ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Work Engagement and Work Performance Among Japanese Workers

A 1-Year Prospective Cohort Study

Eguchi, Hisashi MD, MBA, DrMedSci; Inoue, Akiomi PhD; Kachi, Yuko PhD; Miyaki, Koichi MD, PhD; Tsutsumi, Akizumi MD

Author Information

Department of Mental Health, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan (Dr Eguchi); Department of Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan (Dr Eguchi, Dr Inoue, Dr Kachi, Dr Tsutsumi); Research Institute of Occupational Mental Health, Tokyo, Japan (Dr Miyaki) and Innovative Research Center for Preventive Medical Engineering, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan (Dr Miyaki).

Address correspondence to: Dr Hisashi Eguchi, MD, MBA, DrMedSci, Department of Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitazato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara 252-0374, Japan ([email protected]).

The present study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT KAKENHI, Grant Number: JP21119002); the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS KAKENHI, Grant Number: JP26253042 and JP17K09172); and a Health, Labour and Welfare Sciences Research Grant (H30-meneki-ippan-001) and a Work-related Diseases Clinical Research Grant (180701-1) from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan.

The study aims and protocol were reviewed by the Research Ethics Committee of the Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo (No. 2772-[4]), Kitasato University Medical Ethics Organization (No. B12-103), and the Ethics Committee of Medical Research, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan (No. 10-004).

Workers were informed before completing the baseline questionnaire that participation was strictly voluntary and that all information provided would remain confidential. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Eguchi, Inoue, Kachi, Miyaki, and Tsutsumi have no relationships/conditions/circumstances that present potential conflict of interest. The JOEM editorial board and planners have no financial interest related to this research.

Clinical significance

• Higher work engagement may have beneficial effects on work performance.

• The impact of work engagement on work performance may be greater among women than among men.

• This study suggests that enhancing employees’ positive state of work engagement is valuable in improving work performance.

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 62(12):p 993-997, December 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001977

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Abstract

Objective:

We carried out a prospective study to investigate the association between work engagement and work performance in a group of Japanese workers.

Methods:

Our cohort included 1632 men and 192 women aged 65 years or younger who worked at a manufacturing company in Japan. Multiple regression analysis was conducted.

Results:

Higher work engagement at baseline was significantly associated with better work performance at follow-up (β = 0.159, P < 0.001). A sex-stratified analysis showed that the impact of work engagement at baseline on work performance at follow-up was stronger among women than among men (β = 0.242, P < 0.001 and β = 0.153, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions:

Higher work engagement may have beneficial effects on work performance. The impact of work engagement on work performance may be greater among women than among men.