When do health and well-being interventions work? Managerial commitment and context

Health and well-being interventions are increasingly assessed as complex processes rather than randomized controlled trials. In this study the health and well-being interventions refer to voluntary actions and are not in response to any regulatory requirement. This article looks specifically at mana...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEconomic and industrial democracy Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 355 - 377
Main Authors Greasley, Kay, Edwards, Paul
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.05.2015
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Commitments
Intervention
Job design
Management theory
Occupational health
Studies
Wellness programs
well-being
human resource management
intervention studies
Employee health
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Health and well-being interventions are increasingly assessed as complex processes rather than randomized controlled trials. In this study the health and well-being interventions refer to voluntary actions and are not in response to any regulatory requirement. This article looks specifically at managerial commitment to these interventions and at the organizational context in which they occur. Ex-ante study predictions as to the effects of commitment in three organizations were made and then followed up. This commitment was positively associated with employee perceptions of health promotion campaigns. But broader impacts, such as commitment to the organization and a sense of autonomy, were not evident. The explanation lies in wider features of the organization of work: permanent constraints such as job design and shift systems ran against the aims of the health interventions. Relating well-intentioned interventions to such features of organizational life remains a challenge for many organizations.
ISSN:0143-831X
1461-7099
DOI:10.1177/0143831X13508590