Silent transformation of everyday well-being:

New challenge to value creation in public services

Timo Hämäläinen, Ph.D.

European Policy Centre, 29th June 2010

© Sitra 2009

10/04/2023

Agenda

1. Public policy discussion focuses on instrumental themes

2. Our materialistic definition of well-being is outdated (”silent transformation”)

3. ”Problem of choice” in everyday life4. New pressures on mental health and well-being5. Well-being and value creation6. Call for a sustainable well-being society

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Instrumental objectives dominate policy discussions

Economy(crisis, globalization,

com-petitiveness, efficiency, productivity,

growth)

Welfare state(public finances,

reorganizing services, social security, equality)

Lähde: Habermas (1987, Vol. 2)

Everyday well-being??(subjective well-being?, happiness?, good life?)

Adapted from: Habermas (1987, Vol. 2)

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Key drivers of subjective well-being

RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES - Income & wealth - Knowledge & skills - Physical & mental health - Social capital - Information - Time - Political power - Natural resources

MASLOWIAN NEEDS- Self-actualization- Self- and social- esteem- Love and belonging- Security- Physiological needs (thirst, hunger,…)

MEANINGFULNESS- Exceeding self-interest- Serving others- Higher purpose

EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AND ROLES- Worker- Consumer- Family member- Relative- Friend- Hobbyist- Citizen

SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING

ENVIRONMENT- Natural environment- Infrastructure- Technologies- Organizations- Demographics- Culture (values & norms,

activities)- Institutions (laws & regulations)- Politics- Economy- Labor markets- Media

MENTAL COHERENCE- Comprehensibility of life- Manageability of life

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”Problem of choice” in everyday life

Increasing:• uncertainty in decision making due to transformation and

complexity• resources & capabilities (income, wealth, health, info,

knowledge)• satisfaction of basic (material) needs• freedoms (deregulation & normlessness)• personal & resource mobility• market supply & marketing pressure • hurry (time remains fixed: 24/7) Growing:

problems in decision making preference for individual choice (individualism) selfishness (due to normlessness) conformomity to market and peer pressures short-termism and lack of loyalty in social relationships

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Hectic life in affluent society

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EMPLOYEE- Task 1- Task 2- Task 3- etc.

FAMILYMEMBER

FRIEND

CONSUMER

CITIZEN

RELATIVE

HOBBYIST 1

HOBBYIST 2

Synergies andconflicts

Different:- Purposes- Practices- Contexts- Cognitive frames- Languages- Norms

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Crisis and opportunity

Source: O’Hara (2008)

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”Problem of choice” and higher needs

Social relationships and social needs • Love and belonging • Social esteem vs. individualism, selfishness, short-termism• Self-actualization (hurry), lack of

loyalty

Purpose and meaning in life vs. individualism, selfishness, market pressures, specialization &

complexity

Mental coherence • Comprehensibility vs. uncertainty, complexity, decision• Manageability making problems, short-termism (hurry),

competing loyalties

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Antonovsky’s sense of coherence (SOC)

Increasing uncertainty& complexity

Problemof choice

Individualism,normlessness,selfishness,consumerism,materialism &instrumentalism

Comprehensibility

Manageability

Meaninglessness

Sense ofcoherence

Mental health,subjectivewell-being(QoL)

Sources: Aaron Antonovsky (1987); Lindström & Erickson (2005)

Source: Aaron Antonovsky

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Sense of coherence, mental health and well-being“The [empirical] evidence shows that SOC is strongly and negatively related to anxiety, burnout, demoralization, depression and hopelessness, and positively with hardiness, mastery, optimism, self-esteem, good perceived health, quality of life and well-being.”

Source: Bengt Lindstrom & Monica Eriksson (2005): “The Salutogenic Perspective and Mental Health”, in Promoting Mental Health, WHO)

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Increasing mental problems and sickness pensions

Health Illness

grey area

Sense ofcoherence

Pressures ofworking life

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Value stems from well-being• Consumption value (economics, psychology)

- From consuming goods and services (incl. nurturing & protection)

- Meets physiological (personal gratification, pleasure) and security needs (Maslow)• Social value (anthropology, psychology)

- From creating a meaningful difference in a particular context by acting and participating in a shared community (e.g. sports fans, associations, internet communities, clans, citizens)

- Meets love & belonging & self- and social esteem needs (Maslow)• Identity value (sociology, psychology, marketing)

- From developing one’s capabilities, individualized consumption (e.g. brands)

- From personally experiencing (owning, participating, visiting) unique activities, objects, events or places (e.g. personal gifts, heirlooms, concerts, championships) ”experience economy”

- Meets self-actualization (identity building) needs (Maslow)• Ethical value (sociology, psychology)

- From good and proper behavior, serving others

- Meets the need for a meaningful and purposeful life (Frankl)• Mental value (psychology, sociology)

- From ”slow life”, meditation, hiking, gardening (natural environment), ”homing”, etc. thru improvements in comprehensibility and manageability of life (mental coherence) ”Support economy” (personally tailored services), household services (’outsourcing’)

”peace of mind” and ”balanced life” (’sense of coherence’, ’cognitive consonance’)

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Deriving value from well-being

RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES - Income level - Knowledge & skills - Physical & mental health - Social capital - Information - Time - Political power - Natural resources

MASLOWIAN NEEDS- Self-actualization- Self- and social- esteem- Love and belonging- Security- Physiological needs (thirst, hunger,…)

MEANINGFULNESS- Exceeding self-interest- Serving others- Higher purpose

EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AND ROLES- Worker- Consumer- Family member- Relative- Friend- Hobbyist- Citizen

ENVIRONMENT- Natural environment- Technologies- Demographics- Culture (values and norms)- Institutions (laws and regulations)- Politics- Economy- Working life- Media

MENTAL COHERENCE- Comprehensibility of life- Manageability of life

Consumption value

Social value

Identity value

Ethical value

Mental value

Current consumptiongoods & services

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Why do we need a deeper understanding of everyday life and well-being?

• It will help people to live more balanced and better lives

• It will guide firms to develop products and services which provide more value to users improved competitiveness

• It will improve the capability of public sector organizations to offer services with better value to citizens improved effectiveness & productivity

• It will aid policy makers in developing better public goods and institutions that deliver more public value

• An updated and sophisticated understanding of well-being provides and overall vision for the development of a new and sustainable socio-economic model.

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Europe could lead in the road to a sustainable well-being society

Economy(value-added, compe-titiveness, efficiency, productivity, growth)

Public sector(public value, efficiency, renewal capacity, social

security, equality)

Lähde: Habermas (1987, Vol. 2)

Everyday well-being(subjective well-being, happiness, good life)

Adapted from: Habermas (1987, Vol. 2)Environment

Environment

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