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1 – 10 of over 2000Grant Beebe, Milorad Novicevic, Ifeoluwa Tobi Popoola and Joseph (Jody) Holland
The purpose of this paper is to develop a 5As framework for entrepreneurial nudge public leadership for health and wellness promotion based on two exemplary cases in Mississippi.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a 5As framework for entrepreneurial nudge public leadership for health and wellness promotion based on two exemplary cases in Mississippi.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a “case within a case” study design to develop the 5As public influence framework for entrepreneurial public leadership.
Findings
Based on the investigated cases of healthcare and wellness promotion in Hernando and Charleston, Mississippi, the authors developed the 5As framework for wellness promotion dimensions of awareness, assistance, alignment, association, and assessment. This framework is applicable to the lived experiences of community members, leaders, healthcare providers, and government.
Research limitations/implications
The study results provide a compelling insight into early-stage formation of entrepreneurial public leadership. However, the study results lack generalizability due to the case study approach used.
Practical implications
This study can assist entrepreneurial public leaders and policy-makers align their strategic wellness goals, initiatives, and policies that motivate community members to seek and receive supporting services.
Originality/value
Developing an original framework for wellness promotion useful to both healthcare practitioners and public leaders, this study contributes to the extant literature on public health leadership and proposes mechanisms for addressing community wellness needs. The framework is designed to address public health concerns by integrating public leadership strategies aimed at linking with existing community wellness and healthcare services.
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Sethumadhavan Meera and A. Vinodan
Recently, wellness tourism has gained popularity in alternative medicinal practices. Alternative medicinal practices are mostly endemic and have evolved through generations…
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, wellness tourism has gained popularity in alternative medicinal practices. Alternative medicinal practices are mostly endemic and have evolved through generations, transmitted and propagated through formal and informal modes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of developing alternative medicinal practices in the wellness tourism market in the context of Kalari practices – oldest martial art system of the world based at Kerala, India.
Design/methodology/approach
Study employed an exploratory sequential method consisting of in-depth interviews with practitioners and questionnaire survey with 356 tourists. Confirmatory factor analysis has been done to confirm the latent variables of attitude towards alternative medicinal practices in wellness market.
Findings
Study results indicate that there are five latent constructs consisting of physical, psychological, emotional, social and personal evolved around 26 indicators.
Practical implications
This study will introduce an innovative product line for customers as it will provide enhanced opportunities for wellness and will result in indigenous knowledge protection and marketing.
Social implications
The present study gives immense scope for appreciation of effectiveness of martial art practices across world and promotion of wellness tourism through alternative medicinal practices, which could be slightly modified and replicated by considering local specific medicinal practices.
Originality/value
This study makes the first attempt to investigate attitude towards alternative medicinal practices, especially martial art practices, in the context of wellness market.
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Karnsunaphat Balthip, Pimpanit Pasri, Bunrome Suwanphahu, Wilfred McSherry and Charuwan Kritpracha
The study aimed to examine the effect of a purpose in life (PIL) program on the wellness of Thai adolescents.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aimed to examine the effect of a purpose in life (PIL) program on the wellness of Thai adolescents.
Design/methodology/approach
Two schools located in municipalities in southern Thailand were selected by simple random sampling. Students from each school were randomly allocated to either an experimental group (n = 35) or a control group (n = 32). The experimental group received the PIL program for 16 weeks. The control group received the routine education program. Participants' wellness was measured using the Wellness Scale (WS). The WS was validated for content validity by five Thai experts and tested for reliability with 30 junior high school students, yielding the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.84. The differences in the mean score of wellness across time were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA.
Findings
The mean scores of wellness of the experimental group and the control group were statistically significantly different across time (p < 0.001). Post hoc tests in the experimental group showed a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of wellness between Week 1 and Week 16, Week 1 and Week 20 and Week 16 and Week 20 (p < 0.05). In the control group, the results showed a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of wellness between Week 1 and Week 20 and Week 16 and Week 20 (p < 0.05).
Originality/value
The PIL program, originally developed within a Thai context and focused on the spiritual dimension, was effective in enhancing the wellness of Thai adolescents.
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Alan David Smith, Terry Damron and Amye Melton
With the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act in the USA, many companies are investing in corporate wellness programs as a way to reduce healthcare costs and increase…
Abstract
Purpose
With the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act in the USA, many companies are investing in corporate wellness programs as a way to reduce healthcare costs and increase productivity of their workforces. Increasing healthcare expenditures and the pandemic of obesity and chronic diseases are driving forces to the development and implementation of workplace wellness programs across the globe. Companies expect to experience a return on their investment through lower healthcare costs and increased productivity. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, 109 business professionals were surveyed (primarily almost equally divided between Russian and Americans citizens) to examine their health-promoting and health risk behaviors. Demographics were compared in an effort to identify the key differences in order to pinpoint development opportunities to increase efficiencies among target populations.
Findings
According to the results, nationality was related to certain differences in health-promoting behaviors, participation rates and frequency of wellness programs offered by employers. No differences were found among different age groups. The results indicated that not even a single wellness program design is appropriate for all companies or even one company across all locations.
Research limitations/implications
Although there were no general conclusions have been drawn nor have the influencing factors for the different behaviors of the various target groups been adequately examined in this exploratory study, there were baselines developed for future research.
Originality/value
Few empirical studies exists that measure the perceived value of corporate wellness programs, especially among different cultural settings. In effect, wellness programs need to be developed specifically for the target population, with considerations to perceived value differences.
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Alexia Georgakopoulos and Michael P. Kelly
The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the benefits of wellness programs for contemporary organizations and aids in tackling workplace bullying.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the benefits of wellness programs for contemporary organizations and aids in tackling workplace bullying.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a qualitative design and employs a new empirical approach to tackle workplace bullying. With over a hundred working professionals engaged in focus groups and facilitation methodologies for a total of five workshops and 60 hours, this study suggests a new framework for intervening in workplace bullying that considers workplace wellness as a system.
Findings
The findings revealed that these professionals perceived workplace wellness as a formidable component of the health and success of employees, organizations, and community, and perceived workplace bullying as a serious threat to physical and mental wellness. Employee participation and involvement in the design of workplace wellness programs was viewed as essential to the success of these programs in organizations.
Research limitations/implications
This research has implications as it expands understanding and discovery into what aids employees to reduce their stress, fatigue, anxiety, and other conditions that lead to conflict or bullying in workplaces. It gives attention to a system of wellness that is vital to people and their organizations.
Practical implications
Study participants consistently asserted their desire to be active participants in establishing workplace wellness programs that effectively address workplace bullying, systems that enhance safety, and health.
Social implications
This study highlights the role organizations play in shaping individual and community physical and mental well-being, health, and safety through effective workplace wellness programs.
Originality/value
This study should be helpful to organizations and researchers looking to address workplace wellness, safety, and bullying in a context broader than just liability and the cost savings of employee physical health, and may further add to the discussions of workplace wellness policy and regulation.
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Rebecca Robbins and Brian Wansink
Most workplace health promotion efforts have failed to consistently and sustainably encourage employees to take responsibility for their health. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Most workplace health promotion efforts have failed to consistently and sustainably encourage employees to take responsibility for their health. The purpose of this paper is to explore a potentially high-impact solution – Health Codes of Conduct – for engaging and motivating employees to assume responsibility for their health.
Design/methodology/approach
This mixed methods study draws on interview and survey methodology with a sample of 149 working adults to examine the feasibility of Health Codes of Conduct. Descriptive and inferential statistics are calculated to understand reactions, characteristics of the companies likely to support the idea, and components of a Health Code of Conduct.
Findings
Nearly all employees offered moderate to high support for Health Codes of Conduct; this included overweight but not obese employees. Additionally, all demographic groups either moderately or strongly supported the policy when they included either monetary incentives (such as prescription discounts) or often overlooked non-monetary incentives (such as employee recognition). Some of the more popular features of Health Codes of Conduct included annual physical exams, exercise routines, and simply being encouraged to stay home when ill.
Research limitations/implications
Health Codes of Conduct offer a surprisingly well-supported potential solution. Favorable reactions were observed across all examined segments of workers, even overweight (but not obese) employees. Using the specific features of Health Codes identified here, visionary companies can tailor their company’s Health Code of Conduct with the appropriate monetary and non-monetary incentives and disincentives.
Social implications
What if the workplace could be a positive source of health and empowerment for valued employees? The authors show employee Health Codes of Conduct could be this empowering, engaging solution that has been missing.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to propose the concept Health Codes of Conduct and solicit feedback from employees on this novel idea. Furthermore, the authors identify both the monetary and non-monetary incentives and disincentives that employees believe would be most compelling.
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Helena Szrek, Vlad Gyster, Phil Darnowsky and Ana Rita Farias
Many companies in the USA have corporate wellness programs but are having trouble encouraging employees to take part in these programs. Even with monetary incentives, many…
Abstract
Purpose
Many companies in the USA have corporate wellness programs but are having trouble encouraging employees to take part in these programs. Even with monetary incentives, many employees do not join. The purpose of this paper is to consider whether timely reminders combined with monetary incentives improve participation in health benefit programs.
Design/methodology/approach
Employees of a large manufacturing company across multiple facilities were encouraged to enroll in a messaging service. Once a week, members received an SMS or e-mail reminder to complete a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) and Health Action Plan (HAP). The authors segmented employees based on prior year health insurance plan choice and HRA participation to analyze current HRA and HAP completion, with and without intervention.
Findings
The intervention increased completion rates 6 percent for subgroups that completed the HRA in the prior year and 34–37 percent for those that did not.
Practical implications
Corporate wellness programs should develop good communication channels with employees. The effectiveness of such programs will depend also on employee engagement.
Originality/value
With better communication, companies could raise participation in corporate wellness programmes and potentially reduce some of the monetary incentives that they currently offer.
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Locke Ettinger, Ted Adams, Liz Joy and Terri Flint
The purpose of this paper is to determine which constructs (factors) will significantly predict and influence the intention to complete a health risk assessment (HRA) in a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine which constructs (factors) will significantly predict and influence the intention to complete a health risk assessment (HRA) in a hospital employee population.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a cross-sectional design using the theory of planned behavior to design a questionnaire to determine the variables associated with intention to complete an HRA. From a sample of those who completed (n=17) and those who did not complete (n=16) the HRA, the authors used elicitation inquiry to determine the leading factors associated with the intention to complete an HRA. The authors used the responses from this inquiry to develop a questionnaire for a hospital population (n=1,550). A total of 503 hospital employees completed and returned this questionnaire. Using the returned questionnaire data, the authors used logistic regression analysis to determine the best fit model for predicting intention to complete an HRA.
Findings
The predictive model was statistically significant at the p < 0.001 level. Discriminant analysis correctly verified the predictive model classified intenders and non-intenders the majority (84 percent) of the time. These study results indicated that perceived behavioral control factors such as having time to complete the HRA, confidence in completing the HRA and trust that the information divulged in the HRA would be kept confidential had the strongest influence (OR=5.39) in predicting participation in taking an HRA.
Research limitations/implications
Potential limitations of this study include; response and selection bias, homogeneity for age and sex and generalizability. These results help to identify key behavioral-related factors predicting hospital employee participation to complete an HRA.
Practical implications
Administrators of worksite health promotion programs can systematically explore means of addressing identified participation barriers for the purpose of increasing overall HRA participation success beyond financial incentives.
Originality/value
The HRA has become a widely accepted assessment tool used to help mitigate the rise in chronic disease. However, HRA completion rates are reported to be low to moderate with very limited research focussed on factors predicting HRA participation.
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The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a suitable measure for the employee wellbeing construct and validate this tool in Indian workplace settings, especially with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a suitable measure for the employee wellbeing construct and validate this tool in Indian workplace settings, especially with reference to IT/ITes and BFSI sectors.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is descriptive and cross-sectional in nature. The literature was first reviewed to identify the underlying probable dimensions of employee wellbeing and its corresponding items. These items were then subjected to elaborate discussions with experts from industry as well as academia. The index, thus, developed was administered to collect primary data from employees working in IT/ITeS and BFSI sectors based in Delhi-NCR. PLS SEM 3 was applied as employee wellbeing was construed as a first-order reflective second-order formative construct. Thereafter, it was subjected to suitable assessments of reliability and convergent validity.
Findings
The findings reveal that employee wellbeing can be conceptualized as a construct having four dimensions namely, purpose in life (PIL), work–life balance (WLB), job wellness (JW) and physical wellness (PW). It was also revealed that all the dimensions identified in the study capture different facets of the employee wellbeing and collectively define the construct; omission of any items may lead to change in the nature of the construct. This investigation is unique as it frames the index of employee wellbeing with specifications of a formative measurement model. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no published study so far has measured EWB as a formative construct.
Originality/value
Many earlier studies have incorporated a unidimensional approach to individual wellbeing and lacked a crucial outlook of having multi-dimensional understanding of the employee wellbeing construct in the social and work context. Furthermore, this paper contributes not only to the existing body of knowledge in employee wellbeing, but also brings forth an important aspect of measurement model specification, i.e. formative measurement model by bringing the specific reasons for taking employee wellbeing as a formative concept.
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Casey P. Mainsbridge, Dean Cooley, Sharon P Fraser and Scott J Pedersen
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of a workplace intervention designed to interrupt prolonged occupational sitting time (POST) and its impact on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of a workplace intervention designed to interrupt prolonged occupational sitting time (POST) and its impact on the self-reported health of a cohort of desk-based employees.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 43 participants received an interactive computer-based software intervention for 26 weeks. For the first 13 weeks the intervention passively prompted the participants to interrupt POST and perform brief bouts of non-purposeful movement. The second 13 weeks involved the passivity of the intervention being removed, with the intervention only accessible voluntarily by the participant. This approach was adopted to determine the sustainability of the intervention to change workplace health behaviour.
Findings
ANOVA results revealed a significant interaction between group and test occasion, F(2, 42)=2.79, p < 0.05, such that the experimental group increased their total health from pre-test to post-test (13 weeks), and to second post-test (26 weeks) with a medium effect size of Cohen’s d=0.37.
Research limitations/implications
An action research approach was implemented for this study, and hence the participants were organised into one group. Based on a communitarian model, the intervention aimed to monitor how desk-based employees adapted to specific health behaviours, and therefore a control group was not included.
Practical implications
Passively prompting desk-based employees to interrupt POST and perform non-purposeful movement at work improved self-reported health. Participant perceptions of health were maintained following the removal of the passive feature of the intervention.
Social implications
Interventions predicated on a social ecological model that modify how employees interact with the workplace environment might provide a framework for health behaviour change in populations where sitting is customary.
Originality/value
The passive approach used in this study removed the individual decision-making process to engage in health behaviour change, and established a sustainable effect on participant health.
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