Resilient workplaces: An initial conceptualization

Resilience has become a mainstream concept in social work theory and practice. While resilience has been well applied to individuals and families, there has been virtually no application to the workplace, a social system that is central to the lives of employed people and their families. This article extrapolates the literature on the resilience of the family system to the workplace system. A provisional model of workplace resilience is proposed, incorporating the dimensions of stressor, risk factors, protective factors, and outcomes. Implications for occupational social work practice and research are detailed.