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July 28, 2010 | Volume 4 | Number 7
July 28, 2010
Hot Off the Press
Review the latest research and news related to the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program goals of employee health and well-being and organizational performance. These and more than 2,800 other article summaries are available in a searchable database.
Highlights from the Latest Research
Flex-time as a moderator of the job stress-work motivation relationship
Personnel Review (June 2010)
This study focuses on the role of flextime in predicting motivation. Furthermore, this study assessed the role of country of residence (Russia, Canada, Israel) as a predictor of motivation. A significant interaction was found between flextime, job stress, and country of residence in predicting extrinsic motivation. In other words, flextime and job stress interacted differently for employees in Russia, Canada, and Israel in predicting extrinsic motivation. However, across the board flextime was a direct predictor of intrinsic motivation, such that providing employees with more autonomy and control was associated with greater intrinsic motivation. The authors conclude that human resource professionals need to be aware that although flextime may have some direct effects across the board, some of its benefits may be stronger for workers from particular countries.
Organizational Injustice as an Occupational Health Risk
Academy of Management Annals (June 2010)
This article provides a review of research connecting organizational injustice to decreased well-being and health. According to previous research, perceived injustices can result in negative emotional reactions as well as increases in unhealthy behaviors, such as being sedentary, smoking, and excessive drinking. Both the negative emotional reactions and the unhealthy behaviors can trigger negative bodily reactions that increase people’s risk of illness. However, the research on organizational injustice suffers from some methodological limitations that reduce generalizability and causal inferences. Also, little research has been conducted to assess whether the effects are stable across cultures. Finally, much of the research has focused on the role of injustice and disease, but little research has focused on justice and the promotion of positive health and well-being.
The effects of psychosocial work factors on production loss, and the mediating effect of employee health
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (March 2010)
This article focuses on the association between psychosocial work factors and production loss, along with the possibility that employee health mediates the association. Results revealed that a workplace with poor psychosocial work factors was associated with increased production loss in the form of absenteeism and presenteeism. Furthermore, a poor psychosocial work environment was associated with decreased worker health, which helped to explain the variance in production loss. Hence, a poor psychosocial work environment can decrease worker health and increase production loss.
Healthy Workplace Practices in the News
The hidden gold on the frontlines
Lean Blog (July 23, 2010)
Focuses on the potential benefit of suggestions and ideas submitted by workers on the front lines of the organization. The author argues that employees provide suggestions on improvements when they believe they will be heard and when they believe their ideas will make their jobs easier or more efficient. Employee suggestions can improve the value that a company delivers to its customers. Suggestions can also help to cut costs by reducing waste and inefficiency within the system. The author argues that traditional suggestion boxes do not work. Rather, he suggests that a more effective strategy is to make idea generation a requirement of the job, building a Kaizen approach into idea management.
Base pay and monetary incentives motivate less than intangibles, leadership
HR Vendor News (July 14, 2010)
Focuses on a recent survey conducted by WorldatWork and the Hay Group. According to the survey results, most organizations do not consider how their reward programs affect employee engagement. Furthermore, the results suggest that base pay and monetary incentives are not as motivating as many organizations believe. Rather, employees are more motivated by non-monetary recognition related to their contributions to the organization. In addition, employees are more motivated by effective leadership than they are by financial rewards. Hence, reward programs that emphasize monetary returns may fail to have an impact on employee motivation and engagement.
Employers using an arsenal of tools to combat workplace stress: Survey
Market Watch (July 8, 2010)
Focuses on the results of a recent survey conducted by Buck Consultants. Of the organizations surveyed, 82% indicated that stress had a significant effect on healthcare costs, 79% reported that stress had a significant impact on absenteeism, and 77% reported that stress had a significant impact on workplace safety. Organizations have devised numerous ways to help combat stress, including: employee assistance programs (78%), flexible work schedules (63%), work-life support programs (46%), stress-focused leadership training (45%), and online healthy lifestyle programs (45%). The results suggest that organizations are beginning to recognize the importance of workplace stress and are developing various tactics to help reduce its negative consequences.
Develop an employee health survey
Pay Scale (July 8, 2010)
Focuses on reasons for developing an employee health survey. The author argues that such a survey is the first step in developing and implementing a successful wellness program. She argues that an effective employee health survey: (1) strengthens senior leadership’s commitment to the program, (2) strengthens employee ownership in the program, (3) reduces resistance when the program is implemented, (4) helps to identify key elements for the wellness program, and (5) can serve as an evaluation tool. She argues that an employee health survey must be quick and easy to use. Furthermore, it should include items to assess such things as interest in various types of wellness activities (such as fitness or nutrition), logistical constraints (such as time and resource availability), and basic employee health information.
Employee wellness: Wellness program evaluation
Employee Wellness Programs (July 7, 2010)
Focuses on wellness program evaluation. Program evaluation is important for determining the success of a given health promotion program. An effective evaluation determines areas of success as well as areas in need of improvement. According to the article, there are three primary areas of analysis: program structure, program process, and program outcomes. The article provides some sample questions to guide evaluation in each of the three areas and provides a link to a sample health promotion program.
Your well-being is a serious business matter
Forbes (July 6, 2010)
Focuses on Gallup’s five types of well-being. According to Gallup’s research, the five types of well-being can have an effect on an organization’s productivity and profit. The five types of well-being are: (1) social well-being, (2) career well-being, (3) physical well-being, (4) financial well-being, and (5) community well-being. According to Gallup’s research, employees with higher overall well-being have significant cost savings over those with lower overall well-being. Those with a higher well-being cost on average $840 per person per year, whereas those with a lower well-being cost on average $28,800 per person per year. Hence, according to Gallup, organizations can benefit financially from focusing more on the five types of well-being.
How to create a healthy workplace culture
Smart Business (July 2010)
Focuses on the importance of creating a healthy workplace culture. According to the author, a healthy workplace culture is important in creating a healthy workforce, and a healthy workforce is important in creating a healthy bottom line. The author suggests seven steps to creating a healthy culture: (1) assess existing cultural characteristics, (2) determine desired new characteristics, (3) communicate these desired characteristics to all employees, (4) ensure that managers model the new cultural characteristics, (5) provide necessary training, (6) reinforce desired behaviors through rewards and recognition, and (7) provide continuous monitoring and assessment to ensure the culture is taking hold. The author further argues that it is necessary to inspire employees to buy into the new cultural characteristics. She suggests that senior leaders need to model the desired behaviors and communicate effectively with employees. Finally, an effective reward and recognition program can help to get employees committed to the new culture.
Employee training effectiveness
Cool Avenues (June 15, 2010)
Focuses on providing some basics on employee training. This article discusses pre-training, training, and post-training, along with the importance of an effective training evaluation. The article concludes by providing numerous tips to improve training effectiveness in an organization. Some of those tips are: (1) ensure that training programs are offered periodically and that employees attend relevant programs, (2) a needs analysis should be conducted to determine appropriate training needs, (3) employees should receive appropriate training prior to a promotion rather than after a promotion, (4) trainers should be experts in the subject matter, and (5) trainees should be rewarded for applying the knowledge and skills learned in training to the workplace.
Economy up, worker stress down? Think again. Results from The Marlin Company workplace survey
PR Web (June 10, 2010)
Focuses on the results of a recent survey conducted by The Marlin Company. According to the survey results, the most pervasive issue in the workplace at the present time is a lack of positive attitudes and morale. Furthermore, 60% of respondents reported that business was just as bad as it was six months before. Workers reported encountering issues with co-worker disrespect, mental errors, and lack of attention to details. Therefore, although the economy may be recovering, workplaces may still be a haven for high stress experiences.
