The SHRM Foundation, in collaboration with Globoforce, recently released a report, "Creating a More Human Workplace Where Employees and Business Thrive." I was flabbergasted by the immensity of the research compiled to help businesses grow. It is truly compelling and a gold mine.

Upon further inspection, I found that the study's author is none other than the venerable Christine Porath. She is a professor of management at Georgetown University and the author of both Mastering Civility and The Cost of Bad Behavior. Porath's research examines workplace incivility and its horrible effects, and how organizations can create a more positive environment.

In this report, 51 pages of research basically boil down to this critical summary: If companies desire more productive employees who love their jobs (which clearly leads to business outcomes), they will need to usher in the new era of human and caring workplaces.

More specifically, as the report's title suggests, leaders need to create a culture in which employees not only succeed but also thrive. The volumes of research found in this report profoundly reveal that when people thrive at work, their job performance improves; they go above and beyond the call of duty...