Search results

Employee wellness is vital to creating high-quality employee–customer interactions, yet frontline service workers (FLSWs) do not typically engage in, or benefit from, wellness initiatives. This paper aims to conceptually model the interactive influences of organizational and employee factors in influencing FLSW involvement in wellness programs and provides suggestions on how service organizations can enhance wellness behaviors and outcomes.

This paper builds upon classical and contemporary management theories to identify important gaps in knowledge about how employees and firms engage with wellness. Interactive psychology, emphasizing multidirectional interaction between person (employee) and situation (organization) wellness orientation, is introduced.

The paper develops a model that can be used to assess organizational wellness program effectiveness by emphasizing the interaction of employee and organizational wellness orientation. The model illustrates that wellness effectiveness relies equally on employee agency through an active wellness orientation matched with the organizational wellness orientation.

This paper questions the dominant approaches to assessing the effectiveness of workplace wellness initiatives, arguing for a more humanistic and agentic perspective rather than traditional organizationally centered fiscal measures.

The authors used a case study approach to explore employees' perceptions of one institution's culture of health. The authors then applied a needs-centered training model to create and test the effectiveness of a workplace wellness training program to improve the culture of health.

For study 1, the authors recruited 736 faculty and staff from an institution of higher education to complete an online culture of health survey measuring their perceived leadership support, peer support and institutional resources. In study 2, participants (n = 60) in follow-up focus groups described their experiences related to the culture of health at the institution. For study 3, university employees (n = 44) participated in the training intervention and reported on post-test outcomes measuring the training's effectiveness.

High levels of employee stress and lack of supervisor and coworker support were identified as significant issues in the needs assessment process. Therefore, the authors developed a needs-centered training intervention that focused on supportive and confirming supervisor and peer communication. Results suggest employees perceive the training to be effective, are ready to change their behaviors and are knowledgeable about the training content.

This study provides evidence regarding needs-based trainings focused on co-worker communication and how these trainings may incrementally improve the culture of health within organizations. Accordingly, the authors offer best practices, including the value of focusing on employee needs, advocating for employees, building community through trainings and enacting change through the training process.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

The concept of wellbeing is all the rage following the ravages of the Global Financial Crisis, and step-change in people’s view of work-life balance on the one hand and how enhancing employees’ contentment can increase productivity on the other. This, coupled with much-improved technology such as Skype, and greater access to super fast broadband means that connectivity across regions, countries and internationally has allowed many more workers to work from home regularly and maintain greater contact with family and friends. As a result, wellbeing is no longer viewed by firms as a luxury but rather a necessity.

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.