Designing and Testing the Organizational OptimismModel by the mixed Approach

The present study seeks to identify both the effective factors, context, and conditions which help bring about organisational optimism and its outcomes as well as the ways to increase this phenomenon, thereby designing a customized model of organisational optimism in the case study companies. This study is developmental In terms of purpose and it is descriptive survey in terms of nature. The research method has been done in two parts of qualitative and quantitative in terms of mixed method. In the qualitative phase of the study, the factors creating organisational optimism and its outcomes were identified; then the relevant data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis in order to design the conceptual model. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was designed using abstract laddering so that it would test both the validity of the proposed conceptual model and the effects of each variable identified in the qualitative phase. The sample size was calculated by means of Cochran formula, according to which the questionnaire needed to be administered to at least 360 respondents. The content validity and construct validity of the questionnaire were confirmed by using structural equation model (SEM) and its reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis and hypothesis testing were conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics, which entailed use of SPSS and AMOS software as well as confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis methods. The results of the study indicated that since the critical path value of all the hypotheses except hypothesis eight is more than 1/96, therefore, at the 95% confidence level, these hypotheses are confirmed. The results of the qualitative and quantitative phases of the study indicated that four variables, consisting individual, group, organisational and environmental factors, along with their sub-variables could influence organisational optimism and understanding the factors influencing organisational optimism and applying the solutions proposed in this study can help reduce organisational pessimism and increase organisational optimism.