Text 2 Going further
G
Is a chief happiness officer really
the best way to increase workplace
happiness?
(a) Happiness in the workplace has
become such a hot button conversation
topic, some companies have created
a job specifically dedicated to it. The
5 responsibility of a chief happiness officer
(CHO) is simple: to ensure workers are
kept happy.
(b) But for a trend supposedly sweeping
the workplace, the list of people who have
10 assumed the position of CHO is rather
short. There’s Jenn Lim (Delivering
Happiness, an offshoot of Zappos),
Chade-Meng Tan (Google, actual title:
Jolly Good Fellow), Alexander Kjerulf
15 (WooHoo, a Denmark-based consulting
company) and Christine Jutard (Kiabi, a
French clothing company). There’s also
Ronald McDonald, who became perhaps
the first CHO in the United States in 2003.
20 (c) The premise of a CHO seems to be that
happy workers do more and stay longer at
a company, so it serves the company well
to better serve its employees. The work of
a chief happiness officer can range from a
25 focus on employees’ day-to-day feelings to
providing company perks, such as game
nights or group outings. […]
(d) Sigal Barsade, a professor of business
at Wharton who studies emotions in
30 organisations, and many others who study
employee productivity say the results
of focusing on employee wellbeing can
be easily and consistently quantified in
terms of decreased turnover, burnout and
35 absenteeism. By building what Barsade
calls a positive “emotional culture”, a
company can expect to see improvements
in team behavior, group financial
performance and job satisfaction, while
12 • UNIT 1 - WORKING LIFE
TRAININ
FOR T H E
EXAM
40 also increasing the frequency with
which workers help their colleagues
and improving how well they accomplish
discrete tasks. “Not only are you staying
with the organisation, but literally, you
45 do work better. And not just customer
service, but also technical work,” Barsade
says. She adds that a growing number of
human resource managers have contacted
her in recent years for advice on how to
50 redefine their company cultures. […]
(e) Kjerulf says he tried to bring more
happiness to an Ikea store in Denmark
in 2010, starting with the smallest of
gestures. The goal was to make customers
55 happier and that, he says, had to start
with the employees. Kjerulf instructed
managers to praise employees more freely
and make sure to say “good morning”
when they arrived each day. The head of
60 the bedding department also organised
a pillow fight with employees and
customers. The manager of the closet
department would occasionally hide
inside one awaiting an unsuspecting
65 customer, then pop out and say: “Can
I help you?” “I realize this sounds really
silly,” he admits. “But it’s one of the things
that create a better relationship in the
workplace, that we actually acknowledge
70 each other’s existence.”
(f ) Barsade says the research backs
this up. A manager can shape the office
environment with something as simple as
the expression she wears when she walks
75 into work. “We literally catch emotions
like viruses in groups,” Barsade says.
Leah Messinger, The Guardian, August 26th,
2015 © Guardian News & Media Ltd ■
© Éditions Foucher
 Text 2

1 Look through the whole article and match the people to their jobs.

1. The writer of the article • • a. The first CHO in the United States
2. Sigal Barsade • • b. CHO for Ikea in 2010
3. Ronald McDonald • • c. Jolly Good Fellow for Google
4. Alexander Kjerulf • • d. A professor of business at Wharton
5. Chade-Meng Tan • • e. Leah Messinger

2 Read paragraphs a to c and say whether these statements are right or wrong.

a. Happiness in the workplace is a very popular subject in companies. Right

b. There aren’t a lot of CHOs in companies right now. Right

c. The role of a CHO is only to organise parties for staff. Wrong

3 Read paragraphs d and f and answer the questions.

a. According to Professor Barsade, what are the benefits of a happy workforce for a company?
She finds that companies where employees are happy have reduced levels of turnover, burnout and absenteeism.
Moreover, wellbeing improves groupwork and encourages employees to help their colleagues.

b. What did Alexander Kjerulf do to increase happiness at the Ikea store? Quote two examples.
He told managers to praise employees often and greet them in the morning.
He organised a pillow fight with employees and customers.

4 Find words in the text that mean:

1. spreading through (§ b) sweeping

2. fringe benefits (§ c) perks

3. progress (§ d) improvements

4. objective (§ e) goal

5. supports (§ f) backs up

WRITING 1. Write an account of the article in French in 180 words (+/– 10 %).
FOR THE 2. Give your opinion: Is it possible to be truly happy at work? (160 words, +/– 10 %).
EXAM
© Éditions Foucher

UNIT 1 - WORKING LIFE • 13