The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67828

Kyoung-Ok Park, PhD¹, C. Shannon Griffin-Blake, PhD², Bryan S. Schaffer, MBA³, David M. DeJoy, PhD⁴, and Mark G. Wilson, HSD⁴. (1) Department of Health Education, Ewha Womans University, 11-1 Daehyun-dong Soedaemoon-gu, Seoul, 120-750, South Korea, 82194686614, kopark0822@hotmail.com, (2) Health Promotion & Behavior, University of Georgia, 300 River Road, Ramsey 216, Athens, GA 30602, (3) Management, College of Business, University of Georgia, Brooks Hall, Athens, GA 30602-6256, (4) Health Promotion and Behavior, University of Georgia, 300 River Road, Ramsey 216, Athens, GA 30602

Few worksite health promotion interventions consider different organizational situations over racial diversity although minority workers involve more and more in the United States industry. This study conducted a healthy work organization intervention in 22 southeastern stores of a retail industry. This study examined how the intervention effectiveness was different by race on organizational climate and employee well-being. The healthy work organization intervention was conducted with an employee problem-solving program building employee involvement and decision-making for six months. Organizational survey was conducted six months before and after the intervention. The numbers of employees participated in the baseline and the follow-up survey were 2,207 and 1,463 each. Overall effect of the intervention program was significant both in organizational climate and well-being (p = .001). The effect of the intervention on organizational climate and well-being was significantly different by race (p= .05) in the multivariate analysis of covariance. The three-way interaction effect of time, intervention, and race indicated that the intervention was more effective to Black and Hispanic workers than White workers in organizational support, coworker support, and involvement with supervisor (p< .05). In conclusion, the problem-solving intervention of this study improved the involvement and social relationship at work of minority workforce usually being short of these in organizations more than these of White workforce. This result implies that the healthy work organization intervention is useful to create a healthy work climate for all employees in the organization.

Learning Objectives:

• Compare the effectiveness of a healthy work organization intervention by racial groups in organizational climate and well-being.
• Describe how race interacted with the intervention program to affecting perceived organizational climate and well-being.
• Discuss the key organizational components and strategies to create the healthy work organization for all workers including racial diversity.

Keywords: Minorities, Interventions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.