Salutogenic Approaches to Workplace Health and Well-Being

Salutogenic approaches shift the focus from preventing illness to enhancing the factors that support health and resilience at work. Grounded in the concept of salutogenesis, these approaches emphasise how individuals and organisations can foster resources—both personal and environmental—that promote a positive orientation to work. Central to this paradigm is the cultivation of comprehensibility (the extent to which work is perceived as structured and predictable), manageability (the belief that one has the skills and support to meet job demands) and meaningfulness (the sense that work is worthwhile). Interventions based on this model address job design, leadership practices, social support and opportunities for autonomy. Rather than targeting isolated stressors, salutogenic strategies build a web of health-promoting resources, from flexible rostering and participative decision-making to coaching and peer networks. Evidence from diverse sectors—healthcare, manufacturing, public administration—demonstrates that strengthening these resources enhances work engagement, reduces turnover intention and increases overall well-being. As organisations contend with global challenges such as ageing workforces, skill shortages and burnout, salutogenic frameworks offer a holistic and scalable route to sustainable workplace health.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Salutogenic Approaches to Workplace Health and Well-Being publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in salutogenic approaches to workplace health and well-being across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Salutogenesis: A theoretical model focusing on the origins of health and factors that support human well-being.

Sense of coherence (SoC): A global orientation reflecting confidence that life is structured, manageable and meaningful.

Work-related sense of coherence (Work-SoC): The application of sense of coherence specifically to the work environment, encompassing comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness at work.

Energy-building experiences: Subjective perceptions of gaining vitality through recovery, autonomy and positive workplace interactions.

References

1. Is it possible to gain energy at work? A questionnaire study in primary health care. Primary Health Care Research & Development (2020).
2. Affective organizational commitment among nursing home employees: A longitudinal study on the influence of a health‐promoting work environment. Nursing Open (2019).
3. Comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness at work: Construct validity of a scale measuring work-related sense of coherence. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology (2013).
4. Incremental validity of work-related sense of coherence in predicting work wellness. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology (2018).