Bridging Occupational, Organizational and Public Health: A Transdisciplinary Approach

Abstract

The book aims to better integrate the fast growing, differentiated knowledge base of the fields of occupational, organizational and public health. It intends to broaden the evidence-base, legitimacy and efficacy of related interventions and thus to increase their public health impact. To create an overview and common ground across disciplines, this chapter provides an introduction to the transdisciplinary approach pursued by the book. It shows current trends in economy and society and their implications for employees and their working conditions. The chapter highlights how the fields of occupational, organizational and public health may jointly address these trends—by sharing more positive analytical perspectives and by linking occupational health issues to the larger organizational and societal context. The chapter summarizes the first part of the book highlighting the relevance of psychosocial factors at work, the second part showing strategies to improve them at the organizational level and the last part emphasizing social and political issues to be addressed as part of a larger public health strategy. Based on this summary, specific conclusions for future, more integrative research and practice in occupational, organizational and public health are drawn.