Turning Intention Into Participation in Occupational Health Promotion Courses? The Moderating Role of Organizational, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal Factors

Occupational health literacy and work ability: a moderation analysis including interpersonal and organizational factors in healthy organizations

Introduction

Healthy organizations approach to occupational safety and health should holistically include individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. There is an empirical research gap in considering different levels in organizations for health promotion in the context of maximizing work ability. This study aims to investigate the association of (1) occupational health literacy (on an individual level), (2) health-oriented leadership (interpersonal level), (3) participation possibilities in health, and (4) values of health in companies (both organizational levels) on work ability. Additionally, we examined the potentially moderating role of health-oriented leadership, participation possibilities in health, and values of health between occupational health literacy and work ability.

Methods

Cross-sectional data were obtained from 828 employers and employees in small and medium-sized enterprises. Self-report measures included occupational health literacy, health-oriented leadership, work ability, participation possibilities in health at work, and values of health in the company. Occupational health literacy comprises two factors: a knowledge-/skill-based approach to occupational health and a willingness/responsibility for occupational health. Participation possibilities in health are measured regarding participatory opportunities and co-creation of health at work. Values of health in the company capture the importance of health in the workplace and the scope for improving employees' health. Data were analyzed using latent regression and latent moderation analyses controlling for age, gender, and educational level.

Results

Occupational health literacy (knowledge-/skill-based), health-oriented leadership, participation possibilities in health, and values of health in companies showed positive associations with work ability. Health-oriented leadership on an interpersonal level was found to moderate the positive relationship between (knowledge-/skill-based) occupational health literacy and work ability. Participation possibilities in health on an organizational level acted as a moderator on the relationship between both occupational health literacy factors and work ability.

Discussion

Individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors play important roles in maintaining work ability in healthy organizations. This study highlights the importance of promoting occupational health literacy among employees and leaders, creating a healthy workplace through health-oriented leadership, and providing participatory opportunities for co-creation in health promotion at work. Future research should further explore these factors' roles in different industries and contexts and how they may be addressed effectively in tailored workplace interventions.

Worksite health promotion for employees working from home: A vignette experiment examining intentions to participate

This study explores which factors affect employees' intention to participate in worksite health promotion (WHP) when they work from home. Employees increasingly work from home, yet existing WHP is mainly tied to the workplace. We lack knowledge on what might stimulate employees to make use of WHP specifically when they work from home. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action, we studied whether type of activity, duration, if WHP takes place during work time, how often employees work from home (shaping employees' attitude) and colleague participation (social norms) explain employees' intention to participate in WHP when working from home. To do so, we employed a vignette experiment. Results show that employees' intentions are higher for walking and taking breaks than for an online sports class. Moreover, intentions are higher for shorter activities and when participating in WHP can be done during work time. The more colleagues participate, the higher intentions of employees to do so too. By offering WHP for employees at home, employers can promote employees' health even when these are not present in the workplace. Our study provides leads into how employers may create conditions under which employees use WHP when working from home.

Does Self-Care Make You a Better Leader? A Multisource Study Linking Leader Self-Care to Health-Oriented Leadership, Employee Self-Care, and Health

Leadership plays an important role in employee well-being. In light of a growing research interest in leaders’ resources as determinants of healthy leadership, it is not yet clear how leaders’ behavior regarding their own health (self-care) may trickle down to employees. Drawing on Conservation of Resources Theory and the model of Health-Oriented Leadership, this study tests two mechanisms through which employees may benefit from self-caring leaders: (a) through staff care, that is, concern for their employees’ health (improved leadership hypothesis); and (b) through a direct relationship between leaders’ and employees’ self-care (role-modeling hypothesis). In turn, both staff care and employee self-care would relate positively to employee health. Multilevel path models based on a sample of N = 46 supervisors and 437 employees revealed that leader self-care was positively related to leader-rated staff care at Level 2, which was positively related to employee-rated staff care at Level 1. In turn, employee-rated staff care was positively related to employee health. The findings support the improved leadership hypothesis and underline the importance of leader self-care as a determinant of healthy leadership.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Workplace Social Relations and Worksite Health Promotion Use

OBJECTIVE

To study whether workplace social relations explain use of worksite health promotion (WHP), by examining colleagues' and team managers' WHP encouragement of a healthy lifestyle, and colleague WHP uptake.

METHODS

Multilevel data came from the second wave of the European Sustainable Workforce Survey (4345 employees of 402 team in 9 countries). Linear probability models were used to test use of two types of WHP: healthy menus and sport facilities.

RESULTS

Employees are more likely to use healthy menus and sport facilities when more colleagues do so too and when colleagues encourage a healthy lifestyle. Surprisingly, encouragement by one's manager plays no role.

CONCLUSIONS

Social contact among colleagues can facilitate WHP use, and WHP initiatives should pay attention to the influential role of colleagues.

Health-Oriented Self- and Employee Leadership in Virtual Teams: A Qualitative Study with Virtual Leaders

Virtual teamwork as a new way of working is becoming increasingly prevalent in a growingly globalized and digitalized working environment. Due to the associated raise in health-related stress factors at the workplace and the central role of leaders in workplace health promotion, the aim of this study is to obtain initial findings on the use of health-oriented self- and employee leadership in virtual teams from the perspective of virtual leaders. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 13 virtual leaders by using the problem-centered interview method. The collected data were deductively and inductively evaluated and interpreted using the qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. The results show that virtual leaders ascribed great value of health and showed great awareness in health-oriented self- and employee leadership. Physical activity and boundary management were particularly mentioned as health-oriented self-leadership behaviors. The majority of leaders described communication, building trust, support in boundary management and implementation of personal meetings as health-oriented employee leadership behaviors. In addition to social, technical, and personal factors, primarily organizational factors were mentioned as factors of influence in this context. For a more comprehensive understanding of health-oriented leadership, the inclusion of virtual team members in further research studies is necessary.