Engagement and human thriving: Complementary perspectives on energy and connections to work

In this chapter, we bring together literatures on two related constructs regarding employees’ connection to work, which, to date, have been largely disparate: thriving and engagement. It is critical to examine the two constructs in relation to each other to determine their distinctiveness and uniqueness. To this end, we first define each construct and then demonstrate how the two constructs are distinct but have some conceptual overlap. We then examine key antecedents and outcomes of each construct. Finally, we discuss some of the leadership implications for how organizations can enable more engagement and thriving at work, and we will end with some directions for future research.