Factors influencing the adoption and maintenance of Canadian, facility-based worksite health promotion programs.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to determine senior management's rationale for adopting and maintaining worksite health promotion programs and the congruence of this rationale with the program objectives of health professionals who manage the programs.

DESIGN

A multiple case study design was used.

SETTING

Nine major Canadian organizations which had adopted facility-based health promotion programs were the settings for this study.

DATA COLLECTION

Semi-structured interviews (22 conducted) and two questionnaires (36 completed) were the methods used to collect data.

RESPONDENTS

Senior managers involved in program adoption, senior managers responsible for program budgets, and senior health professionals responded to the interviews and questionnaires.

RESULTS

Impetus for health promotion program adoption in the organizations we studied had more to do with tangential issues such as an organization moving to a new facility or having access to unused space than with employee health or organizational performance considerations. The most common program adoption rationale was related to employee recruitment/retention. Program continuance was based on process issues such as participation rates and the quality of activity offerings rather than on health or organizational outcomes. While health professionals and senior management both considered human relations and morale more important than cost savings outcomes, health professionals considered cost savings outcomes more important than did senior management.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important for health promotion professionals to develop program objectives which are shared by organizational management. Future program adoptions and maintenance will be influenced by closer analyses of the effect of these programs on organizational performance.