11 General Introduction VITALITY AT WORK Many scholars have dedicated their own energy and time to the study of vitality in the work context. Throughout the literature, the concept of vitality has been defined and studied in different ways, but there is general consensus regarding the idea that it is a state that involves both a physical and a mental or psychological element. Vitality has been described as a dynamic phenomenon, involving the conscious experience of possessing energy and aliveness, and feelings of enthusiasm, alertness, and energy available to the self (Nix et al., 1999; Ryan & Deci, 2008; Ryan & Frederick, 1997; Quinn & Dutton, 2005; van Scheppingen et al., 2015). Accordingly, vitality is a multifaceted construct comprised of physical, affective, and cognitive components that are interlinked (Lavrusheva, 2020). The circumplex model of affect categorizes affective states along the dimensions of valence and activation (Russell, 1980). Based on the definitions and descriptions of vitality, it may evidently be positioned in this model as high on the positive (vs. negative) valence dimension and high on the activation (vs. deactivation) dimension. While vitality is not necessarily a work-related state, it has often been studied in an organizational setting, focusing on the importance of employee vitality at work. In the current research, I also embed the concept in the work context by arguing that individuals may purposefully manage their vitality in order to promote optimal functioning at work. The body of literature on vitality at work supports the idea that positive, energized and active employees are an important asset for organizations. Indeed, vitality and its physical, cognitive, and affective subcomponents have been widely linked to favorable work outcomes, such as effective personal functioning and sustainable employability (Hendriksen et al., 2016; Strijk et al., 2013; van Scheppingen et al., 2015), career success (Baruch et al., 2014), organizational citizenship behavior and commitment (Kleine et al., 2019; Spanouli &Hofmans, 2021), job performance (Dubreuil et al., 2014; Carmeli, 2009; Carmeli et al., 2009; Kleine et al., 2019), innovation (Carmeli & Spreitzer, 2009; Huang & Chen, 2021), and creative work performance (Amabile et al., 2005; Atwater & Carmeli, 2009; Baas et al., 2008; Binnewies & Wörnlein, 2011; Chen & Sengupta, 2014; De Dreu et al., 2012; Fredrickson, 2001; Kark & Carmeli, 2009).
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