Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of mental illness has risen significantly worldwide, with cumulative annual costs to companies of around one trillion US dollars in lost productivity (WHO, 2021). In the context of the megatrend of health, HPL is a key element to strengthen well-being, resistance, and performance of employees.
The correlation between HPL and HL is an under-researched field and has not been investigated in consultancies. The objective is to investigate the self-assessed HL of leaders and employees of consulting companies and to examine to which extent HL depends on individual characteristics. A quantitative assessment of HL was conducted through an online questionnaire based on the European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47), and the responses were statistically analysed.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Relevance of health-promoting leadership
1.2 Research objective
1.3 Research gap
2 Review of current thinking
2.1 Definition of relevant health terms
2.1.1 Definition of health
2.1.2 Definition of health literacy
2.1.3 Definition of health-promoting leadership
2.2 Leadership challenges
2.2.1 Coping with increasing stress
2.2.2 Developing healthy self-leadership
2.2.3 Caring about health despite distant leadership
2.3 Correlation between health literacy and health-promoting leadership
2.4 Development of hypotheses
2.5 Modelling the research framework
3 Research methodology
3.1 Justification of the research direction
3.2 Description of the survey instrument
3.2.1 Choices based on the research onion model
3.2.2 Research design
3.2.3 Details of the questionnaire
3.2.4 Measurements and calculations
3.2.5 Sampling method
3.3 Method of evaluation
3.4 Quality criteria of empirical research
4 Results and recommendations
4.1 Presentation of the people data
4.2 Presentation of the dataset
4.3 Descriptive statistics
4.4 Inferential statistics
4.4.1 Statistical analysis
4.4.2 Effects between age, gender, and leadership responsibility
4.4.3 Testing of the hypotheses
4.4.4 Conclusion of the hypotheses testing
4.5 Recommendation for action
5 Discussion
5.1 Major contributions of this dissertation
5.1.1 Key findings
5.1.2 Robustness of the results
5.1.3 Innovativeness of the results
5.1.4 Contribution to the practice
5.2 Limitations
5.3 Possibilities for future research directions
6 Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This dissertation aims to evaluate the self-assessed Health Literacy (HL) of leaders and employees within the consulting industry to determine if they possess the necessary skills to implement Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL). By examining correlations between HL and individual characteristics such as gender, age, leadership responsibility, and talent, the research seeks to provide evidence-based recommendations for fostering a healthier organizational culture and reducing costs associated with worker absenteeism.
- Investigation of Health Literacy (HL) among consultants and its relation to Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL).
- Analysis of sociodemographic and professional factors influencing individual health literacy levels.
- Application of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) within a professional consulting context.
- Development of actionable recommendations for leaders and organizations to improve employee well-being.
- Exploration of the role of leadership in mitigating stress and fostering a healthy corporate environment.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2.3 Caring about health despite distant leadership
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused an overnight shift to virtual collaboration as many workplaces were closed by law to avoid social contact. Leading from a distance requires leaders to keep decentralised employees around the world connected and create a collaborative team atmosphere to achieve a strong team performance (Marques and Dhiman, 2017). Both employees and leaders tended to have limited experience in digital leadership before. Today, more than two years after the beginning of the pandemic and the expansion of working from home, many employees continue to be given the option to work flexibly from remote locations (Hofmann et al., 2020; Deloitte, 2021).
Leading from a distance fundamentally changes the way leadership is practiced, so leadership must be actively adapted to the new situation. Especially in times of crisis, workplace characteristics must support the mental well-being of the workforce. Applying HPL in the virtual work environment poses new challenges for leaders. Health risks have shifted towards extended accessibility, combining work and private activities, and low social interaction (Kordsmeyer et al., 2020). Positive key characteristics, leaders could evoke through their approach to leading, are feelings of security, connectedness, and positive future orientation (Riedel et al., 2021).
Special attention should be paid to the following aspects, which will be discussed in the next paragraphs: The way of communication, relationships and social interaction, role and attitude of the leader (Roscher and Begerow, 2020).
Chapter Summary
1 Introduction: outlines the current relevance of Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL) in the context of increasing workplace stress and the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing the research objective and the specific gap regarding the consultancy industry.
2 Review of current thinking: defines the conceptual foundations of health, health literacy, and health-promoting leadership, while discussing external leadership challenges and developing the theoretical research framework.
3 Research methodology: details the quantitative research approach, the use of the adapted HLS-EU-Q47 questionnaire, and the statistical methods employed to analyze data from 208 consultants.
4 Results and recommendations: presents the descriptive and inferential statistical findings of the survey, tests the four formulated hypotheses, and derives practical recommendations for implementing health-promoting measures.
5 Discussion: interprets the primary study findings, assesses the overall robustness of the research, highlights the innovativeness of the work, and outlines inherent limitations and opportunities for future studies.
6 Conclusion: summarizes the importance of HPL for organizational well-being and emphasizes the need for tailored health literacy development, particularly targeting identified potential within young employee groups.
Keywords
Health-Promoting Leadership, HPL, Health Literacy, HL, Consultancy Industry, Mental Health, Employee Well-being, Quantitative Research, Leadership Challenges, Distant Leadership, Corporate Health Management, Occupational Health, Stress Management, Self-Leadership, Workplace Health Promotion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
The dissertation explores the relationship between Health Literacy (HL) and Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL) specifically within consulting companies, investigating whether employees and leaders possess the skills to manage health-related information effectively.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The main themes include health-promoting leadership, the impact of virtual work on employee well-being, the role of self-leadership in managing stress, and the quantitative assessment of health literacy across different levels of management.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to determine the self-assessed HL of consultants and leaders and to analyze how individual characteristics like gender, age, and leadership responsibility influence these health-related skills.
Which research methodology was utilized?
The study utilized a quantitative research design, specifically a cross-sectional study using an online, self-completed questionnaire based on the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU-Q47) administered to 208 participants.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the theoretical definitions of health and leadership, specific challenges in virtual work environments induced by COVID-19, and a detailed statistical analysis of the health literacy competencies found in the surveyed consulting sample.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL), Health Literacy (HL), consulting industry, workplace health, mental health, and employee well-being.
Why was the consulting industry selected for this study?
The consulting industry was chosen for the author's professional interest and for its unique environment often characterized by high workloads, strong stress levels, and flexible, digital working arrangements, making it an ideal setting to study health literacy.
What were the main findings regarding gender and leadership responsibility?
The study found that young women without leadership responsibilities possessed a significantly higher health literacy index compared to the rest of the sample, which highlights a potential talent group for future health-promotion initiatives.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2022, The Key to Employee Health. Health Literacy of Leaders as a Basis for Health-Promoting Leadership in Consulting Companies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1239959
