"Pumping Up” Wellness at Work: A Communicative Model of Participation in Workplace Health Promotion Programs

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Organizational Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Research has clearly demonstrated the beneficial outcomes of workplace health promotion (WHP) programs, yet scholars have called for more theory-driven research to fully understand why most employees do not participate in these initiatives. To show the role of communication in WHP, we collected survey data from 204 employees at a company with a wellness program. Results confirmed a communicative model of employees’ participation in WHP programs, which demonstrates the mediating role of organizational identification in the relationship between perceived organizational support and employees’ participation in WHP programs. In addition to filling a theoretical gap in the WHP literature, this study offers important recommendations for practitioners in this field, cautioning organizations that often outsource wellness programs.

Authors

• Yaguang Zhu, The University of Texas at Austin

• Stephanie Layne Dailey, Texas State U