Job and work attitudes, engagement and employee performance Where does psychological well-being fit in?

Purpose - This article aims to test the hypothesis that employee productivity levels will be better predicted by a combination of positive job and work attitudes (employee engagement) and psychological well-being than by positive job and work attitudes alone. Design/methodology/approach - Survey data using psychometrically sound measures of the key constructs were collected for a sample of over 9,000 people across 12 organisations. Findings - Multiple regression analyses reveal that psychological well-being has incremental value over and above that of positive job and work attitudes in predicting self-reported levels of performance. Research limitations/implications - The study design involves cross sectional self-report data and as such firm conclusions about causality cannot be drawn. Practical implications - The results suggest that if employers focus only on job and work attitudes and ignore employee psychological well-being, they will limit the benefits that can be obtained through initiatives such as programmes designed to improve employee engagement. Originality/value - The study provides evidence that two previously separate constructs are both important in predicting measures of employee productivity.