Why do managers allocate resources to workplace health promotion programmes in countries with national health coverage?

Datos Bibliográficos

ID22945339
AutoresAngela M Downey, Angela Downey (University of Lethbridge, autor de correspondencia), David Sharp (0000-0002-6915-1283, Western University), David J Sharp
Año2007
Volumen22
Número2
Páginas102-111
Fecha de publicación2007-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaHealth Promotion International (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0957-4824 • E-ISSN: 1460-2245
EditorialOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/heapro/dam002
PMID17339297
OpenAlexW2156868609
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas7
Referencias citadas21

There is extensive evidence that worksite health promotion (WHP) programmes reduce healthcare costs and improve employee productivity. In many countries, a large proportion of healthcare costs are borne by the state. While the full benefits of WHP are still created, they are shared between employers and the state, even though the employer bears the full (after-tax) cost. Employers therefore have a lower incentive to implement WHP activity. We know little about the beliefs of managers with decision responsibility for the approval and implementation of WHP programmes in this context. This article reports the results of a study of the attitudes of Canadian senior general managers (GMs) and human resource managers (HRMs) in the auto parts industry in Ontario, Canada towards the consequences of increasing discretionary spending on WHP, using Structural Equation Modelling and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. We identified factors that explain managers' intentions to increase discretionary spending on wellness programmes. While both senior GMs and HRMs are motivated primarily by their beliefs that WHP reduces indirect costs of health failure, GMs were also motivated by their moral responsibility towards employees (but surprisingly HRMs were not). Importantly, HRMs, who usually have responsibility for WHP, felt constrained by a lack of power to commit resources. Most importantly, we found no social expectation that organizations should provide WHP programmes. This has important implications in an environment where the adoption of WHP is very limited and cost containment within the healthcare system is paramount.

Business · Commit · Context (archaeology) · Economic growth · Economics · Health care · Health promotion · Incentive · Productivity · Public economics · Structural equation modeling · Workplace health promotion · Agriculture and Farm Safety · Marketing · Occupational Health and Safety Research · Workplace Health and Well-being