Workplace health promotion: Employee and employer perspectives

PURPOSE This qualitative focus group study defines the experience of a Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) programme from employee and employer perspectives. METHOD Participants who completed a 10-week WHP programme were asked their opinions and perceptions of the programme. The following questions were used as a semi structured question guideline; What were the Strengths of the WHP programme; What were the Weaknesses of the WHP programme; What are the Opportunities for the WHP programme; What are the Threats to the WHP programme. This line of questioning is commonly referred to as the acronym SWOT (DeSilets, 2008). SWOT is a simple group work tool that is well recognised, easy to use and is used here as a data collection method. Participants shared their opinions in two focus group discussions of employee participants (6) and a further purposive group who represented the employer participants (3) of the WHP programme. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analysed using Thomas’ (2006) general inductive approach a method of thematic analysis where the researcher begins with an area of study and allows the theory to emerge from the data. RESULTS Seven key themes emerged from the data. These were; barriers and enablers to participation; communication and information factors; tailoring and targeting issues; culture and leadership within WHP programmes; participation and competition influences; retention and attrition issues and finally health behaviour change and modification. IMPLICATIONS OF THE RESEARCH This study provides insight into some important factors for those who participate, promote and deliver WHP programmes.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Nursing

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Eastern Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Buckingham, Terry

• New Zealand
• employees
• employers
• workplaces
• health promotion
• workplace health promotion programmes
• workplace programmes
• perspectives
• focus groups

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6529

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10652/6529