A key statement that makes an important strong point is “if top management does not provide support and develop a culture that is conducive to wellness, the programmes will inevitably fail after a few years” (Thompson, 1997, p. 84). This is an important statement because it points to a neglected point. This statement points to the role of top management in making or breaking an employee health program. Indifference by top management by considering themselves outside of the scope of the employee health program could lead to failure.
Top management could influence the uptake of the program by becoming role models and giving encouragement to employees. This would cause a bigger impact on the development of a culture supportive of health consciousness. Another key statement from McMahan (1984, p. 44) is that “coworkers can help reinforce lifestyle changes in each other” (as cited in Thompson, 1997, p. 84). This cannot be an absolute statement because this has two divergent implications. On one hand, collective activities under an employee health program could usher common benefits to employees and the business.
On the other hand, a collective direction may not necessarily receive individual support. In the case of smoking, the decision to address this issue is largely individual and while some may cooperate in company activities to quit smoking, other smokers may resent the intrusion into their private life in the workplace setting. Critical Analysis The article makes a good argument for the adoption of business firms of employee health programs. The article starts by stating the increase in the number of business firms establishing their respective employee health programs.
It then mentions the uniform results of studies indicating the benefits of implementing health programs for employees. Two companies, Southern California Edison Co. and Hershey Foods Corp. , served as examples of firms experiencing benefits from their respective health programs. The article then discussed the development of an actual health program and the outcomes. All these show that health programs provide widespread and long-term benefits to firms. However, the article failed to determine problems, issues or downsides in developing health programs.
These are equally important to firms in deciding whether to implement health programs, how best to implement these programs, and what to expect from the program. Application of the Subject Matter to the UAE The benefits and development of health program for employees also apply in different business environments such as the UAE. A real case is Dubai World, a large holding company involved in industrial investments within and outside of the UAE through its large pool of employees.
In December 2007, the company launched its employee health program with the purpose of ensuring overall health for employees with impact on performance and productivity. The health program has four components. First is information dissemination to discuss current health risks and ways of preventing these risks. Second is diagnosis or testing of employees to determine health condition and potential risks. Third is the set of activities that target healthy diet and exercise for individuals and groups. Fourth is compliance measure through fines.
(“Dubai World,” 2007) The distinct feature of the program is its mandatory nature as opposed to the commitment building strategy discussed in the article. Nevertheless, the mandatory application of the program by Dubai World is likely a cultural consideration in ensuring compliance by employees. There are no follow-up reports on the success of the program, specifically on whether mandatory compliance worked. Lessons Derived The learning process has passive and active components that complement each other.
Passive learning refers to listening to lectures and reports mostly on theoretical knowledge with the lecturer as the source of learning. Active learning refers to the application of theoretical knowledge by students in the context of real situations, whether as part of academic requirements or in day-to-day life. In the process, a learner discovers practical skills. The analysis of the case study reflects the movement from passive to active learning by encouraging the exercise of critical analysis in assessing the contents and implications for learning and practice of the article.
Realizations from the analysis of the article and application in real context build critical thinking useful inside and outside of the classroom.
References
Dubai World Excellence Center launches employee health & fitness campaign. (2007). AME Info. Retrieved May 3, 2009, from http://www. ameinfo. com/140552. html Thompson, J. (1997). Employee health programs: A model designed for a local company. Journal of Workplace Learning, 9(2), 83-87.