Dissertation
Exploring the Role of Leaders and Employees in Workplace Wellness: A Multiple Case Study of Australia Medium-Sized Organisations
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00858
Abstract
Wellness in the workplace is gaining attention due to the importance of investigating and exploring the experiences of leaders in organisations of the modern workplace. Equally important is the role of leadership in the Australian business context, and the complex but integral associations between leaders, employees, and the workplace. This research critically evaluates the upsurge of wellness through a leadership lens and builds a deeper understanding of analysis of how CEO perceptions and experiences impact wellness in the workplace. For organisations to function effectively, they need to establish and maintain a healthy and productive workforce. Over the past decade, an approach that has increasingly been used to promote productivity and efficiency is wellness programs. Yet, the effectiveness of these wellness programs has delivered mixed results. They have been overly prescriptive with low employee engagement rates and no consensus as to which wellness programs are recognised as best practice.
This study suggests that promoting wellness programs is limiting, thereby wellness needs to evolve in the workplace. Moving towards an inclusive workplace wellness approach that adopts not only programs but also workforce design, workplace recruitment practices, and the influencing characteristics of the leaders and their workplace culture is vital. Therefore, CEOs play an important leadership role in managing the business by being made aware of the barriers and enablers of effective workplace wellness implementation.
Leadership continues to be a complex phenomenon with little research elucidating the subtleties of internal and external forces operating and impacting the potential to influence workplace wellness. Effective leaders in the 21st Century are faced with ever-increasing workplace pressure and complexity. Of equal importance, organisations are seeking new approaches to doing business and delivering better overall experiences for their employees.
This study interviewed leaders and employees in four organisations from different industry sectors and undertook a case study analysis. The study concluded that the role of leaders as agents of change provides a better understanding of wellness across different organisational levels. A new conceptualisation of workplace wellness is presented.
Details
- Title
- Exploring the Role of Leaders and Employees in Workplace Wellness: A Multiple Case Study of Australia Medium-Sized Organisations
- Authors
- Vesna Derok - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
- Contributors
- Wayne Graham (Principal Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesPeter Innes (Co-Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/00858
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991047794202621
- Output Type
- Dissertation
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