Sustainable employability and work outcomes: a prospective study

Abstract

Background In recent years, sustainable employability, rooted in the capability approach, has received substantial attention due to its associations with work and health-related outcomes. While previous studies have indicated that being able and enabled to achieve important work values (i.e., work capabilities) is positively associated with desirable work outcomes, most of these studies have primarily employed a cross-sectional design to explore these associations. This study aimed to examine the long-term relationships between work capabilities and work and wellbeing-related outcomes, including work ability, work engagement, task and creative performance, organizational citizenship behavior, organizational commitment, job and life satisfaction, turnover intention, and burnout symptoms. Methods Data were collected from 251 randomly selected Dutch employees through a two-wave survey conducted in 2021 and 2023 via the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences panel. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess these associations while controlling for potential covariates. Results The results revealed that participants valued a diverse range of work capabilities but encountered challenges in realizing these valued capabilities. The capability set positively predicted desirable outcomes and was associated with reduced burnout over a two-year period. Conclusions Supporting and enabling employees to realize their capabilities is essential for improving favorable work outcomes and diminishing burnout in today’s volatile work environment. These findings further emphasize the importance of organizations improving conversion factors to bridge the gap between valued capabilities and their actualization.