Joanne Newton NHPRC2013
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Transcript of Joanne Newton NHPRC2013
Can a university be a ‘healthy university?’
Jo Newton 3rd Year PhD Student LSBU
Supervisors:
Professor Jane Wills LSBU
Professor Nicola Crichton LSBU
Professor Mark Dooris UCLAN
June 2013
The university as a setting
• Traditionally share similar aims and values• Values include engagement, diversity,
participation, collaboration• Aim is continuous improvement• Natural community to strive to create &
improve H&WB
The university as a setting
• 169 universities in the UK• Employ 370,000 people• Over 2.5 million students (Universities UK 2012)
• Student experience is key• Positive H&WB understood to underpin
success
But are universities different?
Healthy cities• Arose out of values of health promotion• Implement Ottawa Charter (WHO 1986)
• Put health high on social and political agendas
Healthy schools• Achieve education goals through addressing health
issues• Reflect core business of school, share values
Universities (in England)
• Large, complex organisations• Competitive businesses• Financial constraints, competing priorities• New managerialism: emphasis on market
forces, income generation, increased accountability, performance management, indicators, targets (Deem 2004)
? values base at odds with settings
Healthy Universities
• Lack of evidence of effectiveness (Dooris 2007)
• Lack of leadership and national legitimisation/infrastructure
• Lack of distinctiveness• Various interpretations/conceptualisations:HP projects within the universityWhole university approach to H&WB
Can a university be a ‘healthy university’?
Two qualitative case studies to investigate:
1. How is H&WB perceived and understood by the people within the university setting?
2. How is the concept manifested and operationalised in a university?
3. How does a university produce or inhibit H&WB?
Findings: H&WB as an ethos
• Extensive concept, more of an ethos than physical health, happiness was a significant component:
• “It’s wide, It’s about happiness, quality of life, lifestyle, having a good social network, having control, being fulfilled” (GB staff R)
Enhancers of H&WB
Organisational culture of caring & valuing, demonstrated by:• Positive management style, cascaded by the
leader, throughout the organisation and enacted by line managers
People felt supported, encouraged, valued
Recurring theme: H&WB can be produced or inhibited by line managers
Enhancers of H&WB
Organisational culture of caring & valuing, demonstrated by:• Effective two way communication
People felt heard, listened to, voice counted, involved.
“It feels like they listen. I feel very positive” (GB Staff R)
“It feels like the university values people’s opinions” (GB Staff N)
Enhancers of H&WB
Organisational culture of caring & valuing, demonstrated by:• Provision of clean, safe, pleasant working,
studying and living and environments• Opportunities for social interaction and
positive social relationships• Ability to network and support each other
Challenges to operationalising HU
H&WB cannot be the main focus or a top priority for the universityFinancial and political pressures,
competing priorities dominatedConstant change - re-organisations and
redundanciesUncertainty, dissatisfaction, stress
Challenges to operationalising HU
Difficult to adopt a whole system approach to H&WB• Fragmented & disconnected nature of
universities (due to size, physical barriers, not a homogenous community)
• Variation of management style • Dependent on leadership of VC
Uncertainty about the concept
“What does it mean?” “How would we know?”“What would it look like?”“What would the outcomes be?”“It’s a big concept”
However…….
• Exemplar case showed concern for people• Investment in staff & students seen as “the
right thing to do”• Aspiration and endeavour to become a
HU
Many people reported feeling valued, satisfied, contented and happy
Contrary case
This contrasted with the contrary case• Machine analogy used• People as mechanical parts“How much would it cost?”“Can you prove its economic value?”
Would require a transformation in perspectives and values
What this study adds….
• Gives clarification about what a HU is and what a HU means to the people within the university community
• Shows how they perceive the university inhibits or promotes their health
• Shows the importance of values and human feelings (caring, supportive, happy, vibrant, social interaction, positive energy)
• And how these can be enhanced by the culture of the organisation
References:• Deem, R. (2004). The knowledge worker, the manager-academic and the
contemporary UK university: new and old forms of public management? Financial Accountability & Management, 20(2), 107 - 128.
• Dooris, M. (2007). Healthy settings: past, present and future Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.
• Newell, S. (1995). The healthy organisation: fairness, ethics and effective management. London: Routledge.
• Shaheen, F. (2011). Degrees of value: how universities benefit society: new economics foundation, Universities UK, University Partnership Programme.
• Universities UK: Trends in higher education. (2012). Retrieved 9.5.13, from http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Pages/HETrends2001-2011.aspx