• Strecher, V.J., 2016. Life on purpose: How living for what matters most changes everything. 

There is no required textbook. The following textbooks are recommended for students who would like further reading: 

• De Neve, J.E. and Ward, G., 2025. Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters: The Science Behind Employee Happiness and Organizational Performance. Harvard Business Press. 
• Cameron, K.S. and Spreitzer, G.M. eds., 2011. The Oxford handbook of positive organizational scholarship. Oxford University Press. 

Essay (60%).

Project (40%) in Winter Term Week 10.

This component of assessment includes an element of group work.