%0 Journal Article
%T Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale
%A Akihito Shimazu
%A Wilmar B Schaufeli
%A Daisuke Miyanaka
%A Noboru Iwata
%J BioPsychoSocial Medicine
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1751-0759-4-17
%X In accordance with the expanding global economy, researchers in occupational health psychology have begun to conduct cross-cultural studies. This article focuses on work engagement from a cultural perspective and addresses basic measurement issues in cross-cultural research on work engagement.Psychology has recently been criticized as primarily dedicated to addressing mental illness rather than mental "wellness". Since the beginning of this century, however, increased attention is paid to what has been coined positive psychology: the scientific study of human strengths and optimal functioning [1]. This advocated positive turn is also relevant for occupational health psychology. It has been proposed that in addition to focus on employees' poor functioning as a result of stress and burnout, occupational health psychology should look at optimal functioning and the role of a positive mental state therein, such as work engagement [2].Work engagement is a psychological state assumed to be negatively related to burnout. While burnout is usually defined as a syndrome of exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy [3], engagement is defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption [4]. That means that engaged employees have a sense of energetic and effective connection with their work activities. Vigor is characterized by high levels of energy and mental resilience while working. Dedication refers to being strongly involved in one's work and experiencing a sense of significance and pride. Finally, absorption is characterized by being fully concentrated and happily engrossed in one's work.Work engagement is found to be positively associated with job resources; that is, to those aspects of the job that have the capacity to reduce job demands, are functional in achieving work goals, and may stimulate personal growth, learning, and development [4]. For instance, work engagement tends to be positi
%U http://www.bpsmedicine.com/content/4/1/17