The purpose of this study was to identify the satisfaction from services received by businesses as members of Wellness Councils. All 105 members of the Wellness Council of Northwest Indiana were invited to participate in the survey. Fifty four (51%) participants completed and returned the survey on satisfaction levels.The instrument was developed to measure member satisfaction with the services provided by the Wellness Council of Northwest Indiana. The member organizations rated the council on a 5 point scale, with 5 being the highest possible score.A two way analysis of variance was conducted to identify differences in satisfaction by size and organization purpose; profit and nonprofit.The least satisfied group was the large for profit, while the most satisfied group was the large nonprofit group. Small for profit member organizations were slightly more satisfied than small not for profit organizations.Satisfaction did vary by size and organization, but in general, members were mostly satisfied with their participation in the Wellness Council of Northwest Indiana.Also, four open ended questions were asked, to allow the members to elaborate on other areas of interests or concerns. These results showed that members were interested in the following 2 areas: 1. education, 2. networking.Future research should include quantitative methodology that examines the meanings behind many of the narrative comments from the study. Future instruments should also include specific areas of satisfaction mentioned in the narrative responses. / Institute for Wellness

Thesis (M.App.Psy.)--University of Waikato, 2007. / Title from PDF cover (viewed May 28, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-117)

The general aim of this research was to determine the theoretical elements of positive coping behaviour and operationalise these into a reliable and valid measurement scale, the Positive Coping Behaviour Inventory (PCBI). Positive coping behaviour was conceptualised in the context of employee wellness in the contemporary world of work. The literature review guided the development of a theoretical model comprising four constructs denoting positive coping behaviour: cognitive, affective, conative and social coping behaviour. Scale development protocols were followed in generating items for each dimension. The empirical study (research scale development) employed a non-probability, purposive sampling technique. The empirical study targeted the total population of N = 525 employees working in Omnia. The Omnia Group comprises a balanced and diversified range of complementary chemical service businesses with a broad geographic spread. The sample was diverse in terms of age, gender and race, overall mood description and general health. The respondents were purposefully selected based on the requirement that respondents had to be working and aged between 19 and 65 years. The empirical research provided evidence of the factorial (multidimensional) validity, unidimensionality, internal consistency reliability and structural and intra-test construct validity of the PCBI. Construct equivalence of the PCBI across age, gender and race groups was also confirmed. The statistical analyses provided evidence of the PCBI being anchored in a strong theoretical foundation with the scale having the potential to provide researchers and practitioners with a reliable instrument to measure the positive coping behaviour of adult workers. Furthermore, the PCBI contributes to the field of positive psychology and industrial and organisational psychology in terms of better understanding of the behavioural dimensions that constitute positive coping behaviour. As a valid theoretical framework, the PCBI dimensions provide useful information on measuring individuals’ positive coping behaviour in a holistic manner by focusing on a broad spectrum of positive psychological constructs in terms of cognitive, affective, conative and social behavioural elements / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Thesis (MTech (Human Resource Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-117). / The construction industry is an important player in the economy of South Africa. In spite of the numerous constraints facing the industry in developing countries, it makes significant contributions to economic growth. The construction industry is a challenging place to work (Pillay & Haupt in Hinze, Bohner & Lew, 2008). The diverse industry is, however, associated with high risk environments and employees are exposed to harsh and dangerous situations, e.g. employees have to work with dangerous machines and equipment. The industry stands out from other industries as having the highest worker injury and fatality rates. Every construction worker is likely to be temporarily unfit to work at some time as a result of moderate injuries or health problems after working on a construction site (Shakantu, Haupt & Tookey, 2006; Smallwood, 2004). This study was prompted by the lack of an Employee Assistance Programme for workers in a medium-sized construction company. A non-probability sampling procedure was utilised. In order to investigate and explore the well-being of employees a research questionnaire was developed and presented to a sample of 34 male respondents in the construction company for completion. The empirical results indicated the difficulties that the respondents are experiencing. The results further revealed the need for assistance from the employer to the respondents. It is anticipated that the research will contribute to, firstly, an awareness of problems in the construction industry regarding the well-being of workers, and secondly to develop a model which will positively contribute to the effective development and implementation of an assistance programme for employees in the construction industry.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / This study was undertaken in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Employee Assistance Programme on substance abuse in the Department of Public Works. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were applied in the study. Purposive sampling was used to select clients who were on the EAP data base due to substance abuse as well as supervisors as they have first-hand experience with employees utilising the Employee Assistance service and shop-stewards because they play significant role in the workplace in all matters affecting their members including substance abuse. Ten (10) EAP clients were interviewed using the structured interview schedule. A questionnaire was distributed amongst twenty (20) supervisors and six (6) shop-stewards. All EAP clients were males as they are mostly exposed to alcohol and drugs due to a cultural acceptance that men are allowed to drink alcohol and smoke in contrast to women. The majority of the respondents were Sepedi speaking as the study was conducted in Sekhukhune District which is dominated by the Sepedi speaking people. Some of the major findings of the study are: Most of the EAP clients with substance abuse problems had low education level which ranges between standard 3 to 9 and were mostly doing technical work which includes bricklaying, carpentry, welding, electrician work etc. Therefore this suggests that illiteracy contributes towards alcohol and drug abuse due to lack of information of the dangers of the substances. Supervisors and shop-stewards believe that the EAP plays a pivotal role in the workplace to address employees‟ problems such as substance abuse that negatively affects employees‟ performance and productivity. They are also aware of their role of identifying, supporting and referring employees who need help. However, more supervisory training should be conducted to capacitate and strengthen their skills and knowledge on EAP. vi The study revealed that the Department does not have an effective preventative method as well as aftercare programme to assist employees with substance abuse problem which was identified to be the most common in the workplace. It was also highlighted that EAP focus in the Department was more on HIV/AIDS related issues and counselling than other issues. Preventative programmes, such as awareness campaigns on substance abuse, alcohol educational programmes, and peer-intervention as well as aftercare programmes are not implemented. Known cases of substance abuse intervention were identified with no aftercare programme which leads to clients relapsing. It was also found out that there are challenges experienced by EAP clients, supervisors and shop-stewards while utilising the service. Some of the challenges identified were lack of resources such as shortage of staff and budget. The largest group of EAP clients prefer an off-site model as well as ninety-five (95%) of supervisors, who agree that an off-site model is the best for the Department as an in house model promotes conflict of interest and poses confidentiality risks. Nevertheless, all EAP clients maintained that the principle of confidentiality was adhered to. It was also emphasised by the respondents that an off-site model exposes clients to a pool of different professionals such as social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses etc. as compared to an in-house model where only one professional is rendering all services. From the findings it was concluded that EAP in the Limpopo Department of Public Works (LDPW) is not effective in addressing substance abuse since there are no preventative programmes as well as after-care services in place; hence the high rate of EAP clientele with substance abuse problem. However, the respondents are satisfied with the other services rendered through the EAP. For the programme to effectively address substance abuse problem it needs to be fully resourced with skilled staff and have enough budget.

Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), when they first were introduced in the United States of America (USA), were support programmes providing assistance to alcohol addicted employees. During the 1960s, EAPs became comprehensive and offered employee assistance services (EAS) such as financial, marital and family, psychological, work-related stress, chemical dependency (alcohol and drugs), depression, health, anxiety, and even job boredom problems that affect employee work performance. Since then, EAPs have proven to be valuable because skilled and high performing employees who experienced problems could receive assistance in the workplace and once they overcame their problems, they often became more productive and more employers could benefit from EAPs. Due to the benefits provided by EAPs to both employees and employers, South Africa is one of the many countries that have adopted this performance-enhancing strategy. EAPs in South Africa are a relatively new workplace management phenomenon designed similarly to the USA model and thus do not have a long history. In the South African Police Service (SAPS), EAPs are as a result of the operational nature of policing services and the demanding conditions under which police services are carried-out. The EAPs are provided as a means of employee support to promote employee wellness and to create a working environment that is conducive to an effective and efficient delivery of police services. This research investigated the implementation of EAPs at Moroka Police Station, the biggest of the eleven (11) police stations that are situated within Soweto. This station serves approximately a total population of two hundred and fifty thousand (250 000) community members. The research gathered opinions of three selected groups of respondents (non-commissioned officers, EAP practitioners and commissioned officers) about the effectiveness of EAPs in the study area and how they can be improved. Employees in this police station, as in many others, are exposed to daily traumatic events since their duties require them to attend to crime scenes such as murder, collisions of varying seriousness, and often witness the murder of their colleagues. These incidents have a profoundly adverse impact on their psychological well-being and work performance. The findings show that even though remarkable progress has been made with the institutionalisation of EAPs, there are a few concerns which still require management’s attention. From the results of the interviews held with the non-commissioned officers, a few concerns, that if attended to could improve the effectiveness of EAP, include concerns about non-commissioned officers’ lack of knowledge of the functions of EAP, their general experience of EAP, the credibility and adherence by EAP practitioners to ethical guidelines, the frequency of the consultations as well as concerns about the accessibility of the EAP to them. The findings of the interviews held with EAP practitioners tended to be less complimentary than those gathered from non-commissioned officers, and a longer list of concerns was recorded. Numerous concerns that relate to the circumstance under which they administer EAS were articulated. These include concerns about how employees perceive the EAP and their understanding of EAS. Lastly the findings of the questionnaires administered to the commissioned officers, as compared to both the findings gathered from the non-commissioned officers and EAP practitioners, were more positive, especially their understanding of the EAP, how the EAP functions, their overall experience of the services provided through the EAP and their overall satisfaction of the EAS. Although the findings were positive there were few concerns that they identified as needing attention. These concerns are the functions of EAP, implementation of EAP, general experience of EAP, feedback from the EAP practitioners and resistance by employees to consult EAP practitioners. This research concludes by offering recommendations for each of the three groups, and by offering a research agenda for further investigation in this field. / Public Administration and Management / M. Tech. (Public Administration)

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Social workers are working with vulnerable, marginalised and abused clients on a daily basis. Hence, Employee Assistance Programme services are vital to nurture the emotional well-being of employees. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of social workers regarding utilisation of Employee Assistance Programme services in the Greater Giyani Municipality of Limpopo Province. The objectives of the study were to determine social workers' awareness of Employee Assistance Programme services available to them and to establish factors that contribute to the utilisation of Employee Assistance Programme services. The study adopted a qualitative approach and used face-to-face interviews aided by a semi-structured interview schedule to collect data. Non-probability sampling and purposive sample technique were used to select the participants. Moreover, exploratory design was used as a blue print of the study to obtain insight about the perception of social workers of the utilisation of Employee Assistance Programme services. The researcher used thematic analysis to analyse and interpret data. The findings show that participants are not taking advantage of the available psychosocial services within the Department of Social Development. The study also found that participants had never used the EAP, despite the fact that the majority of them had felt the need to seek professional help at some point. Furthermore, participants do not believe in the credibility of the Employee Assistance Programme resulting in them not utilising the available services. Participants expressed concerns about confidentiality, a lack of office space, resources, and poor marketing. The study has concluded that social workers based at the Greater Giyani Municipality of Limpopo Province, have a negative perception regarding the use of EAP services, hence the programme is under-utilised.

No description available.

This study was conducted to describe the status and perceived need of wellness and employee assistance programs in the public school systems in Virginia. There were 132 superintendents asked to respond to a mailed survey; 124 responded, for a return rate of 93.93%. The school systems having these programs were grouped by wealth, according to the composite index of the school system, and size, according to the number of teaching positions in the school system. The results of the analysis indicated that there are a variety of wellness programs throughout the state. Wellness and employee assistance programs occur in large and small school systems with teaching staffs ranging from 43 to 8,124. The composite index of school systems having one of these programs ranged from .2016 to 1.000. There was a significant perceived need of these programs as indicated by the positive responses to an open-ended question. Of the 124 school systems responding, 47, or 37.90%, had wellness programs, and 38, or 30.64%, had employee assistance programs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Objective 20.15 states that by the year 2000, 75% of the workplaces with 50 employees or more should offer a health promotion program. This study established the baseline necessary to measure the growth of these programs in Virginia and will assist personnel directors by providing information about the types of programs that now exist throughout the state. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, it sought to identify constraints on program implementation by exploring the nature of contractual relations in the construction industry. The program of interest was the Laborers’ Membership Assistance Program. Second, it sought to operationalize behavioral norms identified by Macneil in his work on relational contract. The underlying intent was to assess the usefulness of relational contract theory in explaining observed behaviors among parties potentially affected by program implementation. The research strategy chosen for study of the Laborers’ Membership Assistance Program was the embedded case study. Multiple projects were embedded within the overall design, and analyses incorporated outcomes from these multiple projects. Results were then used collectively to propose a grounded theory framework for systematically evaluating relational contract. This was accomplished by comparing ideas growing out of Macneil’s work to empirical evidence. Data were collected from three distinct groups. Each group was potentially affected by the program being implemented -- union stewards and foremen, union business leaders, and signatory employers. Mechanisms for data collection were the semi-structured interview, focus group interview, and questionnaire. Data collection was accomplished through researcher visits to hiring hall premises, focus group interviews at selected hiring halls, and mail surveys. Multiple analytical techniques were used to analyze the data including conceptual correlation matrix analysis, frequencies, correlations, multidimensional scaling, and cluster score analysis. The study was exploratory and the results descriptive. Its theoretical significance lay in its use as a means for assessing the usefulness of Macneil’s work on relational contract as a viable approach to study of workplace relationships and to study of social contract. Its practical Significance lay in its applicability to decisions by unions as to what factors should be considered when designing implementation strategies. / Ph. D.