Individual and organizational health

Individual health and organizational health have been conceptualized in several ways. This chapter discusses some of these conceptualizations of health including both the medical model, which characterizes health as the absence of illness, and other models, which characterizes health as optimal functioning not just the absence of illness. It is proposed that the literature on occupational stress, positive psychology, and the emerging literature on emotions in the work environment may be useful in extending our understanding and conceptualization of individual and organizational health. The literatures on pay structure and dispersion as well as organizational learning are reviewed. It is posited that these two organizational phenomena can be used to develop theoretical and empirical support for understanding organizational health, individual health, and the linkage between the two from both a positive health and ill health perspective.