Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches

This paper examines the efforts in sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity in Malaysia by enhancing the citizens‟ happiness from the social welfare economics philosophy, particularly through the hedonic and eudaimonic approaches of enhancing happiness. The hedonic approach empha...

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Main Authors: Mhd. Sarif, Suhaimi, Ismail, Yusof
Format: Proceeding Paper
Language:English
English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/1/BI29-National_unity.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/4/Evidence_for_presenting_two_conference_papers_at_4th_Social.pdf
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author Mhd. Sarif, Suhaimi
Ismail, Yusof
author_facet Mhd. Sarif, Suhaimi
Ismail, Yusof
author_sort Mhd. Sarif, Suhaimi
building IIUM Repository
collection Online Access
description This paper examines the efforts in sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity in Malaysia by enhancing the citizens‟ happiness from the social welfare economics philosophy, particularly through the hedonic and eudaimonic approaches of enhancing happiness. The hedonic approach emphasizes on the tangible aspects of a person‟s happiness. However, eudaimonic approach focuses on the realization of a person‟s intangible aspect (i.e. self development potential). The paper argues that national unity in Malaysia can be endured through these approaches despite the diversity in faiths, races, and ideologies. The results from personal interview with 15 Malaysian executives of different faiths, races, and ideologies demonstrate that the executives do value tangible aspect (hedonic) to enhance their happiness, but hedonism alone is insufficient and not strong enough to endure national unity in the country. All economic resources should be managed to help integrate and reinforce tangible (hedonic) and intangible (eudaimonic) aspects of citizens‟ well being. This study suggests that Malaysian employers (both private and public sectors) should review their remuneration scheme and incentives plan as an effort to enhance happiness and endure national unity at workplaces and in the society.
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institution International Islamic University Malaysia
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language English
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publishDate 2013
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spelling iium-296712013-04-04T02:24:51Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/ Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches Mhd. Sarif, Suhaimi Ismail, Yusof HF5549 Personnel management This paper examines the efforts in sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity in Malaysia by enhancing the citizens‟ happiness from the social welfare economics philosophy, particularly through the hedonic and eudaimonic approaches of enhancing happiness. The hedonic approach emphasizes on the tangible aspects of a person‟s happiness. However, eudaimonic approach focuses on the realization of a person‟s intangible aspect (i.e. self development potential). The paper argues that national unity in Malaysia can be endured through these approaches despite the diversity in faiths, races, and ideologies. The results from personal interview with 15 Malaysian executives of different faiths, races, and ideologies demonstrate that the executives do value tangible aspect (hedonic) to enhance their happiness, but hedonism alone is insufficient and not strong enough to endure national unity in the country. All economic resources should be managed to help integrate and reinforce tangible (hedonic) and intangible (eudaimonic) aspects of citizens‟ well being. This study suggests that Malaysian employers (both private and public sectors) should review their remuneration scheme and incentives plan as an effort to enhance happiness and endure national unity at workplaces and in the society. 2013-03-19 Proceeding Paper PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/1/BI29-National_unity.pdf application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/4/Evidence_for_presenting_two_conference_papers_at_4th_Social.pdf Mhd. Sarif, Suhaimi and Ismail, Yusof (2013) Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches. In: Fourth International Conference on Social, Development and Environmental Studies, 19 March 2013, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, UKM Bangi.
spellingShingle HF5549 Personnel management
Mhd. Sarif, Suhaimi
Ismail, Yusof
Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches
title Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches
title_full Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches
title_fullStr Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches
title_full_unstemmed Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches
title_short Sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: Hedonic and Eudaimonic approaches
title_sort sustaining social transformation and enduring national unity through enhancing happiness: hedonic and eudaimonic approaches
topic HF5549 Personnel management
url http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/1/BI29-National_unity.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/29671/4/Evidence_for_presenting_two_conference_papers_at_4th_Social.pdf