Work engagement: An emerging concept in occupational health psychology

TLDR

Work engagement is a positive, affective‑motivational state characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption, distinguished from related concepts and measured primarily by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. This position paper defines work engagement, reviews its measurement and theoretical distinctions, and outlines remaining knowledge gaps and a future research agenda. Empirical studies demonstrate that work engagement is uniquely predicted by job and personal resources and is associated with higher job performance and client satisfaction.

Abstract

Abstract This position paper introduces the emerging concept of work engagement: a positive, fulfilling, affective-motivational state of work-related well-being that is characterized by vigour, dedication, and absorption. Although there are different views of work engagement, most scholars agree that engaged employees have high levels of energy and identify strongly with their work. The most often used instrument to measure engagement is the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, a self-report instrument that has been validated in many countries across the world. Research on engagement has investigated how engagement differs from related concepts (e.g., workaholism, organizational commitment), and has focused on the most important predictors of work engagement. These studies have revealed that engagement is a unique concept that is best predicted by job resources (e.g., autonomy, supervisory coaching, performance feedback) and personal resources (e.g., optimism, self-efficacy, self-esteem). Moreover, the first studies have shown that work engagement is predictive of job performance and client satisfaction. The paper closes with an account of what we do not know about work engagement, and offers a brief research agenda for future work.