Perfiles de virtuosidad en organizaciones escolares en relación con los niveles de bienestar psicológico en adolescentes ecuatorianos

Virtuousness profiles in school organizations in relations to psychological well-being levels in Ecuadorian adolescents

Fernando Unda-Villafuerte

Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador

fsunda@uce.edu.ec

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4958-2529

María Laura Lupano-Perugini

National Board of Scientific and Technical Research, Universidad de Palermo, Buenos

Aires, Argentina mlupan1@palermo.edu

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6090-0762

(Received on: February 09, 2019; Accepted on: March 29, 2019; Final version received on: April 04, 2019)

Suggested citation: Unda-Villafuerte, F. and Lupano-Perugini, M. (2019). Virtuousness profiles in school organizations in relations to psychological well-being levels in Ecuadorian adolescents. Revista Cátedra, 2(2), 73-89.

Resumen

El estudio tuvo como objetivos analizar la relación entre virtudes percibidas en organizaciones escolares positivas y los niveles de bienestar psicológico en adolescentes y; establecer perfiles de organizaciones escolares positivas o virtuosas considerando, por un lado, el género y tipo de financiamiento y, por otro, los niveles de bienestar psicológico presentes en adolescentes ecuatorianos. La investigación se justifica por la necesidad de generar espacios y estrategias de socialización y aprendizaje que potencien el desarrollo integral de chicos y chicas y su bienestar perdurable en contextos influenciados por el placer

instantáneo y de alta intensidad. Para el estudio se consideró una muestra de 550 estudiantes (51,7% hombres). Los instrumentos aplicados fueron la escala de virtuosidad percibida en organizaciones escolares y la escala de bienestar psicológico en adolescentes, los mismos se hallan validados a los contextos ecuatorianos. Como resultado del análisis estadístico se evidenció una correlación moderada entre las variables de estudio. Adicionalmente se llevaron a cabos dos procesos estadísticos: análisis de conglomerados y análisis de varianza (ANOVA), de esta forma se establecieron perfiles de bienestar psicológico en adolescentes en función del nivel de virtuosidad percibida en las organizaciones escolares. El análisis mencionado dio lugar a tres niveles de organizaciones escolares (virtuosas, en tránsito a la virtuosidad y poco virtuosos) que interactuaron en su orden con tres niveles de bienestar psicológico (fortalecido, en proceso de construcción y vulnerable). Finalmente, en el acápite conclusiones se formularon estrategias puntuales para generar organizaciones virtuosas vinculadas con mejores niveles de bienestar en estudiantes.

Palabras clave:

Adolescencia, bienestar psicológico, organizaciones escolares, psicología positiva, virtuosidad.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between perceived virtues in positive school organizations and levels of well-being in adolecents; and to establish profiles of positive or virtuous school organizations considering, on the one hand, the gender and type of funding and, on the other, the levels of psychological well-being present in Ecuadorian adolescents. The research is justified by the need to generate spaces and strategies for socialization and learning that enhance the integral development of boys and girls and their lasting well-being in contexts influenced by instantaneous pleasure and high intensity. For the study, a sample of 550 students (51.7% men) was considered. The research applied two instruments validated to Ecuadorian contexts: the scale of perceived virtuousness in school organizations and the scale of psychological well-being in adolescents. As a result of the statistical analysis, a moderate correlation was observed between the study variables. Subsequently, and in order to enhance the analysis, a cluster analysis of k average and a variance analysis (ANOVA) of one factor were carried out to establish profiles of psychological well-being in adolescents according to the level of virtuosity perceived in school organizations. The aforementioned analysis originated three levels of school organizations (virtuous, in transit to virtuousness and little virtuousness) that interacted in their order with three levels of psychological well-being (strengthened, under construction and vulnerable). Finally, in the conclusions, specific strategies were formulated to generate virtuous organizations linked with better levels of well-being in students.

Keywords:

Adolescence, Positive Psychology, psychological well-being, school organizations, virtuousness.

1. Introduction

The scientific literature agrees in the fact that adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood characterized by an accelerated set of physiological, psychological and

physical changes that begin with the first ejaculation in males and first menstruation in women. The United Nations Children's Fund (2011) explains that adolescence is a difficult term to explain, because "physical, emotional and cognitive maturity, among other factors, depends on how each individual experiences this period of life" (p. 8). In operational and public policy terms, adolescence is recognized as the period of life between 10 and 19 years, defining two stages: Early adolescence (10 to 14 years old) and late adolescence (15 to 19 years old). Likewise, it is important to differentiate between puberty and adolescence, the first one refers to "a biological process in which the development of secondary sexual characters occurs, the maturation of the gonads and adrenal glands and the acquisition of the peak of bone mass, fat and muscular mass" (Güemes-Hidalgo et al., p. 8); while the second has to do with physical, psychosocial, emotional and cognitive markers that begin with puberty and finishes in the second decade of life. In general terms, the Ecuadorian educational system contemplates the level of higher basic education that is related to the early adolescence and the high school that coincides with the late adolescence.

The biological and psychological changes generated in adolescence under the influence of specific social and cultural contexts, can lead to behaviors that allow a healthy life and an integral development or, on the contrary, can cause consequences such as risky and unhealthy behaviors. Identifying protective or risk factors constitutes a key element in the integral well-being of adolescence; however, González and Rivera (2016) agrees that "the psychological adjustment or mismatch is not predetermined by the presence of risks in the development, but by the combination of variables that end up in adaptive and disadaptive patterns" (p. 48).

In contemporary societies the family, the school, the group of friends and the virtual interaction constitute essential spaces of socialization. In adolescence, there is evidence of a gradual questioning of the family and its norms and an approach to the groups through virtual mechanisms and direct contact. Many of the socialization processes take place in the school, which "imposes to its students a way of being and of acting, a morality and some values, its main role will be to educate not only in the academic version of the concept but also moral, social and normative" (Navarro-Pérez et al., 2015, p. 147). The ecological perspective raised determines that school, family and educational policies develop strategies that derive from the integral development of adolescents.

The positive school, as a space for the integral development of adolescents, seeks to strengthen skills and competencies that result in the psychological well-being of boys and girls understood as practices, attitudes and knowledge that enable improved levels of personal and social satisfaction. However, "contaminated educational environments generate in the adolescent anguish, frustration, hinder learning and socialization" (Navarro- Pe rez et al., p. 147). Current trends in educational psychology, psychopedagogy and evolutionary psychology pose that the psychological well-being and the satisfaction for the life in the adolescence goes through "to know the positive aspects and to strengthen those factors that can help to improve their mechanisms of adaptation and their integral health, in terms of physical and emotional wellbeing that allow to continue as full individuals within their communities" (Barcelata and Rivas, 2016, p. 120).

In this research, educational establishments that enable psychological well-being as part of the integral development of adolescents are defined as positive or virtuous school organizations; while those institutions that do not link their priorities to the psychological well-being of their students are considered non-virtuous school organizations. In any case,

it is part of the understanding of the school as a privileged space of socialization of adolescents that will influence decisively in their growth and development.

The analysis of variables (perceived virtuosity in school organizations and psychological well-being in adolescents) considered the theoretical and fundamentals principles of positive psychology understood as the scientific approach to experience human from "the pleasurable life that gives rise to the study of positive emotions; the committed life related to the study of personal strengths and virtues, and the functioning of the positive institutions" (Lupano-Perugini and Castro-Solano, 2010, p. 48). The option for this approach was based on the need to have a valid and updated referential framework that allows to identify scientific alternatives aimed at enhancing the integral development of adolescents and to influence in a positive way on their spaces of daily socialization.

In this way, the study carried out was aimed at analyzing the relationship between perceived virtues in positive school organizations and the levels of well-being, and to establish profiles of positive or virtuous school organizations considering, on the one hand, the gender and type of financing and, on the other, the levels of psychological well-being in Ecuadorian adolescents. It should be noted that the process developed takes into account the social and cultural contexts of the Ecuadorian reality.

This article first discusses the approaches and theoretical foundations from which the research was conducted. The positive psychology is presented as the conceptual framework of the work carried out and the place from which the scopes of the analyzed variables are explained. The understandings of the perceived virtuosity are defined in school organizations and of the psychological well-being present in adolescents. Later, the methodological design of the research is presented as well as the instruments used and the procedures employed. The results obtained are taken into consideration. Finally, conclusions from the study are structured and topics of future research are identified and some major limitations found in the research are established.

2. Positive Psychology

Lupano-Perugini and Castro-Solano (2010) explain the origin and scope of positive psychology as:

The beginning of positive psychology is indicated in 1998 with the inaugural speech of Martín Seligman as president of the American Psychological Association... It emerges as a response to disease-centered approaches to psychology and evidence of subjects' weaknesses. The concern and interest in the study of human well-being and the factors that contribute to it are not exclusive of positive psychology... However, the merit that corresponds to the positive psychology is to have integrated in a theoretical corpus but with ample empirical validation the mentioned topics of interest (pp. 43-44).

Seligman (2003) raises the need to move towards a more positive psychology when it points out that "psychology is not only the study of weakness and harm, it is also the study of strength and virtue; treatment is not just fixing what is broken, it is also feeding the best of us" (p. 126). From the exposed perspective, positive psychology constitutes "the scientific study of the positive experiences, the positive individual traits, the institutions that facilitate their development and the programs that help to improve the quality of life of the individuals, while preventing or reducing the incidence of psychopathology" (Seligman and

Csikszentmihalyi, 2000, p. 5). On the other hand, Jiménez (2014) points out that positive psychology "provides a fuller view of the human being contemplating both negative and positive emotions in order to live a fuller, more committed life without losing sight of the person as unique and unrepeatable individual" (p. 622).

Salanova and Llorens (2016) explain that the positive must be understood from two dimensions: "One related to the presence of something that by its quality is positive, such as joy, positive relationships, etc.; and another that has to do with the preference, with something valuable and meaningful" (p. 161). In this way, the positive is linked to high levels of happiness in individuals and societies from a point of view that exceeds the hedonic pleasure (immediate) and focuses on the vital satisfaction with meaning (Eudaimonic). It is also important to note that the positive is not displayed only as the opposite of the negative, but as a mechanism to know and interact on the integral development of human beings and their wellbeing. Finally, the positive is related to better levels of performance of the individuals and organizations in which they develop.

In relation to the latter, positive psychology constitutes a scientific discipline that addresses the human being considering his abilities, capacities and positive emotions that originates a full life and the integral well-being. The positive, reflected in the wellbeing and quality of life, constitutes the object of study of the positive psychology. Thus, this discipline is based on the rigorousness of the scientific method applied to the analysis and understanding "of the optimal psychic functioning of individuals, groups and institutions" (Castro-Solano, 2012, p. 8). Seligman et al. (2005) identify three pillars that shape positive psychology by explaining it as "a term for the study of positive emotions (pleasurable life); positive traits (compromised life) and the functioning of positive organizations (life with meaning)" (p. 410); these three pillars were added to the post of the social linkages (positive relations).

The study of the school, as a school organization that promotes or limits the integral development of girls, children and adolescents, is part of the pillar of the positive organizations and involves the group of actors of the educational community (decision- makers, teachers, students, parents and administrative officers). The school appears as a privileged space to generate protective factors and to prevent risk factors in adolescences that enable the integral and positive development of boys and girls. The design and implementation of socio-educational strategies and interventions that consider variables such as motivation, leadership, emotional intelligence, metacognitive abilities, social practice, among others, will contribute to achieve the objective described. According to Salanova and Llorens (2016), positive interventions (or positive psychology) are "strategies that are implemented to improve the development and satisfaction of people with the ultimate goal of promoting health, quality of life and excellence" (p. 163).

Castro-Solano (2010) affirms that the role of the educational psychologist, from the traditional psychology, has been limited to the "administration of psycho-educational practices to children and adolescents with learning disorders, to the psychological orientation to parents of young people with problems and the tasks of counseling and educational guidance" (p. 35). Additionally, the design and implementation of school programs for families and actions aimed at preventing peer violence and alcohol and drug use should be added, as well as support for teachers in the design of curricular adaptations according to the students' learning needs. From a positive intervention in the school, the Operation Model of the Departments of Student Counseling has 5 key axes in the work of the educational psychologist and the educational psychologist that have to do with the promotion and prevention of the psychological well-being, detection of situations of risk,

educational interventions, case referral and case follow-up (Ministerio de Educación, 2016, pp. 21-34).

3. Positive school organizations (virtuous)

The third pillar of positive psychology and positive organizations is approached from positive organizational psychology understood as "the study and application of positive capacities and strengths that can be measured, developed and effectively managed to improve performance" (Nelson and Cooper, 2007, p. 137). Lupano-Perugini (2017) justifies the emergence of positive organizational psychology by explaining that traditionally organizational psychology emphasized the approach of negative situations and their consequences "so an alternative perspective is required that would guarantee optimal results and does not focus only on the aspects that prevent it" (p. 37). On the other hand, Salanova, Llorens and Martínez (2016), define positive organizational psychology as:

The scientific study of the optimal functioning of the health of people and the groups in the organizations, as well as of the effective management of the psychosocial well-being in the work and the development of organizations to make them healthier (p. 177).

In this third way, among the areas of interest can be mentioned the main spaces for socialization of children and adolescents such as the family, the school, the group of friends and the community seen as institutions that build positive interactions. Lupano-Perugini and Castro-Solano (2010) explain that "this third way is the application of personal strengths for the development of something more important and broad, i.e., it is to be able to apply the strengths to help others and make them develop their potentialities" (p. 48).

Peterson (2006) identifies the virtues in positive organizations as "the moral characteristics of the organization as a whole that go beyond the individual characteristics of each of its members; as such, virtues at the organizational level are a lasting part of the organizational culture" (p. 1152). Lupano-Perugini (2017) emphasizes that "organizational virtues are defined as moral attributes or practices (justice, respect, dignity, among others) at the global level within an organization and not as the sum of the individual virtues of its members" (p. 37).

Theoretical reflection and empirical research in positive organizational psychology determines the use of the term virtues to define individual characteristics linked to strengths and positive values; while the term virtuosity refers to collective characteristics present in organizations defined as positive and that are the sum of the virtues of its members. Cameron (2012) raises that:

The term 'virtues' refers to individual attributes representing goodness and moral excellence, traits that indicate the best qualities of humanity; while the term 'virtuosity' refers to the set of virtues that are manifested as behaviors, processes and routines in organizational environments (p. 2).

According to the above, the study and promotion of virtuosity in organizations defined as positive becomes a primary purpose of positive organizational psychology. Empirical

research determines that virtuosity presents two basic qualities: amplification and buffering. Lupano-Perugini and Castro-Solano (2018) explain that:

The amplifier quality is related to the fact that the exposure to positive practices increases the levels of positive emotions, social capital and pro- social behaviors, which feeds the practices and favors the consequent obtaining of better organizational results. On the other hand, the buffering quality is related to helping to prevent negative effects due to stressful situations, promoting in the members a sense of resilience, solidarity and efficacy (p. 2).

Palomera (2017) argues that positive schools or with high levels of virtuosity are those that promote well-being and learning from "respect and value of happiness; stimulating, flexible and varied methodologies; spaces and times for happiness; respect for the voices of children and adolescents; attitude of teachers, and teacher training" (p. 68-69). The construction of perceived virtues in school organizations considered four virtues (gratitude, inspiration, forgiveness, courage) of the six virtues identified for labor organizations by Cameron et al. (2011):

1) Care, understood as concern, interest and responsibility for oneself and others; 2) courage, referring to mutual support and value by those who fight; 3) forgiveness, understood as avoiding blame and forgiving errors; 4) Inspiration, related to what is learned from others; 5) meaning linked to valuation; and, 6) gratitude seen as integrity, respect and appreciation (p. 37).

4. Psychological well-being in adolescents

The notion of well-being is intimately linked to integral health, the latter being understood as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not only as the absence of conditions or diseases" (World Health Organization, 2006, p. 1). Psychological well-being is one of the main topics of positive psychology. Casullo (2002) defines well-being as "the perception that a person has about the achievements obtained in his life, the degree of personal satisfaction with what he did, does or can do from a strictly personal look" (p. 11). Romero-Carrasco et al. (2007) explain that two basic perspectives encourage discussion about wellbeing. The first called hedonic states that wellbeing consists of "subjective happiness built on the experience of pleasure in the face of displeasure, including judgments on the good and evil elements of life" (p. 336). The second perspective called Eudaimonic establishes that wellness has a relationship with "experiences related to feeling alive and realized, to see the activity that is done as something that fills and with the impression that what we do makes sense" (p. 336). The hedonic perspective is linked to the subjective well- being defined as "a broad category of phenomena that includes people's emotional responses, satisfaction with domains, and global judgments on satisfaction with life" (Diener et al., 1999, p. 277). On the other hand, the Eudaimonic perspective is related to the psychological well-being understood as "a fundamental evaluative dimension that has to do with the valuation of the result obtained with a certain form of having lived" (Castro-Solano, 2009, p. 47).

Castro-Solano (2011) says "that the routes related to the eudaemónico welfare (compromised life and life with meaning) will have more relation with the vital satisfaction that the route referred to the hedonic welfare (pleasant Life)" (p. 42). Ryff (1989) develops

a model designed to explain the psychological well-being related to the positive functioning of individuals, this model is integrated by six interrelated dimensions: "1) Acceptance; 2) positive relationships with others; 3) autonomy; 4) domain of the environment; 5) purpose in life; and 6) personal growth" (p. 1071).

Well-being becomes a triad construct formed by positive emotions and negative labile and momentary emotions (emotional states), and by a more stable cognitive component (psychological well-being) that allows people to evaluate how they go in life. Casullo and Castro-Solano (2000) explain that "a person has a high well-being if he experiences satisfaction with his life, if his mood is often good and only occasionally experiences unpleasant emotions such as sadness or rage" (P. 37).

Based on the theoretical proposals of Ryff and the conclusions of his own empirical research, Castro-Solano and Casullo (2001) study, validate and explain the following dimensions that shape psychological well-being in adolescents: "Control of situations (sense of control and self-competence), psychosocial linkages (quality of personal relationships), projects (goals and purposes in life) and acceptance (feeling of well-being with oneself)" (p. 49). Páramo et al. (2012) explain the significance of high scores in the dimensions of adolescent psychological well-being:

1) Autonomy: they reflect the capacity to make decisions and to evaluate the logical consequences of the actions undertaken; 2) affective (psychosocial) linkages: they indicate a good ability to establish social relationships based on affection and empathy; 3) Purpose with life (projects): They point goals and objectives to be achieved; 4) Self- acceptance: it relates to the qualities of self-determination, independence and regulation of behavior (p. 11).

5. Methods and analysis

The study described was quantitative type with correlational cross-section. A non- probabilistic sample of 550 adolescents enrolled in the baccalaureate level was used; since the idea was to maintain a balance in terms of the sex of the participants, it was considered a 51.3% of boys and 49.7% of girls with an average age of 16 years old, 0 months and a standard deviation of 4.67. The established sample corresponded to students of campuses financed with resources of the national State (71.3%), and with resources from the municipalities or autonomous decentralized governments (28.7%). It should be noted that for the development of the research, the students voluntarily participated and their families provided their informed consent through a signed document.

The instrument used for the measurement of positive virtues in educational establishments was the scale of virtuosity perceived in school organizations built and validated by Unda- Villafuerte (2018, pp. 95-104) based on the theory and dimensions on positive practices developed by Cameron et al. (2011, p. 6). The instrument considers a Likert-type scale of five options (from totally agreeable to totally disagree), four factors (gratitude, inspiration, forgiveness and courage) and 24 items. The instrument, which responds to the contexts and socio-cultural reality of Ecuador, presents good properties of validity and reliability and was applied to a group.

For the measurement of psychological well-being in adolescents, the scale of psychological wellbeing in adolescents – Ecuador, adapted by Unda-Villafuerte (2018, pp. 104-111), was taken into account from a similar instrument worked by Castro Solano and Casullo (2001,

p. 68) in Argentina and the theory of psychological well-being in adolescents developed by Ryff (1989, pp. 1069-1081). The instrument considers a Likert-type scale of three options (in disagreement, neither in agreement nor in disagreement, in agreement) formed by 13 items and four dimensions (acceptance, projects, links and autonomy). The instrument, which responds to the contexts and socio-cultural reality of Ecuador, presents good properties of validity and reliability and was applied to a group.

From the tabulation of the raised information, the correlation index between the dimensions corresponding to perceived virtues and those of psychological well-being in adolescents was calculated. Then, by analyzing clusters or type K conglomerates groups linked to the psychological well-being in adolescents were established, and the distribution of three selected groups was confirmed through an ANOVA analysis of a factor. Then, following the processing of conglomerates with K means and ANOVA with a factor, profiles of virtuous organizations were defined based on the types of defined psychological well- being. Data processing and information analysis was carried out with the help of the statistical program SPSS 23.0.

6. Results

The first statistical process developed had to do with correlational analysis among the virtuosity variables perceived in school organizations and psychological well-being in adolescents (Table 1), the process took into account what was established by Cohen (1998) who poses as "moderate correlations the values equal to or greater than .30, and as small correlations those higher than .25 and minors to .30" (p. 115). From the mentioned logic, positive correlations were observed in all crosses with a size of the effect that goes from small, in few cases, to moderate, in most cases. When analyzing the relationships between dimensions, moderate correlations can be observed in 75% of crosses of the dimensions studied.

Virtuosity dimensions (VP)	Psychological well-being dimension (BIEPS)				BIEPS (total)
Virtuosity dimensions (VP)	Acceptance	Projects	Links	Autonomy	BIEPS (total)
Gratefullness	.302**	.301**	.451**	.406**	.485**
Inspiration	.300**	.266**	.393**	.403**	.455**
Forgiveness	.267**	.303**	.388**	.346**	.434**
Courage	.243**	.275**	.360**	.301**	.394**
VP (Total)	.346**	.353**	.498**	.457**	.551**
** p < .01 bilateral.
Table 1. Correlation between the perceived variables of virtuosity and psychological well-being in adolescents

Once the correlation between the study variables was verified, cluster (type K media) was identified, which would account for a potential distribution of psychological well-being levels (Table 2). These conglomerates are considered as transversal variables to the gender of the participants (male, female) and the type of school organization (municipal, fiscal). This is how the following groups or conglomerates were defined: (i) Strengthened psychological well-being corresponds to 58% of cases of the sample with a greater presence of women than men; (ii) Psychological well-being under construction corresponds to 36%

of cases of the sample with a greater presence of men than women; And, (iii) vulnerable psychological well-being corresponds to 6% of cases of the sample with a greater presence of men than women. In the three identified groups predominated the presence of girls and boys coming from taxes.

Psychological well-being					Total
	Strengthened (n = 320)		In process (n = 200)	Vulnerable (n = 30)
Gender	Male	42.5 %	63.3 %	62.0 %	279
	Female	57.5 %	36.7 %	38.0 %	271
Educative organization	Fiscal	78.2 %	70.0 %	69.0 %	392
Educative organization	Municipal	27.2 %	30.0 %	31.0 %	158
Table 2. Clusters of psychological well-being in adolescents distributed by gender and type of educational organization (percentages)

Models with three, four and five groups were verified in which the level of psychological well-being was classified. Finally, a model formed by three groups was opted by being the one with best distributions of the descriptive measures presented (arithmetic mean and standard deviation). The aforementioned was confirmed with the ANOVA analysis (Table 3), which included the dimensions of psychological well-being as dependent variables (acceptance, projects, links and autonomy) and conglomerates linked to the level of psychological well-being in adolescents as a factor of belonging, defined at first (psychological well-being strengthened, in process and vulnerable).

Psychological wellness
Psychological well-being dimensions	Strenghtened (n = 320)	In process (n = 200)	Vulnerable (n = 30)	ANOVA
	Mean (DS)	Mean (DS)	Mean (DS)	F (2.549)
Acceptance	11.36 (.75)	10.06 (1.15)	7.17 (1.42)	326.349**
Projects	8.42 (.70)	7.63 (1.05)	6.17 (1.56)	113.701**
Links	8.41 (.64)	7.22 (1.15)	5.90 (1.45)	176.516**
Autonomy	8.03 (.79)	6.80 (.91)	5.00 (1.02)	258.529**
** p < .001
Table 3. Unidirectional variance analysis (ANOVA) linked to the conglomerates that characterize the psychological well-being of adolescents

With the inputs obtained, it was advanced in the definition of profiles that link the positive school organizations with the conglomerates referred to the level of psychological well- being in adolescents previously defined (Table 4). In this perspective, one-way ANOVA analysis was developed, where the dependent variables were the dimension scores of the perceived virtuosity in school organizations, and the conglomerates are the relevance

factors in which was grouped the psychological well-being in adolescents. Significant differences in the value of the means were evident at all crosses.

Psychological well-being dimensions	Psychological well-being
Psychological well-being dimensions	Strenghtened (n = 320)	In process (n = 200)	Vulnerable (n = 30)	ANOVA
	Mean (DE)	Mean (DE)	Mean (DE)	F (2, 547)
Gratefullness	35.72 (4.50)	31.89 (6.15)	26.73 (8.71)	57.49**
Inspiration	22.98 (3.36)	20.86 (3.61)	17.40 (5.46)	46.78**
Forgiveness	19.53 (3.30)	17.26 (3.39)	17.70 (4.78)	46.46**
Courage	14.63 (2.68)	13.30 (2.67)	11.33 (3.83)	29.08**
**p < .001
Table 4. Conglomerate of psychological well-being and their relationship with the perceived virtuosity in school organizations

With the support of the empirical information raised, three profiles were established which characterized the school organizations studied, these are defined as:

• Educative institutions perceived as virtuous with students who demonstrate strengthened levels of psychological well-being: in this profile the 58% of cases of the sample were located (57.5% women). They were positive school organizations that inspired with the example of their members the effort and dedication, promoted gratitude, recognition and forgiveness when they merited and established the scope of accomplishments from the effort, the decision and courage. The members proved to have life plans, showed autonomy in decision making, relationships between peers, and with adults it was based on empathy and assertive communication and acceptance of their own strengths and weaknesses.

• Educative institutions perceived as in process to the virtuosity with students who presented levels of psychological well-being in process: This group brought together 36% of cases present in the sample (36.7% women). This profile was characterized by teenagers who went through problems in the construction of their strengths and values, allowing their adaptation to new and changing situations in educational environments, whose norms and policies were still not-well known and required to be defined more clearly. Gratitude, forgiveness and sense of transcendence were occasionally evident in the school organization, and adolescents required support to set goals and objectives and translate them into life plans or projects, as well as to make decisions and direct their actions through positive achievements.

• Educative institutions perceived as unvirtuous with students who have levels of vulnerable psychological well-being: they converged in this profile 6% of cases of the sample (38% women). Adolescents in this profile presented difficulties in establishing short and medium-term goals and objectives, productive social interaction, and attitudes of care and self-care were weak in presenting risky behaviors. For this group, forgiveness, gratitude or spirituality were unincorporated values, no life projects were clearly defined and neither did they consider that the

school organization inspired their practices and values of support, solidarity and compassion.

7. Conclusions

Although the study evidences a relationship between perceived virtuosity in school organizations and psychological well-being in adolescents registered at a moderate level, it is possible to affirm that organizations that practice gratitude, forgiveness, courage and inspiration are a direct influence on better levels of autonomy in adolescents, their ability to plan for the future, in accepting themselves and others and establishing positive and lasting links. In this way, all the dimensions of the perceived variable of virtuous organizations contribute in the effort to achieve better levels of psychological well-being (Eudaimonic). The aforementioned confirms the theoretical validity of the research carried out and the interaction between the study variables.

The research developed determines that female adolescents have better levels of psychological well-being than males; this is also related to higher levels of perceived virtuosity in the school organizations they attend. The above refers to a more sustained interest of girls compared to boys to project towards the future, and project their lives in the medium and long term to accept themselves as integral individuals, to seek and maintain positive and lasting relationships and to demonstrate more capacity to make decisions with autonomy. The aforementioned is enhanced in virtuous school spaces where they find inspiring models to follow, in environments that promote gratitude as a main value, in contexts in which mistakes are recognized and in challenging environments that drive the achievement of accomplishments.

It is necessary to emphasize that female adolescents value high school organizations where "the practice of values such as respect and solidarity are everyday events, in which inclusion and development opportunities are permanent, and which provide psycho-emotional support with trained teachers" (Unda-Villafuerte, 2018, p. 119). Thus, a line of future research should relate how school organizations, defined as virtuous, develop capacities in male and female adolescents to cope in a resilient and effective way to the psychosocial risks that they are exposed to, such as gender-based violence, bullying, pressure for alcohol and other drugs, suicide, human mobility situations, among others.

The profile identification of virtuous school organizations in relation to the levels of psychological well-being in adolescents constitutes an important contribution of this study. Working from gratitude, forgiveness, courage or inspiration as the dimensions of school virtuosity, as well as in autonomy, links, projects and acceptance, as dimensions of psychological well-being, give the adolescents the tools to face the psychological risks. In this way, three levels of school organizations are raised (virtuous educational establishments, in process to virtuosity and not virtuous) that interact in their order with three levels of psychological well-being in adolescents (strengthened psychological well- being, in the process and vulnerable). The types of school organizations and the levels of psychological well-being in adolescents should be reviewed, adjusted, restated and applied in the work with teachers, authorities, families and with the teenagers.

The perceived virtuosity becomes a marker of educational quality in school organizations determined by the ability to respond efficiently and in a timely way to the needs of cognitive, affective and social development of boys and girls and, therefore, to their personal and social valuation reflected in the dimensions and indicators that shape the psychological well-being. In order for the aforementioned to be possible, the dimensions of the virtuosity

perceived in school organizations must be concretized and institutionalized through the standards of school management and their dimensions defined by the Ministry of Education of Ecuador (2017, p. 9):

1. Administrative management: Institutional organization, professional development, information and communication, infrastructure, equipment and complementary services.

2. Pedagogical Management: Teaching-learning component, student counseling and pedagogical reinforcement.

3. Coexistence, school participation and cooperation: coexistence and school participation and strategic alliances for development cooperation.

4. School Safety: Risk management and protection.

In other words, the construction of positive school organizations perceived as virtuous and the development of acceptable levels of psychological well-being in adolescents must be linked to the quality standards established for the education of Ecuador. In school organizations, standards and indicators of educational quality are equivalent to the performance or performance indicators of workers' organizations. If a key assumption is that virtuous organizations improve institutional performance, further research should address how school organizations perceived as virtuous have an impact on improving educational quality standards previously established by the national educational authority.

The developed research realizes that higher levels of happiness and vital satisfaction in adolescents are linked to virtuous school environments that stimulate the development of personal and social strengths and values, and norms, policies, educational plans and programs that enhance psychological well-being. At the same time, better levels of psychological well-being in boys and girls allow to build virtuous school organizations. However, the above is not enough, social research determines that happiness, and well- being is linked to better living conditions reflected in the exercise of rights, gender equality, inclusion from diversity and the integral satisfaction of the basic needs. In this way, it is a question of generating a new school and a social cooperation around education in the framework of a global project for the construction of fair and equitable social and economic relations. The aforementioned involves linking the school with the community and the institutions that act in it from intersectoral and inter-institutional action.

It should be noted that a limitation of the study constitutes the use of instruments with self- reporting scales that can be manipulated in their filling. Another constraint has to do with the fact that it was a selected sample in a non-probabilistic way, which can generate representativeness biases. Additionally, it should be noted that the sample considers fiscal and municipal campuses, it is necessary to verify the results and conclusions in school organizations with private financing.

Finally, the developed study positions positive psychology as a theoretical alternative and disciplinary scientific framework for the understanding of the school as a positive organization and the action of the actors of the educational community (Students, families, decision makers) from their values, strengths and well-being. It also raises the challenge of generating programs, which built from positive psychology enable the integral development of the actors of the education processes and their institutions.

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Authors

FERNANDO UNDA-VILLAFUERTE obtained his Ph.D. in Psychology (PhD) from Universidad of Palermo, Argentina in 2018. He reached the Master's degree in Intelligence and Education Development in 2011, the Diploma in Innovative Pedagogy in 2010 and the specialty in Intellectual Diagnostics in 2010 at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja. In the year 2001 he received a PhD in Educational Psychology specialized in Adolescent Psychology from Universidad Central del Ecuador. In 1993 he obtained a bachelor's degree in Education Sciences specialized in Educational Psychology from Universidad Central del Ecuador.

He is currently a specialist in Education and Communication for the Health Promotion in the Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador. He is a hired professor at the Institute of Research and Postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Education Sciences of Universidad Central del Ecuador since 2013. He has been tenure professor of the School of Psychology at University de las Americas in 2014. In the international non-governmental organization CARE, he served as director for Ecuador between 2012 and 2017, as program manager between 2010 and 2012, also carried out coordination and advisory functions in education between 2002 and 2010. In the International Plan Ecuador, he was the manager of the program unit Quito between 2000 and 2002 and performed coordination functions in education for the Office Plan in the province of Bolívar between 1996 and 2000. He was the Pedagogical Coordinator of the Foundation “Hoy”, and in “Diario Hoy” between 1992 and 1996. Among his research and study lines are positive school organizations, the authentic leadership in teachers and psychological well-being in adolescents approached from positive psychology; he also addresses the issues of integral development of adolescents and human mobility from the approaches of inclusion, gender and interculturality.

MARÍA LAURA LUPANO-PERUGINI has a PhD from Universidad de Palermo. She holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Professor in the middle and upper level in Psychology from Universidad de Buenos Aires; she is a fellow and is currently an assistant researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of the Republic of Argentina. She is a researcher at the Research Center of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Universidad de Palermo.

Her research line is the study of positive organizations, well-being, values and performance from positive organizational psychology. She has participated in more than 30 scientific meetings and forums with papers referring to research and evaluation in psychology. Her scientific papers are found in the most important indexed journals of the region (Scopus, Latindex, REDALYC, Scielo).