The relationship between well-being at work and performance: a systematic literature review

Purpose In this research, we present the results of a systematic literature review (SLR) on workplace well-being in relation to performance, whether individual or organizational. Design/methodology/approach To achieve our research objective, we followed a rigorous bibliometric approach using several scientific databases. A total of 250 articles were identified for the period from 2000 to 2024, but only 67 were deemed to meet our inclusion criteria. For data processing, we used: Nvivo, VOSviewer and Excel. Findings This SLR confirms a significant correlation between well-being and performance across all contexts. Furthermore, interest in the topic has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The conceptual dimensions of WB and performance have not yet reached a consensus among researchers, which opens a perspective for identifying a universal model of these concepts. From a practical standpoint, we demonstrated that workplace well-being promotes both individual and organizational performance. We also identified several human resource (HR)-related actions that can simultaneously enhance well-being and performance. Research limitations/implications This study has three limitations. First, our research strategy was constrained by the inclusion and exclusion criteria we selected. Second, this review is narrative, and no meta-analysis was conducted. Third, SLR doesn’t eliminate the limitations inherent in individual studies. We will further elaborate on these limitations in the conclusion section. Practical implications From a practical standpoint, we demonstrated that workplace well-being promotes both individual and organizational performance. We also identified several HR-related actions that can simultaneously enhance well-being and performance. Originality/value This paper brought together various aspects of well-being at work and performance and presented various findings from previous studies on the link between them. As a result, we sought to highlight the various variables and factors that could affect well-being and its relationship with performance.