What makes workplaces well

1

• What makes workplaces well?
• A new focus for research and practice
• Julian Barling
• Queens School of Business

2

• A new, real interest in workplace wellness
• Wellness, not just illness
• Mental as well as physical
• Most approaches look at the outcomes, we look at
  the inputs

3

• Numerous sources today
• Gallup poll
• Research in North America and elsewhere
• Emphasis on positive organizational behavior and
  positive psychology
• Major psychological and behavioral journals
  devoted to research on the topic
• Journal of Occupational Health Psychology
• Work and Stress

4

• Toward the ten elements of a
• healthy workplace

5
1. Transformational leadership
Transformational leadership
Healthy Workplace
JB-194
6
1. Transformational leadership

• The most widely studied leadership theory in the
  1990s
• Idealized influence
• Inspirational motivation
• Intellectual stimulation
• Individualized consideration
• Affects a diverse array of attitudinal and
  performance variables

7
Trust in management
Transformational leadership
Well-being
Self- efficacy
8
2. Work load and pace
Transformational leadership
Work load And pace
Healthy Workplace
JB-194
9
Work load and pace

• Avoid both overload and underload
• Demands related to skill
• Provision to recover from unusually demanding
  tasks
• Demands related to discretion

10
3. Work schedule
Transformational leadership
Work load And pace
Work Schedule
Healthy Workplace
JB-194
11
Work schedule

• Compatible with outside roles and demands
• Rotate in a stable, predictable and forward
  pattern
• Offer some form of perceived control

12
4. Role clarity
Transformational leadership
Work load And pace
Work Schedule
Healthy Workplace
Role Clarity
JB-194
13
Role clarity

• Well-defined roles that enhance clarity
• Tell people what to do but not how to do it

14
5. Job future
Transformational leadership
Work load And pace
Work Schedule
Healthy Workplace
Role Clarity
Job future
JB-194
15
Job future

• In the short term
• Is employment security, or job ownership, the
  answer to job security?
• In the long term, can we get back to career
  paths?
• The critical ingredient that is missing?
• Perceived control

16
6. Autonomy
Transformational leadership
Work load And pace
Work Schedule
Healthy Workplace
Role Clarity
Autonomy
Job future
JB-194
17
Autonomy

• Nobody knows the job as well as the person who
  does it
• Effects of autonomy on productivity and
  well-being have received widespread empirical
  support
• But autonomy by itself might be dangerous!

18
7. Workplace justice
Transformational leadership
Work load And pace
Work Schedule
Healthy Workplace
Role Clarity
Workplace justice
Autonomy
Job future
JB-194
19
Workplace justice

• Different forms of justice
• Procedural
• Interpersonal
• Distributive
• Have widespread effects on productivity,
  counter-productivity and cardiovascular disease

20
8. Reduced status distinctions
Transformational leadership
Work load And pace
Work Schedule
Reduced status distinctions
Healthy Workplace
Role Clarity
Workplace justice
Autonomy
Job future
JB-194
21
Reduced status distinctions

• We send (too) many messages suggesting that some
  people are worth more than others

22
9. Social environment
Transformational leadership
Work load And pace
Social environment
Work Schedule
Reduced status disctinctions
Healthy Workplace
Role Clarity
Workplace justice
Autonomy
Job future
JB-194
23
Social environment

• I have a best friend at work
• People leave because of people

24
10. Extrinsic factors
Transformational leadership
Extrinsic factors
Work load And pace
Social environment
Work Schedule
Reduced status disctinctions
Healthy Workplace
Role Clarity
Workplace justice
Autonomy
Job future
JB-194
25
Extrinsic factors

• Noise
• Heat
• Cold
• The role of perceived control

26
What underlies many of these elements?

• The role of perceived control
• Toby Walls study
• Job insecurity
• Rotating schedules
• Understanding of contingent work

27
The Ten Elements of a Health Workplace
Transformational leadership
Extrinsic factors
Work load And pace
Social environment
Work Schedule
Reduced status disctinctions
Healthy Workplace
Role Clarity
Workplace justice
Autonomy
Job future
JB-194
28
The benefits of a healthy workplace

• Wellness
• Mental
• Physical
• Productivity
• Lower absenteeism
• Lower LTD
• Service quality
• Employee retention
• Higher work quality

29
How do the ten elements exert their effects?
I love my job!
10 elements of a healthy workplace
Positive outcomes

• Transformational leadership
• Work load and pace
• Work schedule
• Role clarity
• Job future
• Job content
• Workplace justice
• Reduced status distinctions
• Social environment
• Extrinsic factors

Commitment

• Mental wellness
• Physical well-being
• Productivity
• Lower absence
• Lower LTD use
• Employee retention
• Service quality

Passionate
Intimacy
JB-028
30

• Thank you!