An investigation into how Treasury management perceives the Employee Health and Wellness Programme

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Date
2016-02
Authors
Mahabuke, Paballo Elizabeth
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The success of a workplace health and wellness programme is dependent on both employee participation and managerial support. An interactive and supportive environment amongst employees (including managers at all levels) and the Employee Health and Wellness Programme (EHWP) team is important for an ongoing and sustained interest in issues of personal health and wellness in the workplace. The main focus of this study was to investigate perceptions of managers regarding the ‘health promotion’ mechanisms of the EHWP within the Free State Provincial Treasury (FSPT). The issue is twofold; firstly the health and well-being of strategic managers themselves and secondly their role in promoting participation in wellness programmes amongst more junior employees, linked by the idea of the manager’s role as “wellness ambassador”. While striving to attain the strategic goals of the organisation, there may be a tendency among strategic managers to neglect their own health and well-being. The overall goal of this study was to investigate how management in FSPT perceive the organisation’s EHWP. The goal is to use the perceptions of the managers to make improvements to the EHWP. A literature study was done to conceptualise and contextualize EHWP with a particular focus on perceptions of such programmes. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the health and well-being of strategic managers in the FSPT and to identify their perceptions of the EHWP. The study revealed that there were some health and lifestyle aspects reported, which could potentially increase the managers’ risk for ill-health and chronic diseases. Several initiatives in the EHWP and in the FSPT are already in place to address awareness and promotion of good health and wellness. Through the perceptions and comments of managers on all levels, the current study highlighted areas where the EHWP could even better serve the health and wellness needs of the FSPT workforce. Furthermore the results indicated that perceptions of managers at all levels served as an invaluable source of information to improve and extend the comprehensive EHWP implemented in a South African public service organisations.
Afrikaans: Die sukses van 'n werkplek gesondheid en welstand program / werkplekgesondheid- en welstandsprogram is afhanklik van beide werknemerdeelname en bestuursondersteuning. 'n Interaktiewe en ondersteunende omgewing onder werknemers (insluitend bestuurders op alle vlakke) en die Werknemer Gesondheid en Welstand Program span is belangrik vir 'n deurlopende en volgehoue belangstelling in sake van persoonlike gesondheid en welstand in die werkplek. Die hooffokus van hierdie studie was om die persepsies van bestuurders met betrekking tot meganismes van die 'gesondheidsbevordering' in die Werknemer Gesondheid en Welstand Program binne die Vrystaat Provinsiale Tesourie te ondersoek. Die probleem is tweedelig; eerstens die gesondheid en welstand van strategiese bestuurders hulself, en tweedens hul rol in die bevordering van deelname aan welstandsprogramme onder meer junior werknemers, verbind deur die idee van die rol van die bestuurder as "welsyn-ambassadeur". Terwyl daar ‘n strewe is om die strategiese doelwitte van die organisasie te bereik, kan daar 'n tendens onder strategiese bestuurders wees, om hul eie gesondheid en welsyn te verwaarloos. Die oorkoepelende doel van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel in verband met hoe bestuur in VPT die organisasie se Werknemer Gesondheid en Welstand Program sien. Die doel is om die persepsies van die bestuurders te gebruik om verbeterings aan die Werknemer Gesondheid en Welstand Program te maak. 'n Literatuurstudie is gedoen om ‘n Werknemer Gesondheid en Welstand Program te konseptualiseer en te kontekstualiseer met 'n spesifieke fokus op die persepsies oor sulke programme. 'n Vraelys is gebruik om die gesondheid en welstand van strategiese bestuurders in die Vrystaat Provinsiale Tesourie te evalueer en om hul persepsies van die Werknemer Gesondheid en Welstand Program te identifiseer. Die studie het getoon dat daar 'n paar aspekte in terme van die gesondheid en leefstyl van die bestuur is wat potensieel hul risiko vir swak gesondheid en chroniese siektes kan verhoog. Verskeie inisiatiewe in die Werknemer Gesondheid en Welstand Program in die Vrystaat Provinsiale Tesourie is reeds in plek om bewustheid en bevordering van goeie gesondheid en welstand aan te spreek. Die persepsies en kommentaar van bestuurders op alle vlakke, het in die huidige studiegebiede uitgewys, waar die Vrystaat Provinsiale Tesourie nog beter diens kan lewer in terme van die gesondheid en welstand van die Vrystaat Provinsiale Tesourie werksmag. Verder het die resultate aangedui dat persepsies van bestuurders op alle vlakke gedien het, as 'n waardevolle bron van inligting om die omvattende Werknemer Gesondheid en Welstand Program in 'n Suid-Afrikaanse staatsdiens organisasie geïmplementeer, te verbeter en uit te brei.
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Keywords
Employee health promotion, Executive, senior and middle managers’ perceptions, Dissertation (M.HPE. (Health Professions Education))--University of the Free State, 2016, Employee Health and Wellness
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