Fostering a psychologically healthy workplace through leadership

Abstract

Although the impact of psychologically healthy workplaces on organizational and employee level outcomes has received increased attention over recent years (e.g., Day & Randell, 2014; Loughlin & Mercer, 2014), leaders and organizations often feel challenged as to how to foster a psychologically healthy workplace (Grawitch, Ledford, Ballard, & Barber, 2009). Given the success of leadership interventions in improving employee and organizational outcomes (e.g., Barling, Weber, & Kelloway, 1996) and the importance of incorporating leaders into interventions (Kelloway & Barling, 2010), this study drew on the Conservation of Resources Theory (Hobfoll, 1998; Hobfoll & Shirom, 2001) the Job Demands Resource Model (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001), and the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model (Siegrist, 2001), and the role of leaders and healthy workplaces as resources in promoting employee wellbeing. I developed and validated a training program aimed at improving leaders’ behaviours that contribute to a healthy workplace and positive employee outcomes. In Study 1, I conducted interviews and focus groups with subject matter experts (N = 35) to develop a scale to assess leadership behaviours that contribute to a healthy workplace. In Study 2, I examined the psychometric properties of the scale in terms of reliability, and construct and criterion-validity (N = 601). In Study 3, I developed a leadership training program (Leading Healthy Workplaces: Fostering a Psychologically Healthy Workplace through Leadership) and evaluated it using a longitudinal waitlist control training design (N = 68). Leaders reported increases in some of their own Healthy Workplace Leadership Behaviours. Direct reports reported perceived increases in one of their leaders’ behaviours (i.e., Promotion of a Healthy Workplace).