Occupational health in the 21st century: About work engagement

Despite its name, occupational health is traditionally concerned with ill-health and unwell-being.

That is, it focuses almost exclusively on the negative aspects of employee behavior in organizations and is concerned with damage, disease, disorder and disability. Since the emergence of positive psychology this traditional negative approach is supplemented by an emphasis on human strength and optimal functioning in organizations.

This key-note focuses on work engagement, one of the key-concepts of positive occupational health psychology that is defined as a positive state of fulfillment that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. In this address the concept of work engagement is discussed, and a state-of-the art overview is presented of research findings on the topic.

Special attention is given to interventions to promote work engagement, both at the individual as well as the organizational level. By doing so the practical relevance of work engagement is illustrated for a 21st century positive occupational health psychology.