Sunita Singh-Sengupta, Ph.D. - Center for Positive Organizational ...

Sunita Singh-Sengupta, Ph.D.
Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Faculty of Management Studies
University of Delhi
sunita.singhsengupta@gmail.com
Research Initiatives
In May 2004 I was sanctioned a small, one-year grant from the Center for Management
Development Studies, IIM Calcutta, to work on “Role of Positive Affect and Positive Emotions
on Employees’ Work Motivation,” which culminated in a couple of working papers.
In June 2007 I started an 18-month research project on “Leadership Effectiveness and Work
Motivation in A Globalized Economy” sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research,
New Delhi.
In July 2008 I started a two-year research project on ‘Developing Happiness Index for Better
Team Performance’ sponsored by University Grants Commission.
Distinguished Fellowship
Homi Bhabha Fellowship (May 2007 – April 2009): Work on “Developing Intra Psychic Health at
Workplace”. The study is an effort to understand human strength from a religion–philosophical
approach and integrate the ethos in managerial practices in order to create positive energy
within and at workplace.
Academic Conference Initiatives
International Conferences on Integrating Spirituality and Organizational Leadership (odd years)
Teaching Initiatives
Micro Organizational Behaviour, IIM Calcutta - includes material on “intrinsic work motivation”
(i.e., by Deci & Ryan) and human psychology at work, as well as projects on “Positive
Organizational Behaviour.”
The Corporate Training Initiatives
I tried to integrate the ethos in the Executive Development Programmes that I used to organize
at Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, i.e., “Managerial Leadership and Team
Effectiveness” and “Managerial Effectiveness.” In 2005, I offered a new Executive Development
Programme, “Leadership Resonance for Optimal Performance,” which focussed on generating

happiness at the workplace; lessons were drawn from sport management, and topics like goal
setting and discipline in thought and actions were highlighted.
Influences
Ramakrishna Math – Cultural Heritage of India
Maslow – various, including Personality and Motivation and Eupsychian Management
Fred Luthans – special article in American Psychologist on Positive Organizational Behaviour.
Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi – various, including Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement of
Everyday Life, Flow: The Optimal Experience, Beyond Anxiety and Boredom