The Connection Between Wellness Programs and Employee Job Satisfaction in Higher Education

• Main Author: Richemond, Donel J.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2016
• Subjects: Company Sponsor Wellness; Faculty Wellness; Higher education Wellness; Job Satisfaction; Unversity Wellness; Wellness Program; Business; Health and Medical Administration; Public Health Education and Promotion
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2173; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3276&context=dissertations

Job dissatisfaction is becoming a fundamental concern for employers. Employee engagement makes an organization more productive and can reduce absenteeism. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between employer-sponsored wellness-program participation and job satisfaction among for-profit college and university leaders. Data collection involved an online survey of 400 faculty members' from for-profit universities in the United States contacted using the Job Satisfaction Survey; 103 participants completed the survey. The theoretical framework was the need-satisfaction theory, which includes the factors that promote job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction. The results came from a multiple regression analysis that indicated a significant negative relationship between job satisfaction and participation in the employer-sponsored wellness program (β = -.22, t = -2.24, p = .027), where faculty who were not participating in the wellness program had higher levels of job satisfaction (M = 3.62) in comparison to those who did participate (M = 3.80). Interaction analyses indicated a relationship between gender and job satisfaction (β = -.26, t = -2.70, p = .008). Females were more likely than were males to have higher levels of job satisfaction, as well as years of experience and job satisfaction. Faculty who had been employed for between 11 and 15 years were more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction appear lower for those who participate in employer-sponsored wellness programs because of the personal gratification employees' experience. The findings may contribute to social change with information that leaders could use to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity, and profitability.