Abstract
This review aims to assess the efficacy of controlled interventions aimed at improving the work engagement. We conducted a systematic search of online databases (e.g. PsychInfo, Eric, MedLine, EconLit), using combinations of keywords such as “work engagement”, “vigor”, “dedication”, “absorption”, “intervention”, “trial”, “control”. The search yielded 647 unique results. The eligibility criteria were a) to report a controlled intervention and b) to assess the intervention efficacy using a work engagement scale. To assess intervention efficacy, we computed the standardized differences (Cohen’s d) between the experimental and the control group, in the post-intervention measures. Using a random-effects approach, we analyzed 54 trials (Nexperimental = 4938; Ncontrol = 5190). The average effect size was weak, but statistically significant (dgeneral = .24, SE = .04, 95% CI [.16–.32], k = 54). Heterogeneity analyses indicated that variance about 74% of the between-study variance could be attributed to moderator variables (I2 = 73.73). We identified moderator variables such as the time lag between the end of the intervention (the effect decreases as the time lag increases), the intervention method (the largest effect is in the soft skills interventions), and intervention length (interventions up to 5 weeks are the most effective). The results offer a new perspective on how to implement effective employee engagement programs by HR specialists.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
*Aikens, K., Astin, J., Pelletier, K., Levanovich, K., Baase, C., Park, Y., & Bodnar, C. (2014). Mindfulness Goes to work. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 56, 721–731. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000000209.
*Akkermans, J., Brenninkmeijer, V., Schaufeli, W., & Blonk, R. (2014). It's all about CareerSKILLS: Effectiveness of a career development intervention for young employees. Human Resource Management, 54, 533–551. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21633.
American Psychological Association. (2002). Criteria for evaluating treatment guidelines. American Psychologist, 57, 1052–1059. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066X.57.12.1052.
American Psychological Association Publications and Communications Board Working Group on Journal Article Reporting Standards. (2008). Reporting standards for research in psychology: Why do we need them? What might they be? American Psychologist, 63, 839–851. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.9.839.
*Ângelo, R., & Chambel, M. (2013). An intervention with firefighters to promote psychological occupational health according to the job demands-resources model. Revista de Psicología Social, 28, 197–210. https://doi.org/10.1174/021347413806196753.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands-resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22, 309–328.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2008). Towards a model of work engagement. Career Development International, 13, 209–223.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2014). Job-demands resources theory. In P. Y. Chen & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Work & wellbeing: Wellbeing: A complete reference guide (pp. 37–64). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Bakker, A., & Schaufeli, W. (2008). Positive organizational behavior: Engaged employees in flourishing organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29, 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.515.
Bakker, A. B., Hakanen, J. J., Demerouti, E., & Xanthopoulou, D. (2007). Job resources boost work engagement, particularly when job demands are high. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 274–284. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.2.274.
Bakker, A., Albrecht, S., & Leiter, M. (2011). Key questions regarding work engagement. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 20, 4–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2010.485352.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22, 273–285.
Barak, A., Hen, L., Boniel-Nissim, M., & Shapira, N. A. (2008). Comprehensive review and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of internet-based psychotherapeutic interventions. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 26, 109–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228830802094429.
*Bernburg, M., Baresi, L., Groneberg, D., & Mache, S. (2016). Does psychosocial competency training for junior physicians working in pediatric medicine improve individual skills and perceived job stress. European Journal of Pediatrics, 175, 1905–1912.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-016-2777-8.
*Biggs A. (2011). A longitudinal evaluation of strain, work engagement, and intervention strategies to address the health of high-risk employees. Griffith University. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation.
*Biggs, A., Brough, P., & Barbour, J. P. (2014). Enhancing work-related attitudes and work engagement: A quasi-experimental study of the impact of an organizational intervention. International Journal of Stress Management, 21, 43–68. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035865.
*Bolier, L., Ketelaar, S., Nieuwenhuijsen, K., Smeets, O., Gärtner, F., & Sluiter, J. (2014). Workplace mental health promotion online to enhance well-being of nurses and allied health professionals: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. Internet Interventions, 1, 196–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2014.10.002.
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L., Higgins, J., & Rothstein, H. (2005). Comprehensive meta-analysis (version 2) [computer software]. Englewood: Biostat.
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L., Higgins, J., & Rothstein, H. (2009). Introduction to meta-analysis. Chichester: Wiley.
*Bresó, E., Schaufeli, W. B., & Salanova, M. (2011). Can a self-efficacy-based intervention decrease burnout, increase engagement, and enhance performance? A quasi-experimental study. Higher Education, 61, 339–355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-010-9334-6.
*Calitz T. (2013). An empowerment programme to regain positive work engagement for social workers in the North West Province. (PhD), Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University, South Africa.
*Chen, S., Westman, M., & Eden, D. (2009). Impact of enhanced resources on anticipatory stress and adjustment to new information technology: A field-experimental test of conservation of resources theory. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 14, 219–230. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015282.
Christian, M., Garza, A., & Slaughter, J. (2011). Work engagement: A quantitative review and test of its relations with task and contextual performance. Personnel Psychology, 64, 89–136. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2010.01203.x.
*Cifre, E., Salanova, M., & Rodríguez-Sánchez, A. (2010). Dancing between theory and practice: Enhancing work engagement through work stress intervention. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries, 21, 269–286. https://doi.org/10.1002/hfm.20232.
*Coffeng, J. K., Hendriksen, I. J. M., Duijts, S. F. A., Twisk, J. W. R., van Mechelen, W., & Boot, C. R. L. (2014). Effectiveness of a combined social and physical environmental intervention on Presenteeism, absenteeism, work performance, and work engagement in office employees. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 56, e83. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000000270.
Crawford, E. R., LePine, J. A., & Rich, B. L. (2010). Linking job demands and resources to employee engagement and burnout: A theoretical extension and meta-analytic test. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95, 834–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019364.
Critchley, H., & Gibbs, S. (2012). The effects of positive psychology on the efficacy beliefs of school staff. Educational and Child Psychology, 29, 64–76 Doi not available.
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A., de Jonge, J., Janssen, P., & Schaufeli, W. (2001). Burnout and engagement at work as a function of demands and control. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 27, 279–286. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.615.
Di Stefano, G., & Gaudiino, M. (2019). Workaholism and work engagement: How are they similar? How are they different? A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28, 329–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1590337.
*Dubbelt, L. (2016). Women to the top: Discovering facilitating factors for women's functioning in minority positions. Eindhoven: Technische Universiteit Eindhoven.
*Dyrbye, L., West, C., Richards, M., Ross, H., Satele, D., & Shanafelt, T. (2016). A randomized, controlled study of an online intervention to promote job satisfaction and well-being among physicians. Burnout Research, 3, 69–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burn.2016.06.002.
*Eaton C. (2015). The effects of heart math training on work engagement in a multi-national company. (doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest dissertations and theses (ProQuest no 3728425).
Ebert, D. D., Heber, E., Berking, M., Riper, H., Cuijpers, P., Funk, B., & Lehr, D. (2016a). Self-guided internet-based and mobile-based stress management for employees: Results of a random ised controlled trial. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 73, 315–323. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2015-103269.
*Ebert, D., Lehr, D., Heber, E., Riper, H., Cuijpers, P., & Berking, M. (2016b). Internet- and mobile-based stress management for employees with adherence-focused guidance: Efficacy and mechanism of change. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 42, 382–394. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3573.
*Gordon, H. J., Demerouti, E., Le Blanc, P. M., Bakker, A. B., Bipp, T., & Verhagen, M. A. (2017). Individual job redesign: Job crafting interventions in healthcare. Journal of Vocational Behavior https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.07.002, 104, 98, 114.
Hakanan, J. J., & Roodt, G. (2010). Using the job demands-resources model to predict engagement: Analysing a conceptual model. In A. B. Bakker, & M. P. Leiter (Eds.), Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and practice (pp. 85–101). Hove, East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press.
Halbesleben, J. R. B. (2010). A meta-analysis of work engagement: Relationships with burnout, demands, resources, and consequences. In A. B. Bakker & M. P. Leiter (Eds.), Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research (pp. 102–117). New York: Psychology Press.
Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L., & Hayes, T. L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 268–279. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.2.268.
Heber, E., Ebert, D. D., Lehr, D., Nobis, S., Berking, M., & Riper, H. (2013). Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a web-based and mobile stress-management intervention for employees: Design of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 13, 655–667. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-655.
*Heber, E., Lehr, D., Ebert, D., Berking, M., & Riper, H. (2016). Web-based and Mobile stress management intervention for employees: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18, e21. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.5112.
*Hengel, K. M. O., Blatter, B. M., Joling, C. I., van der Beek, A. J., & Bongers, P. M. (2012). Effectiveness of an intervention at construction worksites on work engagement, social support, physical workload, and need for recovery: Results from a cluster randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 12, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-1008.
Higgins, J. P., & Green, S. (2011). Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (Vol. 4). West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.
*Imamura, K., Kawakami, N., Furukawa, T., Matsuyama, Y., Shimazu, A., & Umanodan, R., et al. (2015). Effects of an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention on improving work engagement and other work-related outcomes. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 57, 578–584. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000000411.
*Imamura, K., Kawakami, N., Tsuno, K., Tsuchiya, M., Shimada, K., Namba, K., & Shimazu, A. (2017). Effects of web-based stress and depression literacy intervention on improving work engagement among workers with low work engagement: An analysis of secondary outcome of a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Occupational Health, 59, 46–54. https://doi.org/10.1539/joh.16-0187-OA.
Jason, V., & Geetha, S. N. (2019). Regulatory focus and innovative work behavior: The role of work engagement. Current Psychology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00220-1.
Jeanson, S., & Michinov, E. (2018). What is the key to researchers’ job satisfaction? One response is professional identification mediated by work engagement. Current Psychology, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9778-2.
Kahn, W.A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 692–724.
*Klatt, M., Norre, C., Reader, B., Yodice, L., & White, S. (2017). Mindfulness in motion: A mindfulness-based intervention to reduce stress and enhance quality of sleep in scandinavian employees. Mindfulness, 8, 481–488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0621-x.
*Kmiec, Jr., J. (2010). A study of the effectiveness of a pilot training program in an organizational setting: An intervention for work engagement (doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest dissertations and theses (UMI no 3416289).
Knight, C., Patterson, M., & Dawson, J. (2017a). Building work engagement: A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effectiveness of work engagement interventions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38, 792–812. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2167.
*Knight, C., Patterson, M., Dawson, J., & Brown, J. (2017b). Building and sustaining work engagement - a participatory action intervention to increase work engagement in nursing staff. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26, 634-649. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2017.1336999.
Knight, C., Patterson, M., & Dawson, J. (2019). Work engagement interventions can be effective: A systematic review. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28, 348–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1588887.
*Koncz, R., Wolfenden, F., Hassed, C., Chambers, R., Cohen, J., & Glozier, N. (2016). Mindfulness-based stress release program for university employees: A pilot, waitlist controlled trial and implementation replication. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 58, 1021–1027. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000000856.
*Koolhaas, W., Groothoff, J., de Boer, M., van der Klink, J., & Brouwer, S. (2015) Effectiveness of a problem-solving based intervention to prolong the working life of ageing workers. BMC Public Health, 15, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-1410-5.
*Lerner, J. (2015). The impact of organizational development interventions on stress and engagement. (doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest dissertations and theses (UMI no 3715877).
*Liossis, P., Shochet, I., Millear, P., & Biggs, H. (2009). The promoting adult resilience (PAR) program: The effectiveness of the second, shorter pilot of a workplace prevention program. Behaviour Change, 26, 97–112. https://doi.org/10.1375/bech.26.2.97.
Lupșa, D., Vîrgă, D., Maricuțoiu, L.P., & Rusu, A. (2019). Increasing Psychological Capital: A pre-registered meta-analysis of controlled interventions. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 1-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12219.
Macey, W. H., & Schneider, B. (2008). The meaning of employee engagement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1, 3–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2007.0002.x.
Mackay, M. M., Allen, J. A., & Landis, R. S. (2017). Investigating the incremental validity of employee engagement in the prediction of employee effectiveness: A meta-analytic path analysis. Human Resource Management Review, 27, 108–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.03.002.
Maricuţoiu, L., Sava, F., & Butta, O. (2016). The effectiveness of controlled interventions on employees’ burnout: A meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12099.
Maricuțoiu, L. P., Sulea, C., & Iancu, A. (2017). Work engagement or burnout: Which comes first? A meta-analysis of longitudinal evidence. Burnout Research, 5, 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burn.2017.05.001.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. (Eds.). (1997). The truth of burnout: How organisations cause personal stress and what to do about it. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mastenbroek, N., van Beukelen, P., Demerouti, E., Scherpbier, A., & Jaarsma, A. (2015). Effects of a 1 year development programme for recently graduated veterinary professionals on personal and job resources: A combined quantitative and qualitative approach. BMC Veterinary Research, 11, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-015-0627-y.
*Meyers, M. C., & van Woerkom, M. (2017). Effects of a strengths intervention on general and work-related well-being: The mediating role of positive affect. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18, 671–689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9745-x.
Meyers, M., van Woerkom, M., & Bakker, A. (2013). The added value of the positive: A literature review of positive psychology interventions in organizations. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22, 618–632. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2012.694689.
Mills, M. R., Fleck, C., & Kozikowski, A. (2013). Positive psychology at work: A conceptual review, state-of-practice assessment, and a look ahead. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8, 153–164. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.776622.
Mitchell, J., Stanimirovic, R., Klein, B., & Vella-Brodrick, D. (2009). A randomized controlledtrial of a self-guided internet intervention promoting well-being. Computers in Human Behavior, 25, 749–760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.02.003.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Group P (2009) preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6, e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097.
*Möltner, H., Leve, J., & Esch, T. (2018). Burnout-Prävention und mobile Achtsamkeit: Evaluation eines appbasierten Gesundheitstrainings bei Berufstätigen. Das Gesundheitswesen, 80, 295–300. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-114004.
*Naruse, T., Taguchi, A., Kuwahara, Y., Nagata, S., Sakai, M., Watai, I., & Murashima, S. (2014). The effect of skill mix in non-nursing assistants on work engagements among home visiting nurses in Japan. Journal of Nursing Management, 23, 532–541. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12167.
Nielsen, K., & Miraglia, M. (2017). What works for whom in which circumstances? On the need to move beyond the ‘what works?’ Question in organizational intervention research. Human Relations, 70, 40–62.
Oprea, B. T., Barzin, L., Vîrgă, D., Iliescu, D., & Rusu, A. (2019). Effectiveness of job crafting interventions: A meta-analysis and utility analysis. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1646728.
O'Shea, D., O'Connell, B. H., & Gallagher, S. (2016). Randomized controlled trials in WOHP interventions: A review and guidelines for use. Applied Psychology, 65, 190–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12053.
*Ouweneel, E., Le Blanc, P., & Schaufeli W. (2013a). On being grateful and kind: Results of two randomized controlled trials on study-related emotions and academic engagement. The Journal of Psychology, 148, 37–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2012.742854.
*Ouweneel, E., Le Blanc, P., & Schaufeli, W. (2013b). Do - it - yourself. Career Development International, 18, 173–195. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-10-2012-0102.
*Ouweneel, E., Schaufeli, W., & Le Blanc, P. (2013c). Believe, and you will achieve: Changes over time in self-efficacy, engagement, and performance. Applied Psychology. Health and Well-Being, 5, 225–247. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12008.
Richardson, K., & Rothstein, H. (2008). Effects of occupational stress management intervention programs: A meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 13, 69–93. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.13.1.69.
Rizzato, M. (2014). A brief online loving-kindness meditation intervention; effects on optimism and affect. Unpublished manuscript. Department of Psychology, Dublin Business School, Dublin, Ireland.
Saks, A. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21, 600–619. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940610690169.
Schaufeli, W., & Bakker, A. (2004). Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: A multi-sample study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 293–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.248.
Schaufeli, W., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 71–92.
*Schelvis, R. M., Wiezer, N. M., van der Beek, A. J., Twisk, J. W., Bohlmeijer, E. T., & Hengel, K. M. O. (2017). The effect of an organizational level participatory intervention in secondary vocational education on work-related health outcomes: Results of a controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 17, 141–155. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4057-6.
Shimazu, A., Schaufeli, W., Kamiyama, K., & Kawakami, N. (2014). Workaholism vs. Work Engagement: The Two Different Predictors of Future Well-being and Performance. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 22, 18–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9410-x.
Shuck, B. (2011). Integrative literature review: Four emerging perspectives of employee engagement: An integrative literature review. Human Resource Development Review, 10, 304–328. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484311410840.
Sonnentag, S., Dormann, C., & Demerouti, E. (2010). Not all days are created equal: The concept of state work engagement. In A. Bakker & M. Leiter (Eds.), Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research (pp. 25–38). New York: Psychology Press.
*Steidle, A., Gonzalez-Morales, M. G., Hoppe, A., Michel, A., & O’shea, D. (2017). Energizing respites from work: A randomized controlled study on respite interventions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26, 650–662. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2017.1348348.
*Stevens S. (2010). Understanding how employees unwind after work: Expanding the construct of "recovery". Saint Mary’s University. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation.
*Strijk, J., Proper, K., van Mechelen, W., & van der Beek, A. (2012). Effectiveness of a worksite lifestyle intervention on vitality, work engagement, productivity, and sick leave: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 39, 66–75. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3311.
*Umanodan, R., Shimazu, A., Minami, M., & Kawakami, N. (2014). Effects of computer-based stress management training on psychological well-being and work performance in japanese employees: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Industrial Health, 52, 480–491. https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.2013-0209.
*van Berkel, J., Boot, C. R., Proper, K. I., Bongers, P. M., & van der Beek, A. J. (2013). Process evaluation of a workplace health promotion intervention aimed at improving work engagement and energy balance. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 55, 19–26. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e318269e5a6.
*van Berkel, J., Boot, C., Proper, K., Bongers, P., & van der Beek, A. (2014). Effectiveness of a worksite mindfulness-related multi-component health promotion intervention on work engagement and mental health: Results of a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One, 9, e84118. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0084118.
Van der Klink, J., Blonk, R., Schene, H., & Van Dijk, J. (2001). The benefits of interventions for work-related stress. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 270–276.
*van Wingerden, J., Bakker, A., & Derks, D. (2016). A test of a job demands-resources intervention. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 31, 686–701. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-03-2014-0086.
*van Wingerden, J., Bakker, A. B., & Derks, D. (2017). The longitudinal impact of a job crafting intervention. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26, 107–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2016.1224233.
*Verweij, H., Waumans, R. C., Smeijers, D., Lucassen, P. L., Donders, A. R. T., van der Horst, H. E., & Speckens, A. E. (2016). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for GPs: Results of a controlled mixed methods pilot study in Dutch primary care. British Journal of General Practice, 66, e99-e105. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp16X683497.
*Viester, L., Verhagen, E., Bongers, P., & van der Beek, A. (2014). The effect of a health promotion intervention for construction workers on work-related outcomes: Results from a randomized controlled trial. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 88, 789–798. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-014-1007-9.
Vîrgă, D., Horga, A., & Iliescu, D. (2015). Work–life imbalance as a moderator in the relationship between resources and work engagement. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 14, 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000135.
*Vuori, J., Toppinen-Tanner, S., & Mutanen, P. (2012). Effects of resource-building group intervention on career management and mental health in work organizations: Randomized controlled field trial. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97, 273–286. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025584.
*White, M., Wells, J., & Butterworth, T. (2014). The impact of a large-scale quality improvement programme on work engagement: Preliminary results from a national cross-sectional-survey of the ‘productive Ward’. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51, 1634–1643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.05.002.
*Wilson, D. M. (2012). Effects of Mindfulness-Based Art Processing (MBAP) on the well-being and job performance of working adults: Evaluating a novel intervention (doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest dissertations and theses (UMI no 3541745).
Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A., Heuven, E., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. (2008). Working in the sky: A diary study on work engagement among flight attendants. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 13, 345–356. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.13.4.345.
Acknowledgments
The first and the second authors contributed equally; order of authorship is arbitrary. This work was partially supported by a grant from the Romanian Ministry of Education, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-0398. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vîrgă, D., Maricuţoiu, L.P. & Iancu, A. The efficacy of work engagement interventions: A meta-analysis of controlled trials. Curr Psychol 40, 5863–5880 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00438-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00438-z