Strengths Use in Organizations: A Positive Approach of Occupational Health

Strengths Use in Organizations: A Positive Approach of Occupational Health

  • Authors: Arnold B. Bakker, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Marianne van Woerkom, Tilburg University

Introduction

  • The article reviews theory and research on strengths use in an organizational context.

  • Key themes include:
      * Identification of crucial antecedents of strengths use (personal initiative, organizational support, autonomy, opportunities for development)
      * Positioning of strengths use within Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory as a proactive behavior that fosters personal and job resources, promoting work engagement and performance.
      * Implications of strengths use interventions and the need for further research.

Importance of Strengths Use

  • Organizations should encourage employees to identify and utilize their strengths.

  • Benefits include:
      * Authenticity in action
      * Enhanced energy levels
      * Flourishing in their roles

  • Keywords: JD-R theory, job performance, positive psychology, strengths use, work engagement.

Occupational Health Perspectives

  • Two approaches to occupational health:
      1. Pathogenic perspective: Focus on risk factors and disease prevention.
      2. Salutogenic perspective: Focus on resources that promote positive health outcomes.

  • Positive occupational health psychology emphasizes optimal functioning in the workplace, promoting health and flourishing.

Theoretical Background

Strengths in the Professional Context

  • Historical Context:
      * Strength-based approaches have been researched in social work and mental health for decades.
      * The Strength Model emerged as a recovery-focused approach (Rapp & Goscha, 1997).

  • Strengths-based practices (SBP): Focuses on helping clients identify and use their strengths to reach goals, shifting away from pathology-centered approaches.

  • Research shows SBP benefits various outcomes: social skills, stress tolerance, quality of life (Fukui et al., 2012).

Positive Psychology Influence

  • Positive psychology, defined by Seligman, focuses on positive experiences and individual traits (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000).

  • Development of several strengths models:
      * Character strengths model (Peterson & Seligman, 2004): Identifies 24 character strengths categorized into six higher-order virtues (wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, transcendence).
      * Gallup model: Identifies 34 talents which can be developed into strengths (Hodges & Clifton, 2004).

  • Alternative definitions of strengths:
      * Personality strengths: Traits promoting adjustment to the environment, subject to context (King & Trent, 2013).
      * Broader personal strengths: Characteristics enabling individuals to perform well (Wood et al., 2011).

Strengths Use Theory

  • Strengths usage is context-dependent, influenced by individual personality traits and job resources (Oerlemans & Bakker, 2014).

  • Various theories explain the impact of strengths use on employee functioning:
      * Employees using strengths align with their authentic selves, reducing depression and job stress (Peterson & Seligman, 2004).
      * Strengths use leads to mastery experiences, enhancing self-efficacy and performance (Bandura, 1997).
      * Positive emotions resulting from strengths use can fuel exploration and creativity (Fredrickson, 1998).
      * Job crafting: Employees can change their tasks and relationships to optimize the fit with their strengths (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001).

Measurement of Strengths Use

  • Instruments for strengths identification include:
      * Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS): Assesses application of character strengths.
      * General scales for strengths use applicable in non-work contexts (Govindji & Linley, 2007; Wood et al., 2011).
      * Scale for strengths use in the workplace, assessing employee behaviors (van Woerkom et al., 2016).

Antecedents of Strengths Use

  • Key antecedents of strengths use include:
      * Strengths knowledge: Awareness and identification of personal strengths (Govindji & Linley, 2007).
      * Role of stable personality traits in promoting proactive behavior (e.g., extraversion, proactive tendencies per Bakker, Hetland, Kjellevold-Olsen, & Espevik, 2017).
      * Organizational support for strengths use: Opportunities for identifying and applying strengths effectively (van Woerkom & Meyers, 2015).
      * Studies show that higher job resources (e.g., participation in decision-making) correlate with increased strengths use and work engagement (Stander & Mostert, 2013).

Consequences of Strengths Use

  • Strengths use correlates positively with:
      * Employee work engagement and well-being (Various studies).
      * Job performance and self-esteem.
      * Negative relationship with job-related stress (Wood et al., 2011).

  • Research indicates that strengths use interventions have positively impacted employee happiness, life satisfaction, and work-related well-being (Harzer & Ruch, 2015; Meyers & van Woerkom, 2016).

Strengths Use in JD-R Theory

  • JD-R theory posits that employee well-being and job performance relate to job characteristics.

  • Strengths use acts as both an antecedent and consequence of work engagement, endorsing personal development and resource acquisition.

  • Organizational support enhances employee’s ability to leverage their strengths for performance improvement.

Future Research Directions

  • Various gaps and opportunities for further inquiry include:
      * Clarification of strengths definitions and overarching theoretical frameworks linking strengths use to outcomes.
      * More experimental field studies to establish causal links and specific organizational practices that promote strengths use.
      * Understanding strengths use across diverse populations (older workers, disabled employees).
      * Investigation of strengths use at the team level and its implications for team performance.
      * Exploration of the interplay between leadership styles and strengths use.

Practical Implications

  • Organizations should promote strengths interventions, facilitating identification and development of employee strengths.

  • Activities such as feedback sessions and strengths inventories can aid in awareness and application of strengths.

  • For lasting impact, an organization-wide culture prioritizing strengths use and positive practices is essential, integrating into human resource management processes.