Leadership development an important condition for health-promoting workplaces

Nordic School of Public Health NHV 14 November, 2011 New publications

An important condition for developing healthy workplaces is leadership that creates a culture for health-promoting workplaces and values, and inspires and motivates employee participation in such a development.

– It involves creating good working conditions and a good work environment, says Andrea Eriksson, whose dissertation “Health-promoting leadership – A study of the concept and critical conditions for implementation and evaluation” shows how a health-promoting leadership can be developed.
Her research is based on case studies of projects aiming at developing health-promoting leadership as well as on interviews with managers in the municipal sectors.

Promoting employee health is a long-term development that requires commitment and support from all organisational levels, not least from the top management.

– A health-promoting workplace does not only mean individual-oriented wellness activities, it is rather a holistic approach to promote a good physical and psychosocial work environment, says Eriksson.

This approach includes managerial knowledge and skills as well as policies and structures of the organisation that support a health-promoting workplace.

Sickness rates is not the hole story
The concept of health-promoting leadership has been adopted by several Swedish municipalities as a means to decrease sickness rates.
Andrea Eriksson is critical to a narrow focus on low sickness rates.

– In my interviews with managers in the municipal sector I have noticed that they are aware of factors promoting employee health, but their work situation make it difficult for the managers to be health-promoting leaders in practice. In female-dominated working sectors, such as care of elderly and schools, an important issue is thus how to improve the managers’ working conditions as well as their possibilities to promote a good work environment.

Andrea Eriksson makes suggestions for important aspects to consider when implementing and evaluating health-promoting leadership. They include time and support for development work as well as organising work in a health-promoting manner.

– It can be, for example, to give employees increased control over their work environment or to support them in different ways according to their needs.

Title: Health promoting leadership. A study of the concept and critical conditions for its implementation and evaluation.

Time and place for public defence: Friday, the 2 December 2011, 1.15 p.m. in Hall.
Adress: Fredrik Bloms väg 25, Nya Varvet, Göteborg
Dissertation can be ordered for 150 SEK excluded postage fees: kirsi.gomes@nhv.se

Author: Andrea Eriksson E-mail: andrea.eriksson@nhv.se
Main supervisor: Runo Axelsson, professor, Sahlgrenska Akademin, Second supervisor: Susanna Bihari Axelsson, associate professor, Nordic School of Public Health

More press releases from Nordic School of Public Health NHV

Cultural understanding can support a feeling of security for Greenlandic families

13 May, 2013 - Nordic School of Public Health NHV

Greenlandic families expecting a baby, often feel safest when care supports cultural elements such as being near to family, home environment and local traditions. Culturally sensitive maternity care, lessens the risk of non-compliance in expecting families and the desire for alternative care solutions can be reduced. This is shown in a new doctoral thesis at the Nordic School of Public Health NHV.

Music therapy in health care increases life quality

20 February, 2013 - Nordic School of Public Health NHV

Gothenburg, Sweden, February 20, 2013. After 35 years as a music therapist, Anci Sandell can now present research findings showing that the therapy methods she uses, increases quality of life for people who are being treated for severe medical or psychosocial conditions. On February 22, she will defend her doctoral thesis ”Musik för kropp och själ – Modell för interaktiv musikterapi” (”Music for Body and Soul – Model for Interactive Music Therapy”) at the Nordic School of Public Health NHV. The defence will be held in Swedish.

Fathers on parental leave becomes committed parents of children with diabetes

15 January, 2013 - Nordic School of Public Health NHV

It is important for the child’s health and wellbeing that the father of a child with diabetes is involved in their everyday lives.
– To support the fathers’ involvement in their children’s daily life and diabetes care, both supportive social structures and gender sensitive health care is necessary, says Åse Boman who is defending her thesis at the Nordic School of Public Health NHV in Gothenburg on the 18th of January.

Collaboration between organizations works only if staff and management deals openly with conflicts

6 December, 2012 - Nordic School of Public Health NHV

Collaboration between organizations has become an increasingly common strategy to develop welfare and manage problems in the welfare systems. A new dissertation reveals fundamental problems at the level of interaction, such as lack of communication and defensive handling of conflicts.
– Conflict is best regarded as a natural part of the human interaction and need to be handled openly in order for collaboration to be effective, says Ingela Furenbäck, Head of Department of Health Science 2 at Kristianstad University. She is defending her thesis at the Nordic School of Public Health NHV on the 13th of December.

All press releases