Vitality’s impact on work performance and society
How often have you felt exhausted, unmotivated, and drained after a long or demanding day at work? Have you ever considered that your vitality, that inner wellspring of energy, motivation, and resilience, plays a critical role not just in your own well-being but in shaping our society as well? Today, I will delve into the impacts of vitality on work performance and society. In this blog, we'll explore research findings, gleaned from various studies, to uncover the importance of vitality.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, you should have a richer understanding of:
The concept of vitality and one method in which it can be measured.
The associations between vitality and various aspects of work and society.
The potential societal benefits of promoting vitality.
The Vitality-Society Connection
To understand the significance of vitality, let's first examine the research conducted by Van Steenbergen et al.(2015). This study, involving over 8,000 Dutch adults, used the Dutch Vitality Questionnaire to assess energy, motivation, and resilience. The findings show that those with higher vitality scores experienced better sustainable employability, improved work performance, and a reduced chance of work absenteeism.
In society, vitality was positively associated with more volunteering, while the burden of giving informal care decreased for the demographics with higher vitality scores. Notably, vitality also corresponds with more quantity and quality of social contacts (i.e. with friends, neighbours, and family who do not live in the same household), highlighting its role in strengthening social bonds.
Reducing Societal Costs
But vitality isn't just about personal well-being; it can have a tangible impact on societal costs. Individuals with higher vitality scores experienced lower healthcare costs. Loss of productivity at work and days absent from work were also lower for them. Higher vitality scores were associated with lower societal costs when considering both healthcare and employer costs. Research also suggests that higher vitality enhances people’s resilience to physical and viral stressors, and thereby makes them less vulnerable to illness (Tummers et al. 2018). The implications for organisations aiming to reduce expenses are clear - nurturing vitality in the workplace can be a cost-effective strategy.
Physical Activity and Vitality
Research by Parkes et al. (2006) and Vandelanotte et al. (2015) emphasised the role of physical activity in employee health. Even leisure physical activity plays a crucial role, particularly for those in sedentary jobs, thus workplace interventions to increase physical activity levels can lead to healthier and more vital employees.
The Power of Relationships
High-quality relationships in the workplace also contribute to vitality. Tummers et al. (2018) posited that leaders’ task communication and job autonomy are important potential antecedents of vitality. Their research highlighted the importance of task communication from leaders and job autonomy in increasing employee vitality and that vital employees are full of positive energy when they work, and feel mentally and physically strong. Such employees often show higher job performance and lower stress than their less vital colleagues
Balancing Work and Life
Maintaining a balanced workstyle is an important factor for building social capital and maintaining a vital workforce. Work-wise, physical health is presumed to enhance vitality, however, lifestyle issues such as exercising, smoking, alcohol intake, diet and reducing stress also impact vitality. A study by van Scheppingen et al. (2013) suggests that vitality at work is strongly associated with basic psychological needs of self-determination, healthy lifestyle behaviour, a balanced workstyle, and social capital.
The study also confirmed the positive influence of multiple components associated with vitality at work such as the organisational culture, considered an important supporting factor to satisfy basic psychological needs, which were found to be most strongly associated with vitality at work, making it seem particularly important in promoting vitality at work. Additionally, the associations between vitality at work and effective personal functioning and sustainable employability endorse the combined health-based, business-related and societal importance of vitality at work.
Final Thoughts…
Having a balanced workstyle was significantly associated with vitality at work. It is not just a personal attribute but a force that ripples through our work and society. Embracing vitality can lead to better work performance, reduced societal costs, and enhanced well-being for all. So, let's recognise the power of vitality, nurture it in ourselves, and promote it in our workplaces and communities. In doing so, we can create a brighter and more vibrant future for all.
Reference:
Parkes, K. R. 2006. Physical activity and self-rated health: interactive effects of activity in work and leisure domains. British journal of health psychology.
Tummers, L., Steijn, B., Nevicka B., Heerema, M. (2018). The Effects of Leadership and Job Autonomy on Vitality: Survey and Experimental Evidence. Review of Public Personnel Administration.
van Scheppingen AR, de Vroome EMM, Ten Have KCJM, Zwetsloot GIJM, Wiezer N, van Mechelen W. 2015. Vitality at work and its associations with lifestyle, self-determination, organizational culture, and with employees' performance and sustainable employability. Work.
Van Steenbergen, E., van Dongen, J.M., Wendel-Vos, G.C.W., Hilderbrandt, V.H., Strijk, J.E. 2003. Insights into the concept of vitality: associates with participation and societal costs. European Journal of Public Health.
Vandelanotte, C., Short, C., Rockloff, M., Di Millia, L., Ronan, K., Happell, B., Duncan, M.J. 2015. How do different occupational factors influence total, occupational, and leisure-time physical activity? Journal of Physical Activity & Health.