Learning Processes as Key for Success in Workplace Health Promotion Interventions in Health Care

Abstract

There is limited previous research on how learning processes contribute to the outcomes of workplace health promotion (WHP) leadership interventions. The aim of this study was to identify the outcomes of a system-based WPH education program for managers and investigated what impact the intervention program had on health-oriented leadership, improvement work, and employee well-being, as well as what factors (i.e., how manager's active work following the intervention and organizational learning climate) contributed to these outcomes. A mixed-methods approach was applied, including qualitative interviews with 23 managers and process leaders, as well as questionnaires to employees and managers representing 17 public health care units in Sweden. The results showed that health-oriented leadership, improvement work, work satisfaction, and vitality increased at workplaces that worked actively to implement WHP following the program. Working actively with WHP and health-oriented leadership was of central importance for success and was a covariate with improved social learning climate, improved developmental leadership, and increased degree of improvement work. All included factors of learning during the intervention were associated with improved job satisfaction, while the increase in vitality seemed unrelated to program implementation. In conclusion, successful outcomes of WHP interventions interact with dimensions of organizational learning climate in the workplace.

Managers’ development environments: an integrative literature review

“…Some studies found that a positive learning climate or culture was important for managers’ motivation, engagement and development as a leader (Cherkowski and Walker, 2016; Eriksson and Dellve, 2020; Rodriguez-Gomez et al , 2020). It is also believed that this is important for managers to handle their work situation (Eriksson and Dellve, 2020; Plimmer et al , 2021). In the study by Cherkowski and Walker (2016), managers’ experiences of flourishing in their work of leading schools were investigated.…”

“…Organizational learning climate and how managers’ active work and learning process contributed to the results of a health-promoting leadership intervention were investigated in the study by Eriksson and Dellve (2020). The results showed that managers took on different assignments in the program differently, indicating that interventions and training programs need to be customized for each organization.…”

“…Organizational learning climate and how managers' active work and learning process contributed to the results of a health-promoting leadership intervention were investigated in the study by Eriksson and Dellve (2020)…”

Leadership in Swedish Public Organizations: A Research Review in Education and Care

“…Overall, these articles establish that leaders and leadership styles influence employee (or pupils') health. Whereas a number of these articles conclude that leadership affects employee or workplace health in general [59,64,65,28,73], others are meant to explain what types of leadership are beneficial to health in the workplace. On the one hand, three articles covered transformational leadership's effects, concluded that this leadership type is suitable for countering bullying in the workplace [38], and contributed to an optimal effort-reward balance [61].…”

How Conditions and Resources Connected to Digital Management Systems and Remote Work Are Associated with Sustainable Work

“…The development of sustainable quality of work and work efficiency has also been highlighted as a process that promotes the development of individuals’ and organizations’ resources and resilience to dealing with different forms of work demands [ 4 , 13 ]. It has, in this context, been emphasized that the development of sustainable work requires a learning climate for developmental work, including a social team climate that promotes collaboration on work improvements [ 14 ]. This study thus includes, as explanatory factors, how digital resources, including DMSs, and a digital learning climate may contribute to or hinder outcomes related to sustainable work when working remotely.…”